Working to Appreciate Retirement

It’s been hard for me to write about retirement these last couple of weeks.  Mostly because I haven’t felt very retired these last couple of weeks.  I recently started my supposed-to-be-part-time consulting gig, which hasn’t been very part time yet.  I’ve had a couple of very stress-filled days during those weeks, a far cry from the stress-less stretch of time I’ve enjoyed over the last 2 ½ years of retirement. 

Having said that, I’m having a blast.

I knew that this gig would require extra time at the front end, so that’s no surprise.  I’m definitely in the honeymoon phase, so part of the reason it’s taking so much time, is that I want to spend so much time doing it.  The other thing is, I’m doing most of the work from home.  When you work from home, it’s hard to make yourself stop working.  If I think of something that needs to be done, I do it.  It’s hard to leave your work at the office when your office is right next to the family room.

I’m finding this whole working-while-retired thing fascinating though.  It’s not something I ever thought I would want to do.  I’ve read a lot about how the vast majority of baby boomers want to do at least a little work in retirement, not because they’ll have to, but because they’ll want to.  A 2005 Merrill Lynch survey found that only 17% of boomers hoped to never work again in retirement.  Up until now, I thought that other 83% were nuts.

Up until now.

I’m under no illusion that what I’m doing is helping society in the grander scheme, but I do feel like I’m helping two really nice people run a very successful business.  It’s also a novelty to work when you’re not concerned about building your career.  I can be myself, just relax and enjoy the ride. (Well except for those days when I’m stressed and enjoying the ride.) 

I have to admit I’ve taken retirement for granted over the last several months.  I’ve grown accustomed to the freedom, and lost a bit of that sense of awe that I’m goofing off while others are slaving away.  Well, there’s nothing like a little slaving away to make you appreciate when you’re not.  I’ve spent the last few days reading magazines in my back yard, enjoying social activities with friends, and relishing the down time.  Nothing like a little work to make you appreciate retirement.

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What Do You Want Your Retirement to Look Like?

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This is a post from Retirement:  A Full-Time Job.

 

Comments

[Linda]

Hi Syd,

I hope you will still blog whenever you find time. I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts about making adjustments to your retirement life.

I learned so much from your experience, especially the challenges you faced when you started your retirement right in the middle of the US equity market crash. I think you handled it well by adjusting your budget, but you probably want to keep your desired living standard up in the long run. Your new part-time consulting work is definitely a better solution to bridge the temporary gap.

Although our nest egg had reached 33 times of our annual expenses (at ages 47 & 49), the value could be quite volatile due to the mix of our portfolio. I have been wanting to allocate funds to US Treasury bills, notes and bonds with maturities corresponding to the cash needs of our retired years, but have not found the right opportunity to do so. Until I accomplish that, I believe we have not achieved a bulletproof portfolio for the next 50 years. Thanks to our diversified asset classes, we were able to mitigate the impact of decline in the US equity and real estate market in the past couple of years by liquidating partial RE holdings in Shanghai this year. However, I still think there is much fine tuning needed for our portfolio before plunging into retirement (even though we are not work currently). I believe the game is not only in the value of the nest egg, but also in the mix of it. Our extensive overseas travel offers us a global perspective in investment and opportunities as well.

[Bob]

Glad you found the time to blog, Syd. I understand the thrill that comes from a new challenge and it sounds as though your part-time deal is providing that spark.

Best of luck, and be sure to take enough time to read those magazines in the backyard and enjoy.

[Inheritance Advice]

Thanks for the post. I am glad to hear you are enjoying your new gig.

[LoveBeingRetired]

I think that retirement, like anything that we do day in and day out, has the potential to become taken for granted. A little something different to spice things up - in your case your consulting gig - often provides enough change to realize what you had. Extended travel possibly offers the same thing - something different, fun while you do it, but you realize what you have back at home when you return. Have fun as you continue your retirement adventure and be sure to keep us all posted!