# What has changed since I retired 3 weeks ago.



## Vinny (Jul 29, 2018)

This is my third week of retirement and a list of things that no longer concern me or that I have to do. How about you? What has changed for you  when you retired. I have always been ambitious and over achiever so retirement for me is a big change. I cared about my job and my company to detriment to my mental and physical health. Now that I no longer work, these are the things that immediately have happened. Give us your list.




When I lay my head down to sleep there is nothing in it to keep me awake anymore.
No longer dread Sundays because it means work tomorrow.
The chatter in my mind about work related things is gone.
The only thing I need to keep track of is Doctor, Dentist and Haircutting appointments.
I can stay up and sleep for as long as I like.
No more suits and ties or any other dress clothes.
I no longer stress out every time my phone rings or I get an email.
No longer track my company to see if it may go out of business or get bought out.
No more work commute.
Do not have to deal with all the security rules and regulations that my job entailed.
No pretending to like clients and others I work with in and out of my company.
Not always viewing people as potential prospects for business.
For me at least, no more having to keep things secret from wife, friends and family due to security requirements of my job.
I do not need to keep up with technology anymore. Just need to know what is useful to me.
Sex on any day and at any time. 
Deleted over 100 contacts in my contact list. Now only have a handful.
I do not have to save my emails for 7 year as I did by law.
I don't care what day of the week it is and often have to ask my wife.
Low cost matinee movies.
Lunch at any time and at any place. No more eating at my desk.
I can have a full breakfast now and not just a cup of coffee and a bagel or Egg McMuffin.
No one second guessing me or asking me to justify my decisions.
No more drop dead deadlines.
I used to have to follow many regulations from many government agencies and change our business to accommodate them. Now I do not care what the Government does except for how it affects my Medicare and Social Security.
Only one phone number and address to remember.
Not always checking my watch to see if it is 5 o'clock yet.
No more sitting in traffic, getting and giving the finger.
My income no longer depends on how well my company does that year.
Most of all knowing that my actions and decisions only affect me and my wife, not 20 employees.
No more traveling on business or relocating. I have traveled to 20+ countries and 26 States. We have moved 13 times with 9 of them due to business relocations.
I no longer have to keep three pages of passwords to all the business sites I needed to do my work.
No more do I have to carry a smart phone, iPad or Lap top computer with me every time I went out or on vacation.
Not on call 24/7 anymore. I can sleep through the night.
I can engage in my hobbies everyday now.
Never being told to do things that I do not want to do.
Last but not least, never having to worry about anything but me and my wife.

We have not only retired from work but from the crazy world around us. Where we live it is like a bubble that has everything that we need to enjoy life. We do not pay much attention to the outside world like we used to unless it will have a direct affect on us. Politics has become our favorite sitcom.


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## RadishRose (Jul 29, 2018)

Good for you Vinny! Enjoy your retirement, you've earned it. It's nice to see someone happy about it; some people feel lost for a while.


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## Meanderer (Jul 29, 2018)

Wow!  Sounds like you have had a full week, Vinny.  I was going to make a list.....but, after 11 years, I have forgotten all that kind of stuff.  I'm sure that tucked away with all the things you won't miss....are a few things that you will miss.  You will adjust, over time.  One thing about change is that it never stops.  So expect to grow into your retirement as time passes.  Good luck, and don't   forget to take a deep breath!


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## moviequeen1 (Jul 30, 2018)

HI Vinny,glad to hear you are enjoying your 'new life' in retirement.,yes its an adjustment but some of us get through it better than others. It took me 6-8 months not to get up at 5:30a the days I had to be at work I started at 7,walking 8 blocks in all kinds of weather{winter was always a challenge} 
In my case,I was emotionally/physically exhausted 'burned out' working 3 days/wk for 27 yrs at local hospital as a pharm tech,,was able to take early retirement in 2011.It seems now a lifetime ago but I have no regrets. 
Two yrs before I retired,I bought a 'retirement clock',the 2nd hand shows the days of the week.There have been a couple times when I couldn't remember what day it is,I looked at it LOL! The days just seem to flow together. I have no clue where these past 7 yrs have gone,its been a blurr !
One of the great things I like about being retired is making my own schedule to do my favorite things,volunteering,reading my books,going to the movies,taking my 3 daily walks Sue


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## DaveA (Jul 30, 2018)

Sounds good, Vinnie.  I'm moving into my 27th year of retirement and it's just a way of life now..  Remembrances of my working years are so far removed that they are seldom thought about, excepting for humorous remembrances. 

Unlike some, work (to me) was a necessity, classed with daily bodily functions.  Something that is required of us and sometimes more pleasant and rewarding than others. 

 As for my job, I had no complaints.  In the later years, a private office, car at my disposal, and reasonable hours.  But there was never any  comparison between spending a day at work or spending it with family.   IMHO, someone would have to have a pretty crappy family situation, if heading for the office was the better choice.


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 30, 2018)

Glad you're enjoying your retirement Vinny, it is the good life and we all deserve to relax and enjoy after a lifetime of work.  Your job seemed to be far much more demanding than mine, not surprised you needed a break.   It's been almost ten years for me, and I'm happy I was able to retire early.

-no more ringing alarms in the wee hours of the morning
-no more heading to work in the dark before the sun comes up
-no more driving to and from work in snow blizzards
-no more punching timeclocks
-no more having to do all shopping chores on the weekend when stores are crowded and traffic is heavy
-sleeping as late as I want, unless there's an appointment to keep
-taking vacations whenever we want
-do what I want and when I want
-spend more time with hubby and the furkids


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## OneEyedDiva (Aug 6, 2018)

I'm glad you are enjoying and appreciating your retirement, especially if you are the member who thought you might not.
I've been retired for 20-1/2 years so it's hard to remember everything. But like you:
~No more worries about when and if I could contact a patient for follow-up. If I didn't get it done during a reasonable time during the day, I had to try nights.
~No more having to get up and get myself to work on time (wasn't a morning person back then but am now...go figure!)
~No more Pat XXXXXXXX, who worked in one of my offices..she was a real b*tch!!
~No more cases to manage and paperwork
And how I felt was proud of myself for the accomplishment since none of my colleagues, who had been on state payroll much longer than I, thought I could retire at 50. I was a happy retiree from day one. But in a way it made me lazy. I kept up with things a lot better when I was working (another go figure!).


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## RadishRose (Aug 6, 2018)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I'm glad you are enjoying and appreciating your retirement, especially if you are the member who thought you might not.
> I've been retired for 20-1/2 years so it's hard to remember everything. But like you:
> ~No more worries about when and if I could contact a patient for follow-up. If I didn't get it done during a reasonable time during the day, I had to try nights.
> ~No more having to get up and get myself to work on time (wasn't a morning person back then but am now...go figure!)
> ...



Hahaha, Diva. When you were working you weren't around to make a mess; like me! layful:


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## drifter (Aug 10, 2018)

Have been retred so long I have almost forgotten what I did when I was working. Nevertheless, retirement has been the best part of my life. Right now I am almost too busy. I have eight books checked out from the library. I need to check out a new grocer I have not used except rarely when i would be shoppiong nearby and need an item or two. I am knee deep into meditation, and continue to read and research the subject of Conscienceless. My two year contract is almost up with directtv and at&t. Do I choose a better television selection and stay where I am or go back to Cox TV? Admittedly, I don't watch much tv but it is my roommates only entertainment. So she chooses what she wants and I see to it. I play the harmonica and flute for health reasons and for personal satisfaction. I guess i miss two things, sex and golf. but retirement has been the great reward I strove for during my working career. I am mostly content.


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## OneEyedDiva (Aug 10, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> Hahaha, Diva. When you were working you weren't around to make a mess; like me! layful:



LOL..good point Rose!


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