Ideas on how to become motivated!

I retired 2.5 years ago and said I would do nothing for the first year. So I did exactly that. Not only for my first year but the second one too. I started new hobbies and continued old ones full time.

However I am now getting bored. Now this might seem extreme but I have put my house on the market and am looking forward to starting a new garden, decorating my new home and making new friends. I might look for a part-time job or do some volunteer work when I'm settled.

The point I am trying to make is that you will know when you need outside stimulation. Retirement is such a huge change. Enjoy slowing down, doing what you want to do when you want to do it, for as long as you enjoy it. ?

nannychris1. Worry not. It will all fall into place in your own good time. I'm actually typing this from the amazing warmth and comfort of my bed. When I first retired, I was quite the opposite, always needing to be on the go and with a project. This has changed greatly and now my main 'project' is ladies who lunch. Took time though. I smile and hug myself that I have been lucky with health and life is seriously kind. I'm slowly but surely renovating my entire house but slowly has been operative. Just try to enjoy and don't criticise yourself. I may sound lazy but truth is I'll be up with the larks pretty soon. Absolutely longing for Spring and itching to get out in the garden. We get the beloved extra hour of daylight starting tomorrow so that's my first bonus. Bring it on! I would simply say to you.....relax and enjoy. Good luck.

Do not expect nor even try to suddenly adjust to retirement. You need at least 6 months and more like a year before you are 'ready' for that adjustment. By ready I mean able to make decisions about how your life should proceed. That is what you want to do and how to do it.

Making decisions now may lead to you making the wrong ones. Retiring is such a big life change, one for which you have not had any previous experience. Some things will change while others, especially people, will not. After a year I believe you will be thinking very differently about your future than today.

Relax; enjoy your sudden freedom; do not worry about today.

This all sounds very familiar to me, I've always been a great reader so no problem lying around, then - well here I am mid morning Saturday on GN! Its been a bad winter who wants to get up if they don't have to. I am sure soon you will begin to piece together a week that suits you, there is plenty to join and do if you are able, enjoy.

As I said in a post earlier this week I am so envious when I read about people who have retired. The green eyed monster in me is screeching of how I would love to be lazing in my PJs of a morning (I work 7 days a week)
I am 62 this year and I have another 4 years until I get my pension.
If I was in you situation I would laze around as much as I wanted and not feel guilty about it, just enjoy.

Prior to going semi retired I went on a course designed to prepare people for this longed-for state for some people, and it being something other people dreaded. There was a good suggestion to treat the first few weeks or so like a holiday, get up late, catch up with friends etc. Then some people might find they had a void in their life which they might need to fill with activities, voluntary organisations paid part-time work. I was really looking forward to having time to myself, and if it's any help for suggestion, I took up projects I'd always wanted to do, and also to progress stuff I wanted to pursue further. (Aside from dreadful work bullying interference I've posted about in another thread...). So my projects are: I'm a lace maker, and am teaching myself a different type of lace (Honiton lace, a tad fiddly but rewarding when it goes right!), I ride a motorcycle, so am taking tuition to do my advanced test, wanted to get fitter so go swimming every week. The swimming I aim for at roughly the same time, though not slavish to an exact time. The lacemaking tends to be when I have the house to myself (to spare other people's ears from the bad language if it's not going well...), the motorcycle tuition is led by my tutor's availability and timetable. So I have a mix of please-myself activities, and those which I 'hang the week/day on'.

I still let myself get up late on non-working days and slob about in my dressing gown as the fancy takes me! Sometimes I do housework before I get dressed, sometimes after, and sometimes I don't do housework at all. Actually come to think of it, the house is far messier and lacking in pristineness since I've had more time - oops!

Don't know if this helps with you reaching some sort of framework?

I think sometimes that you have to go thro this adjustment period and do lots of slobbing around. Then very soon you will get fed up with “ wasting” your days, and that will then motivate you to do “ stuff” ... de clutter your home and life, ladies who lunch, cinema, theatre, walking, travel .... start making a bucket list of what would give you pleasure. Is there an “ over 50 Meet Up” group in your area ? They plan loads of different things and you can dip in and out as you wish, plus make new friends too.

Enjoy your 2 hours in Pj's reading or searching internet without guilt. That is what retirement is leaving the 9 to 5pm and doing what you want when you want.

When you find your level and recharge your batteries you will organise your time to suit you so just enjoy it...it isn't a crime!

I was so glad to read this post! I too am retired and found myself with no goal as such! However i am now working very part time and doing exercise classes and socialising. I have a routine but it is not fixed and can involve GC whenever required plus friends..enjoy...just be...you never know what is around the corner!

If you are happy lazing about go for it. I like 'doing' and now try to do only things I like, I still do a bit of work and spend a few weeks dotted through the year running art holidays ( off to Edinburgh soon and later to Croatia) and I love to join in with things in my community. If I don't need to get up for yoga (Mondays), Life Drawing,(Tuesdays) or something else I opften stay in bed listening to the radio, drinking tea and eating breakfast with the cat for company as my husband usually gets up before me. I don't feel guilty as I'm out most evenings at another yoga class, drama group, visiting the theatre, History Soc, WI, Town Hall Action Group, Ukulele practice etc and I have day a month with N Wales Urban Sketchers and another with Strictly Sketchers as well as having our grandson for a weekend every 3 weeks or so and longer in the holidays, walking in the hills or on the beach with my husband and visiting RSPB Conwy, Bodnant gardens and other lovely places. I had an email today from the secretary of a group who want me to run an art workshop which started 'I know you live life in the fast lane . . .' And someone in the drama group said last night after our show 'I don't know how you fit everything in', well it's because I do what I want with people I like when I like and it suits me. You do what suits you!

There’s bound to be a period of readjustment so it will resolve itself I think. I was the opposite - glad to retire but desperate to still feel ‘useful’. I joined loads of things, but gradually you find your own pattern I think. I still like to be busy, but often that’s because my retired workaholic other half seems content to just sit reading and doing puzzles and watching tv and it drives me crazy. I don’t begrudge it, and by all means enjoy the freedom to do exactly what you like, but I do think it’s aging to give up all structure on life. I like to have my week planned, including ‘days off’, but that’s necessary with looking after grandchildren anyway.

Wildswan, I am pretty much the same as you. Earliest appoint for anything, except the Dr, is 11 a.m. and most days I am outside for a few hours either walking or cycling, even in the snow. A cup of coffee and maybe a bite to eat somewhere sometimes and then back home to do whatever. I feel like. After a lifetime of work it’s great to be able to please myself what I do and when. And by the way, housework is usually done while in my jimjams for an hour or less before I go out.

I do exactly the same. My time working I got up at 6am and started work at 7am. So now I love the fact that when I've got up in the morning there is no rush. Sit back and enjoy.

I am just the same - retired last year and don't feel like doing anything that looks like work! I go out for lunch with DH a few times a week - we know all the best value places love shopping for clothes, know all the thrift shops and buy on ebay, Look after grandchildren several times a week very tiring! I have told everyone I am having my gap year, good enough for students why shouldn't we oldies have one too! It may turn into more than one gap year though because I am enjoying it so much!

You do exactly what I do, except I enjoy the freedom. My puppy keeps me on the straight and narrow, and collecting GC'ren from school and looking after them during holidays is enough structure. Have a great retirement!

That's me too. I work 3 mornings a week with my daughter which is voluntary, but on the other days I will look at social media/Google etc. in my dressing gown and really have to make myself have a shower and get dressed. By that time it's almost time to make lunch and half the day is gone. I do feel a bit guilty, and have so many hobbies, but it's wonderful to be able to please yourself after so many years working for a boss.

Enjoy your slouching - after all the years of working, this is your prize! In time you will find interests to occupy you, but there's no need to force the issue. Just relax and let it happen.
I retired some years ago now and, like you, would come down in my dressing gown and slob about for a couple of hours. I never felt I could 'start' the day until I was dressed, and I kept putting it off, so my day was getting shorter and shorter! Then a few years ago, I decided enough was enough and started getting dressed as soon as I got up. Now, strangely enough, I feel as if I have much more time

This is me too! I finished work at Christmas after working for 45 yrs with just a 2 year break to have my boys. I wake up at 7 when hubby brings me a coffee before he goes to work. Listen to radio until 0915 then switch TV on (in bed) watch how to age well or whatever ??. Then it’s Homes under the Hammer which I’m addicted to. I live in a bungalow so I don’t feel bad being in bed- if I lived in a house I’m sure I’d be up!
The weather has been so rubbish since I finished work I’m quite happy at the mo. I do 2 exercise classes a week plus Nordic working but having my 0915 class on Friday is the only day I get out of bed before 10!
All those cupboards I meant to declutter are almost done and I’ve even put my spices in alphabetical order ??
I’m looking to do some voluntary work which involves something outdoors. But all in all I’m quite happy pottering?

I’m laughing so much at your post Morethan, you’ve described me to perfection!
I have promised myself that once the weather cheers up, I’m getting out for a walk as soon as I wake! Suitably dressed of course ?

What is it with us women that we feel guilty if we are not working. You say you are newly retired Nannychris so enjoy the hard earned rest for a while whilst you give some thought to the future.
So many things to enjoy now you are not time limited, a good book, coffee with friends, a walk in the country or by the sea, visits to local places of interest.........
Once you have had some time to think there are opportunities to help as a volunteer, learn a new skill, take an OU course. The list is endless but don't try to do too much, you can always add extra activities later.
Good luck and enjoy yourself, you deserve it.

I am guilty of this too. I still work 2 days a week as I need that structure. I do some occasional voluntary work.

When I should be doing housework, I decide to, say, blitz the kitchen. I set the timer for an hour , and zoom round and see what I can do in that time. Then I can have a cuppa.

I’ve been retired a year next week and feel the same as you. Only this week I decided that rather than wasting my mornings doing exactly what you describe I should get up and do somthing then leaving the afternoons free. The first year has flown by mainly visiting family up north. I had 5holidays (that’ll never happen again, I saved my last 6 months wages so that I could ease myself into retirement) I do have my grandchildren two evenings a week and some weekends so there is somthing to ‘hang my week’ on. I’m now trying to do some decluttering. I’m not doing very well, mostly I’m moving one lot stuff into one place then moving it back again. I was wondering how I fitted it all in, working, grandchildren, housework etc. I have found the answer. I didn’t fit it in. My house is cluttered, messy and well a bit dirty. Oh well I best get on with it.

I love being lazy. I worked all my life, along with childcare, voluntary work, etc etc. My life was run by time constraints. Now I am retired and on my own I admit to being very lazy and have resisted doing anything which requires me to be somewhere at 10 a.m. or 2.15 p.m. etc. I know I could feel guilty, but I don't. This is "me" time after a lifetime of being there for others. I still love them, they still love me.

I do keep active, walk five or six miles most days, enjoy the outside, go swimming etc. I would only be worried about it if I was sat inside and miserable.

I like to have some structure to my week and some flexibility doesn't always work but in the main I decided on a house chores and appointments day (hair dentist etc) being a Thursday(an Sainsbury delivery) a couple of days for exercise of some kind (golf in my case) and some totally free days Sunday is always kept free in this house. Hanging around in your pjs isn't a sin- you have earned it but I think you probably like having some purpose to some of the days and a sense of achievement. it takes time to get this retirement thing sorted. Most of all enjoy yourself.

Make a list and set a goal that is what I do. But quite honestly “what is life if there is no time to stop and stare”?