Plans of Being Unproductive During Retirement

So I get it that we may only have one life to live. Yes, ideally we should probably strive to spend as much time as possible helping and teaching others, and being good stewards of this wonderful planet we live on.

Not sure if that will be me when I retire.

There are several activities that I’m looking forward to participating in that I just don’t seem to have the time to do these days. Perhaps when the kids get older or leave the house entirely I’ll get a chance to try them out, or maybe I’ll have to wait until I retire.

I don’t know if all of these are pointless activities, but they’re probably not contributing toward a better society.

Social Media

When it comes to social media, I’ve rarely spent time seeing what my contacts or “friends” are up to. Given more time, I could see myself checking what family and friends are up to, and maybe even try to connect a little more frequently.

I don’t plan on spending hours a day on this, but I can see spending more time on the various platforms. I don’t plan on getting my news from these sources, but it might be fun to see what all the talk is about. There are potentially fun conversations that I might be able to learn from or even contribute to.

However, I won’t be too surprised if all of social media has changed by the time I finally get around to checking it out. The pace at which the Internet and its various algorithms are constantly changing makes me curious of what the future holds.

Learning

Speaking of the Web, there is so much information available out there, and I’m interested in learning a bit of it. I feel like there are so many things that I don’t know, and yet after being on a computer for 8 hours a day most weekdays, at the end of the day my eyes and brain need a break. On the weekends, we typically hang out as a family and have a number of activities and chores to work on and don’t spend a lot of time independently to concentrate on learning. Once I cut down my work hours or stop my job entirely, I hope to set aside time for individual learning.

I’d like to catch up on so many things I just haven’t followed, from the latest human disease research all the way to what new planets we’re finding in distant galaxies. I’d like to reread a little bit of that history content that I didn’t memorize that well in school. I’d like to look at census data and see where people are moving.

I’m also interested in technology! I’d love to take some classes on websites, AI, and maybe even some coding?! I don’t expect to catch up with technology, but it sure would be interesting to understand and take advantage of what it can do.

Lately I’ve spent a very minimal time browsing through portions of some finance books for basic formulas and understanding of concepts. Although I’ve recommended several books to others, I myself have only ever skimmed through books like The Simple Path To Wealth, Your Money Or Your Life, and Die With Zero to capture the main concepts. I haven’t even picked up other books I’ve heard so much about that would probably help me, like The Purpose Code.

Music

I’d like to play more music. I played an instrument in school, but haven’t done much playing since. I have also always wanted to learn the guitar and the piano too! I just haven’t set aside time to pursue these endeavors.

I hope to start listening to music more often too. Music can usually improve my mood, and just connects with me in a very unique way that can be very satisfying.

Television

What about television? We have several streaming services, and every once in a while I will open one of them up and see what kinds of shows or movies are available. The answer is A LOT! I’m reminded of times when I was a kid watching several weekly shows with my family, ranging from science fiction to comedies to dramas. I remember watching and listening on the radio to local sports games and collecting baseball cards learning about the game.

Yeah, I can see myself watching a little bit more television when I don’t have an employer. In fact, now that I think about it, it may be worth watching a few shows with the kids while they’re in the house. Everything may be streaming these days, but it could be fun to set aside one or two evenings a week to watch something as a family. In addition to being fun to watch and experience together, sometimes there are even good lessons shared on these programs… and sometimes these can be more powerful coming from someone besides a parent from time to time.

Video Games

Speaking of television, video games is something I’ve previously posted about recently acquiring. They’re fun! Unfortunately, after a full day in front of a computer screen controlling the mouse and keyboard, usually the last thing I want to do is grab another controller for another screen. Once I drop my job, I think I might want to try out a few games! It’s fun to play through other worlds created by some of the best artists and storytellers in the world!

Fiction

Speaking of stories, I look forward to reading too! I have a number of physical books set aside that I haven’t read yet, and more than 100 books that I would like to read. It’s been so long since I’ve read fiction that I’m not even sure what kind of categories to search under. Am I into science fiction, fantasy, adventure, or something else? I would like to spend several hours a week diving into different times and worlds and using my imagination a bit! Hopefully I don’t wait until I retire to start reading more, but I hope to set aside some time when I have some.

Exercise

I’m actually kind of looking forward to living a healthier life! Yes, eating is important, and I could really go for some more and consistent exercise as well. I get some steps in throughout the average week, but I could go for some more intense workouts and add some elevation to my walks… and maybe even try some jogging. It would be great to set aside an hour or two for exercise most days of the week.

Conclusion

Okay, so maybe I don’t really consider these activities pointless, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that I do plan on spending potentially multiple hours a day on things that are not necessarily going toward helping people and causes that are going to improve the world.

I will try to spend some time toward purposeful activities, and maybe I’ll find some overlap with activities I enjoy, but I’m going to pursue happiness too. With all of my fun, will I have time to make the world a better place? … Well, I’m not really sure, and this is something I’ll need to think about as I approach the retirement part of my life. But currently, I’m not too worried and I’m excited for the future.

Links/Resources

Reader Questions

What are some fun activities you’re (still) hoping to do during retirement?

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