Now that you are retired....
 

I am not yet retired but long for the days when I don't have a schedule to meet and can take life at my own pace.

My question is not that you are retired, what time do you usually wake up to start your day and when is your usual time for going to bed?

The answer is........whenever we want to.

The difficulty is not in saying "YES!" to all the opportunities for happy and interesting things to do, but in saying "no", sometimes...

It is so lovely here.

Happy Easter.
I am eating my fresh out of the oven yeasty warm pecany sticky buns.

Gracie is right, it's learning to say NO every once in a while that's difficult to learn... ;)

I think when anyone is suddenly free from work demands, they play....and play and play. Soon play can become work...really. Over time you learn to select what you want to really do and have fun with it....not select everything and then become bogged down with so much to do and no time for yourself.

When we were first retired I found we still arose early...heck, there was so much to do and settling in is fun. Now that more time has passed, sleeping a little later or lounging around with a cup of coffee and the paper happens more than it did when first here....but if one has an early tee time or class, well, the paper can wait...it's off to play... ;)

I retired 10 years ago when I was 48. We still get up every morning at 7A to have coffee and read the paper.
Can't believe how fast time has gone.

I can't seem to shake the "up at 6:00 am, go to bed at 11:00 pm" habit. Its been ingrained for so long, I don't see it changing anytime soon.

one thing many observed here in TV that they did NOT leave behind after they retired is not being in a hurry.

I don't think it is any where near a majority but there are enough of them to create unpleasant situations at times in line at grocery stores, pharmacy but especially behind the wheel.

So like the others have pointed out, there is no schedule that is a MUST. I use the do what I want, when or if I want. I walk away from those who seem to have a need for a "schedule" and do everything by the clock. To them I would say until they get away from the routine need to do things by schedule or clock (except take your medicine) you have not really retired yet.

And oh yes, do not forget to smile. And even a bigger smile at the few crotchety types that seem to come sometimes too frequently with us elders. The bigger the smile the more nuts it drives them.

btk

I wish that the "NO" word would work on the "Honey-Do-List" ;);)

Y'all have a Great Easter.......

Now that I'm retired, I don't need an alarm clock. However, I DO follow my internal clock. Typically, I get up 7:00-7:30 AM. I head back to bed 10:30-11:00 PM. Works for me.

Well, it has only been a week. But still up at 5:00 AM every day. Start doing work related (getting house ready to sell) stuff by 7:00 AM and keep going full time till 5:00 or 5:30 PM. Now I have cut back to three days a week and only doing 4 or 5 hours the other two. My plan is to work on this project until done three days a week 8 hours a day. Then play the other two days. Probably take me 3 months of that schedule to complete.

Last week did all the landscaping along the tree line in front of the house, raked and cleaned about 3/4 acre of the 3 acre lot, planted 30 knock out roses and 10 azaleas, spread 12 yards of bark mulch, took two loads of brush to the landfill, mowed all lawns, spread fertilizer and grass seed, watered everything each day, played golf Thursday plus some other work, then on Friday did equipment repairs so I will be ready to start again on Monday.

Boy, I should have stayed at work so I could have hired all this done.

Depends on whether or not I doze off in my Lazy-Boy in the afternoon. :1rotfl:

I am up at 5:15 AM and in bed between 11 and 12 (depends on when the game I am watching ends).

No alarm clock necessary.

No "usual" time for me. Goodbye to schedules. The best thing about retirement for me is that I don't have to follow a routine. I can go to bed or get up whenever I feel like it! The neighbourhoods here are very quiet after 9PM. There are loads of activities that start very early in the morning, so I assume that most retirees are "early to bed, early to rise". I've just never been a morning person. :mornincoffee:

Early to bed and early to rise....
 

describes lifestyle in TV to a "tee" for us.....Get up play golf b4 the heat of the day!....Lately our little dog dictates WHEN we go to bed (how can we let a little dog be the boss, I don't know, we are just push overs for our canine friend)...I think he loves to go to bed early because he has both, our love and attention!

One of the nice things about being retired is that I stopped wearing a wristwatch. It's daytime or nighttime and that is fine with me. Once in a while, I do glance at the time on my cellphone :)

If I need to be somewhere at a certian time, I will program my cellphone to ring and remind me that an appointment is coming up.

Enjoy!!!

Ditto for me. I was trying to think what I would say, and I saw your post and laughed out loud. It's so true.

There's nothing like a nice afternoon nap. This Easter Sunday afternoon on the sunny breezy lanai with these moderate temperatures was a near perfect nap experience.

Retirement; it's a good thing :)

Alarm Clock's, Hmmmmm, I know I seen that thing somewhere:laugh::laugh:

I am on the same schedule. I get up at the same time I did when I worked and I prepare for the day in the same way. I am dressed and having breakfast before 7 every day. I have been retired for four years and it works for me. I feel, for me, I would feel lazy and unmotivated if I slept in - it is a personal problem.

4 AM no more
 

I got up at 4 AM to go to work for 40 years. Within two weeks of being retired I now get up when the sun comes in our windows. I used to go to bed at 9 PM and now stay up to 11 PM most nights. I truly believe that getting 8 hours of sleep every night has reduced my stress level to ZERO!

Along these lines... I have often wondered why everybody still goes out to dinner on Friday & Saturday nights. Tuesday night is the same as Saturday night when you're retired. ;)

I haven't used an alarm clock in years, long before I retired. I have the ability to wake when I want without help. I set an alarm clock if I have to get up at 4 am or so for some reason, but even then I almost always wake up just before the alarm is set to go off. It's really almost scary.

I wondered the same thing!

Morning Person
 

It's like when I was working I never wanted to get up! Now I find myself waking up sooner and sooner. Probably because I don't have to go into the Stress PITT!

I still get up at 4am! UGH! Get my 4 mile walk done before the sun is up. Stay busy all day and in bed by 10. My favorite days are those when I am at home relaxing! The only negative about retirement for me is not knowing what day of the week it is (I always know when it is Sunday...no traffic on roads!). Life was always good but it is even better now!

Very good observation! :laugh:
(and probably not as crowded)

We solved the what day is it problem with this.....http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

Now I have to remember to look at it!... :)

When working I got up at 4:30 and to bed at 10:00. Now stay in bed to about 7:30 and go to bed at 11:00 or later. I really don't have a set schedule and just do what feels good.

I've wondered about that also. Here is my theory ... I think we spent our whole lives looking forward to weekends before we retired. And we're creatures of habit, we still look forward to the weekend. Saturday night is date night. It was date night in the 60s and 70s, and it's still date night today! :beer3:

i am not retired but I do look forward to a time when the only time I may have to get up to an alarm clock is to do something fun that I am looking forward to.

I am hanging on to the dream.

That's true. I think I'm going to change date night -- at least during snowbird season.

When I called to make reservation at TV some time ago under its 'Lifestyle Preview program, I (stupidly) asked, "What's it like at TV on the weekends?" The operator replied..."Honey, it's the weekend every day here."

Gene

Funny, my brother in law in Troy. MI uses the same runner plus his first and last initial.
Oh well. Thats what retirement does. Too much time.