Life after retirement is a time of transition and adjustment.
What to do in retirement?
Many people approaching retirement wonder what they will do with all their spare time.
Everyone’s circumstances are different; and retirement options may depend on circumstances.
If we feel we have choices, and feel we are able to determine what we do each day, then the transition is likely to much smoother.
In today’s “Conversations About Retirement” Jenny kindly agreed to share her thoughts and experiences of being retired. Jenny talks about how she enjoys filling in her days doing what she wants. She also talks about her sense of freedom in retirement, and her relief to no longer rush like she did when she was working, and more…
Here is a transcript of my conversation with Jenny. The sentences in italics are the questions I ask Jenny. The plain text are Jenny’s responses.
Please read the conversation with an eye for appreciation, rather than with critical judgement. I encourage you to focus on what it is you appreciate having read? What resonates with you? Where does this story take you personally in your thinking?
Today I’d like to introduce Jenny, who has been retired for 3 years.
Hi Estelle. Yes, I clearly remember the day I retired. That was the 28th of October, 2013. I had been working for a large, national, government organisation. At 4 o’clock it was pens down. I said to my team leader “Karen, it’s 4 o’clock . Now I am a member of the public on the wrong side of the counter, and I’m going across the road for a drink”. Thus, I started my retirement.
That sounds a very good way to start you retirement.
It was a very good way to start. And, I haven’t looked back.
I very much enjoy not working and having a sense of freedom, being able to enjoy life. When one gets to a certain age, and might only have a couple of decades left (if you’re lucky), it’s great to be fortunate enough to be able to enjoy each day and pretty much do what I want to.
What are the things you do to fill in each day? What are the things you enjoy doing each day? That is a question many people wonder, what are they going to do?
It is often said, isn’t it, when people retire, what do you do all day? I find I fill my day, I’m never bored. I love to garden. I love to cook. I’m in a book club, which I really, really enjoy. We meet once a month. So I need to read at least one book a month
And now that I have time; probably a little bit extra money; now that the children are grown up; and I am retired… I’ve always been interested in arts and crafts, and I now have time to indulge in those. So, that’s been great.
I’ve just been up to spend a week at Belligen, where I learned to Felt, (this is something I’ve always wanted to do) at Camp Creative. So, that’s been wonderful.
What’s Camp Creative? I’ve never heard of Camp Creative?
I had never heard of Camp Creative until earlier this year.
Another thing I do, to digress a bit, I have two groups of girlfriends. We go away at various times, and do different things. So, we have been to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, been to Blackheath and stayed in an Ecolodge. We have done this, and we have done that, done heaps of stuff.
But, Camp Creative, one of the groups of women had been there before, last year. I understand Camp Creative has been running for 30 years in Belligen. It is a not for profit, community run organisation. There are about sixty courses to choose; anything from music, arts and crafts. My friend built a canoe while we were there. I did felting, another person did basket making, another paper making. It was extremely well run. You don’t have to camp, fortunately, because my camping days are over. So we rented a house. It was a fun and very fulfilling, exciting week really. We did lots of activities and a whole week of learning craft.
Did it cost much to register to go to Camp Creative?
It was interesting, it cost about the same as a day tuition that I looked at here in my home town in Newcastle.
In Felting?
In felting. It was a little bit more, but it was a very extensive course. I had a generous tutor with her skills and time. We were in a small group of 6 women. So, I would say it was money well spent.
And how did you find out about Camp Creative?
Our friend had been the year before. She lives in Armidale, kind of up the road from Belligen, and she said “How about this is our next activity?”
For someone who is thinking about retiring, what would your message be about what to do in retirement?
Do you mean to plan for retirement, or actually being in retirement?
Did you do anything, planning for retirement?
No. Everyone’s circumstances are different, and you have to be careful about financial situations. So we did go and see people about Super…
But in regard to filling in your day though, did you do any planning around that?
No
Some people say Oh, I have gone and joined things…
My husband had already retired, some 3 years before. So, we had talked about when I retired we might go overseas with some friends, which we did. We had never been overseas. We went to Vietnam. That was wonderful. That was a plan.
I had planned to read a lot more books than I did. Before I didn’t have time to read books, as I was doing other things. So, I’m immersing myself in crafts. I’m very happy with my own company. So, I don’t need a lot of people. But I do enjoy people. And, we do enjoy people coming to stay. We like to go away every now and then as well. In planning… No. I knew that I would fill my days.
Yet, I always planned to do some voluntary work. But, I didn’t know what I would be doing until I got there (retirement). I now volunteer with the Women’s Job Club. This is a free voluntary service, of which I am currently a co-leader. The Women’s Job Club is about supporting and assisting women re-enter the workforce.
How often do you volunteer?
I volunteer one morning per week, during the school term.
What value is there for you in doing this volunteering?
I find it very fulfilling to continue using my skills I gained in previous work experiences; and being able to contribute back to the community.
For you with the arts and crafts, what do you think it has bought into your life, in retirement? What is the value that it brings into your life?
I think a sense of achievement. I really like the creativity side. I like making something.
I used to always rush projects I think when I was working, and having kids, and doing other stuff I had to do. I’d cram in domestic chores, in small windows of time, so I could do something else I wanted to do. Then be up bright and early to go to work the next day. So, it’s a leisurely thing I can do, that I can enjoy. I have time and space. The other thing about retirement, if there are a few little jobs to be done, if they aren’t done on Tuesday they might be done on Wednesday. It’s not really all that much of a problem if things are not done.
If you compare yourself now, three years into your retirement, to yourself just before you retired, how do you see yourself now at this point?
I’m much calmer. In terms of I don’t have to rush about. I hated rushing. Having to get up, get the bus, get to work. To be at the behest of other people to do stuff, to have things done, and have deadlines. So, I really like the idea if I don’t wake up until the school kids are going past my door to the school across the road – that’s alright. I don’t necessarily have to be up at a certain time. But, if I want to get up early to do something I can.
That sound’s really nice.
It’s lovely. It’s very nice to be the mistress of one’s own destiny each day. And if things change, well they change.
I think the other thing I really like about being retired is you can do things with your kids. We have a daughter in Melbourne, and we have one that lives locally. If the one that lives locally wants to to go shopping, well we can do that. Or, we can take a day off to help them move. Or we can go and celebrate the other daughter’s birthday, for a good period, in Melbourne. Those sort of things are wonderful. I don’t have to ask for a day off.
I have so much in my life, I’m bursting. I’m not working (employed). I’m just living with my beliefs and going where my passion leads me.
Reflection
Firstly, I wish to thank Jenny for bravely agreeing to be the first retiree to share her thoughts and experiences about retirement.
So much of what Jenny said about being retired resonates with me. For instance, the freedom to do things you enjoy, and no longer needing to rush. Yet, what really struck a cord with me was Jenny’s comment “It’s very nice to be the mistress of one’s own destiny each day”. What I heard listening to Jenny, is she no longer has to be “at the behest of other people to do stuff”. She can simply choose to do as she wishes. Being able to say “I don’t have to” is massive.
Jenny’s comments reminds me that I don’t have to be at the behest of others. In the past, too often, I have been caught up in pleasing others. Jenny’s comments remind me I don’t have to. It’s OK, at this stage of my life, to be more self caring, to please myself.
After reading Jenny’s comments, what resonated with you? Did any comments stand out for you personally? Has this conversation influenced your thinking in any way?
Have you any comments about retirement and what you do to fill in your day?
I’d love to hear your comments.
Kind regards from Estelle – Retiree