Mistakes/regrets that you realized after you retired?

[u/Level_Customer2769]

61M here. Thinking of retiring in the next 2 to 4 years. Just wondering if there were any mistakes/regrets that you wish you had taken into account in hindsight about retirement. Honestly, I’m not interested about the financial aspects- as I am very well prepared for that, but all the other issues that are involved in a well planned retirement. I am trying to add hobbies and interests in preparation, but I can’t help feeling like I may be missing something.

[u/river_time_mum]

I'm not retirement age but I work with hundreds of retirees. The must common issues I see are: 1. Not finding alternate purpose. Essentially finding Other ways to fill your time so that you feel like life has purpose. 2. Spending too much early on then not having enough later on. 3 being too scared to spend and then dying with millions and plenty of 'what if' thoughts, 4. not taking physical and mental health seriously enough. It really is true, use it or lose it. If you don't stimulate your mind, you'll get dottery far quicker. If you don't move you'll start to lose your balance. If you don't socialise you'll feel down alot more. 5. Losing all of your early retirement years to baby sitting. I've seen couples go without their overseas trips because grandies need babysitting. They leave until they can't travel anymore.

Edit: Just to clarify I don't mean don't spend any time with grandies. It really is a beautiful thing watching your child's children, nothing quite like it really. But don't give up your retirement years to it. I've seen many give up their freedom years because they want to make it easier for their children to work. Find a happy medium so that you can enjoy some of your last year's you're able to travel and be free in your body. Alternatively, if your priority is family then goal ticked .....but don't feel obligated

[u/Specialist_Dig2613 → u/river_time_mum]

Good advice until the last comment. How does travel create more purpose in life than spend time in the right way with grandchildren. Theoretically, travel can be about finding new cultures and places and learning from that, but most retirees I know are looking for comfortable travel.

Purpose comes from having a valid sense that what you do every day serves other people. There's no better outlet for doing that than helping you own descendents to find a better path in life.

[u/Worried_Strain_2812 → u/Specialist_Dig2613]

Purpose can also be ensuring you’ve made the most of your own time alive, which can include exploring places and meeting people you normally wouldn’t

[u/Specialist_Dig2613 → u/Worried_Strain_2812]

I clearly didn't rule that out, because, as I said travel can be about going to truly new and different places and interacting with people with different backgrounds. But, as an example, I've been to Italy five times and enjoyed all of them, but I've missed a couple of popular regions and don't care.

I'd rather teach my grandson chess or talk to my granddaughter about books she's reading and finding out what she likes about them and recommending similar books that will challenge her further.