The Retirement Newsletter: Ten things that haven’t changed in retirement

Issue Number: 176 (29) — some things stay the same in retirement

Photo by Author — waterfalls at Kuang Si Butterfly Park, Laos (see Travel Nostalgia for more information)

Welcome

Over the past few weeks, I have examined what has changed in my life since I retired. In issue 176 (29) this week, I look at ten things that haven’t changed.

Ten Things I Expected to Change But Didn’t

Retirement is often viewed as the final chapter of the work-life story. It is a time for relaxation, endless hobbies, and total freedom.

Yet, many aspects of our lives stay the same in retirement and here are ten things I expected to change when I retired but didn’t:

1. My Daily Routine

I was expecting my daily routine to change. But it hasn’t.

I still get up at the same time every morning. I go to bed at the same time every night. I expected later nights and morning lie-ins, but they haven’t happened.

My day starts and ends at the same time as when I was working, and my meal times are the same. And this is very weird; I still stop for a cup of tea at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (I know — very British of me!) — times when I used to take a tea break at work.