I retired last summer, just before my 61st birthday, and it has been wonderful. The quoted line above has been my biggest challenge. I have (too) many hobbies and envisioned dividing my daily schedule between them. In reality, I have been very disciplined about getting back into shape, though it is still very much a work in progress, as I had fallen far in recent years - including suffering a heart attack in 2016 while on a short, easy run. On the other hand, I find that I'm often tired from my increased training or otherwise unmotivated to do the multitasking I thought I would. This likely harkens back to damage done by the HA and subsequent ongoing medication regimen, which definitely affects my energy levels.

One of the biggest perks for me is the reduced stress of conforming to an externally driven schedule. Now I get up when I want, usually around 7:00 AM vs. the 5:00 AM I was doing while working. I have a cup of coffee while doing a little internet surfing, then eat a little breakfast. When the weather is to my liking (earlier in the summer, later in the winter) I casually get ready and head over to one of my local trails for a run or to the YMCA for a short swim and treadmill run. By the time I get home it's time for lunch and a little reading while I unwind, then more often than not, an afternoon nap. Here is where my pre-retirement plan falls apart. I thought I would spend my afternoons/evenings on my other hobbies, and I have done some of that, but not nearly as consistently as I had expected.

I really was more "productive" (except for the training piece) when I had very tight, clearly defined time windows in which to pursue my own interests. I think the biggest adjustment is aligning my expectations to my reality. Recently I have gotten better at utilizing my time, while also realizing that I still need to prioritize activities that are most important to me - which may fluctuate over time. Right now, getting back into shape is at the top of the list.

Overall, I'm happy with the progress that I have made in my running and associated weight loss. A big factor in that is having (and using) more time for therapeutic activities such as warming up well before really launching into my workouts and incorporating some massage into my routine.

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Happy trails,
Chris

I've got a 'retirement spreadsheet' that I've been building over time, it's getting increasingly complex. Anyhow, I just subtract out known or expected large expenses like my kids college from the assets we have and run the numbers that way.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

Comparatively, we had our kids pretty young (we're also the same age) so 24, 29 and 31. Our oldest decided not to pursue college, our middle graduates this May, and our youngest is in his first year of college. Importantly, we have that account fully funded, set aside and don't consider it part of our net worth or retirement calculations.