• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Military Guide Logo

Military Guide

The Military Guide To Financial Independence

  • Start Here!
    • About The Military Guide
    • Interviews & Podcasts
    • About the Book – The Military Guide To Financial Independence & Retirement
    • About the Book – Raising Your Money-Savvy Family
  • Military & Veterans Benefits
    • Military Pay
    • VA Disability Benefits
    • VA Loans
  • Career
    • Education
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Federal Civil Service
    • Military Career
  • Military Life
    • Military Family – Spouses & Dependents
    • Sea Stories
  • Insurance
    • Auto
    • Dental
    • SGLI & Life Insurance
    • Tricare & Health Insurance
  • Money
    • Military Discounts
    • Credit & Debt
    • Mortgage & Real Estate
    • USAA
  • Retirement
    • Blended Retirement System
    • Guard & Reserve Retirement
    • Retirement Calculators
You are here: Home / Military Retirement / “But… but… but what will I DO all day?!?”

“But… but… but what will I DO all day?!?”

Author: Doug Nordman Last Updated: January 16, 2020 2 Comments

Advertiser Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any other entity. This site may be compensated through the advertiser Affiliate Program. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

“But… but… but what will I DO all day?!?”

The two biggest challenges facing financially independent people may be inflation and affordable healthcare. However, the most frequently-asked question is what you’re going to do with your new life.

Ironically, the question answers itself once you retire. It may be the top question before early retirement, but after you retire you’ll wonder what the heck you were worrying about!

But let’s try to answer it now, and first we’ll try a metaphor: When you retire, every day is Saturday and every night is Friday night.

Next, imagine having control of your time again. What would your morning be like if you didn’t have to rush through your wakeup routine, wolf down breakfast, and fly out the door to work? You’d probably sleep an hour later, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and have another up of coffee with the morning newspaper. You’d work out, take a shower, and then have a snack while you’re reading a book or answering e-mail. Feeling refreshed and relaxed, you’d wonder what to do with the rest of your day.

As you look around the house, you’d realize that you still have chores– dirty dishes, dusting, vacuuming, yardwork, and maybe a few home repairs or improvements. You need to shop for groceries and plan some meals. Maybe you need to fix up your car. When you were working you might hire a housecleaner, a yard service, a handyman, and a mechanic. Now it’s your choice to continue to pay to have it done for you or to do it yourself.

Otherwise if you’re a surfer or a golfer then the rest of the daily schedule is filled! Maybe you have another sport or hobby that you want to catch up on.

Traditional retirement advice is “Nobody can play golf all day every day!” I’m not sure that’s correct, but let’s say that the weather doesn’t cooperate. What else will you do when you can’t do what you want to do, or when you get tired of the choices that are available?

You have to be responsible for your own entertainment. If you’re not able to jump-start your own creativity then try a tool like Ernie Zelinski’s “Get-A-Life Tree”. (For a sample, see page 82 of Mr. Zelinski’s book: How to Retire Happy, Wild, & Free) Write down a list of the things you enjoy doing and then think of the things you used to enjoy doing– when you had the time. Does that make you think of other things you’ve always wanted to try?

The “What will I DO all day?” question is difficult to answer because it’s hard to imagine that type of life. Once you’re living it, you’ll be able to slow down and enjoy your routine while taking the time to plan your life. You don’t have to figure out every detail of your day before you retire– you only need the confidence that you’ll be able to figure it out just like all the other ERs.

sa-captivate-placeholder

Related posts:

Lifestyles in Early Retirement: Habits and getting things done
LEAKED: Statistics From The Army Officer Separation Board
"Hey, Nords: How's Your Net Worth?!?"
During retirement: You will change. Your plans may change too.

Filed Under: Military Retirement

About Doug Nordman

WHAT I DO: I help you reach financial independence. For free.

I retired in 2002 after 20 years in the Navy's submarine force. I wrote "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement" to share the stories of over 50 other financially independent servicemembers, veterans, and families. All of my writing revenue is donated to military-friendly charities.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ron Johnson says

    November 30, 2020 at 2:40 PM

    2020 I am 5 years from my 20 years in the army possibly 22 depending on bonuses and what not. I started my FIRE journey 2 years ago. And I am doing it like all civilians, in trying to hit that 4% safe withdrawal number on top of the pension. The military is a playing the financial game with a cheat code. You can retire from the military a millionaire on top of the standard 20 year pension. I’m gonna read all your blog posts and hope I can find nuggets of gold that will help me in any way possible. Thanks brother!

    Reply
    • Doug Nordman says

      December 1, 2020 at 8:59 PM

      You’re welcome, Ron, I’m glad it’s helping!

      Please let me know if you have questions.

      Reply

Comment? Question? What's on your mind? Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

About The Site

We're military veterans, not financial advisors. We're sharing what we've learned and paying it forward – but you have to make your own decisions.

What worked for us will probably work for you, but unfortunately we can’t guarantee it. Let us know if something’s not working for you, and we’ll try to figure out a better way... Continue Reading...

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

The Military Guide

Site Topics by Category

Recent Posts

  • Home Depot Military Discounts – How to Save 10% on Purchases at Home Depot
  • Reader story: “How I Bumbled Into Financial Independence” (part 2)
  • Reader story: “How I Bumbled Into Financial Independence”
  • 2021 VA Disability Compensation Rates – Updated Veterans Compensation Benefits Rate Tables
  • Financial Caregiving: Are You Ready?

Footer

Important Links

  • About The Site
  • About the Book
  • Interviews & Book Reviews
  • Contact me
  • Advertise With Us
  • How We Make Money
  • FTC Mandatory Disclosures
  • Privacy Policy
  • Archives

About The Military Guide

We’re military veterans, not financial advisors. We’re trying to share what we’ve learned and to pay it forward – but you have to make your own decisions.

What worked for us will probably work for you, but unfortunately, we can’t guarantee it. Let us know if something’s not working for you, and we’ll try to figure out a better way… Continue Reading…

Buy the Book!

the-military-guide-financial-independence-early-retirement

Copyright © 2021 The Military Guide. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: This is a privately owned website and is not affiliated with the U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, or any other government agency. The content on this website is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered professional financial advice.