The one thing I fear about FIRE

[FIRE me]

For me, it is not the usual fears of “I'll be bored”, “I'll be lonely”, “I have to be productive”, or “I might not have enough money”.
 
My fear is time. That the rest of my life, will pass too quickly. Weekends and vacation time passes so quickly. It's part cliche, part comic meme, and unfortunately, it is also the absolute truth.

So what is time like after being FIRE for a year or more? Do the days, weeks, and months seem to pass far more quickly then when you were grinding away at your job? Or is time more normal when you don't have to worry about going back to work on Monday, or when your vacation ends?

[KMMK]

Interesting thoughts. For myself, time passes quicker when I am doing a lot of repetitive activities, without much novelty. So it passes faster when I'm working the same job day after day. There are less interesting things for my mind to form memories around, so time goes quicker. I'm not FIRE yet, but I took several months off work last year and did random things. Time passed slower when I was actively seeking out new experiences, activities, places.  So I think FIRE, if done in a manner like that, makes time pass slower. Though if you love routine, it may be the reverse.

[FIRE me]

It's the exact opposite for me. Last year I was off work for five weeks with a moderate hand injury. Since it wasn't an on the job injury, there was no light duty option.

Even with my activities limited by my injury, those five weeks were actually very pleasant and passed more quickly that five weeks at work. But I should add that my affection for my job went away years ago.

[soccerluvof4]

I haven't notice any difference over the 16 months I have been Fire'd. Some days seem to go slow if I am waiting around for something or watching TV and some days seem to be busy as all hell. When you add it all up it seems the same.

[Lake161]

I haven't notice any difference over the 16 months I have been Fire'd. Some days seem to go slow if I am waiting around for something or watching TV and some days seem to be busy as all hell. When you add it all up it seems the same.

I've had the same experience (1 year in). Busy days go fast, lazy days go slow. The biggest difference to me is I don't feel rushed. I can tackle a project slowly, or I can travel and explore a new area slowly with lots of lazy days in between excursions.  I don't get stressed because I rarely have busy days back to back. But overall, the flow of time feels the same.

[Dicey]

I'm almost four years in, but DH is still working. (FWIW, he has a no-stress job, works 9/9's, has every other Friday off plus a metric crapton of vacation time and walks to work. Yeah, three whole tenths of a mile.)

I still look forward to the weekends but I never have Sunday afternoon/evening dread. Time goes as fast or as slow as your activity level. This means you have much more control of your life than you did before. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower, always better.

Add: I am hosting twelve people for our usual monthly dice game tonight. Everything's done, so I'm noodling around here to kill a few minutes. That would never have happened in my working days. Life is so much more relaxed now.

[MM_MG]

Very interesting question.  I think the weekends and time off seem to pass fast because you are always going back to something.  At retirement you have nothing to have to return to.  At least I hope that is the case. 

[FIRE me]

I haven't notice any difference over the 16 months I have been Fire'd. Some days seem to go slow if I am waiting around for something or watching TV and some days seem to be busy as all hell. When you add it all up it seems the same.

I've had the same experience (1 year in). Busy days go fast, lazy days go slow. The biggest difference to me is I don't feel rushed. I can tackle a project slowly, or I can travel and explore a new area slowly with lots of lazy days in between excursions.  I don't get stressed because I rarely have busy days back to back. But overall, the flow of time feels the same.

Damn, that sounds nice! I've actually made mistakes while rushing to get things done before going work (I work 2nd shift). The most recent mess up was spreading some Scott's on the lawn.

I have a broadcast spreader that does not close automatically like most drop spreaders do. I don't use it much, and I got confused and pulled the lever back at the end of a row. I should have pushed the lever forward to close it. Dumped a big blob of fertilizer / weed killer on the grass. No time to clean it up because I had a clock to punch. Now I've got a dead spot on my lawn.

[FIRE me]

Dianne C and MM_MG, I think that explains it. It's the looming return to work that makes time pass too quickly, whether it is a weekend, a week's vacation, or even a month off.

[itchyfeet]

Definitely hoping for a slower pace of life post FIRE. If time moves more slowly, then perfect. I am tired of always being in a hurry with the days and months flying by.

With FIRE not too far away on the horizon, currently my biggest fear is not running out of money or time as I am sure I can control my spending and I am still youngish, it is that my future self may desire some fancy things more than my current self eg: home located in a more expensive locale, or a nicer car, or something else expensive that I cant even dream of today.

By stopping work so early, and leaving a high paying job, I am making a commitment to a level of future spending that I am still not sure I am 110% comfortable with.

The solution is of course to work a couple of extra years, and build a bit more flexibility/ buffer into the numbers whilst I have momentum behind me, but as of today that option also doesn't have a lot of appeal as it could just end up wasted hours in the office if I never need/ want the money....

....decisions, decisions.....

[DeltaBond]

I have a few decades to go, so I'm trying to adopt a more FIRE state of mind while I'm still working so the next 20 years isn't spent in a dream state.

[Slee_stack]

I have a few decades to go, so I'm trying to adopt a more FIRE state of mind while I'm still working so the next 20 years isn't spent in a dream state.

That's a good attitude. 

I think I used to have that Sunday evening dread, but I'ts been gone for awhile now.  I think becoming FI had the most profound effect on that.  I enjoy my weekends fully now.

The Monday morning traffic and commute is still a hassle and when I wake up, I sometimes wish I could sleep longer (but only 15 - 20 minutes as I always get up about the same time).

My weekend sometimes pass quickly and sometimes don't.  I figure I have most of the RE mentality mentioned here already.

[Cassie]

Time goes either fast or slow depending on my activity level. Don't worry your life won't race by you:))  I invited 5 friends from HS to come stay for a week and they flew in from all over the country. I would not have done this while still working f.t.  I had lots of time to clean, cook, get ready, etc and still not be exhausted. We had a fantastic time and I now have the time to do these things. 

[StockBeard]

That's an interesting topic.
One of the reasons I badly want to FI/RE is because I miss the time I used to have to be "bored".
I fondly remember summer vacations as a kid, sometimes I would go for weeks without doing anything. It was boredom, but an enjoyable version of it. Feeling time flow at the right pace, being bored enough to recharge creativity. Creativity always came out of boredom for me, but now between family life and work I never have time to be bored anymore, meaning I never have time to be creative anymore.

So, I think (hope) that being retired will give me more control of my time and boredom/creativity level, which I think relates to your question: you'll be more in control of the flow of time, because you won't have to rush. You won't have "only 5 weeks so I better make them count" kind of attitude, I guess.

[redbird]

When I worked, I worked Mondays-Fridays. I hated Sundays. The last day of vacation time felt similar to Sundays. Why? For whatever reason, I could never let myself enjoy myself completely. I would feel dread about having to go back to work. It was especially bad during the last 9 months or so of me working (very toxic work environment).

With FIRE, I never have any dread days. Every day is interesting. It doesn't matter if I go out and do something exciting or new, or if I'm spending a lazy day at home reading a book. My life is far more happier now. I find myself being more willing to try new things too, since I don't need to worry about how long it'll take to do it.

As far as time passing goes, it doesn't go too fast. Certainly some days go by very fast. Others are more slow. But the important thing is I feel like my life is mine now, and I'm not wasting a large chunk of it doing something I'd rather not be doing.

[PhysicianOnFIRE]

I think time passes too quickly because many of your working hours are occupied with paid work. The weekends and vacations fly by because they are 2 to 9 days long and the next workday creeps ever closer with each passing hour and day.

Without the threat of Monday around the bend, time should slow down tremendously. I'm not speaking from experience though, yet...

Cheers!
-PoF