Is this normal? After 31 years of a professional career I made the long dreamed departure. The first few days it was just nice to sleep in past my normal 3:45 am alarm. Today just finished my first give back day at habitat for humanity...of course I had to draw the short straw get landscaping day. Whoa! lots of digging. But frankly I still feel empty. I can't seem to get a rhythm. I feel guilty for not getting stuff done. Not having a patterned day. I could use some encouragement and guidance. What is in store on this retirement transition trail?
Mark
When you were at work, I assume that, like most people, you wished you were someplace else, doing something else?
If so, what did you fantasize about doing, other than your mundane, pointless job. I'm assuming your job, though you probably thought it was important, was actually pretty meaningless, even if you earned a high salary. There are some exceptions, jobs that actually matter (e.g. emergency room physician), but they are pretty rare.
Geez, for me it was easy. Almost anything was more interesting than my job (army officer, then engineer- basically, a corporate drone).
This ain't hard, unless you are one of those people for whom your job was you life and your identity (for those poor souls, I have no answer, other than perhaps extensive professional therapy?).
Work at the local no kill animal shelter, take a college course (or 5), read a hundred books, take up a sport/hobby, exercise, get a mistress, get involved in politics, monitor your investments, travel, binge watch "The Sopranos." My God, it's like shooting ducks in a barrel. For me, the question wasn't "what can I do that's as rewarding as work," it was "is there anything less fun/interesting than my job?" I did come up with a couple of ideas that sucked more than work- e.g. root canal surgery, slamming my head into a wall for hours at a time. Check that, actually, slamming my head into a wall would be about as interesting/productive as working.
Forget about the XYZ account at Van Delay Industries. You are more than a corporate drone. You've been beaten down for so long, you've forgotten how to have fun. Go out and do SOMETHING. It will probably be more interesting than you job, if you let the corporate bull crap go.