Wade Pfau has put me in a funk. Are you dealing with the stages of retirement?

Wade Pfau has an interesting article on RetirementResearch.com about the non-financial aspects of retirement and the various stages. 

In it he states, “Mid-retirement often reveals the cracks beneath the surface. Six months to a year in, many retirees face the “most dangerous day,” when the novelty wears off and the emptiness of unscheduled time sets in. Without purpose or structure, days can feel repetitive. This is when boredom or unease can set in, sometimes leading to unhealthy patterns.”

Since this never happened to me, I was wondering if others found it a challenge. I never thought of retirement as a novelty, but rather the next phase of a journey anticipated for decades and for most of us unavoidable in any case. 

My view is that our personalities don’t change just because we retire. I also think some people create unrealistic expectations for retirement and thus set themselves up for a letdown. 

Are these real concerns?

Missing work and perhaps status with it?

Fewer friends because others still work?

Spending 24 hours more or less every day with a spouse or partner? 

Finding things to do or feeling the need to do so?

Frankly, I look forward to a little boredom, days with nothing to do, days without a doctors appointment or car repair, or shopping or sometimes even golfing.

Of course, I have been at this retirement thing a long time and according to Pfau we are in the “Late Retirement: Facing Decline and Legacy.” stage.

Now that is depressing. I’d rather fancy “take life one day at a time” and shorten your planning horizon. 😎