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Is it wrong to want to take a break for a while when we retire?

#1 · February 23, 2026, 6:37 am

I am going to retire at the end of this year. So far all the 'preparations for retirement' I've come across is how to write resume for 2nd career, re-skill to take up another job, look for hobbies to occupy oneself etc. After working for 35 years I'm tired. I just want to wake up without the help of the alarm clock, play with my cat, learn how to cook healthy meals and generally take life easy at least for a while (or until I'm bored). Is it wrong to not want to plan what I want to do before I retire?

#2 · February 23, 2026, 7:15 am

Quote from retirement_admin on February 23, 2026, 7:15 am
After 35 years of structure, deadlines, alarms and KPIs, it sounds like what you’re craving isn’t a second career.

You crave space.

I’ve noticed something interesting about the way retirement is marketed to us. It’s often framed as: “What’s your next productive chapter?” Re-skill. Re-brand. Re-enter. But sometimes, the real luxury is not productivity. It’s waking up without an alarm clock, making breakfast slowly, learning to cook well because you want to, not because you’re rushing between meetings. It’s also playing with your dog in the middle of a weekday afternoon.

There is nothing wrong with wanting that.

In fact, in the HIPE framework I often refer to (income, health, purpose, and experiences), purpose doesn’t have to mean achievement . It can simply mean being present. Slowing down. Reclaiming your nervous system after decades of output. We’re so used to optimizing life that we forget rest can be intentional too.

Too often, people who jump immediately into a “retirement plan” sometimes recreate the same busyness they were trying to escape. There’s another approach ....

Treat the first 6–12 months as a decompression phase.
No grand design. No five-year roadmap. Just recovery.

You’ve earned the right to be bored for a while.

If boredom comes, it will teach you something.
If curiosity comes, follow it.
If energy returns, you can decide then whether you want a hobby, a side project, or absolutely nothing structured.

Retirement doesn’t need to start with a blueprint. It can start with exhale. The only real question worth checking quietly in the background is this: Are your finances at a level where this slower pace is sustainable? (Lean, Barista, Coast, Fat — each has trade-offs .) If the money side is secure, then the rest is design choice. Not obligation.

After 35 years of working life, wanting peace isn’t laziness. It’s clarity. And clarity is a good place to begin.

After 35 years of structure, deadlines, alarms and KPIs, it sounds like what you’re craving isn’t a second career.

You crave space.

I’ve noticed something interesting about the way retirement is marketed to us. It’s often framed as: “What’s your next productive chapter?” Re-skill. Re-brand. Re-enter. But sometimes, the real luxury is not productivity. It’s waking up without an alarm clock, making breakfast slowly, learning to cook well because you want to, not because you’re rushing between meetings. It’s also playing with your dog in the middle of a weekday afternoon.

There is nothing wrong with wanting that.

In fact, in the HIPE framework I often refer to (income, health, purpose, and experiences), purpose doesn’t have to mean achievement . It can simply mean being present. Slowing down. Reclaiming your nervous system after decades of output. We’re so used to optimizing life that we forget rest can be intentional too.

Too often, people who jump immediately into a “retirement plan” sometimes recreate the same busyness they were trying to escape. There’s another approach ....

Treat the first 6–12 months as a decompression phase.
No grand design. No five-year roadmap. Just recovery.

You’ve earned the right to be bored for a while.

If boredom comes, it will teach you something.
If curiosity comes, follow it.
If energy returns, you can decide then whether you want a hobby, a side project, or absolutely nothing structured.

Retirement doesn’t need to start with a blueprint. It can start with exhale. The only real question worth checking quietly in the background is this: Are your finances at a level where this slower pace is sustainable? (Lean, Barista, Coast, Fat — each has trade-offs .) If the money side is secure, then the rest is design choice. Not obligation.

After 35 years of working life, wanting peace isn’t laziness. It’s clarity. And clarity is a good place to begin.

#3 · March 23, 2026, 6:17 am

Thank you for the affirmation. Even though these are the last few months of my career, things are not slowing down. I'm trying to slowly detach myself as I don't want to feel the sudden 'loss' when I leave, but that's not quite possible at the moment. I'm flying off tomorrow for a vacation, trying to decompress from the nerve-wrecking past few weeks. And maybe reflect on what I'm going to do next year while hoping to catch a glimpse of the aurora.

#4 · March 30, 2026, 2:46 pm

That sounds like a very wise way to approach this.

The fact that things aren’t slowing down right up to the end is actually quite common. It’s almost as if work holds on until the very last moment. So don’t be too hard on yourself if detaching feels difficult now.

Your vacation might be exactly what you need. Not to “figure things out,” but simply to create a bit of space. Sometimes clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder, but from stepping away. And if you do catch the aurora, that’s a beautiful reminder in itself that not everything meaningful in life needs to be planned or optimised.

For now, just rest. Let the year close gently. The next chapter doesn’t need to be decided immediately. It will unfold.