Reflections on Life Changes and Experiences Eighteen Months After Retirement

I retired at 55, some 18 months ago, and I feel I’ve got enough time now to look back and reflect on my retirement process.

If life were a car journey - coming off the fast lane of the motorway and onto B roads - if you don’t have a plan and a means to navigate - you can get a little lost for a while.

I decided not to put a number on the observations as I’m sure there are a few that I haven’t appreciated as yet, and will want to add. 

TL;DR

So 18 months since I stepped away from full-time work. At first, it felt like diving into the deep end of a long-awaited pool of freedom—and it was. But as the months passed, retirement revealed itself as more than just a break from work. It’s a transition, a learning process, and at times, a complete reinvention of daily life.

Here are my honest observations (so far) that I’ve made since retiring - in no particular order;

1. The Honeymoon Phase Eventually Fades

Those first few months were pure bliss—no alarms, no deadlines, no Zoom meetings. It felt like the longest of holidays. Even longer than University summer breaks. But eventually, that feeling wore off. What followed wasn’t disappointment, but a realisation: this isn’t a break from my normal life, but my new life. My life had changed dramatically - I just wasn’t keeping up.

2. Time Is Abundant, Yet Surprisingly Elusive

You think retirement means all the time in the world, but time still slips away fast. Without meetings or scheduled obligations, days can lose structure. I've learnt that a to do list and planning your day is key - if you don’t give your days direction, they quietly disappear. I’m now at a point with such a long list of stuff planned or wanting to plan that I wonder how I ever had time for a full time job.

3. You Miss the People, Not the Job

I don’t miss emails or performance reviews or office politics. But I do miss the casual hallway chats, the camaraderie, and the shared problem-solving. I now meet vastly different people with shared interests in a more transactional way - a quick chat whilst cycle touring, or sharing a drink at a bar whilst on holiday.

4. Health Takes Center Stage

Take away your work worries and you have more time to think about your health - stuff you might have been ignoring suddenly has your full attention. You gain a quicker appreciation that the freedom of retirement means little without good health to enjoy it.

5. Drinking Habits

I do find it odd that I’m giving this a separate line - though for me it was real. ‘Go on we’re on holiday’, or ‘I don’t have a meeting in the morning’ means it’s more likely that you will have that bottle of wine. I also started having much more coffee. Once mindful of these - they are easily managed.

6. Your Spending Habits Change

After the initial spend on bucket list items - holidays, kitchen refresh, bathroom remodelling, I expected to spend less—and in some ways I do. No need for work clothes, more time to cook, a second car, mortgage cleared etc - But travel, hobbies, and occasional helping-hands to family add up. Budgeting still matters, just in new ways.

7. Determining you own Salary (equivalent)

Deciding how much of your pension to spend and at what rate is difficult. These are difficult financial decisions - you don’t know how long the funds you’ve got need to last as you don’t know how long you will need them for - does anyone know how long they are going to live for? You don’t want to leave a bucket of funds behind unintentionally.

8. Identity Gets Rewritten

When people ask, “What do you do?” I still pause. For decades, work defined a big part of my identity. Now, I’m learning to answer that question differently—and sometimes that means asking myself what really defines me now.

9. Family Dynamics Shift

Being more available means more time with loved ones, which is a gift. But it also changes the rhythm of relationships. Boundaries, expectations, and communication evolve. Retirement doesn’t just affect you—it subtly affects those around you, too.

10. Structure Is Still Essential

I imagined retirement as total freedom—and it is—but too much freedom without structure led to boredom. I’ve learned to build a rhythm into my weeks: regular exercise, trying new and different experiences, significant amount of travel.

11. Simplicity Becomes More Appealing

I find joy in simpler things now: health, a quiet morning, cooking, time with family - the urgency to get everything to fit in around other commitments is so much easier to manage when you no longer have a boss. The race for bigger and faster no longer appeals. Retirement strips away some of the noise and reveals what really matters.

12. Gratitude Deepens

With more space to reflect, I find myself more grateful. For the ability to retire, for the years behind me, and for the time ahead. Retirement isn’t the end of something—it’s the beginning of living differently, more intentionally.

A peaceful lakeside with a solitary bench encourages contemplation and introspection.

Final Thoughts

Eighteen months in, I’ve learned that retirement isn’t just an event—it’s a process. One that invites reflection, reinvention, and rediscovery. 

If you're newly retired or thinking about that next chapter, know this: it’s a journey worth embracing—with open eyes and an open heart.

Don’t leave it too late - review where you are and plan accordingly