The 10 Hour Retirement Gift and How to Use It
Retirement is not just a financial milestone. It is a major lifestyle transition. Many people look forward to the freedom, but once the structure of work disappears, they suddenly have more time than they know what to do with. The difference between a fulfilling retirement and a restless one often comes down to how intentional someone is about shaping their days, their identity, and their purpose.
Below are some ideas to help pre-retirees think through the personal side of this transition while they prepare financially for the lifestyle they want.
Key Takeaways
- Retirement offers a chance to rediscover fulfillment, purpose, and identity.
- Without intention, new free time can drift towards tasks that may no bring you joy.
- Purposeful hobbies and postponed passions often lead to higher wellbeing.
- Community involvement and volunteering can replace the social structure work once provided.
- A clear retirement income plan gives people confidence to focus on living, not worrying.
The Hidden Challenge of Having More Time
Most careers create structure. Schedules, responsibilities, deadlines, commutes, and social interaction all fill the day. Once work stops, that structure disappears.
Research shows that when work hours fall away, people default to replacing them with household tasks, more sleep, and more screen time. Only a small portion naturally shifts into active or meaningful leisure without planning. One study showed that about 40% of former work hours went into chores, and the rest were scattered into passive activities.
This is why retirement can feel unsettling. People expect freedom, but they are not always prepared to redesign their days.
Identity & Purpose Never Retire
Work often becomes part of how people define themselves. Titles, responsibilities, and accomplishments create a sense of identity. Losing that overnight can feel like losing part of yourself.
Research notes that identity loss is one of the toughest parts of retirement. People ask themselves, “Who am I without my job?”
The encouraging news is that retirement can also boost someone’s sense of purpose, especially for those leaving stressful or unsatisfying roles. It can act as a psychological reset. This is the moment to be intentional with your identity.
Mentor. Volunteer. Creator. Caregiver. Learner. Coach. Community leader.
Retirement should be considered a beginning, not a finishing line.
Hobbies You Postponed for Years
Many people spend decades postponing hobbies because of work or raising a family. Retirement gives time to pick them back up, and studies show this can lead to better health, fewer depressive symptoms, and higher life satisfaction.
A few years ago, we helped a gentleman retire and as we had conversations around how to spend his time, he remembered a hobby he had postponed because of work. Through the years working with him we kept asking about his hobby to encourage action. He has since resumed story writing and has now published his own comic book franchise! Incredible!
Retirement can be the start of a “third age” where people study, create, travel, explore nature, take classes, or dive into interests they never had time for.
Volunteering and Building Community
Work provides social interaction and a sense of contribution. Without a replacement, some retirees experience loneliness or a feeling that their days lack meaning.
Longitudinal studies show that retirees who volunteer tend to have higher well-being than those who do not. It gives people the social engagement and reciprocal purpose that work used to provide.
For many retirees, volunteering at their children’s after-school activities becomes the anchor that shapes their weeks and adds fulfillment.
When People Don’t Think This Through
When retirees enter this stage without a plan, several things can happen.
Time gets consumed by chores, errands, and screen time by default.
Identity becomes blurred because work used to define so much of their contribution.
Boredom persists
None of this is due to a lack of effort. It happens because retirement removes a structure that was in place for decades.
When boredom persists, it can result in a loss of purpose and social isolation. These are risk factors linked to declining physical and mental health.
When People Do Think This Through
The difference is noticeable. When retirees plan for meaning and fulfillment, they experience:
New roles that create identity in this next stage of life.
Hobbies, passions, and learning fill the time in a joyful way.
Community involvement gives structure and human connection.
This is why pre-retirees should think about life outside of the financial plan. The lifestyle plan matters just as much.
Clarity Makes This Easier
All of this is much easier when you are confident that your retirement lifestyle is funded. Once you know your essential expenses are covered and you have a plan for sustainable income, you can shift your focus from worrying to living.
A thoughtful retirement income plan gives people permission to spend time on what matters rather than letting fear of the unknown shape their days. It allows them to live the retirement they have been working toward.
Sources:
Hill & Weston (2021) on purpose after retirement.
Fancourt et al. (2023) on hobbies and wellbeing.
Anderson et al. (2020) on volunteering and wellbeing.
Henning et al. (2020/2023) and the time-use paper from CRR on how work hours get reallocated.
An et al. (2023) on boredom, purpose, and health in later life.
