# Three little words to avoid using especially once your retired



## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

After we retire most all of us tend to sleep less even if during our working career we pulled massive time and a half or double time or worse yet worked shifts covering multiple shifts at no compensation as salaried personnel responsible for high yield deadlines that dug into our sleep deeper than the insomniac rest hours we find the norm as we grow deeper into our retirement.

This evening after having bed slept for only a couple hours or so I found myself wide awake and ready for coffee and apple pie with a cheddar slice and went to the 24/7 restaurant to get my snack.

While there, an older retiree than I whom I consider a sage of simplicity logic in motion got to talking of our long hours in our rat race eras and how we now relied on the nearby 24/7 short order diner as we did our work place break rooms as our bodies still kept the rat race internal clocks even though our health was better and we were far less fatigued as we went about our night owl retiree full schedules.

He suggested that in this current era of folks claiming how well they multitask , drive cars that apparently require that their cellphone be stuck in their ear before the engine can start and such, yet they still miss deadlines and forget often important tasks, when these folks ask to meet you for lunch or to do something, avoid saying "I'm too busy" .

When I asked him why, he said although those three words might get you out of an activity you don't want to participate in or your retirement schedule may indeed seem to busy to you, use of those words most likely wont accurately convey your meaning and if the person inviting you views themselves as still busy in the rat race, you could negatively affect their self image and productivity and if they are working in a field some of your retirement investments are in, even if they are a small cog, if they aren't pushing for their best, they may somewhat impact their company quarterly return and retirees with investments due rely on those still working.

He suggested instead of a retiree saying they are too busy to do something to instead say that since retiring that they are trying to catch up on decades of lost rest, sleep and relaxation while also trying to get enough exercise to lose the few pounds to keep the doc off their back at their next check up, but if they see time available between their rest catch up and necessary physical exercise they will remember the request to get together and get back in touch.

He stressed that a retiree should not be "too busy" and instead emphasize the rest and putter round exercise balance especially to a current rat racer to both preserve the rat racer's feeling of self worth and accomplishment with dreams of retirement and keep rat racers who might try to take advantage of the "retiree they know with nothing to do" off their back in a clear and diplomatic way.

What he said made some sense but later today while doing the thing I want to do, I'm screening calls through my answering machine all day


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I find myself to be very busy now as retired. I have projects that I want to work on, and I have joined various community groups. I serve on the Cooperative Extension board, my wife has decided to run for county commissioner.

I am busy.


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

During my "working years" I often stated those 3 words or at least something like them...
Now in retirement I've discovered that these 4 words - "I don't want to" - suffices.....


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## cpnkrunch (Dec 6, 2014)

I like Shrek's opening paragraph. Been there, done that. Now I'm working on my projects and want tos, so I am not going to go 32 hours straight to meet or catch up deadlines. Unless you have 10 acres of prime second cutting clover down and rain clouds coming. It's all relative.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Words to live by....
Everyday is Saturday...except Sunday....day to rest and reflect.
There is no such thing as "late"...."made it" is good enough.
Use the suffix "ish" a lot...as in , "Yeah I will be there 11:00 -ish"
Naps are good.
If it hurts....It still works....


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

When I was working I had the shift schedule and was always expected to stay within no more than 15% shortage of projections.

Now if I make a list for the day and don't complete it , I have the start for tomorrow or the next day if I decide to take a day off.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

I retired early due to health issues. I love retirement. When I received my diagnosis everyone told me to make a bucket list. I have been fortunate in that I have pretty much been able to do most of what I have wanted all of my life so did not feel that I really needed a bucket list. 

However there are many things that I really don't like doing and many things that I have gotten talked into doing that I really did not want to do but felt obligated or just too cowardly to say no. So instead of the bucket list I made a f***it list and now have no trouble not doing what I don't want to do and no longer get talked into doing things. I just tell people it is on my list. What a pleasure not doing things has turned out to be. I especially like not writing Christmas cards but phoning everyone instead.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

emdeengee said:


> I retired early due to health issues. I love retirement. When I received my diagnosis everyone told me to make a bucket list. I have been fortunate in that I have pretty much been able to do most of what I have wanted all of my life so did not feel that I really needed a bucket list.
> 
> However there are many things that I really don't like doing and many things that I have gotten talked into doing that I really did not want to do but felt obligated or just too cowardly to say no. So instead of the bucket list I made a f***it list and now have no trouble not doing what I don't want to do and no longer get talked into doing things. I just tell people it is on my list. What a pleasure not doing things has turned out to be. I especially like not writing Christmas cards but phoning everyone instead.


I love the opposite of the bucket list.


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## pixiedoodle (Sep 24, 2014)

SEEMS TO ME THE LONGER YOU'RE RETIRED & THE OLDER YOU GET, THE LONGER THE [Forget About It]* LIST GETS AS WELL. WORKS FOR ME.






* edited by Shrek as content originally in brackets could be construed as exceeding HT site limits and "Forget about it" provides the same sentiment and is within site limits.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

emdeengee said:


> I retired early due to health issues. I love retirement. When I received my diagnosis everyone told me to make a bucket list. I have been fortunate in that I have pretty much been able to do most of what I have wanted all of my life so did not feel that I really needed a bucket list.
> 
> However there are many things that I really don't like doing and many things that I have gotten talked into doing that I really did not want to do but felt obligated or just too cowardly to say no. So instead of the bucket list I made a f***it list and now have no trouble not doing what I don't want to do and no longer get talked into doing things. I just tell people it is on my list. What a pleasure not doing things has turned out to be. I especially like not writing Christmas cards but phoning everyone instead.


That to me is the 50 years old rule....

Evoking the 50 year old rule...First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much


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