FIRE Retirees Have No Idea What to Do Next
16 posts across 8 communities since Jun 2026; 31% from r/fatFIRE.
“It's not about boredom AT ALL as there are plenty of tasks you must perform. It's about reflection and awareness of what you are doing, fully internal to yourself. You were a shut In, not a monk. When you woke up today, did you inhale or exhale first? What is your value? Why do…”
“Hi all. I'm retiring in Feb 2027 and thinking about the how big the change from decades of everyday professional work life to the forever weekend. There's quite a few hobbies, physical activities and interests I'm already enjoying that will fill some of my retirement days. I'm…”
“I retired last year at 42, best decision of my life. year 1 of retirement, you're right...I still tried to find purpose and was quite draining. I've recently made the practice of waking up before my wife and kid, sitting on the sofa with a coffee and just reflecting how lucky I…”
Individuals who have achieved FIRE are grappling with questions of purpose, passion, and finding fulfillment beyond work. Some struggle to find hobbies or passions after retirement, while others re-evaluate their desires for relationships and material possessions.
SOURCES (18)
“I retired last year at 42, best decision of my life. year 1 of retirement, you're right...I still tried to find purpose and was quite draining. I've recently made the practice of waking up before my wife and kid, sitting on the sofa with a…”
“OP I think an important question you missed is what people did for work before they retired. Of the people who early retire I wonder how many get bored and secretly miss their career vs how many were totally happy to be done working because they never enjoyed their career [re: For the 60+ that retired in their 40s... tell me about it]”
“I've never been much of a person to have hobbies but I always assumed that would be something I'd figure out down the line. But I got slapped back into reality recently and realised that I need to figure out something quick, not only for the purpose of applications but also so I can find some self-fulfillment in the last of my teenage years. As a sophomore right now my ECs are pretty standard: a few clubs, concert master, academic awards, etc. But I have no clear ambition, and no path to”
“From what I’ve seen firsthand since retiring, there seems to be an interesting divide after the initial “this feels like a vacation” stage wears off. Some people stay fully retired. They may travel, pursue hobbies, spend time with family, volunteer when they feel like it, and generally enjoy having very few obligations on the calendar. Others eventually re-engage with something more structured: part-time work, consulting, teaching, volunteering, a business, a regular community activity, or some”
“It's not about boredom AT ALL as there are plenty of tasks you must perform. It's about reflection and awareness of what you are doing, fully internal to yourself. You were a shut In, not a monk. When you woke up today, did you inhale or exhale first? What is your value? Why do you think that?”
“Hey! For those of you who have LEAN FIREd, how has your outlook on life changed after retiring? Ever since 2015, I’ve always held a professional job throughout college and after graduating with no break in employment. These past few years, I’ve been grinding away at my job and working overtime and weekends to catch up and have been feeling more and more burnt out. Many people are retiring and the company isn’t backfilling positions so more and more work is piling onto those who are left. My goal”
“Hedonism in RE is a good way to get bored, burn out, go back to work, and tell everyone who will listen to never retire because you’ve tried it and it’s boring. Happiness is enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. Those last two are going to involve doing a lot of hard things in RE. Different hard than corporate life, but challenging flow state activities that involving learning things and acquiring and practicing skills. It doesn’t necessarily take a ton of money to do this. But based on your que”
“You may need a strategy that doesn't rely on staying excited all the time. Motivation comes and goes, but discipline is what builds a career. If you keep switching every time you lose interest, you'll always be a beginner. Every profession has a "boring" phase where you're debugging, reading documentation, or fixing edge cases. Instead of asking "What do I feel like learning today?", try asking "What do I want to be good at in 3-5 years?" Then commit to”
“Many find purpose in community and service after financial independence. Volunteering or mentoring can provide a sense of fulfillment that work once did. Explore what truly excites you, and don’t hesitate to experiment with different passions.”
“If you went back to work, would that solve it. I'm thinking working a job just to not be "bored" would also get old fast.”
“I have been thinking about the notion of just how little time we have in this world. In this sub we talk a lot about numbers and the mechanics of FIRE. I believe there are other critical dimensions we do not usually touch such the non financial strategies, tactics, principles or even its philosophical aspects. Given enough time, everyone is eventually dead. Research suggests, the average lifespan is about 4000 weeks. If you are 40 years old, you many think you have plenty of time but that's”
“You need a few things. Community, friendship, purpose, hobbies, things to create flow, things to occupy your time. Do you have kids? Spend more time with them in an intentional way. What kind of values, skills, strengths, interests, knowledge do you want to impart? What are good ways to do that? Community. Join some clubs. Places you go weekly, or regularly, and see the same people. Talk to people. You won’t resonate with most people, but maybe there are a few people you somewhat connect with. C”
“Hello! I just joined this group and this is my 1st post here. I’m hoping to get some insight into life after retirement. I just recently retired (62) and now I’m experiencing fatigue like never before. I read that it’s common but didn’t see how long it approx lasts for. My questions are: Has this happened to you? How long did it last? Did you do anything specific to break out of it? I’m looking forward to this time of my life!!! submitted by /u/Independent_Born [link] [comments”
“Lately I've had a desire to just toss everything away and just no longer do anything that doesn't involve my job or my duties at home. Nothing brings me joy anymore. submitted by /u/Armyofducks94 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all. I'm retiring in Feb 2027 and thinking about the how big the change from decades of everyday professional work life to the forever weekend. There's quite a few hobbies, physical activities and interests I'm already enjoying that will fill some of my retirement days. I'm thinking of getting some debriefing sessions with a psychologist to help me transition mentally. Has anyone else done such a thing or feel they should/should have? submitted by /u/FearlessDrink3”
“I was talking about this with my therapist today. Although I have many hobbies - chess, cooking, reading amongst them, I'm not really passionate about any of those He said for someone early retired it'd really help to find a passion. I replied that most people don't have passions but I'll keep searching. So has anyone found a passion later in life? submitted by /u/Affectionate-Reason2 [link] [comments]”
“So, I have been thinking for people who don't really like their job, it's probably not worth working long, hence LeanFIRE. But, I am starting to think I might be entering the realm of going kind of monk, or depriving myself. For example, I think about relationships with a woman, but the maintenance of relationship and all that, I am getting further and further away from that the more I think I can LeanFIRE now. I guess it is all tradeoff, either I need to start reading philosophy to stay”