What will fill my day when it's not filled with work?

Last June the The Daily Podcast did a story on the F.I.R.E. Movement, where people go to extreme measures to become financially independent, so they can retire early. One person they profiled was exceptionally successful and retired in his late 20s. After buying two Ferraris and traveling the world, he found himself in a bit of an identity crisis. Who was he without his work?

By all projections, I’m many years away from retirement and even further from financial independence, but this one question struck a chord with me. What will I do when I don’t have to dedicate 40-50 hours of my week to making money?

When you are wading through the day-to-day grind, it's easy to forget that a job can provide so much more than a paycheck and health insurance. In addition to financial compensation, work provides many things that we might not realize until it’s gone. Three that come to mind for me are daily structure, social interaction, and mental stimulation.

Daily Structure: 

Years ago, a friend introduced me to the phrase “target confusion,” which is when a pilot has so much to aim at they don’t know what to shoot first. That’s me on a beautiful Sunday morning with no set agenda and a full list of nice-to-get-done items. I hem and haw over what to do first. I start one thing then set it aside, because I’ve decided something else on the list is far more important. In the end, not much gets done. With my job,  I have many of my hours spoken for during the week, which creates scaffolding around which I can build the rest of my day. What will be my scaffolding when I don’t have my job?

Social interaction:

I’m an extrovert, and I engage in things more fully when I can do it as part of a group. When I know I’m working with another individual or an organization, I’m more likely to finish the task. When I’ve gone through long stretches of time without being around people, it takes a toll on my mood and ability to get things done. How will I sustain these social interactions when I have no place to be on Monday morning?

Novelty and mental stimulation:

Boredom doesn’t suit me. Sure, it's great to watch light  tv shows and spend time lounging around, but eventually I need something to get the wheels turning. A problem to solve, a new topic to learn about, or even a new skill to learn. What do I need to do to keep my brain engaged and active after my career?

These are all needs that are primarily being met by my job at the moment. What happens in 20 years (fingers crossed!), when I’m eligible to retire and all these things disappear? I’ll need to start thinking about new ways to fulfill those needs.

What are you getting from work that you need to create for yourself in retirement? Or if you are already retired, what did you get from work that you needed to find in retirement?