l haven’t posted for a couple of weeks. I have enjoyed reading about your plans and seeing your progress. To be honest l thought that when l retired l would be able to embark upon and persevere with projects l had long wished to do. This has not been my experience so far. I have started things,all fired up with enthusiasm only to stall,to be overwhelmed by the lead/plastic before me. At times l can’t see the point of it. At other times I,to quote a fellow blogger, have six new ideas before breakfast. All the above seems to lead to frustration, dissatisfaction with the lead mountain around me and to a feeling hardly bearing to open the paint desk lid. At other times a frenzy of hobby related work begins only to falter and leave me feeling underwhelmed with my efforts.
Don’t get me wrong l have really enjoyed games l have played , my walks and my short course etc recently and been stimulated by them. Yet I not sure what to do next hobby wise about my malaise.
Hi Alan- I know how you feel- I am Retired and have reached a stage of assessing what I do- in the past month it seems I've been through three different projects- only to return to something I was doing about eight years ago...I guess it is a bit of a case of having too much time on our hands. Best Wishes. KEV.
ReplyDeleteWhat to do? Relax. Its a hobby.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the day, it doesn't really matter if you drive singlemindedly towards a well planned goal or putter about in circles and it doesn't really matter what anyone else is doing or thinks of what you are doing.
If being a project manager and driving towards a goal gives you satisfaction then go for if not, I see nothing wrong with day dreaming, following whims and wandering in circles while watching the clouds or anything in between.
For me its about the journey not the destination.
I think the realisation that you HAVE retired is finally sinking in. I retired two years ago [ is it that long?] and to be brutally honest it hit me very very hard. Granted I was forced to retire and had planned to actually go eight months later but I wasnt ready for it. I think its taken me about 18 months to get a handle on retirement and life without work.Some retirees find another job, some are wrapped up in their little projects and cant find time for work. One issue I did find is the actual realisation that if I started another project would I actually complete it. Not a good way to look at the hobby really and it took me a while to shake off that depressing thought. Now I realise how privileged I am to have time to do anything I want within reason. Its quite a liberating thought, best of luck with handling this wonderful opportunity.
ReplyDeleteMany words of wisdom here, especially from Ross. My hobby involvement struggles in the same way as yours, Alan, but I am slowly seeing the light. If your household is secure, and kith and kin healthy, then any activity along the hobby is just fine.
ReplyDeletePlease keep us posted, as we are a patient audience and will cheer you on regardless.
I agree with what Ross says too. I also have steadfastly not adhered to many of the Irresolutions from New Year because I have gone with the flow of what feels right at the time. Repairing broken lead 54mm figures to gaming is my current challenge, when I get hobby time. It feels right in my hands and my head. It's Not what I had really planned to mostly do.
ReplyDeleteBeing a hobby, None of it really matters, which is quite liberating!
"You can never have too much of what you don't really need", as Harry Pearson says in Achtung Schweinhund.
Enjoy your courses. Some good online free history courses at Future Learn, like one on Hadrians Wall etc.
I also agree with Ross. The trick is to find which paths suit you at any given time. It's okay to wander. As Tolkien said, "not all who wander are lost". My own path since retiring has wandered in many different directions and I'm loving it.
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone Alan..... the projects I have got building up would keep me going for 3 lifetimes. Before the internet I would happily sit down and paint an army over a year, not straying onto other projects, but now I see new things every day I want to do. I think the advent of games that require smaller armies or just a few figures can help us stick to the straight and narrow. Perhaps voluntarily blinker yourself, or team up with another player to work towards painting forces for a game at a set date.
ReplyDeleteI can't really add anything to what's already been written. Just know you're not alone in feeling this way, and we can all sympathise.
ReplyDeleteI think it was Bluebear Jeff who wrote that at times like this prepare as much of the unpainted lead pile as you can face, no matter what it is, ie stick it down and undercoat then when the mojo returns one can plough straight on with it. It was bought for a reason once and that idea will pop back into our brains one day.
ReplyDeleteBe kind to yourself. Your wife passed away relatively recently and you have retired with more time on your hands than you know what to do with - two very challenging life events. Do what ever makes you feel good with no apology to anyone, including yourself. Life is not a competition and I get the impression that you are a renaissance man with a rich hinterland to explore, enjoy and relish whatever you choose to do. I think your expectations of what you think you should be doing undermine your appreciation of what you feel like doing.
ReplyDeleteKeep the Faith old chap. Keep your goals small and proceed accordingly.
ReplyDelete