Fulfillment/Sense of purpose - Forum Topic
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Forums / Full Timers / Fulfillment/Sense of purpose
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31 Jan 2017 @ 16:29:23 pm
Hi. As someone considering the full-time option in a couple of years, I have a question for full-timers. I hope the question isn't too "strange": Is the time spent "fulfilling", or is there an element of one's "sense of purpose" being lost? I ask this, as I imagine the change from a full-time job to a full-time "holiday" might result in some people feeling like they have lost their sense of purpose. Or does the joy of being free overwhelm everything?  Any thoughts? Thanks!
31 Jan 2017 @ 17:05:40 pm
Hi Warren & welcome to the forum.
Good question and one for which I see no answer.
I have been self employed for the past 16 years and am tapering off slowly. I do sometimes feel that my sense of purpose is diminishing somewhat.
And then I go camping and all's well again!
31 Jan 2017 @ 17:15:51 pm
I have always to set myself a goal. Even retirement means setting small goals of what I want to do or where I want to travel/visit. That way everything have a meaning and keep my mind busy. Did follow that recipe for years in my sport and workplace and it works for me. Will never feel I lost my sense of purpose I hope.
31 Jan 2017 @ 19:00:51 pm
Dit hang van mens tot mens ek glo as jy doen wat jy wil doen en jy geniet dit is dit lekke en maak sin hoop jy verstaan wat ek se groete
31 Jan 2017 @ 19:19:14 pm
Warren, welcome to the forum
31 Jan 2017 @ 20:11:02 pm
I will express just my feelings and opinions on this. Everybody may not agree.
Sense of purpose comes with a determination to achieve certain goals which are set for us during the course of our lives.
Maybe we are all born with a sense of purpose. It probably starts at a very young age, when you start to eat by yourself, walk by yourself, etc. As life goes on your sense of purpose changes. When you start pre-school or primary school. When you go to high school it changes again. So, it goes on in life. Further studies, going into a job, getting married, starting a family, buying a home, raising your own children, experience your grandchildren. All these things come with a sense of purpose because it all means something different at the different stages in our lives. Now, after achieving all of the above, you have reached a stage where you have to put it behind you and embrace the new life of retirement, which brings a new sense of purpose.
What I make of my life, depends on me, not someone else or outside factors. If I decide to be happy in my circumstances, make the best of it every day during the time I have left, enjoy the freedom which I deserve, because I went through life to get to this stage, then I have a new sense of purpose.
Warren, your question is not strange, I think we all go through the same feelings. It is a bit overwhelming at first, almost as if you cannot believe it is really true. Just after my retirement, I actually felt guilty in the mornings, knowing I am just staying at home. I felt it was my duty to go to work. We cannot turn back the clock. Believe me, being on permanent holiday is the best!
31 Jan 2017 @ 20:56:09 pm
Warren, warm welcome on the forums, do enjoy the chats and dhare your experiences eith us.
I could not agree with Freda more, she has said it.
Once you start pension, the first feeling is guild, that is soon pushed aside by the new joys of life, such as freedom after many years of hard work, enjoying the grand children, do what you like, take your time in doing what ever you want to do.
Do not go sit and wait for the final stage, go out and enjoy the blessings of life, you will soon find that time has taken some red bull
01 Feb 2017 @ 05:45:14 am
Morning Warren, welcome to our little neck of the woods...
Kick back, crack a frostie & enjoy the ride, and just keep on posting...
Not a "full timer" but still an interesting question...
Gonna keep track-o-this-topic
Oh BTW? I'm the daft one
01 Feb 2017 @ 08:40:00 am
Welcome to the forum Warren,
Life has a way of throwing the curved ball at you,
This is when things not planned for, occur,
This does put a spanner in the works and you see the time running out,
Where you know what your plans are ,
Ut are unable to get to them.
This is when you need to set new goals for yourself,
until you get your life in the direction you want it to go in.
The key is to have plans set in place to keep yourself busy.
Like what someone likes to say on this forum,
Pension is not for sissies...
01 Feb 2017 @ 10:40:57 am
What I find a bit sad is, that one becomes redundant in the world. Shortly after retirement, I still had a busy life, continously asked for advise, my opinions were taken seriuosly and discussions were meaningfull.
10 years down the line, the phone has stopped ringing. The people that needed my skills, have now developed their own. In a way, this is wonderfull, life has to continue, but does leave you a bit empty. Your " sence of purpose" describes it 100%
Full time camping would drive me to drink, nice long travels with a constant change of scenery works for me.
Now I have hobbies that requires almost full time attention. The nice part is, I can do at my own pace. Sitting here on my stoep at 10h30 in the morning, drinking tea, slowly typing a reply. After this, I will get up and continue in my workshop, busy rebuilding a spare gearbox for my Triumph, slowly washing parts. At 2 o'clock, the tv getts turned on, there is a nice Cricket game on.
Retirement is wonderfull, you need to figure out what works best.
01 Feb 2017 @ 22:15:46 pm
Nou wonder ek hoekom so min van die ouer garde nie n mening het nie.
Van ons doen self die besluit, want jy is totaal keelvol, en wil n verandering bring. Als en almal irriteer jou, intussen is dit eintlik jyself wat n probleem is, of het.
Ander moet dit noodgedwonge doen, en n paket aanvaar, of so iets, dra nie eintlik kennis nie, maar voel seker do half of jy afgedank word op jou oudag.
Ander werk totdat hulle moet ophou, of jy lus het of nie. Indirek se jou werkgewer vir jou, dit is nou regtig tyd dat jy padgee, gee die jongmense ook n kans asb.
Om terug te kom by n sense of purpose.
Op aftree ouderdom, het mens jou " purpose" in die groter prentjie voltooi. Nou behoort die dryf na n doel, nie die lewe te oorheers nie, kans gehad.
Totale selfsug is die antwoord. Geniet die paar goeie jare wat oor is, drink elke aand n wyntjie, gaan jou nie vroeg graf toe stuur nie. Toer en reis baie, hou op om bekommerd te wees oor die swak vertoning van beleggings, kan elk geval niks daaraan doen nie.
Laat die kinders n slag oor jou bekommer.
En hier het ek eintlik met myself gesels, maar gedink dit is goed om te deel
02 Feb 2017 @ 11:04:59 am
Neef Herman, ek stem heeltemal saam met jou. Waaroor bekommerd wees oor goed waaroor jy geen beheer het nie. Ontspan en geniet die lewe. Dit is tog een van die redes hoekom ons aftree of liewer uittree. Ek voel ook nie vir n purpose driven retirement nie en voel glad nie sleg as ek niks konstruktiefs doen vir n dag nie. Ek doen wat ek wil en geniet dit.
In die begin van aftrede byt die skuld gevoel jou indien jy niks doen nie, raak gou ontslae van daardie bobejaantjie want hy kan vinnig in n gorilla ontpop.Ek het gewerk tot aftrede/uittrede en nou is dit my beurt van geniet
02 Feb 2017 @ 11:46:08 am
Herman en Bugsy dit is presies hoe ek voel. Geen skuldgevoelens omdat ek nou "leeg lê en niks doen nie". Ek sorg vir die huis, maak vir ons kos en verder doen ek wat ek wil, soos ek wil, wanneer ek wil, hoe ek wil. En as ek nie wil nie, dan los ek dit tot 'n ander dag.
02 Feb 2017 @ 12:38:17 pm
Sien baie daarna uit om ook soos Freda s� my eie wil doen en nie wil doen waanneer ek wil soos ek wil.
En soos Herman s�, 10h30 my tee op die stoep of onder die wa se tent drink en doen waarvoor ek lus is, dalk die Girl.
02 Feb 2017 @ 12:39:16 pm
Warren, amper vergeet ek. Welkom op die forum.
21 Feb 2018 @ 17:41:58 pm
Ek het nou lekker gelees hieraan want ek het self die vraag gevra. Wat doen jy as jy nie 'n doelwit het nie?
Freda vat die hele saak so raak vas, sy is 'n filosoof!
Is nou presies een jaar uitgetree.
Heila en ek het weggespring met 'n toer deur die Kaap in Maart 2017. Wou met die motorfiets dit ry maar kon nie as gevolg van vrou se nekoperasie. Dit toe met haar motor gery (lig op brandstof).
Terug by die huis het ons ons nuwe karavaan uitsorteer en gepak.
Mei maand in die Kruger spandeer, 'n deel daarvan saam met vriende.
Terug tuis weer skoongemaak en gepak vir Junie en Julie '17 by die Eiland. Ons eerste lank staan. En dit was te kort!
Terug tuis gou skoonmaak en gepak vir 4 maande reis deur weskus en suidkus tot weer terug by die huis einde November.
Ons was so besig van die staanspoor af dat daar nie tyd was om te vra oor doel nie.
In hierdie tyd nie eenkeer gevoel ek is doelloos nie. Ons doel was om ons nuwe vryheid te geniet.
Desember '17 tot nou by die huis. Instandhouding, wa diens, skoonmaak en weer regmaak vir haak en ry.
Moes bv my grasperkie hervestig wat dood is agv die droogte en waterbeperkings.
Ek het hier by die huis soms gevoel dis effe doelloos.
Ek sluit hierby ons geloofslewe uit aangesien daarin alleen genoeg doelgerigtheid is om soggens op te staan.
Dan onthou ek hoekom ek uitgetree het.
My doel is om soos Freda dit stel: hou permanent vakansie. Doen wat jy wil wanneer en soos jy wil.
As mense my vra wat ons doen dan antwoord ek dat die ergste is ons is heeldag besig, dit voel of daar nie genoeg tyd is vir alles nie, maar in die aand kan ek jou eintlik niks wys nie. Ons albei lees graag.
Daar is net 4 dinge wat my jaag:
# my kleindogter in Pretoria. As sy praat luister oupa al te gretig.
# my vrou. As sy praat luister ek al te gretig.
# my blaas, en
# my maag
Verder is ek in beheer, al is dit uit beheer uit, ek is in beheer (uiteraard onderworpe aan die wil van my Here want eintlik gaan jou en my doel oor Sy wil en Sy 'glory').
21 Feb 2018 @ 19:36:29 pm
Menere.....dankie vir die wyshede.
Ek kan ook daaruit leer aangesien ek maar in Desember na 35 jaar afgetree het. Ons kamp tans by Hartenbos vir twee maande.
22 Feb 2018 @ 12:06:30 pm
Proffie, jy is reg, om voltyds te kamp is 'n besige lewensstyl. Ons toer nou amper 2 jaar en nog steeds probeer ek die niksdoen wat van vorige dae oorgestaan het op te vang. Daar is al heelwat daaroor geskryf op hierdie forum, jy moet net by die kopskuif verbykom en jy is oppad na 'n rustige lewensstyl. Geniet dit.
22 Feb 2018 @ 12:11:50 pm
Geniet dit. Hopelik kom jy gou agter 2 maande is te min. Maar mens moet egter daardeur om te toets wat werk vir jou en wat nie.
Sal gaaf wees indien jy so paar maande van nou af jou eie vraag probeer antwoord. Ons leer almal daaruit.
Ek dink die probleem gaan kom wanneer mens niks het om te doen nie. Maar soos Neef Herman sê, dan is niks doen jou keuse. Niks doen kan ook seker 'n doel wees.
Solank mens net nie dag in en dag uit in die verte instaar en van buite af lyk dit of jou kop leeg is nie.
Dan kyk ek liewer hoe verf droog word!
Een les wat my swaer my geleer het: "elke man se saak is sy saak"
22 Feb 2018 @ 12:20:22 pm
I beg your pardon. Been ranting on in Afrikaans. If you need, I can repeat in English.
However, in answering your question at this stage, I would like to quote you:
" ....the joy of being free overwhelms everything...."
I must admit though that I am not a 100% fulltimer. I still return home to miss the December/January holiday season rush and costs, and to do some maintenance on the house, the van and the body.
22 Feb 2018 @ 12:28:17 pm
Dankie dat jy ingekom het op die gesprek.
Ek wou so effe aan Heindrich noem dat ons jou opinie moet kry aangesien julle ook redelik onlangs die voltydse leefstyl aangepak het.
Jy is reg, die antwoord lê in die kopskuif wat mens moet maak.
En dit is 'n wilsbesluit.
23 Feb 2018 @ 06:54:55 am
Nog 'n paar jaar voor ek daar is,......................... maar voor dit...................... wil ek nog baie gaan kamp.