Blog

101 Things To Do In Retirement To Avoid Boredom

A common objection to retirement I often hear is: “I don’t know what I’d do, I just end up being bored”.

There is no doubt retirement takes some adjusting to and planning for (and not just financially) but how can you be bored when there is an infinite number of things you could do: experiences to have, skills to learn, expertise to share, time to give and knowledge to acquire.

It took me about 45 minutes to come up with this list of 101 different things.

Some require money, some don’t.

Some require travel, some can be done from home.

Some are indulgences, some are altruistic.

But there is something for everyone regardless of gender, background, ability or financial means.

  1. Study for a degree (in anything you wish)
  2. Learn to speak a language fluently
  3. Write a novel
  4. Read all the “classics”
  5. Volunteer in a Charity shop
  6. Teach English overseas
  7. Help dig wells/build schools/hospitals overseas
  8. Volunteer on conservation projects overseas
  9. Cycle a country (continent!)
  10. Learn an instrument to grade 8 level
  11. Visit all the football grounds in the UK
  12. Visit the world’s iconic stadia
  13. Eat in the world’s top restaurants
  14. Paint your ‘master piece’
  15. Teach school leavers your skills
  16. Become a bird watcher/astronomer
  17. Write a screen play
  18. Sail around the Greek Islands
  19. Swim with Orca
  20. Watch the great African migration
  21. Create a wild life haven in your garden
  22. Create a video series of your skills and experiences for the benefit of others
  23. Travel around the British Coastline
  24. Drive Route 66
  25. Go on a cattle drive with cowboys
  26. Visit all the wonders of the world
  27. Learn to scuba dive
  28. Be an extra in a film
  29. Visit the North & South Poles
  30. Trek the Himalayas
  31. Trek the Amazon
  32. Sky Dive
  33. Bungy jump the world’s highest jump
  34. Make a random act of kindness every day.
  35. Learn about the solar system
  36. Start Yoga
  37. Walk the great walks of the UK
  38. Keep a bird of prey
  39. Drive a motorhome around Europe
  40. Cruise the world
  41. See the Northern Lights
  42. Do a shark cage dive.
  43. Become an expert in wine
  44. Grow your own fruit and veg
  45. Watch every West End show (or Broadway show)
  46. Study the life and times of an icon (past or present).
  47. Learn how to save a life
  48. Restore a classic car
  49. Join a book club
  50. Build a scale model of something
  51. Build a model railway in your attic
  52. Get your golf handicap as low as possible
  53. Teach your grandchildren a new skill
  54. Learn to cook
  55. Learn to fly
  56. Write your memoirs
  57. Learn computer code
  58. Cross the Atlantic in a tall ship
  59. Run a marathon
  60. Complete a triathlon
  61. Learn to sing
  62. Join a choir or band
  63. Become a church minister
  64. Learn about the world’s religions
  65. Study politics
  66. Learn economics
  67. Study philosophy
  68. Build a house
  69. Learn to sail
  70. Write a book of poems
  71. Spend time in a monastery
  72. Become a landscape/portrait/animal… photographer & publish your work
  73. Produce your own beer
  74. Learn to play chess
  75. Become an ebay seller
  76. Write a children’s book
  77. Become a cartoonist
  78. Write a travel journal
  79. Start a blog about your retirement experiences
  80. Start ball room dancing
  81. Learn to play poker
  82. Become a tour guide
  83. Volunteer for your local wildlife trust
  84. Watch your favourite team home and away for a season (or more)
  85. Volunteer for your local political party
  86. Learn graphic design
  87. Make soft toys for disadvantaged children around the world
  88. Take up carpentry
  89. Study the Bible
  90. Swim with dolphins
  91. Take other people’s dogs for a walk
  92. Become a companion for someone who is lonely
  93. Become a counsellor
  94. Learn public speaking
  95. Start a social enterprise business
  96. Start a for profit business
  97. Make and sell your own cakes/jams/preservatives
  98. Visit the world’s holy places
  99. Study a period of history
  100. Become an actor
  101. Learn mindfulness

What would you add to this?

If you like what you read here why not read more retirement planning articles here.