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Epoch Times
30-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Epoch Times
The Rule of 1,000 Hours in Retirement
By Jacob Schroeder From Kiplinger's Personal Finance The real national pastime isn't baseball. If you go by how Americans actually spend their leisure time, it's something even slower: watching TV. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey, Americans spend nearly three hours a day watching television, making it the country's most popular leisure activity. Among retirees, that number rises to more than four hours a day. 'Unfortunately, many people think they're going to be someone different in retirement, but they're not. In fact, it's you times two,' says Robert Laura, founder of the Retirement Coaches Association. That's because even after leaving work, many retirees fall into familiar routines, convinced they'll have more time later. This is a common psychological bias known as future time slack. But free time in retirement isn't unlimited. Look closely at how retirees spend their time, and it adds up to roughly 1,000 hours a year of meaningful, discretionary time. Related Stories 4/23/2025 4/24/2025 When it comes to building a fulfilling retirement, research and experts say that how you spend your time can be just as important as how you spend your money. And for the four million Americans reaching retirement age each year, the clock is already ticking. What Is the 'Rule of 1,000 Hours' in Retirement? The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) tracks how Americans spend their hours each day. It shows that the average adult enjoys about five hours of leisure time per day, or around 1,800 hours a year. But not all of that time is high-quality. A closer look shows that the largest share is spent on passive activities like watching TV, scrolling online and casual socializing. When you account for how much leisure time is absorbed by low-effort habits, the truly discretionary, meaningful time—the kind you can intentionally spend on hobbies, passions, travel, volunteering, or learning new skills—shrinks to about 1,000 hours a year. And that's just an estimate. Unexpected obligations, caregiving needs or health issues can chip away at it even further. That's why the 'rule of 1,000 hours' offers a more realistic framework: It's the amount of time retirees can reasonably expect to control and use with purpose each year. Arguably, that time may be more valuable than money. As the authors of one academic paper put it, 'Time is a precious commodity in later life, made even more so by challenging post-retirement circumstances.' When Free Time Becomes a Challenge Many people underestimate the hidden losses that come with leaving work. 'You lose more than you gain in retirement,' says Laura. While retirees gain time, they can also lose routine, structure, social connection, mental stimulation and a sense of purpose. As Laura notes, 'Golfing, fishing or watching the grandkids doesn't replace all of those things.' In fact, his research shows that 76 percent of retirees have seen someone struggle with the transition, and 51 percent say it takes longer than a year to adjust. This helps explain why millions of retirees return to work after stepping away. According to T. Rowe Price, about half (48 percent) of retirees who work say they need to for financial reasons, while a similar share (45 percent) chose to work for social and emotional benefits. Psychologists have also found that too much unstructured free time can actually lower well-being. A study published by the American Psychological Association reported that while well-being rises with more free time, it peaks around two hours per day and begins to decline when people have more than five discretionary hours daily. However, other retirees encounter the opposite problem, Laura adds. 'Some retirees say they're busier than ever, but the tasks are meaningless. Over time, that leaves them feeling used rather than helpful.' Awareness is the first step. The next is creating a plan for how you'll spend your time in retirement, just as carefully as you planned for your finances. Making the Most of Your 1,000 Hours Financial experts agree that a retirement plan works best when it's built around more than just numbers. 'When you stop working, you lose not just a paycheck but also a built-in schedule. That structure has to be replaced with something meaningful,' says Melissa Caro, CFP® and founder of My Retirement Network. She works with clients to brainstorm how they want to spend their days. 'Once they map out an ideal week or month, we can align the financial plan around it. When time, money and purpose are in sync, that's when retirement feels truly fulfilling.' Research backs this up. A 2022 study published in Acta Psychologica found that retirees who proactively prepare for life after work report more engagement in leisure activities, higher well-being and lower levels of stress. Not all activities deliver the same benefits. A 2020 study identifies three clusters—physical, intellectual and social activities—that are linked to better mental and physical health outcomes later in life. Staying active, learning new skills and maintaining strong social connections can help retirees thrive far beyond just filling time. That requires being intentional with how you use your time, says Jan Valecka, CFP® and principal of Valecka Wealth Management, who advises clients to dream five to 10 years ahead and budget for experiences like travel. 'If they have the money set aside, they're more likely to take the trip and not feel guilty about spending it. We spend a lot of time encouraging clients who have done a good job saving to enjoy their money, because either they'll go first class—or their kids will.' Laura also recommends writing down what the perfect retirement schedule looks like. 'It helps people realize how much time they need to fill—and how quickly retirement can start to feel like a Groundhog Day scenario if they don't plan.' It's a fitting reference. In the 1993 film, Bill Murray's character famously asks: 'What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same and nothing that you did mattered?' Perhaps that desire to avoid reliving the same life over and over is why two-thirds (66 percent) of today's retirees say they prefer trying new things in their leisure time versus doing things they've already experienced. Workers most often associate retirement with the word 'freedom.' How you spend those 1,000 hours is ultimately up to you. If a movie marathon on TV happens to be your activity of choice, you might catch The Lord of the Rings airing during the holidays. And maybe, amid the adventure, you'll hear the wizard Gandalf's wise reminder: 'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.' ©2025 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The top 5 things no one tells you about retirement
Financial advisers and personal-finance writers give plenty of useful advice about managing your money wisely for, and in, retirement. But there's vital information that many people aren't told. It's the reason that 76% of retirees have seen someone struggle with the transition to retirement and that nearly half say adjusting to retirement took longer than expected, according to a 2023 Retirement Coaches Association survey. 'I want to enjoy the time we have left': I'm 68 and plan to work past retirement age. Should I empty my $700K 401(k)? The stock market just won't crack. Bulls say it's time for a breakout to new highs. Here's how Intel's stock charts look after its big rally. Should you buy it? 'We are shocked and upset': My mother died and her second husband said he now owns everything. Is this true? 'My retirement is going to be a disaster': I'm 59 and have $45,000 in my 401(k). I earn $72,000. Am I doomed? Robert Laura, founder of the Retirement Coaches Association and author of the new book, 'Retirement Intelligence,' lays out insights, both financial and nonfinancial, that can help you make retirement more satisfying. The first thing no one tells you about retirement is that retirement is 'empty.' It's a manufactured phase of life that doesn't hold or contain anything. 'You have to fill it with things that are of value and important to you,' says Laura, a financial adviser. 'What I see too often is people sometimes fill retirement with the wrong things.' If, for instance, you plan to remodel your kitchen to make it easier for family to come over but your family rarely does, 'it doesn't necessarily make sense to invest $30,000 or $40,000 in your kitchen,' Laura says. 'People sometimes think stuff will add value to their life, but the stuff doesn't change anything,' he explains. 'You have to be that change.' Another thing no one tells you about retirement, is to beware of the dark side. Understanding and managing your mental health should be a much higher priority than a stock-market crash. 'This is really what got me into the business of retirement coaching. I kept seeing clients who had millions of dollars and who had never run out of money, but they were miserable,' Laura says. 'There are five important parts of retirement: mental, social, physical, spiritual and financial,' Laura says. 'Financial is just 20% of the puzzle. You've got to get everything else right in addition to getting the money right.' Still, a major pullback in the stock market, as we saw briefly in early February after President Trump announced tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, can be chilling. 'A stock-market crash is a legitimate fear and obviously making sure you're not destitute or reliant upon others is important, but it shouldn't be the main priority,' Laura says. 'Up and coming subtractions' another thing no one tells you about retirement. Although you gain time and freedom when you leave your full-time job to start retirement, you may also lose routine, direction, social connection, mental stimulus and influence. This is why so many people grieve the loss of their career identity in retirement and become unsettled or disoriented, Laura believes. If you don't plan for the subtractions, once you retire, you may start questioning your decision to begin this new stage. Laura has seen this in results of assessments he's done of new retirees. 'People have to find a way to replace things like work identity and routine,' says Laura. 'From a financial perspective, this is where things can get really expensive. Because as you try to figure out these replacements, you can spend a lot of money joining the country club or buying a boat.' Retirees often don't realize that retirement doesn't eliminate work. They need to 'embrace the job requirements ahead in retirement,' Laura writes. Job requirements in retirement? 'Well, you're responsible for yourself and your relationships. I think it's about embracing your responsibilities and then being proactive about them,' Laura says. One of his pet peeves is when retirees and near-retirees are advised to 'retire to' something. I felt a pang of guilt because I have often written that when planning for retirement, you need to think more about what you want to retire to and less about what you want to retire from. Laura disagrees. The focus should be on what you want to retire with. 'One of the most interesting things I've observed over the last 15 years of doing this is that people think they're going to be someone new when they retire,' says Laura. That suddenly they're going to step across this line and the heavens are going to open up. Hallelujah! And now they're this brand new person.' Instead of trying to reinvent yourself in retirement, start your reinvention process before you retire. 'That way, on the first day of retirement, you're not going to say: 'I'm finally ready to go to the gym. I'm going to start eating vegan. I'm going to visit the kids 10 times this year, even though I haven't in the last two years,'' says Laura. 'It's much easier to maintain things than it is to start fresh.' In other words, before quitting your job, begin doing things that give you meaning and purpose. Then, plan to continue them once you retire, perhaps more frequently or differently. Laura blames the financial services industry for being one reason so many of us haven't been told these crucial things about retirement. 'I think the problem with the financial services industry is there's a 'hard' side and a 'soft' side to retirement. The hard side is the numbers, the soft side is this mushy-gushy stuff,' Laura says. 'We need to wake people up, so they're better prepared for the transition.' I'm a wife and mother. 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