My Dad couldn't wait to retire and retired at 60 and is now 91. He has always had a great interest in DIY with the ability to do jobs well beyond the norm, and since retiring has for example re wired his house, fitted a new bathroom, installed a wood burning stove. He is a massive perfectionist, so these jobs always took a long time. He is also a keen gardener and until he moved few years ago due to failing health he had very large garden. He is less able now but still has his runner beans and does some woodwork in his shed. He has never been short of things to do or bored. In the end he didn't enjoy his job.
Mum absolutely loved her job looking after adults with special needs, probably put too much into it and had to retire on ill health. I don't think retirement has suited her quite as well.
For my part I am 58. I went to deliver a Christmas card to a friend to friend who is a few years younger than me just before Christmas and he said he was retiring due to redundancy.
At one time I planned to retire at 62; this was mainly for financial reasons, had my kids later in life and have one that will go to university and other costs associated with kids, plus minimising the time between retiring, and getting my state pension.
There have been some changes at work and new management which has left me not enjoying the job very much. This has made me think quite seriously at going sooner, certainly no later than 60 and quite possibly a lot sooner. Financial considerations are still quite important, and the earlier I go the less money I have for the next however many years before I die.
This has meant I have recently given quite a lot of thought to how I will spend my days after I finish work. I am not like my Dad and hate DIY so won’t be spending loads of time on that. Certainly, I envisage doing more cycling, there are a couple of all day club runs a week in normal circumstances so that would be one or two days a week sorted plus an important opportunity to still have social contact with people. I can imagine a walk or ride most days, plus intend to be joining the gym to do some swimming and resistance work (recommended as you get older). Some cycle touring.
Still think it would be good to have some other things to do, so would be interested in a thread on that. Although I imagine when retired it’s quite easy for time to pass without doing too much of anything. I wouldn’t rule out even a little bit of voluntary work if it was something I enjoyed and felt made a difference.
I will finish with an anecdote, something that happened when I was a teenager and for some reason I have remembered. I was walking in a country park with my girlfriend in my late teens, when this “old guy” stopped to talk to us. He was retired and told us he walked all round the country park every morning, went home for lunch, and then did the exact same walk every afternoon!