There’s more to life besides work people tell me. Cultivating outside interests and hobbies can enhance your satisfaction and prepare you for a satisfying life in retirement. Our guest today is a semi-retired attorney whose hobbies prepared him for a second act as an author. You don’t need to be an attorney or aspire to be a novelist to heed his advice on exploring hobbies that may be just right for you.

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J.P. (Paul) Rieger, is a semi-retired real estate attorney whose encounters with the law loosely inspired his new novel Clonk! – a hilarious whodunnit set in the world of seedy lawyers and misfit detectives. An amateur guitarist, Paul played with the neo- psychedelic pop group United States of Existence in the 1980s. The band released a couple of 45s and an LP. Paul’s first novel, The Case Files of Roderick Misely, Consultant, was published in 2013. A Baltimore native, he lives in Towson, Maryland.

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For More on Paul Rieger

Clonk!

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Mentioned in This Podcast Episode

List of Hobbies from The Serious Leisure Perspective (Robert Stebbins)

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

The Third Act – Josh Sapan

The Fun Habit – Mike Rucker, PhD

The Power of Fun – Catherine Price

A Second Act after The Law – Mark Shaiken

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Wise Quotes

On Semi-Retirement

“I think that if you happen to have a career as a professional, you’ll probably never leave it fully because it’s part of who you are. And …there’s so many things you can do as a semi-retired professional – you can actually still work. And I have many of my attorney friends who are my age and older who got out of their bigger practice that now are just doing the things they want to. A lot of folks pro bono, volunteer work. There’s so many things you can do.”

On Hobbies

“I think having hobbies is absolutely crucial, and I want your listeners to know that it’s never too late to start a hobby. We become part of our careers where we start loving it so much, but we might become a little bit of a hostage to it. But you have to, I think, break away from that somewhat and think about things that you’re like doing and, and these would be your hobbies if you have them. And  if not, it’s not too late to, to get them. There’s the Chinese  proverb when’s the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. When’s the second best time? Right now.  So I think hobbies are the same way. If you haven’t really developed hobbies, I would not worry, chill out. It’s never too late.”

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About Retirement Wisdom

Planning for retirement goes well beyond your 401k or IRA. How will you invest your time after your full-time working years?

You’ll need a different portfolio.

I help people create a multipurpose retirement, with the right mix of interests, activities and pursuits to invest your time wisely. And for many it includes a new version of work in some form– redefined on your own terms with more flexibility and meaning.

Schedule a call to see how the Designing Your New Life program can give you an edge in your next chapter.

Visit retirementwisdom.com for tools and resources to help you retire smarter.

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About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking. Today, in addition to his work with clients, Joe hosts The Retirement Wisdom Podcast, which thanks to his guests and loyal listeners, ranks in the top 1.5 % globally in popularity by Listen Notes. Business Insider has recognized him as one of 23 innovative coaches who are making a difference. He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.