Let the Relaxation Begin: 31 Happy Retirement Quotes

We all have those moments when we feel overburdened by our work and responsibilities. Then, we wonder: “Wouldn’t it be fantastic if I didn’t have to work anymore?” In those situations, I like to read happy retirement quotes and daydream about the possibilities retirement brings.

However, even though we look forward to retirement when it’s far down the road, our perspective changes once we actually face it. Suddenly, it seems scary, or even boring. Many people fear that once they retire, they will become useless or unproductive.

On the contrary, retirement can be even more fun, fulfilling, or adventurous than your working years. With that in mind, I have chosen some of the best happy retirement quotes to cheer you up.

31 Happy Retirement Quotes to Celebrate the Beginning of the Rest of Your Life

Happy Retirement Quotes to Open Your Eyes to New Opportunities

#1. “Retirement gives you the time literally to recreate yourself through a sport, game, or hobby that you always wanted to try or that you haven’t done in years.” — Steven D. Price

#2. “I’m not just retiring from the company, I’m also retiring from my stress, my commute, my alarm clock, and my iron.” — Hartman Jule

#3. “Retirement life is different because there is no set routine. You are able to let the day unfold as it should. Enjoy, be happy and live each day.” — Suzanne Steel

#4. “For many, retirement is a time for personal growth, which becomes the path to greater freedom.” — Robert Delamontagne

#5. “The joy of retirement comes in those everyday pursuits that embrace the joy of life; to experience daily the freedom to invest one’s lifelong knowledge for the betterment of others; and to allocate time to pursuits that only received, in years of working, a fleeting moment.” — Byron Pulsifer

#6. “Retirement means doing whatever I want to do. It means choice.” — Dianne Nahirny

#7. “Retirement has been a discovery of beauty for me. I never had the time before to notice the beauty of my grandkids, my wife, the tree outside my very own front door. And, the beauty of time itself.” — Hartman Jule

#8. “After all those years of seriously doing what you had to do to make a living and raise a family, now you can be a clown, work at Disneyland helping Mickey Mouse, build new homes for Habitat for Humanity, or just be lazy in scenic surroundings.” — Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

#9. “To some of us, retirement gives us time to follow our dreams.” — Shirley Mitchell

Happy Retirement Quotes to Inspire You

#10. “Retirement is a blank sheet of paper. It is a chance to redesign your life into something new and different.” — Patrick Foley

#11. “Retirement: a time to do what you want to do, when you want to do it, where you want to do it, and how you want to do it.” — Catherine Pulsifer

#12. “We work all our lives so we can retire — so we can do what we want with our time — and the way we define or spend our time defines who we are and what we value.” — Bruce Linton

#13. “Retirement is … a time to experience a fulfilling life derived from many enjoyable and rewarding activities.” — Ernie J. Zelinski

#14. “You can’t retire from being great.” — Unknown

#15. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” — C.S. Lewis

#16. “Retire from work but not from life.” — M.K. Soni

#17. “There is an exciting world of possibilities out there that very few of us get the chance to explore during our working lives, but retirement is that time!” — Stella Rheingold

#18. “Maybe the word ‘retirement’ makes you think of old age, boredom, and laziness but I’d rather have you try to think of it as freedom to do what you want, freedom to be as active as you’d like, and even freedom to work the job that you like — to be in a place where money doesn’t dictate your choices.” — Rex Dalen

#19. “My formula for a treasured retirement is simple: plan, design, enjoy.” — Julia Valentine

Happy Retirement Quotes to Make You Laugh

#20. “What do you call a person who is happy on Monday? Retired.” — Unknown

#21. “When a man retires, his wife gets twice as much husband for half as much money.” — Chi Chi Rodriguez

#22. “There are some who start their retirement long before they stop working.” — Robert Half

#23. “Retirement: it’s nice to get out of the rat race, but you have to learn to get along with less cheese.” — Gene Perret

#24. “Retirement is like a long vacation in Las Vegas. The goal is to enjoy it to the fullest, but not so fully that you run out of money.” — Jonathan Clements

#25. “My retirement plan is to get thrown into a minimum-security prison in Hawaii.” — Julius Sharpe

#26. “When a man retires and time is no longer a matter of urgent importance, his colleagues generally present him with a watch.” — R.C. Sherriff

#27. “The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.” — Abe Lemons

#28. “There is a whole new kind of life ahead, full of experiences just waiting to happen. Some call it ‘retirement’. I call it bliss.” — Betty Sullivan

#29. “I found out retirement means playing golf, or I don’t know what the hell it means. But to me, retirement means doing what you have fun doing.” — Dick Van Dyke

#30. “Retirement: that’s when you return from work one day and say: Hi, honey, I’m home — forever!” — Gene Perret

#31. “Retirement: when you stop lying about your age and start lying around the house.” – Unknown

Bottom Line

Being retired doesn’t mean that you’re at the end of the road. Instead, think of it as a new, beautiful chapter of your life that comes with plenty of possibilities and fun moments.

After all, what’s not to love about it? No more staying overtime, waking up early, and stressing about your workload. Now you have all the time in the world to take up new hobbies, learn new skills, and hang out with your friends and family.

So, keep these happy retirement quotes in mind and enjoy your work-free days to their fullest.