I gave formal notice of my retirement a week or so ago. It feels good. Mostly. Other than when I'm overcome by doubt and anxiety, that is.
I realized this week that I'm not worried about having too little to do. In fact, it's the opposite. I've been adding to my list of "things to do when I retire" for so long now it's become overwhelming. Even if I were to jump out of bed every morning at dawn and work 10 to 12 hours a day, it would take decades to get through the whole list.
The answer, I think, is simply to set priorities, create a plan, and be gentle with myself when life intervenes, as it almost certainly will.
From past experience, I know that the plan will need to include a little of this and a little of that, with plenty of white space for procrastinating and daydreaming, if I'm ever going to stick to it.
So, for the first few months, I'll try to ensure every day includes at least 30-60 minutes of exercise, quality time with family and friends, a few chores, a creative or volunteer activity, and an hour or two of reading. Hopefully, that will be enough structure to keep me headed in the right direction until I get a better sense of what I want to do with whatever time I have remaining on the planet.
The one thing I know for certain is that there are bound to be surprises along the way, so it's best to keep an open mind and simply make whatever choices seem most likely to contribute to building a happy, healthy, productive and engaged life.
I realized this week that I'm not worried about having too little to do. In fact, it's the opposite. I've been adding to my list of "things to do when I retire" for so long now it's become overwhelming. Even if I were to jump out of bed every morning at dawn and work 10 to 12 hours a day, it would take decades to get through the whole list.
The answer, I think, is simply to set priorities, create a plan, and be gentle with myself when life intervenes, as it almost certainly will.
From past experience, I know that the plan will need to include a little of this and a little of that, with plenty of white space for procrastinating and daydreaming, if I'm ever going to stick to it.
So, for the first few months, I'll try to ensure every day includes at least 30-60 minutes of exercise, quality time with family and friends, a few chores, a creative or volunteer activity, and an hour or two of reading. Hopefully, that will be enough structure to keep me headed in the right direction until I get a better sense of what I want to do with whatever time I have remaining on the planet.
The one thing I know for certain is that there are bound to be surprises along the way, so it's best to keep an open mind and simply make whatever choices seem most likely to contribute to building a happy, healthy, productive and engaged life.
You are so ready!
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