Is there a retirement routine?

When you’re working, you get so used to the same routine.  I basically went to the same place, Monday – Friday, for 38 years.  Now that’s a routine!!  So, what happens when that goes away?

Initially, I was so thrilled not to get up at 5:30.  I couldn’t imagine getting 8 hours of sleep at night, but now I do.  And on weekends, I was never one to immediately shower and eat breakfast, unless I had specific plans.  So, for me, the joy came from being able to take my time in the morning, read emails and the entire paper while I ate breakfast.  It’s like everyone says – every day is a Saturday!!  I absolutely love it.

Since I retired at the end of April, I had spring and summer as my starting point.  It’s a great time to retire.  Over time, I started walking every morning and then eating my breakfast on the deck.  I absolutely love my deck.  I spend as much time out there as I can, usually reading a book.

The rest of my day is spent on household chores, errands, and then whatever I feel like doing.  It sometimes takes a while to figure out what that is.  That was especially challenging for me because there are so many things I want to do.  Initially, I read a lot.  I’ve always loved to read, and my first summer, I must have read a book a week.  It was so nice to be able to actually concentrate on a book for long periods of time, and not have to reacquaint myself with the characters and plot each time I picked it up.  I’m a big Patricia Cornwell fan, so I decided to get myself caught up on her books.  This past year, I read 23 books – fewer than I’d hoped.

All my working years, I used a planner to keep myself on track.  Well, I still use a planner!!  It’s just a prettier version.  I use my planner to first, create a list of what I want/need to accomplish each week, and second, to choose which day I will tackle each task.  And you know what?  If I don’t get everything done on a given day, I move it forward, without feeling bad about it!!

I also created a spreadsheet for logging my projects – what I want to do, who the finished product is for, when I’d like to complete it, and when I start and finish.  This may sound a little anal, but it helps me keep track of all the ideas in my head and then make them real.  And I made this to fit into my planner, so it’s always handy.

Ok, enough for today and this topic.  In summary, I’ve definitely developed a bit of a routine.  I try to spread out the things I do outside of home, knowing I get a little anxious when I’m too busy.  And I probably don’t plan as much during the winter.  This works for me, but may not be what works for everyone.

Please feel free to leave a comment or a question.  Am I covering anything that interests you?  Any questions about what I’ve shared?