Retirement Routine

I have been retired for four years now, how that is even possible is beyond me. I spent the first two years trying to figure out what being retired meant and the next two years appreciating the true meaning. I am proud to say, I think I got it! I have settled in nicely to my new lifestyle. To be honest, I couldn't possibly work, it would take up too much time, and who would hire me. 

I often find myself in a conversation about retirement. Many people use the word "busy" to describe it. That busyness seemed to revolve around grandchildren or helping their parents. Volunteering is a very common activity for retired people. We like the routine of every week, going to the same place, at the same time, on the same day, and very often doing the same thing. Then there are those that retired to travel. They are true to themselves, and they will be found either on a vacation or planning to go on a vacation. Some retirees do all of these things and more. Being retired is definitely what you make it. 

There are a small number of people that simply will not consider retirement. Their reasons are "they have to work for financial reasons" or "they don't know what they would do with themselves". I didn't know what I was going to do in retirement, but I was willing to find out. I was not working a day past 65, and I didn't. 

I was two years into my retirement when I decided I needed to do the things I had on my retirement list. The list was small, but none of it had been done. I was feeling disconnected to what I thought it would be like in retirement and what my days were really like. I felt blessed that I had made the choice to retire and I needed to show an appreciation to that. I was feeling like I was on a continuous weekend or a really long staycation, just waiting to go back to work. As I embarked on doing the things I wanted to do in retirement a routine developed. I soon realized; a retirement routine was what I was missing and needed. 

From that routine came communities. Total strangers that quickly became my friends. Nearly all of my community retirees are relaxed and enjoying being retired. There is the odd one that is wound up and spinning about, but most of us are pretty chill. We are all the same, we are glad we have a routine, so we at least know what day of the week it is.  My communities from the gym, volunteering and paddling make my world so much better. 

The thing I am noticing lately is that I have developed some self-discipline. I think the gym has created that in me. Unless I am away, I never miss going to the gym. My new discipline has played out in my daily life. I now find myself staying with a task until it is done, yep completed and cleaned up. I was the Queen of starting and not finishing what I was doing. With ease, and not an ounce of quilt, I could walk away and leave a job undone, instead of putting the extra 5 minutes in to complete it. That was a nasty habit that needed to be changed, and I think I have. I do find unless I can start and finish a job, I don't start it. Which leaves some things undone for a very long time. 

I have another routine that really helps me. By listing and doing "3 things" every day, I feel like I have accomplished so much. I am not sure why it is so important to be productive, but it is. We need to feel accomplished for some reason. 

I just have to touch on "sleep" in retirement. I think the majority of old people get up early, and that is me. I am a poor sleeper, but now as a retired person it doesn't matter how rested I am. I don't have to be sharp at work; I can fumble through my day forgetting things and making bad decisions and it has little impact of others. I do have a habit that I doubt I will ever break. Before I go to sleep, I have to determine what time I need to get up. I am always relieved when I have no early commitments. I also review in my head what I have to do the next day. When I wake during the night, I think of how much longer I have until I have to get up, which is always the same, whenever. I then go through what I am doing the next day, and you guessed it, another review in the morning. This is absolute silliness because as a retired person, rarely do I ever get rolling early. When I do have an early wake up time, I spend half the night checking the clock. I am up very early on any given day, so this is rather foolish. I spent so many decades hitting the ground running at a very early hour, I guess it is hard to break the pattern. I now give myself permission to enjoy coffee in my housecoat. That is what I thought being retired was, slowly drinking coffee in the morning. I am never in a rush to get dressed, make my bed or take on the day. That is the retirement perk I like the most!

I hope if you are in retirement that you are content. That you have a purpose, and you enjoy every day. It is like being on holidays or a never-ending weekend. For me, retirement is the most relaxed way of living I have ever had. So, when people ask me about retirement, I say, "it took me two years to adjust. It wasn't until I got a small routine that I really appreciated being retired. It is a lifestyle that I love!".