I love that I’m starting to receive some feedback about this column! I’m not digging around social media too deeply, mind you, but the verbal and email comments from people around me are encouraging. Okay, so maybe it’s just a couple of friends who have mentioned a few things in passing – but it’s still welcome!
My friend Lorraine is an eternally optimistic person. Her positivity is super handy since she emails me a review after reading each of my columns and manages to glean something positive from all of them! Recently she shared, “Today’s column reminded me that I really shouldn’t wait until retirement to begin taking the time to enjoy the little things. Often I think we see work as a thief and enemy that steals our time. I’m going to try to view my time at work as more of an opportunity instead of an obstacle.”
Maybe what you should try, Lorraine, is writing your own column! Seriously, though, I appreciate that my views on retirement may be coming through.
That stepping into retirement is just you, still you, simply waking up the next morning and tackling your plans for the day. They might be few and far between: eat breakfast, read, eat lunch, nap, eat dinner.
The list might be even fewer: go to the office. Or it might be like my other friend, who is used to massive projects with strict deadlines and, therefore, breaks each day into a series of assignments: 7:00 alarm, 7:15 breakfast, 7:45 five km walk, 10:00 prepare dinner for slow-cooker, 11:00 read, 12:00 lunch, 1:00 meeting with art club… you get the idea. She plots out, in advance, what each hour will be filled with and she’s sure to include everything from exercise to household tasks. Soup to nuts. Every hour accounted for. While it would make many of us go a bit squirrely with unnecessary pressure, this approach brings her comfort and makes her retirement make sense to her.
Retirement is a frame of mind and, as always, we can change our minds at will. If today felt unsatisfying, try a different approach tomorrow!
Sandy Bexon is stepping into retirement after over 35 years as a communications professional, reporter and writer. She lives in Red Deer.
