Remember when your life used to revolve around spring break?  Maybe it still does?  It was when you took at least half of your vacation time, with the other half used to extend the time off around holidays.  Almost everyone can recall an eventful spring break vacation, when you packed up the car and adventured to new places.  Well, retirement is a new place, and it takes preparation and planning to get there.  This is why I encourage practice in the years leading up to this goal, and why many companies give you more vacation time as a benefit of staying with them.

Try to imagine what a day of retirement would be for you – what would you do with your time?  What would a week be like, a month be like, or a year be like?  Put some thought into a weekly schedule, and write down what each day would involve if you weren’t spending that time working.  This is a very important aspect of practicing for retirement.

What would your life be like without spring break, other vacations, holidays, and weekends?  A life where every day is an exercise in personal discipline.  What time would you get up in the morning?  When would you go to bed?  I was comfortable establishing a routine, similar to the routine that I had while working.  Maybe you would structure your day differently?  I get up just before my working wife awakes, do some stretching and strength exercises, take the dogs outside for a short walk, go for a three-mile run to gather my thoughts, write those thoughts down in this blog, and then take the dogs for a longer walk down to Starbucks, where we all enjoy a treat.  Yes, you still have to reward yourself in retirement, after all there are no bonuses, overtime, or employee of the month programs.  There are incentives, like travel, if you can afford it, and the pleasure of knowing that you don’t have to go to work tomorrow.

The good news is that all your time is now yours.  The kids are hopefully grown, you can choose how involved in the lives of grandchildren you want to be, and there’s a whole world out there for you to explore, whether through reading, video, or visiting.   There are movies to watch, documentaries and biographies to ponder, sporting events to enjoy, new acquaintances to make, and old friendships to renew.  I’m excited about all of these wonderful opportunities.  My life is now not consumed with getting a promotion, buying a better car or a bigger home, paying for college educations, or simply being the best at what I do.  I’ve already admitted that as a competitive person I’ve had moments of envy when someone else finds a better way to fill a day of retirement.  Sometimes I wish I had saved more, made more, or had more. In general I’m content, however, in having good health and some financial resources to fulfill some of my bucket list.

During my run this morning, I could actually see the sun come up.  It wasn’t totally dark and overcast.  I could see where all that rain was doing its magic.  Trees and flowers were blooming – spring was in the air.  It was what made me think of spring break and new beginnings, like my venture into retirement.  I just had a complete physical with positive results and I’m looking forward to at least a week of travel in each of the remaining months this year.  It didn’t even really dawn on me until just now that today is Friday.

I was in court-side, half-court seats last night for the Blazers game against the Rockets,  I’m not sure you could really have better seats for a basketball game.  The Ducks are in the Final Four against North Carolina tomorrow, as are the Zags who play South Carolina.  These are the events that now dominate my calendar, not business meetings.  Next week I’ll visit Chavez Ravine, Dodger Stadium, for the first time, joining my wife on her business trip.  I’ll probably also catch a tour bus, while she covers her appointments.

Life is good and retirement is great.  I’ll let you know if there are any hassles.  In the meantime, I’ll leave you with another poem:

 

Retire

.

I’ve spent all my life,

Working for Friday.

Soon every day,

Will be a Saturday.

.

No more Monday’s,

No more Hump Days.

I’m about to enter,

The retirement phase.

.

I saved some money,

Have a company plan.

Will I spend my Saturday’s,

Working on my tan?

.

With any luck,

I’ll have enough.

So cutting back,

Won’t be too tough.

.

So how will I fill,

Each waking day?

Will I be lazy?

And just play.

.

I begin a new life,

Be the boss of me.

There’s a whole world,

Out there to see.

.

Maybe new hobbies?

Volunteer some hours?

More education?

Smell the flowers?

.

Watch more sports?

Write more silly rhyme?

Catch up on reading?

Lose track of time?

.

And I realize,

That there will be.

An occasional bad day,

Where I won’t be free.

.

Because the thing,

That I like alot.

Those good days working,

Can’t beat bad days not.

.

A perpetual weekend,

Or maybe the beginning?

As the years go by,

And my hair keeps thinning.

.

Health matters,

Appointments to keep.

And those concerns,

That won’t let me sleep.

.

But the fact remains,

There’s still a perk.

I won’t have to get up,

And go to work.

.

Copyright May 2015

johnstonwrites.com