Every Day Counts in Retirement
I have grown to love Monday mornings in retirement because they are completely different from the Mondays of my working years. When I worked, Mondays always started with a conference call that served as an update for our department supervisor and a review of the coming week. Almost always something was added to your schedule that you hadn’t planned for and you began the same “juggling” routine that had become your path to survival which meant getting to Friday afternoon without some crisis cropping up to spoil your weekend. There was no doubt you got a lot done but it wore you down in a way that made retirement seem like an unreachable destination. Having made it to retirement, I now look forward to Monday mornings and, believe it or not, am usually looking at a full calendar of events for the week. The difference, however, is I’m the one in control, for the most part. We like it this way because we want to make sure every day counts in retirement. We try to have our next winter planned by May and we have been fortunate enough to be able to have at least one cruise or international trip planned at all times. My wife’s social calendar is packed with events that are part of the clubs she has joined, and she sometimes struggles to fit in the obligatory medical and dental appointments. And the great thing about all of this is that anything can be changed. If we find out about a wedding or some other family event soon enough, we can make sure we don’t schedule something during that time. We have found that our happiest friends take the same approach to retirement. It took a long time to get here, and they are determined to make sure every day counts in retirement.
I think that approach gives you a head start over most people who wait for life to happen. They talk about taking a trip but never seem to make it happen. We have found that if you plan in advance, you have a better chance of success. As we discussed our retirement plans, we initially thought about buying two places to live. One would be the home we wanted to build in the mountains and the other would be to escape the cold winters of the northeast. We searched for a parcel of land and found one on a lake. That purchase almost guaranteed that the first part of our retirement would happen. We had made a plan and committed to it. But the second home got us thinking about whether or not we wanted to always have two houses to worry about. The solution we came up was to own enough timeshare to get us through the winter. In that way, we wouldn’t have to go to the same place every winter and that was very appealing. There are many lovely areas in Florida, and we can spend a few weeks in each location. The southwest is also very appealing and between Phoenix, Sedona and Tucson, we have enjoyed our time in the desert. When you add California and the Texas gulf to the equation, you’ve got a dream come true and, not to boast, a winter in Hawaii isn’t bad either. The way we were able to do this was to formulate a plan and stick to it. Timeshare actually forces you to plan ahead because, if you don’t, your first choices may not be available. That’s where the part about being flexible comes into play. You block out your time on the calendar and then fill in all the details. Every day counts in retirement, so you don’t want to head into a winter without a plan.
Timeshare forces you to schedule ahead and helps you to make sure every day counts in retirement.
I realize that there is something to be said for last-minute deals and we have been able to take advantage of some of those. Retirement is perfect for taking advantage of the vacancies that sometimes occur on a cruise line or vacation package. Although my wife’s social calendar is pretty full, if we see something offered that we just can’t turn down, she’ll gladly miss a card game or an aerobics session at the pool. There’s a balance between having a full calendar and still maintaining enough flexibility to allow some spontaneity. I was never able to do that at work. Upper management was famous for trying fit sixty hours of work into a forty-hour work week. You can even overdo it in retirement but, when you do, it seems to a different kind of “tired” when you finally sit down for dinner. When you worked, you were exhausted and collapsed at the end of the day. During retirement, you do get tired but it’s almost always with a smile on your face thinking about what tomorrow will bring. Every day counts in retirement because we know it won't last forever.
As our friend who is a very active 84-year-old, travel early and do it while you can. She can still travel but you won’t see her out on a hike any more or partying till midnight. She uses her energy wisely and does those things that she still wants to do and politely passes on the others. Saving her energy and savoring the moment has added enjoyment to her life. Although she would never tell you that she got grades in school (just enough to get by), she has become a source of great wisdom for us. You can learn a lot from those who have lived a full life. Wake up every day with a positive outlook and you’re well on your way to having a good day. Act like every day counts in retirement and you won’t believe what you’re able to accomplish. Go ahead and make your plan. Fill your calendar with great things to do. It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!
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