“I was left to my own devices. Many days fell away, with nothing to show.” (opening lyrics from the song “Pompeii” by Bastille)
I didn’t know what to do.
Struck by the paradox of choice.
All possibilities lie before me. Finally, there is enough time, enough money.
But where do I start?
“Tomorrow I’ll decide. After I get these chores done.”
Many days fell away. With nothing to show. Except the grass was cut, the pickles, and the milk, and the bread were all in their proper place, and the laundry basket was empty. Oh yea, dishes were done too.
You know doubt have heard this phrase while on the job,
“Work expands to fill the time.”
Management and labor both know that if you are given only one job to do, it will take you all day. If you are required to do five tasks that day, they will take all eight hours too.
Work expands to fill the time.
Once we are retired, the same magic takes over. Except now we are management AND labor. Whatever we plan to do, or not do, will fill the time.
If you assign only one task to the day, “I have to cut that grass tomorrow, it’s getting pretty tall”,then that will be the only task you complete. The day will pass and you’ll have not gotten much done.
If you leave things to chance, chances are, nothing of much value will get done.
It’s a mistake many people make. I did too at one time.
However, I found that if I make a list of 10 important things to do that day, including beneficial activities such as 30 minutes of exercise, 30 minutes of mind relaxation, 30 minutes of selflessly helping another, and 30 minutes of reading something to advance my health, wealth, or wisdom, I will find time to get all those things done as well. In total it’s only 2 hours out my 16 waking hours.
How can there NOT be enough time?
Priorities. Written plans of action. We may balk at them, we may stray from them from time to time, but they keep us on track for growth.
If we’re not growing, then we’re dying. There is no gray area.
The days will all fill, of that I’m certain. But with what?
One day I thought, “There’s so much “stuff” to get done each day. How did I ever have time to work at all”.
The hardest job of all is to be boss of one’s self.
We’re not good at planning like a boss. We’re terrible at enforcing the rules upon ourselves like a boss. And we make a terribly lazy employee too!
Basically, in retirement, we’re screwed!
Unless we understand our weakness, and put systems in place to limit our need to think each day.
Such as…
We get up at 6:30am. (no snooze button allowed, that’s a bad, bad habit that sends all sorts of sick messages to your brainWe eat a healthy breakfast.
We walk for 30 minutes. Or some other set (pre-planned) regular exercise routine.
We read, learn, or practice on a topic of interest for 30 minutes. could be artwork, or guitar practice, or health news, etc.)
We make a call, send a card, write a note of encouragement to others, or we help our companion with something.
(not on our devices unless we can be very strick about getting off after the task and not getting sucked in to the addiction)
If we must get income, we do that next. (most important things first). Or we begin on our most important pre-planned
task for the day.
Then we begin on the next most important task for the day.
Before the first two hours of our day passes, we will have gotten so many good, beneficial things done.
We will have something to show.
That good feeling will inspire your day. And you will grow. And continue to grow.
And if we’re growing, we are not what?
Dying!
The two most helpful things that I learned in my years of reading on this are:
- Instead of making a “to-do” list, make a “to get done” list. It’s a subtle shift in words, but it hijacks and motivates our brain
when we say “to get done”. I remember now where I learned this, Larry Winget said it in one of his podcasts. Larry is the “Pit Bull of Personal Development“. If you haven’t had the pleasure of listening to him, you’re in for a treat. Put that on your “to get done” list right now before you forget (like I do!). - Ask yourself often, “What is my work? Am I doing it?” I actually have that framed over my desk. Because when you
work on the computer, writing and researching as I do, the internet is a powerful magnet for all sorts of time wasters
and bright shiny object to distract me and keep me from progressing on my “to get done” list. I need an old-school reminder hanging on the wall to crack the whip from time to time.
Retirement is a time most of us look forward to. Finally, we are left to our own devices.
It’s a blessing and a curse.
How will you use your time?
Growing or dying? I choose growth.
Everyday. You gotta choose it everyday or your lazy old elder self will drag you into ruin.
I fight “The Elder” everyday. It’s a friendly rivalry. But a necessary one.
“Bene Vivere!”
Elderbob Schwarztrauber
P.S. If writing a book is something you’ve had on your “to-do” list for a long time, with nothing to show, check out this helpful resource: “Book Writing Magic”
