Reflections…

…from almost a year of being retired.

Back in the day, when people would say something about not knowing how they had time to work before they retired, I scoffed. Really? How could you replace all that you had to do? I still am not sure but I do know my days are rather full. I think, however, that the difference is my days are full of things I choose to do, rather than things others paid me to do.  Yes, I get the subtle nuances there but it is truly different.

It is much easier to put things off. The sense of urgency, especially for me as a list-checker, has eased significantly. That is both a blessing and a curse.

The urgent has less tendency to crowd out the important, mostly because I now define both of them. Well, except when someone in my family, several someones in fact, need me to answer a question for them, which in true IT fashion I do by using Google. Apparently, there is some unwritten rule in my house that only one person is allowed to use Google and that person is me.  Everyone else is however allowed to use Alexa.

Traveling rocks. We have been able to spend time with dear friends in other countries (California is another country correct?), visit family more frequently, and just check out some places because we wanted to. The biggest difference is there is no stack of anything demanding attention before we even check out of our hotel. Our travel time is not cut short by obligations.

I keep in touch with people who matter to me and that I truly like. Networking is completely unnecessary.

I find time to help that I would not have before. Read. Draw. Learn Spanish. Exercise. Wait! What!?! Yup that’s me. Not much you understand. Not getting carried away.

Mostly I have been surprised by the reshaping of who I think I am – my identity. I’m not sure that anyone where I used to work remembers I was ever there, which is good in some ways. If I left a legacy of any kind, I hope it is that how you treat people matters more than anything else.

It turned out to be incredibly easy for me to walk away once I made the decision. I was blessed and fortunate to have strong leaders to come after me and make my departure invisible. I have not regretted one time the decision to retire.

I’m not sure what all will be next but I am looking forward to the unexpected each day brings.