Category: Retirement Pondering Point

Self-Interview: How did retirement surprise you?

Word Art retirement surprises

My previous post listed ten questions I would like to ask retirees.

Question 2: Tell me something surprising about retirement.

I was surprised that it wasn’t easy working for myself. I was too lenient. I allowed myself to drift from one ‘great idea’ to the next without sinking my teeth into any one of them.

I guess I figured that with all the extra time, anything was possible.

I’ve written before about the shiny object syndrome .

I initially entered retirement with a ‘prove myself’ attitude and that too was frittered away by distraction and resistance. A year passed and I hadn’t completed nearly as many projects as I’d hoped to.

Other surprises? I didn’t read nearly as much as I expected to. But I also didn’t watch much TV. Even as I write this, I’m wondering…’what did I do with all that time?’.

More surprises in later posts. Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

Retirement Pondering Point: Six thoughts on reading obituaries

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  1. I read them only to the point where you’re inspired to do something special or different with my day.
  2. I try to find at least one thing the obituary’s subject did that might reassure you? [ex: feel good that you accomplished something similar]
  3. If they do weigh me down on a given day, I just move on. There’s no reason to force it.
  4. “Obits have next to nothing to do with death and, in fact, absolutely everything to do with the life.” New York Times obituary writer Margalit Fox.
  5. “…a good obit illuminates not just one particular individual’s story but also the broader idea of all that is possible in life.”  STEPHANIE ZACHAREK May 4, 2017. http://time.com/4766634/the-art-of-obit-a-life-in-800-words/
  6. Quote from Austin Kleon about reading obituaries: “Reading them is a way for me to think about death while also keeping it at arm’s length.”  Austin Kleon Show Your Work

 

Retirement Pondering Point: The Gift [a repost]

Retire-Renewers, this is a three-minute wake-up call I’ve bookmarked for a weekly ‘revisit’.

I would love to hear how this TED talk might change an hour, a day, or a year of your life.

Because Stacey Kramer delivered this in 2010, you may be among the 3.7 million people who have already seen it.

Today was the first time I’d seen it. Much better late than never…

Quote from video: “So the next time you’re faced with something that’s unexpected, unwanted, and uncertain, consider…that it just may be…a gift.”

 

My Retirement Book: Exercise caution…

Retirement Book Draft not jump exercise fads cropped

Today’s post is an excerpt from a draft of my mind-bending book on retirement.
[Okay, slight exaggeration.]
I’m also looking at setting up an online community.
If you’re interested…

Yes, keep me updated!

A promise: Your email address will be used to inform you of the status of the book and community and will not be shared.

10 questions for retirees…inquiring minds want to know.

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Questions I would ask fellow retirees…

  1. Tell me about a good day of retirement. Be as specific as you like.
  2. Tell me something surprising about retirement.
  3. What did you envision about retirement that hasn’t materialized?
  4. What is your most memorable day of retirement so far?
  5. What would you add to your typical retirement day? Be as imaginative as you would like.
  6. “One year from now, I hope that…”
  7. Do all the days blend together? In other words, are weekends any different from weekdays?
  8. Have you volunteered? No guilt here. Just wondering. What would be your first choice of a destination for volunteering?
  9. One piece of advice you would share with retirees–especially in their first year–would be…
  10. How is your retirement different from your parents’?

Retirement Pondering Point: The Gift

Retire-Renewers, even if you’ve already seen it, this is a three-minute wake-up call I’ve bookmarked for a weekly ‘revisit’.

I would love to hear how this might change an hour, a day, or a year of your life.

This TED talk is from 2010 and has been viewed by 3.7 million people.
And today was the first time I’ve seen it.
I went eight years without this ‘gift’ and, because of my jobs and pastimes, I spend a fair amount of time online.

A prime illustration of how wide and deep the Internet has become.

 

The Habits of Happiness–a TED Talk

I recently used the term ‘play ethic’ [as opposed to work ethic]. Along with ‘trying new’, a play ethic is vital to positive vibes at the end of a day.

And now it’s time to turn to someone who’s looked even more deeply into ‘happiness’.

See if this talk by Matthieu Ricard doesn’t sharpen your own approach to an enriched retirement.