It’s interesting how many of you have indicated either in your comments here, or in personal emails, that the topic of how to spend your time after retirement is much on your minds as well. That’s good, because I plan to keep writing about it. I’m not really ready to start picking specific long-term activities for Life 3.0 just yet, but I do like some of the ideas you threw out there, and I’m saving them on a list. Captain of the Love Boat will be at the top, but blues entrepreneur, teacher, and charity volunteer will also make it, and I plan on continuing to play golf. I was a little disappointed with Coach Lou’s perfunctory dismissal of “curing cancer” as an unrealistic goal. I suppose you’ll want me to drop Love Boat Captain next? A man has to dream, Lou! But I am taking her other comments to heart, especially the idea of slowing down and taking my time, as I’m finding it a little hard to reset my achievement timetable expectations.
I’d become accustomed to the Woody Woodpecker-pace of the media business, and even though I always found it both counter-productive and disingenuous, it’s the pace at which I was used to living. Make lists. Cross off items every day. Report on your successes. Pretty-up your mistakes. Go, go, go.
Intellectually I know that I don’t have to follow that counter-productive tempo any longer, but it became imbedded in my cells over the past 30 years and I guess it will take some time to purge myself of it. Nearly every day I find the thought, “ I have not accomplished much recently,” creeping into my head, but a few deep breaths will usually calm me down. If not, a couple of Yuenglings always do the trick.
Never-the-less, any plan has to have a timetable. Mine is to have a plan I can live by no later than April 1, 2011 -- about 13 months from now. I picked the date because having April Fools’ Day as a target will help keep the underlying folly of this exercise top-of-mind. It is also in keeping with my general desire not to over-tax myself.
I retired in late October, but the Holidays ate up a few months, and the move to Florida took another few. (Getting a Florida driver’s license in this post-9/11 world was what I always imagined in would be like to get a CIA security clearance.) So I’m giving myself a baker’s dozen number of months to figure it all out. I find it comforting to know that Coach Lou support this idea – or were you thinking I should take more like six weeks?
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5 comments:
The paradox of it all. You've gone from a race with no apparent finish line to questioning the race with a definite, but unknowing finish line.
My take is to view it as a series of truths with clauses, like Kipling's If. You need to invest in your health but not make it your master. You need to take things seriously but be able to let go. You need to make plans but be ready to change them on a dime.
As a professor once said years ago, "there's a storm blowing out there. And the older you get, the more you feel the wind." So, you set out in a row boat, deciding on which direction to row. But you end up drowned in a hurricane that you know is coming, but you don't know when or from where. Grim, but the best and only game in town. You have options and you are closing in on twice Mozart's life span.
Mortality is not being a victim, rather, it is a privilege. Everything else is inanimate.
There are very few problems in life that cannot be avoided with a few Yuenglings.
If they had Yuenglings in the bar at Logan airport last night, the two hour delay would have gone down much easier.
Also amazing to watch Beantowners actually paying attention to a televised game from spring training between the Sox and Boston College. The Celtics were on the other TV and hardly anyone was watching.
I'm willing to lobby for having Yuengling's added to the medicare drug benefit for seniors.
I've always been a big fan of setting achievable goals. In this version of life, those goals should be within easy or at least visible reach. Redefining long vs. short term goals is also a must.
"life is something that happens to you while you are busy making other plans"
J Lennon
Hankster, wow man you are poetic! Deep thoughts there and unfortunately true. Too bad we didn't know what the hell people were talking about when we were younger!
And could someone tell me what a Yuengling is? I must be so out of it.
Sorry you are miffed about suggesting you focus on something besides curing cancer, but I want you to have some fun while pursuing this part of your life AND achieve something. So in my estimation, Captain of the Love Boat might be more attainable and certainly more fun. No you do not have to take it off the list. Maybe we will define our own meaning of Love Boat and you'll get all the other loves of your life included (even Yuengling whatever that is).
What is interesting to me is that you described yourself as running from one thing to another without thinking too much about it (my words) which sounds somewhat chaotic and ignorant.
Well, I know you are extremely intelligent. And you must be an internal churner as you appear to be one of the most calm people I have ever met and I have known you for a long time. I stick by my former advice - be purposeful and present and act when appropriate.
A psychic said to me recently, notice the signs. As I have learned through coaching little universe "flirts" are always informing us of what we need to know. So notice them, don't judge them, but see if they are giving you some insight into next steps. For example, your dream, us talking and reconnecting in a unique way and WN. Pretty cool. What does it all mean? I don't know but can't wait to find out.
As we embark on our new journey together, I am certainly going to see who or what shows up for us. Maybe we won't reach the finish line, especially if we don't know what it is, but I am sure we will have fun in the race.
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