The Key to a Perfect Retirement Schedule

Before retirement, we had a routine, didn’t we? We knew where you were going each weekday and most likely what you were going to be doing.

Then, your last day of work comes and goes. Retirement has finally arrived. Like me, you may have rejoiced in not having a routine. You don’t even have to set your alarm clock for a change.  Just get up, and do what you want to do.

Nice.

As time marches on, cracks start to form, revealing a shaky foundation.  One day, you don’t get dressed until noon. Some days, you may not even leave the house. Too much free time can actually be a problem.

You realize that you need physical and mental activities. Socialization. An outlet.

In an active adult community, there are plenty of things to do and people to do them with. At first, you may want to try as many things as possible. That’s actually a good way to find out what you really like to do. You quickly find out you can’t do everything. More, in fact, is not necessarily better.  One, two, or three scheduled activities a week is just fine for many folks. Some want more.

Many suffer from burnout.

Planning Your Retirement Schedule

So, you’ve realized you’re missing out on some things you really wanted to do. You check the activities calendar and sign up for some. Suddenly, you’re overwhelmed.

It’s at that point that you discover that planning your schedule in retirement is key.

You need a pattern, a steady routine. So, you sign up for the bocce league and start playing every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Alternatively, you play pickleball with a group every Tuesday and Thursday.  On Monday and Friday, you do cardio from 11 a.m. until noon. Meanwhile, my wife Mary Ann is more likely to play card games with a group every Tuesday from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. I, myself, play a nice game of Hearts on Wednesdays.

As you can probably tell, it’s important to schedule some physical, mental, and social activities. Balance is key in every aspect of life.

It’s also the key to a perfect retirement schedule.

So, take it from a Boomer who learned his lesson. Don’t overcrowd your schedule. Not every moment of your day has to be filled in. While I do have something scheduled almost every day, I do give myself adequate free time, too.

Find your groove and don’t be afraid to keep tweaking your schedule until you find the perfect balance. Once you do that, your schedule will settle into a comfortable pattern. You will look back one day and realize you’ve developed a routine and a schedule.

Life is good again.

Exactly as it should be in retirement.