One Year Before Retirement (4)

I think the idea of structuring your freedom is so important as you begin your retirement that I want to challenge you to engage in an experiment as you plan for this first year of retirement. It will seem awkward and restrictive at first, but I bet you will thank me later. I want you to plan out your first several months of retirement.

Take a calendar and mark with a red star your first day of retirement. In that first week of retirement, what would you like to do as part of restoring your body to a state of well rested healthiness. If you want to engage in some physical activities, begin identifying the time each day that you will focus on that. If there is some cleaning out of your files, schedule which hours and what days of the week you will focus on that. If you would like to go to a movie during the day, take a day off to go fishing, visit a grandchild, etc., put that down on specific days of the calendar. I know that these plans will be interrupted by other events as you go along, but if they are on your calendar, you can both use them as a reason for not responding to some other request and you can consciously move them to another day if they get interrupted. In fact I would encourage you to do exactly that for the first several weeks. When the two hours you were going to clean files gets interrupted, find another day that it can be assigned before you give it up.

Does that feel too programed when you thought retirement was going to allow you freedom? OK, then plan a day in which you have absolutely nothing scheduled and wander around in completely unplanned freedom. Think of your “retirement calendar” not as you slave driver but as your “freedom protector.” Schedule as much unplanned times of freedom as you desire but mark that space on your calendar or believe me it will disappear.

As you fill in your calendar, recall that phrase that you put on your new calling card that defines your new state of being. After at least the first couple of months of retirement, begin to make sure that you have identified some time to focus on this new sense of calling. Even if you don’t know what activity that will require at this time, carve out time when you will dream, plan, and imagine how you might engage in that area of your calling. I would encourage you to at least think 6 months ahead and near the end of that time, make an appointment with yourself to evaluate whether this is working for you and you want to continue planning your freedom or not.

Freedom can easily be lost if it is not protected.