This year has been, without a doubt, a milestone for me. It’s the year I transitioned into the next phase of my life.
People often refer to retirement as one’s "second innings" or "second phase", but I believe it should be counted as the fourth phase. The first three being pre-school, the long years of formal education, and finally, a demanding career.
WELL-MEANING ADVICE
Over the past eight months, I have been asked one question more than any other: “How are you spending your time?”
I have also received plenty of well-meaning advice to "keep busy", with friendly warnings that having nothing to do can be more than just boring; it can be detrimental to one’s health and well-being.
In fact, several people have suggested various work opportunities specifically to keep me occupied.
TIME FOR MYSELF
But the truth is, I don’t want to return to formal work. I have been eagerly looking forward to this retirement phase for a long time, primarily for two reasons.
One, my sleep cycle. Because my work schedule typically ran from 6 pm to 2 am, my internal clock was completely out of sync with the rest of the world. When I was younger, my body could cope easily. However, that hasn’t been the case over the last few years. Undoubtedly, that erratic pattern of sleep has impacted my health, and I am now hoping to reverse some of the damage.
Two, I want time for myself to pursue the things I love: simple, ordinary pleasures like reading books, watching movies, taking relaxed walks, doing basic exercises, watching sports, solving word and number puzzles, brushing up on my French lessons, travelling, and catching up with old friends.
WORK AT HOME
So, to answer the question of how I am spending my time: I am very much occupied, in a healthy and productive way. I am finally doing all the things I never had the time for during my working life.
The irony is that there is so much on my plate that I still find myself having to prioritise! The difference, however, is that the pace is now entirely up to me.
During the last eight months, I’ve managed a fair bit of travel, visiting Pune, Aurangabad, Shirdi, Thane, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Vizhinjam, Kovalam, Noida, Gurugram, and Jaipur. I haven’t even found the time to blog about them all yet. In fact, there are quite a few posts sitting in my "Drafts" folder! I shall get to them in due course.
THE CHALLENGE
Of course, there is a flip side to this relaxed routine: the temptation to slip into "lazy mode". Without a boss fixing schedules or deadlines, I have to motivate myself every single day. It isn't always easy, but it is certainly doable.
FESTIVE TIME
There are a few things lined up for the coming year, but for now, I am fully soaking in the festive air.
Wish you a Merry Christmas and a delightful New Year!
