We have teamed up with J1 Coaching to talk about some of the things we can all do to make small changes and improve our well-being. Jim Constable is a friend of FiveWays and we are delighted he has agreed to share his knowledge and expertise with our clients:
If we have done our financial planning then retirement provides freedom, space and flexibility. But the financial plan is not the plan!
The workplace provides us with routine and normality. Get up, go to work, finish, relax, play, sleep and repeat.
But we may need to be careful that the new space we find ourselves with doesn’t become a void. Some people approaching retirement will even voice this as a fear “I don’t know what I am going to do”.
One question in retirement is literally how will you spend your time? Our days so often have structure, often given to us, dictated by work requirements or calendars. In retirement there is openness.
Of course there are day to day tasks, like running a house. And Parkinson’s Law states that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” Many of us have heard someone say “I don’t know how I ever had time to work”.
But there is also a reality where you feel you have run out of things to do.
So what can you do?
1. Firstly, you might want to introduce structure.
As Annie Willard, American author, wrote: “A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days.”
2. Secondly, go explore.
Be curious. Test some of the pretty much endless possibilities that you could try - locally, in your community, online, by yourself or with others. Seek clarity through action rather than the other way around.
3. Thirdly, use a strategy to help solve the conundrum:
- Use a diary or some guided self-reflection to explore what roles, activities, or settings brought satisfaction in the past
- Use weekly themes - e.g. exercise 3 days a week, learning Mondays or creative Fridays - to explore structured freedom
- Explore how connection can shape time: group meetups, shared projects, or reciprocal help
Go well.