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A few years ago I made a short list (one if many lists over the years, I’m one of the true believers in lists) for the things I hope to do every day. This list stuck with me, and has stayed pretty much the same since it started. Of course some things go by the board if I’m sick or traveling. If the list made me anxious, I’d drop it, but it has the opposite effect. It calms me, to mentally check these things off every day. Most of my day is unscheduled, and I like it that way. And as long as I don’t assign starting times and durations to my four daily things, having a checklist can be compatible with a preferred lifestyle of enjoying a slow paced retirement.
There are lots of things I do naturally every day. This list is ones I want to consciously make a part of each day.
Wondered if any of you have similar daily checklists?
My four are pretty basic. First is exercise. This is the top priority, and the only one with an assigned duration. I’m overweight, and exercise probably is the only thing standing between me and a lot of bad diseases. Plus it’s my best bet for ever losing weight, as it makes me feel more aware of good eating habits. Finally, I sort of enjoy it, and usually manage two hours a day on my machines, or in the water if summer or traveling. Two hours sounds ambitious, but the rest of the day is extremely sedentary, so focused movement for a couple hours is needed.
Second, play the piano. No time limit, just sit sometime and make music whether five minutes or two hours.
Third, get out if the house, even if just to go to the post office for mail. I get too cosy at home, and know I need to make a conscious habit of getting out.
Four has adjusted over the years. Finally settled into, do two cleaning or organizing or paperwork things that I put off, but that keep life on track. This can be such things as five intense minutes scrubbing the toilet, ten minutes answering a letter or paying bills, or an hour organizing a drawer or taking the car to the wash. Of course, we all do many such things every day, but this is for ones I drag my feet on and keep putting off.
And the rest of the day is free to read, or just amble around admiring scenery, or play on the internet.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I'm not much for lists, certainly not during Retirement!
Seems everyday of Retirement has many more opportunities than any day working. I am always available to help others and seldom would get to MY list, so I'm best with no list. Plans change everyday (I changed 4 flights today because I needed to shift future schedule to help others.) One thing is for sure... I don't enjoy a 'routine'. Flex hours from 1960s meant I never arrived or left work at a fixed time. Why start now? That would be stressful. I've never owned a watch.
Having a farm, you can bet what you plan / hope to do tomorrow will get changed due to some crisis arising... From weather to livestock (or ill / injured spouse as in this week).
I'm not much for lists, certainly not during Retirement!
Seems everyday of Retirement has many more opportunities than any day working. I am always available to help others and seldom would get to MY list, so I'm best with no list. Plans change everyday (I changed 4 flights today because I needed to shift future schedule to help others.) One thing is for sure... I don't enjoy a 'routine'. Flex hours from 1960s meant I never arrived or left work at a fixed time. Why start now? That would be stressful. I've never owned a watch.
Having a farm, you can bet what you plan / hope to do tomorrow will get changed due to some crisis arising... From weather to livestock (or ill / injured spouse as in this week).
I'm not much for lists, certainly not during Retirement!
Having a farm, you can bet what you plan / hope to do tomorrow will get changed due to some crisis arising... From weather to livestock (or ill / injured spouse as in this week).
No lists!
My experience is somewhat different. The season of the year dictates a certain routine on our small farm. The animals expect to be fed within a narrow time window, morning and evening, and turnout time varies with the available sunlight during the year. For over 30 years, our daily routine has been shaped by morning and evening barn chores.
I need a "schedule" to get the most out of each day. Otherwise I tend to fritter away the time as, in retirement, I'm often guilty of saying " I'll get to it tomorrow ".
Yes, I believe in a list. I find that it's difficult for me to figure out how to fill my days productively otherwise. For me, retirement isn't about doing nothing. I always was goal-oriented and I still have goals even if I'm not working, if it's just a goal to clean the kitchen.
During my first year of retirement, I briefly worked and then had a year off without working and then started working part time. During the period I wasn't working, I tended to get listless and aimless and unhappy without some structure and some activities that provided a feeling of accomplishment. That's when I found the list idea worked well for me.
The list covers a week rather than 1 day. Over the weekend, I look at the week ahead and try to figure out some things that I want to accomplish. I still work part time (flexible hours) so my activities are sprinkled around work hours. I try to balance my free time so it's not all about unbridled "fun". I try do some fun things but I also try to put in some service (volunteering), house maintenance, spiritual growth, and personal hobbies that are creative or intellectual.
I keep a running grocery list and a list of things to do in town. Some times I need to keep a list of medications and when I took them.... even though I only have one prescription haha but I find it helpful to write down when I took an aspirin if I'm having a particularly bad bout of arthritis.
I also keep a list of words and thoughts and names that come to me when I am busy doing something else so I will remember them when I have time.
My lists are on the backs of old envelopes, written with bright markers and kept on a little kitchen desk with my keys and purse. Its where I pile the mail and eventually sort it. It keeps my free form retirement days just organized enough
I am definitely a "If it's not on the list, it doesn't exist" person, because by nature I am easily distracted from anything that I don't really want to do (I am also the Princess of Procrastination, a related problem, LOL.) This trait has been exacerbated in retirement because there is little or no outside pressure to do any particular things. Doing something "tomorrow" can easily turn into next week and before I know it, a month or two has gone by....
Even so, I often do not complete all the things on my daily list. Truth be told, there's rarely a day when one or more things do not get shifted. This applies to things done out of the house (errands) as well as things in and around.
It used to bother me that I can too easily fritter a day (or days) away. But honestly, I am more and more coming around to the mindset that it simply doesn't matter. If I end up making more work for myself by procrastinating, well, that's on me. The world won't come to an end if I don't do a particular thing by a particular day.
I'm easily distractible, and if (for instance) I don't jot down that Survivor is on at 8 pm tonight, it's quite possible that at 6:30 or 7 pm I may sit down to check email or look something up online (or log in here, lol) and the next thing I know, it may be 8:20 pm and the show's already started. I hate tuning in at mid-episode, so I would make a note on my list to watch Survivor tomorrow via my cable company's "Free on Demand" function. Of course, I may end up shifting that to-do until Friday, or Saturday, or Sunday, or next Monday or next Tuesday....lol
I have been "shifting" my Vacuum Floors to-do for four days now.......I think I may get it done today. It's on the list, anyhow. Again/still.
ETA: I make my lists on 3.5" x 7.5" magnetic list pads and enjoy finding pretty ones. I have a box of about a dozen, plus I regularly check the $1 section at Target because their stock changes every couple of weeks. Dollar Tree has them but the paper is thin and cheap compared to the ones sold at Target.
I also have a weekly planner on the fridge as well. My daily list is taken from that, in large part. Here's one that I bought recently:
I keep running shopping lists on my phone. I also have a list of movies I own. I'm bad to go somewhere, forget that I have something on hand, and by more of it. I have three jars of Carolina mustard BBQ sauce.
I made the movie list because I like to go into discount movie/book stores and I've ended up with a lot of duplicate movies.
Um no. My exwife used to make checklists for me and I was REQUIRED to complete each one. Didn't matter if I worked a 12 hour shift and was exhausted, there was her checklist staring me in the face every single day.
No check lists for me, I don't make plans, I come and go as I please. I'm RETIRED for goodness sakes.
Third, get out if the house, even if just to go to the post office for mail. I get too cosy at home, and know I need to make a conscious habit of getting out.
Four has adjusted over the years. Finally settled into, do two cleaning or organizing or paperwork things that I put off, but that keep life on track. This can be such things as five intense minutes scrubbing the toilet, ten minutes answering a letter or paying bills, or an hour organizing a drawer or taking the car to the wash. Of course, we all do many such things every day, but this is for ones I drag my feet on and keep putting off.
And the rest of the day is free to read, or just amble around admiring scenery, or play on the internet.
I have to do this too. I love my house and am very happy just staying at home. When I make myself get out, it makes me more motivated to do other things.
I have started making a calendar for the month with things I want to accomplish, places to go, and basic chores. I got rid of the satellite T.V. so now I am more apt to read at night than surf the channels on T.V. I have a lot of books that I want to read.
It's amazing how the days fly by and then I realize that I forgot to do this or that. The calendar keeps me on track.
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