Ten lessons from a year of retirement

I'm certainly more at ease not working than when I was working. I see a wider horizon of opportunities now that I'm not working vs. when I was working. And I can nap, which was usually frowned upon at work.

That is some of what I've discovered in the year since I retired after 30 some odd years of newspaper work.

Here are 10 Lessons of Retirement that this Baby Boomer retiree learned after Year 1 of retirement:

1. Have a daily plan
For some people there is a certain serendipity to waking up in the morning with nothing to do. They find enjoyment in just letting the day happen around them. I'm not one of those people. I need a plan, have always needed a plan, and retirement didn't change that. I know when I wake up what my day will entail. Is there room in the schedule for an unscheduled lunch with a friend or an unscheduled round of golf or a trip to the beach? You bet. But I need organization, always have. Having things to do is much better than having nothing to do.

2. Stay active, part I
Get a gym membership and use it. Or walk or bike or take a yoga class. Garden. Golf ... but don't ride a cart if possible. Use your body. In a related note, become an organ donor when you die. Maybe you'll take better care of your liver, kidney, heart etc. if you know they could possibly outlive you.

3. Stay active, part II
Use your brain. Read books. Read newspapers. Read magazines. (The printed mass media could certainly use your allegiance.) Sculpt. Paint. Do Sudoku. Do crossword puzzles. Write if you are so inclined. Don't give dementia or Alzheimer's any kind of a head start on that brain of yours.

4. Promise yourself that you'll learn something new
As a kid growing up in Colorado, I imagined myself as a skier in the winter and a surfer in the summer. I accomplished the skier part early on, but never got to the surfing part, even after living in New England near the coast for the last billion years. But after retiring last summer I promised myself I'd learn to surf. And I did ... sort of. I'm no pro, but I can stand up on the board and this summer I'm going to work at getting better. The point is, learn to do something you wished you knew how to do. Restore a '57 Chevy, for example.

5. Travel
If you've got the time and the financial wherewithal get out of the house and go some place different. Even if it's just an occasional weekend jaunt to a nearby city or country inn. Shuffle it up, instead of driving or flying, take the train. Talk to the locals. Eat what the locals eat. Expand your view of your state, your country, your world.

6. Watch what you eat
Being home as much as I am, I'm tempted to eat big breakfasts, big lunches, big dinners. Big mistake. Moderation, moderation, moderation. Also, see No. 3.

7. Give yourself the daily gift of music
It's not enough to just sing in the shower. Listen at some point during the day to the music you love. Listen at some point to something that might be new to you -- jazz or show tunes or classical, for instance. Better yet, play an instrument. See No. 4 ... learn to play the piano or the guitar. Revel in your ability to create music. Our species' ability to make music is truly one of our greatest gifts.

8. Volunteer
Find a niche and donate some time. You've got the time to give. You've got the experience to give. I've dabbled in a couple of areas. Honestly, I haven't found my niche yet.


9. Be who you are comfortable being
Doing the research and writing that I do each day I'm amazed at how much encouragement I see for Baby Boomers to remake themselves. That's all well and good. The corporate executive who goes to cooking school and remakes himself as a chef is just fine. But don't remake yourself into something you're not. If you like how you're made already, be happy with that.


10. Be a role model
Show your kids, your grandkids that you've still got it. With experience comes wisdom. You've been there, you've done that, you've gotten the t-shirt 10 times over. Don't lecture. Mentor. Teach by doing, not by telling.