The Retirement Newsletter: 10 things I am going to do on the first day of my retirement
Issue -114: Will I complete my list of things to do?
Welcome
Welcome to issue -114.
Well, after two weeks of scary newsletters — Get your flu jab NOW! and Why you should get a COVID-19 jab — this week I thought I would go for something a little light-hearted — 10 things I am going to do on the first day of my retirement. After all, we can all dream.
10 things I am going to do on the first day of my retirement
OK, so here is my list:
Have a leisurely breakfast — I can't remember the last time I had a leisurely breakfast. A breakfast where I wasn't gulping down red-hot tea as I rushed out the door. During the lockdowns in the pandemic, I took my tea to my home office — no sitting around downstairs drinking tea. Even on holidays and at weekends, I always seem to be rushing off somewhere straight after breakfast. I want a leisurely breakfast — not too much to ask for?
Delete all Microsoft products from my computer and phone. I only use Microsoft products for work. Think of all the disk space I will have!
Not look at work email — well, I won't be able to look at work email as I will have deleted Microsoft Outlook. Plus, work will have removed me from the system at 5 pm the day before. No more work email! Just think? Could this be the biggest plus of retiring?
Stare out of the lounge window for 10 minutes. Why? Because I can! (That should freak out the neighbours and lower the property prices.)
Go for a long walk and not feel guilty that I am out walking on what would have been a workday. Guilt plays a big part in my life. I feel guilty when I am not doing something that has an 'output'.
Not look at my to-do list — I will no longer have one of those nagging work to-do lists controlling my life. OK, I will have to-do lists (do the shopping, mow the lawn, get the car serviced, etc.), but it will be MY to-do list with things I have put on it. But for my first day of retirement, I will not look at a to-do list. (And yes, I know that what I am writing here is a to-do list of things to do on my first day of retirement, so I will still be looking at a to-do list.)
Not look at my watch — I might even go one step further — not wear a watch! Why would I want to look at my watch? My time will now be my own, and there will be no need to be anywhere at a set time. OK, again, I am sure I will have to look at my watch at some point, but not on my first day.
Meet a friend of a very lazy lunch. (OK, so I may still need my watch to make the lunch appointment. You got me there.)
Go to the cinema in the afternoon — I have no idea when I last went to the cinema in the afternoon. I think it must have been when I was a student?
Sit by a river, eat an ice cream, and watch the world go by. (This one may be tough as I plan to retire in January — the middle of the winter. If I do this, I will probably get a cold that will kill me, and I will become another one of those 'retired on a Monday, died on the Thursday' stories.)
OK, so some pretty simple things, but I think that will make a great first day.
However, the above list will make for a hectic first day of retirement. All that dashing about will not be very relaxing. Maybe I need a rethink?
Please don't hesitate to drop by in 114 weeks and ask me how it went. Or, you could email me (or leave a comment) and tell me how you spent your first day of retirement.
So, what is on your list for your first day of retirement? Let me know.
The Future — what are you going to do?
Putting the above list together was fun. It is nice to dream and imagine what my first day of retirement will be like — but I need to plan. I can't help it! And in the coming weeks, I will start looking at what I will do once I have retired.
Health
Have you had your flu and COVID-19 jabs yet? If not, please get them.
You can read more about why I think getting the jabs this year is essential in — Get your flu jab NOW! and Why you should get a COVID-19 jab.
Useful links
UK Government Website:
Useful COVD-19 and flu websites:
Next week
Next week, I am going to look at my bucket list.
I have kept a bucket list for about ten years, possibly longer, and the closer I get to retirement, the less I seem to add to it — anyway, time to look at my bucket list and see what is in there.
Thanks
Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter, and please don't hesitate to share it with your friends or on social media using the buttons below.
If you would like to say 'thanks for the newsletter, why not buy me a cup of tea?
Until next time,
Nick
PS, If you have something you would like to contribute to the newsletter — a story, advice, anything — please get in touch.