The Retirement Newsletter: My retirement — an external review?
Issue Number: 189 (42) — it’s all the planning?
Welcome
Welcome to issue 189 (42).
The working title for this issue was “Dealing with old habits.” I planned to write about how, 42 weeks into my retirement, I am still clinging to old habits I formed during my working years and how I need to break them and move on.
The plan was to write about habits such as:
Shaving daily
Grocery shopping at the weekend
Checking petrol in the car on Sunday to see if there was enough for the week of commuting ahead
Checking the weather forecast for the working week for possible disruptions in my commute
Looking at my diary multiple times a day to see when I had my next meeting
Checking email every five minutes
However, as I sat here writing, I realised that the old habits weren’t the problem but possibly a symptom, a sign that I had not fully embraced my retirement. I needed an overview of my retirement — a 360-degree review and a spot of horizon scanning. (Ah, the old ‘business speak’ from my workdays.)
Doing the three-sixty (360)
I don’t know if you have experienced a 360-degree review or heard of one. During my career, I was the subject of one review and provided input to two others. If you have not been involved with a 360, here is a quick summary of the process.
I would describe a 360-degree review as a ‘management advancement’ tool. In it, a management consultancy company reviews someone with their permission. The person being reviewed nominates four to six people who, over the phone, answer a series of questions about the person being reviewed. Their feedback is compiled, summarised, and returned anonymously to the reviewed person. It is a way to get information on how others see you in the workplace. It allows you to reflect on your working practice and make any necessary adjustments.
I had one done, and while it was informative, and I learnt a few things about myself, it was not as useful as I had hoped. Overall, I would describe it as a worthwhile exercise, but was it worth the cost to my employer?
Anyway, I was going to write about breaking old habits, but instead, I have decided to do a 360-degree review of my retirement.
A three-sixty (360) of my retirement
I am nine months into my retirement — I retired at the end of March 2024 and originally planned to review how things were going on my first anniversary. But after the Christmas break and the start of the New Year, I thought I would look at old habits, which turned into a review. I will undoubtedly still do an anniversary review in March.
Anyway, here is a 360 of how things are going.
Doing a three-sixty of yourself is impossible as you need others to provide feedback on specific questions, which need to be anonymised. However, over the Christmas break, I talked to friends about our retirements, the plans people had to retire, and our future plans.
So, effectively, I had collected some feedback on how others thought my retirement was going. It was not anonymous, but what did they think?
To my surprise, a recurring theme was that my friends were surprised at how well I had taken to retirement. They all viewed me as a “scientist and an educator” and thought that defined me. They couldn’t see how I would move on from that role to being retired.
I explained that I was still doing science and education and that my life had not dramatically changed in that respect. The usual response was that I now seemed much happier and relaxed (less stressed) doing the science and education. So, good news.
Another comment related to the above is that I would be bored and directionless in retirement. I don’t think I am; in fact, I know I am not. If anything (and all retirees say this), I feel busier than ever.
All the comments I received were positive. My friends and family seem surprised at how well I am doing in retirement. But what do I think?
My view of my retirement
I think things are going well. They are not perfect but better than I expected or even hoped for.
I feel very comfortable being retired. I don’t miss work as much as I thought I would. I am still doing science and learning, and I am still teaching. I am doing what I want to do on my terms. It is great. However, I will say that I miss face-to-face teaching, but not all the hassle and admin usually involved with such things.
When I met my friends over Christmas, I described being retired as fantastic, one of the best things I have ever done, and something I could thoroughly recommend.
Is there a secret?
I don’t know if there is a secret, but if I had to attribute my retirement success so far to one thing, it would be planning. I approached retirement with a plan and a set of goals. I didn’t go in thinking, “Today I retire; tomorrow. I will worry about what to do when I am retired.”
When I retired, I had plans. I had things I wanted to do and achieve, things I wanted to try, and a rough timescale. I also accepted that my plans and desires (goals) were fluid and subject to change, but I had a plan.
So far, I have been able to follow my plans, and I think I have achieved a lot. Things are moving in the right direction. I’m happy.
The bottom line is that I am healthy and having fun. What more could you ask for in life?
How are things going for you? How did you approach your retirement? Please let me know in the comments below.
This week in the Retirement Hustle
This week in The Retirement Side Hustle, I look at How much did I make in December 2024?
In the video, I reveal how much I made in December, whether my Travel YouTube Channel was monetised, and, if so, how much it made.
The Retirement Side Hustle Newsletter is subscription-based. However, each video comes with a free minute or so to confirm the content, and if you subscribe for free, you get full access to one edition.
Nick’s Wanderings — The Grey Wagtail
This week — Settling Into Narrowboat Life: Unpacking, Diesel Heaters, Repairs and First Night Onboard.
I started tackling the boat’s interior and learning what does what. I also repaired the damage caused by the collision with a bridge.
Useful links
UK Government Website:
Next week
Next week, in issue 190 (43), I look at the impact of imposter syndrome on our retirement side hustles.
Thanks
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Until next time,
Nick
PS: If you would like to contribute something to the newsletter — a story, advice, or anything else — please get in touch.