The Retirement Newsletter: What would I change in my retirement?

Issue Number: 202 (55) — do I need to make any changes?

Photo by Author — what would I change?

Welcome

Welcome to issue 202 (55), where I look at what I would like to change about my retirement and what I need to change.

In the last two newsletters:

• Did I reach my goals for the first year?

• State of my retirement — is it as I hoped?

I looked at the goals I had set for my retirement, and what I was expecting in my retirement. In those newsletters, I concluded that I was on track in terms of my goals but that things were not quite right when it came to what I was expecting. I felt I had gained control over my email, diary and video calls, but there was a shortfall in my available free time. I was expecting retirement to produce fifty free hours per week (eight hours per day, two hours per day commute, hence fifty hours per week) but I seemed to be short. Where had they gone?

So, where had my fifty free hours gone? How can I improve the use of my fifty hours? What do I need to change?

Where does the time go?

It has been a year since I retired. And the time has flown by — whoosh! It doesn’t seem possible.

In retirement, I have not changed my weekend routine, and based on my above maths, I should have fifty hours per week to fill. And I must be filling them as I am busy. So, what am I doing with them?

1. Side hustles

I have been trying to get several side hustles off the ground for the past year — see The Retirement Side Hustle. Initially, I treated the side hustles like a part-time job, spending twenty to twenty-five hours per week on them, but I have had to cut down in recent months. Some of this time was already factored in as part of my evenings and weekends when I was working. Hence, let’s say I am spending an additional fifteen hours per week on side hustles.

2. Walking

Yes, I have been on a fitness kick and added two extra walks per week, but that only accounts for about six hours.

That takes us to twenty-one hours of my fifty freed up hours.

3. Cooking

As part of my fitness and health kick, I spend a bit more time preparing meals — but not a huge amount of time — maybe an extra two to three hours per week.

That brings us to twenty-four hours, almost half my “free” fifty.

4. The Boat

Admittedly, the boat wasn’t planned (see Don’t do as I do, do as I say), so I have spent some time I wasn’t planning on spending. Even so, I would only think it’s an extra eight hours per week.

The eight on the boat brings me to thirty-two hours.

5. Friends

The amount of time I spend with friends has not increased. Seeing friends was always part of my evening and weekend routine, and that has not changed.

6. Volunteer work

Some of my volunteering has shifted from the weekends and evenings to during weekdays, but generally, not a significant change in the number of hours I am doing.

7. Family

Family commitments are taking longer, and there has been a significant increase in hours from when I was working. I would estimate I have picked up an additional fifteen hours per week, maybe twenty.

Here I could add fifteen and get forty-seven or add the twenty and get fifty-two.

8. The unexpected

What is it they say? Expect the unexpected. This is a difficult one to factor in. But let’s say, three hours per week.

So, if we add all of this up, it comes to fifty to fifty-five hours.

I think I have just found where my fifty hours are going.

OK, so I have picked up some “me” time in this: six hours of walking, fifteen hours of side hustles, and eight hours on my boat, for a total of twenty-nine hours. I expected the fifty hours to be all “me” time. I’m twenty-one hours short. Plus, there is an issue with my control of my time.

Control

When I look at my diary, it appears I have successfully regained control of my time. I have whole weeks with nothing in them. However, the reality is very different.

Without going into specifics, the “family commitments” mentioned above mean that my days are very fragmented. The extra hours are not all in one big chunk. There are times when I must complete specific tasks; therefore, the day is punctuated by small, but essential tasks.

Due to the fragmentation, I cannot focus on other specific tasks for long, as I have to break off and do other things. This is inefficient and frustrating, as I cannot get a long run at things. For example, I couldn’t combine my two three-hour walks into one six-hour walk.

How can I change things?

Making changes

How can I regain some of the “lost” twenty-one hours as “me” time? And how can I solve the problem of fragmentation? How can I get control?

Well, I can’t. Those twenty-one hours are important and needed, and they certainly can’t be trimmed. The time cannot be grouped; it is a set timetable. I’m stuck. Certain things need to be done at certain times.

Final thoughts

I have identified where my fifty free hours are going each week. About 40% of it I am getting as “me” time, for which I am truly grateful. The remaining 60%, I can’t change. I want to change it. I would like to get some of the 60% back into my “me” time and reduce the fragmentation caused by 60%, but I can’t see how that will be possible.

You could say I am being unrealistic or that I am moaning about nothing, but the loss of control over my time irks me.

Do you think I am being unrealistic? Have you carried out an audit of how you spend your time in retirement? Do you have any tips or tricks to managing time in retirement that you would like to share? If you do, please let me know in the comments below.

Next week

Next year, in issue 203 (56), I will reveal my plans (if I have any) for the second year of retirement.

Thanks

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Until next time,

Nick

PS: If you would like to contribute a story, give advice, or provide anything else to the newsletter, please get in touch.