I’ve definitely come to learn that having “all the time…” is not enough time to get things done.
I have so many things I want to do, to work on, to learn, etc. I’d like to: become proficient with music recording, learn more foreign language words (not learn “a” language-whom I kidding), learn more technical skills, figure out a long-term Roth conversion strategy, do more sporting adventures, etc.
JD Roth once said in a presentation “If something takes two hours to do, when retired it may take two weeks.” That is such a true “I can do whatever-anytime” statement.
This past week I had a handful of meetings/appointments. When I say “handful,” I’m counting one or two each day. That schedule is not something I generally prefer. I do not want timeslot commitments on each day. I want to have my items of interest/activity available to engage at any time on my schetchle. I want ALL my time. I want ALL the time for me.
Now comes the interesting part, actually doing these interests/activities…at least in an organized manner.
I know someone who has a great system where each day of the week has a theme. One day is task completion, one is volunteering, one is family, one is community, etc. This is an excellent strategy to align your upcoming activities into an organized week.
I just don’t think I can operate with an entire day set aside for a theme. I have started creating my categories and put them, along with many items in both Google Keep and Google Tasks (i.e. “don’t forget” lists).
I want to be productive. I want to be conscientious of my interests, tasks, and desires. But I do not want to be locked down to commitments or appointments…at least if I don’t have to be. I don’t even want to be forced to use correct grammar on that last sentence if it doesn’t feel right in my mind (right or correct? See?).
I guess it all comes down to so many of the FI or Retirement community stating that their goal is “freedom” of time. Yes, just stating “freedom is our goal” would have saved mine and your time not having this posting.
Enjoy all or any of your time. Do something you love. Go love it now!
*** Nothing in this article is to be construed as financial advice. I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend to be. You should always consult your own professional when seeking advice. This post is not a piece of literary mastery, just a random thought I had.