I have a friend I met at work. She is still working, but I retired several years ago. We keep in touch–she is a blessing to me. We encourage each other all the time through kind words, share family stories, a lot of other things. We’ve had an email going for several days now. I have been sharing tips on how I transitioned from regimented work life to wonderful retired life without a tight schedule.

This is what I told her. Keep rehearsing life after work. Loosely plan and don’t get bent out of shape if things don’t go exactly how you plan. Go with the flow. Don’t map out every day. Hang loose. You have been regimented for a long time and will be until you leave the workforce.

When you’re finally free do the things on your bucket list. If you try the things on your list and they don’t turn out to be what you thought, trash the activities and go on to the next and next and next until you get through them or you decide you’re done. Stay up late and get up late. Go to the pool in your neighborhood and find other retirees. Get to know them. This can be an exciting part of your new life.

Volunteer at your place of worship. See the other side of church, not just the Sunday best. Choose some other organization but volunteer because you want to, not because you have to. Play cards with friends, go to the movies, eat out.

After I retired. At first I felt like I needed God to tell me every day that it was okay not to go to work. After several months, that problem went away. Now I take each day as it comes. There are times I have scheduled things to do, but I don’t do that all the time. The only constant in my life is bowling on two leagues and tournaments. I’m working on getting a writer’s group started. Other than that, I’m hanging loose and flying free.

What a wonderful life.

For you lucky retired folks how is it going for you? For those working toward retirement what is in your heart to do when the time comes?