Non-Fiction Article
Retirement Realities: Beyond the Hype and Distractions of 'Free Time'
Scott A. Gese

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It’s an undeniable fact: For some, too much free time can be overwhelming.

The trick to keeping your retirement from becoming cluttered with half-finished projects, unappreciated hobbies, and unfulfilled travel destinations is to start your retirement years with a good plan.

Without proper planning you could find yourself wandering through a landscape of discarded dreams and unfulfilled expectations.

When you first retired, you might have felt like a kid in a candy store. There was so much free time and so many diverse avenues to explore. If you're like most retirees, it didn't take long for reality set in. The realization that most of what you were told about free time in retirement was nothing more than someone else's wishful thinking. The lack of free time has been the disappointment of many who seek to fulfill a bucket full of  dreams.

I'm not saying you shouldn't try new things. What I'm saying is there’s no guarantee you'll find enough time (or money) to accomplish everything you thought you could. Those of us who have stepped off the hamster wheel can tell you straight out, retirement life comes with a lot of distractions that can pull you away from fulfilling many of your dreams.

Aside from those pesky life issues that tend to pop up when you least expect, it’s easy to get lost in the maze of intriguing hobbies and enticing travel destinations you have to choose from. You may find yourself grabbing at every shiny object that comes into view. As you search for ways to spend your 'abundance' of free time you'll soon discover you're free time isn't as abundant as you thought.

Without a well-laid-out plan, you could find yourself floundering. This is not the place you want to be. If you're not able to make clear decisions you could find yourself paralyzed and sitting on your hands.

To get back on track, you'll have to either eliminate or whittle down the wide range of retirement dreams on your bucket list.

I learned a very important lesson when I retired.

As far as hobbies go, I was no different than most. Even with a well-laid-out plan, I deviated and dipped my toes into several new hobbies I thought interesting. They all came up short in one way or another. They were either not for me, too time consuming or too expensive, and sometimes all three. I came to the conclusion that it was more important to stick with my original plan. 

Here's a good analogy:

A good plan is like a single bullet from a high-powered rifle. It will travel with accuracy for several hundred yards and more. On the other hand, no plan or a poor plan is like a blast from a shotgun. The handful of pellets will begin to spread out as soon as they leave the barrel of the gun. They'll cover an ever-widening area as they move forward, but they will barely make it to the 50-yard mark before the shot loses power. The spent shot quickly falls to the ground as nothing more than dead weight.

People without a plan start out their retirement life using a shotgun approach. The hobbies come, they go, and others take their place. There is never a shortage of hobbies or destinations, only a shortage of time and money or a lack of interest to pursue them for too long.

To put it in simpler terms as far as retirement hobbies go: you should focus on one or two like a rifle; any more than that is a shotgun approach.

I’ve found it best to pick hobbies you're either already involved with or ones that previously piqued your interest. Then put on blinders to all the rest and work within those core hobbies. Everything else is just noise.

As a result:

• You'll be much happier with what you're trying to achieve.
• It’s easier to find the time and to enjoy that free time.
• You don’t feel the urge to come up with something else to do.
• What you decide to do will continue to improve.

Choose to focus your attention on what you know and what you're good at. If it feels right, you’ll not only do well, you’ll also find the time for it. As a result, you'll enjoy your hobbies and your retirement much more.

Free time during retirement can be navigated successfully if you're smart about it. That includes hitting the starting gate with a well-laid-out plan in hand and a commitment to stay focused.

© Copyright 2023 by Scott A. Gese All Rights Reserved.

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