Living an Unstructured Life
Good morning. Coffee or tea?I have a routine in the morning. It includes watching business and financial news. This morning, when I turned on the TV, they were discussing retirement psychology... talking about adapting to living an unstructured life.
If you didn't have obligations... weren't expected to be at work... didn't have appointments... what would you do?
> Would you get involved in groups and activities and create new structure (new obligations)?
> Would you create your own routine? ... breakfast with the newspaper, go for a walk, read a book, tend to the garden...
> Would you just see what happens... allow each day to take you wherever it goes?
The discussion was about adjusting to an unstructured life. It was about being able to keep active and content without external forces (like obligations to work or caring for your family) filling your day.
Would you like to have an unstructured life? How would you approach it?
Do you have it now? Do you have advice for the rest of us?
Comments (18)
Some plan for years and for some, it just happens one day.
That's sort of how it went for my father... he was getting close to retirement (a few years still to go) ... went to work one day... came home around noon and announced "I'm retired". ... he did go to work elsewhere for a few years but a 35 year career wrapped up in an unexpected way.
I can relate to your words about Sunday nights... it's much easier to enjoy them when you don't dread Monday morning.
Thanks for your encouragement!
Jobs are necessary but tie us down, don't they? It's a different life when you don't have to schedule the rest of life around your work schedule.
I like your 'annual list' strategy ... nothing rigid but life is out there, waiting to be experienced.
And peaceful time in nature ... it's nice to appreciate that ... and to live at a pace that allows a walk in the woods to be the event of the day.
The annual list and other adjustments you've made --- Did you just figure them out as they happened or is this something you did before you retired?
Tea please {smile}
I like your topic here and decided to stop by and listened to you all here with this cup of warm tea for my early morning here.
Well, I can say I might too early years before I can talk about this unstructured life (retirement) but anyway, from your question, "if you didn't have obligations, weren't expected to be at work... didn't have appointments... what would you do?" I guess we are all here have to do something to pass the life. I can heard some people say on the bus that they are lazy to work and don't want to work. They might enjoy the time for gathering with families or friends and doing another things, as you mentioned above. But anyway, I think if we don't have obligation and no one want to do the work like we are doing now, then the world might be different place to life. Everyone has their own support for our life. I myself enjoy my work, my time for family and friends and my "me" time. I plan to work until I'm old and they told me to have a happy rest at home {smile}
I do like a good hammock ... I'm a big fan of naps when the air is fresh and warm and life is serene.
Unstructured life ... I had to think of you when I started this blog... going where the wind blows... where desire leads... without a need for a long-term plan.
Clearly this works for you... the freedom brings happiness.
For some, I have to wonder what they'd do. I think many people would find ways to make life busy... they want their time to be driven externally... they find comfort in having structure imposed... for them, perhaps it's a freedom from responsibility that's appealing...
I find this topic interesting... how some feel comforted by structure while others feel controlled and imprisoned by it.
Thanks for sharing about your morning routine... some time allotted for structure each day... a comforting start each morning...
Thinking about the poor saps ... out there in the hot sun ... waiting in traffic to get to the job where they won't feel appreciated ... just getting through their day ...
(I'm smiling) ... With my schedule, I'm rarely on the road during rush hour myself (not that there is much of one here) ... I go in late in the morning and come home an hour or two after most others...
It's a wonderful luxury, isn't it? ... To not need to chase the clock...
Now I know why. Not working is really boring, so I continue to work.
The only advice I have it to see what's good for you because only you know.
Hey there... Tea for you... << tea mug :)
It's nice to see you on this fine day. It's after midnight here... but late morning there... hope your day is going well.
You point out the difference between the things we do to live... the jobs we perform so we can pay the rent and take care of ourselves and our families... and ... the things we would do so we could feel accomplishment and success... to learn and grow...
Some are fortunate to find fulfillment in their jobs... to do the things they enjoy doing and earn a living while doing it. I think it's rarely 100% of this... but some just do what they need to... either that's all they want from their job or just all they've been able to get...
working until you're old... to keep accomplishing things is good... to enjoy your work is good... I suspect you'll find different ways to use your education and skills as you get older... I know it has worked that way for me... just a couple of changes along the way, but not really changes I would have expected years before.
Thank you for adding your thoughts!
72 ... that was the age for my father too...
Okay ... not working is boring ... hmm ... nope ... can't agree with you. But - it's just a shift of perspective ... depends on what role work fills in your life. And you know your own perspective the best... so I'm glad you've been making the choices you wish.
I've known people who work because they like having a place to go each day ... somewhere to be ... things to be done and people expecting them to do them. They don't work "in the mines" (nothing to hard or stressful) ... but they keep working... as long as they are able.
There's more flexible income this way... to supplement a pension... a way to take nice vacations and spoil grand-kids... things like this.
I can see it... and I would always want to feel useful... but I like the prospects of "unstructured" ... at least 'mostly' ... maybe I'll start a web site or something ... perhaps a way for people from everywhere to talk about whatever is on their minds... perhaps ... some day.
It's a new morning here... sunny and very warm ... freelance work is fun, isn't it? ... as long as you have as much work as you need and don't have to worry too much about the money... a great deal of flexibility... quite liberating to work this way.
Did you have a prior job with a committed schedule? If so, how did you manage the transition to freelance? Was it a smooth time of change or a stressful time of your life?
My own transition... to the (nearly) freelance work I do now... my transition was planned for months and was quite smooth. It's been 8 years now and I still feel fortunate to earn a living this way.
The transition was not too hard, as a freelancer scriptwriter for a tv series the routine was also structured-unstructured. I got weekly deadline, but I'm the one who managed how and when and where. Now it's even more loose since I don't write series anymore. I work whenever I feel like to, or when my bank account is approaching zero hehehe
I hope you're now fully recovered
In Indonesia, when you reach the age of 55 or 56, that's the time of your retirement. Some people above those ages can still work as long as the company still needs them, maybe 60 is the maximum. If you have your own business, then usually it's up to you to decide when you're going to retire.
It's a common thing to see that most of the retiree people taking care of their grandchildren especially if their kids need their parents' help for looking after the kids while they are working (not all of them can afford to pay nanny). The grandparents, most of them, would love to do it.
My mom, after she retired, she kept herself active by getting involved in church activities and attending family choir rehearsals up to now. Even though we moved far away few years ago, she still managed to come to the same church and keep singing in family choir. When I asked her about this she said she can't stand staying at home for days doing household chores only as she still needs to socialize with others and to keep her brain keeps functioning well. I think I would follow her steps by getting myself involved in groups and activities when I reach my retirement age
(1) life is precious
(2) You only have one life
(3) Don't live with regrets
Many more that we just say but had more meaning to me. 2 people died peaceful they had accepted what was coming. The other 3 life had dished cruel blows and they had left things undone, unsaid, Sad very sad to watch.
This experience changed me, some people who are religouse you know already have a basic structure to work on, but without any beleive you have to work your own structure. To live without some kind of aims and waiting for chance, destiny I felt sure I would miss out. So as my life evolves I find new aims and
for them, ever mindful of lifes pot as I call it.
Wishing you well Richard
Editor... then scriptwriter for a series... now scriptwriter, as needs and moods dictate... less and less structure with each step...
That's a very interesting career path... and interesting work...
We don't need to continue on this blog but one of the questions that comes to mind is about story research... to write for characters has to be interesting on its own... but any story of depth is going to have technical or historical details to work out... to be (mostly) accurate and believable where fiction and fact meet... hmm... perhaps that part goes back to the editor to think about.
Thank you for sharing your journey!
I will do a medical blog next, I think. Having multiple medical appointments lately makes me want to share some experiences.
Retirement at 55/56... The standard age for retirement in the US used to be 65. The government pension (Social Security) can start at age 62, but you get more per month if you wait until 65 or later. (the dates and amounts are a puzzle that seems to keep changing)
I'm glad your mother has good social habits... to stay involved physically and emotionally... good use of unstructured time.
For yourself... having options and being involved... and having the time to do this... So you'll bring some structure into your life... but like your mother, with a purpose.
Thank you for sharing your thought process... this really addresses the topic of the blog... the choices made and when we don't make choices and things just happen...
Thank you for your fond wishes.