I have never been that excited by the prospect of the new Year and all the social expectations that go with the change of a date, but this time I do feel a little different. In 2023 I am going to experience of those life changing moments; I am going to retire from full time work. I spotted an opportunity and took it. It was exciting and a little anxious at the same time, just as all such events should be. Now I find myself counting down the days until I walk out of the door for the final time and become independent of a monthly salary.
Without doubt, the most attractive aspect of doing this is the freedom. No more set hours on set days. No more asking permission to take time off so that I can go and do something more interesting. No more drudgery. Soon, I will be able to choose what I do and when on most mornings. I have lots of ideas. I am going to take up painting and drawing again, joining a class to re-learn old skills and, hopefully, pick up some new ones as well. I would like to learn a language, I just do not know which one. Travel is also going to be on the agenda, the further the better. Then of course there is going to be the writing; I plan to do lots of writing.
2022 closed with the inevitable interruption to my writing caused by the holidays. I have always loved Christmas and I am happy for it to intrude into my schedule, but I must admit that I do not often feel like writing over that particular period. Unfortunately, my wife suffered an accident on New Year’s Eve that also resulted in me being kept from my keyboard. She is recovering well now, but is still receiving treatment. For me it has proven to be only a slight delay, for her, an opportunity to revaluate her own working life and reconsider what it is that she wants from it, which turns out to be very similar to what I want.
My attitude to New Year as a celebration has not changed, but the prospect of a new life has certainly invested me with a new vigour and a desire to get out and do things!
Peter C Whitaker 
It will be fantastic you will love it. For some retirees, after the honeymoon period, which can be surprisingly short , the flip side kicks in. These people run out of things to do all day every day. They begin to miss work colleagues and feel life has no meaningful purpose. I saw it with my parents when they retired, especially mum. My mum started work at 15 in the cotton mill. She was basically a factory worker and work was her life. She finally retired at 72 as Co owner of a snooker club where she insisted on working behind the bar, while my dad potted a few balls …..you get my drift…BUT….this won’t happen to you Peter. Like me, you are a ‘creative’ for the likes of us, more free time presents more opportunities to indulge in the millions of projects going round in our heads. The imagination runs riot with possibilities. I was filled with plans of doing this that and the other and everything in between. After several months, I discovered that there weren’t enough hours in a day….all those plans I had and so little achieved! Perhaps I set too many goals in my enthusiasm…easily done with an overactive mind! I had to learn to limit myself and concentrate on just a few projects at a time, learn to pace myself to get things done …it’s still a task to keep my mind focussed on just a few things at a time, but, seriously…you will LOVE it! And the best bit…extra special times with your wife choosing the where and when…it’s magic!
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Sue, you are absolutely right! I am retiring early for various reasons, not least because my pension will not actually grow any bigger and I don’t want the government to steal it! There is also my disability to consider. I am limited in what I can do now, I don’t want to wait to retire at my state pension age just so I can sit at home all day doing nothing.
As for things to keep me occupied, writing, painting, reading, theatre, cinema, travelling, cooking, and ticking off items on the bucket list are going to help there. The traditional sense of work has only ever been a means to an end for me!
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