I think I’ve retired. It’s kind of snuck up on me. I’ve always planned on retiring at about age 60 when my husband retired from his job. He’s not yet taken that step, but I seem to have done so.
Retirement, for me, doesn’t mean that I’m not writing, not editing, not coaching. It means that I’m not going to take on any new clients. I’d already decided to stop formatting for new clients—I did that about six months ago. I will still format for clients who I’ve been working with for years and enjoy. And I am not just dumping my coaching clients either. We have a great relationship and enjoy working together. And, naturally, I don’t think I could ever stop writing, even when I do call it quits with my coaching and editing.
So, is that retirement?
Yeah, oddly enough, it is. Retirement is when you no longer work because you have to. You only do what you enjoy doing. Now, I could say that I’ve been retired my whole life because I’ve always loved what I do, but now it’s different. I no longer feel compelled to search out new clients. I no longer stress when I don’t have any work aside from my own writing. I’m actually stopping work at 5pm!
For a work-a-holic, this is a big step for me.
So, if sometimes I miss a week with my blog posts (and honestly, I will try not to, but it will happen), I apologize and ask for your understanding. But I’m now retired.
What do you think? What does retirement look like for you? Do you think you could ever stop writing?
Retirement such as you’re describing is exactly what retirement should be–i.e., reactive to your needs and preferences. It’s too bad work can’t be that way, isn’t it? With the rise of A.I., maybe that’s how it will eventually be. One can always hope.
I started writing my books after retirement, and I doubt that I’ll ever stop writing. It may be gibberish toward the end, but that’s okay, too.
Hats off to you, Merry! Enjoy what you do!🌻📚