Craving a Dog’s Life
(Article 3)
A series of articles about finding a pathway towards a simpler life, one that is less focused on structure and more on love, compassion, daily walks, and treats
By Renate
Senior Public Servant
Retired 2014
To work or not to work? This is a question that many of us have faced when retiring. I like to work. I like the structure, I like the gratification, I like positive feedback, and… I like the extra money. While I did retire early in 2014, I only spent five months unwinding, taking a long vacation, and helping one of my children find his first house. I thought I would like having more spare time and less structure, but I found I got less focused, got fewer things accomplished, and had short-term tasks drift into days and sometimes even weeks. It drove me CRAZY!
To work…
I started consulting for my old organization and, before I knew it, was back to full-time-plus work. This has continued for a year now and I am ready to cut back again, although I am not sure that I want to give up the work completely. I would like to continue working part time for the next year or so. Consulting has been good for me this past year, but I realize that I don’t want to continue working full time much past October. I love the winter and I would enjoy travelling around BC and skiing in different locations and in conditions different from what I am used to on the west coast. I could easily combine some shorter-term, less demanding contracts into that equation.
Or not to work…
I think I need the mental stimulation that consulting brings, combined with outdoor physical activity. I am no spring chicken anymore so I want to use this window of opportunity when I have reasonably good health to ski, kayak, and take long walks with my faithful companion Roxy.
Roxy loves our daily routine which consists of walks on the beach in the morning, afternoon forest hikes, and then back to the beach for one last play before bedtime. For the most part, I manage at least the first and last outings of the day, with my husband taking the afternoon shift if I am working downtown. There are times I overdo it, but she lets me know this by lying down in the sand and letting me do the last walk without her while she keeps me in sight.
I would also like to do some more real estate investing. I love the hard physical work of renovating, having done several bathrooms and a couple of kitchens. One of my kids wants to add a basement suite to his house next year and I have been asked to help with that endeavour. It will be great to work with him, planning the space, attaining the approvals from the city, and getting the actual physical work done. I love to learn and would enjoy the opportunity to learn new skills like framing and dry-walling from the professionals, while using my skills in other areas of the renovation.
The right mix for me
So maybe the right mix for me is to continue to work part time, taking time to learn new things, start new projects, and stay healthy. I am fortunate to live in a climate where we drive to snow, and I can basically be outside enjoying a mild climate all year round. The closest ski resort is less than three hours away, so I am sure that Roxy and I will be spending some quality snow time together as well.
In the two years since I retired, I have had the pleasure of doing nothing, the pleasure of travelling, the pleasure of earning extra cash and keeping mentally stimulated. Most importantly, I have learned what really makes me happy.
I need to be busy, both mentally and physically. I need to be tired at the end of the day. I need to have some structure. I need to be accomplishing things, no matter whether I get paid for doing so or not. So, I am off to try new things, spend lots of time staying grounded with my furry best friend, work some of the time, and plan that next great adventure.