Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Today's Potential


Often, while my coffee is brewing, I thank God for the great things in my life and then pray about future things involving family, health and well being. After that, I begin to think "what am I going to do today?" As a retiree, my days are often a blank slate and ready to be filled. The potential for a great day is there every morning! Do I want a day of rest and relaxation? Such a day may include a little reading, blogging and other menial tasks. Do I want a day of household chores? This would include laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, etc. Or, do I want a day of fun? This would include a day that would involve a new destination, a new dining experience or new activity. 

I wake well before my wife. So, I have time to think about the potential of the day. I must think about time limits and costs while thinking about the opportunities that the day may have. A recent "day of fun" for me, was an hour trip to a new BBQ place and then some metal detecting. The BBQ place was outstanding and I found a few treasures while detecting. The day was awesome! The day was a great "retirement day". One of those days that I envisioned when I thought about retiring while sitting at my desk. 

In retirement, as the saying goes above, "everyday had the potential to be the greatest day in your life". How true is that! If we approach everyday with a wide eyed expectation of the potential that this day has, what a great day we can have. If you get up in the morning and expect a great day to be relaxing, reading and listening the the birds outside, so be it. You do just that and enjoy your great day. 

If you wake up and decide to be a "man of action" and mow the yard, paint the fence and clean the cars, so be it and have one awesome day!. If you wake up and decide to pick up litter along the road or feed the homeless at the local shelter, so be it. And, have a great day serving others! Each day has so much potential and we should all look to maximize that to our personal need. 

I am much more of a planner than my wife. I do like to have things organized and thought out for most trips and vacations. But, I am also getting better at just taking off and doing something without a lot of thought. Do you spend a lot of time planning your retirement days? Or do you get up, like I do most mornings, and begin to look at the potential of today? I keep a list of possibilities in my notes on my phone. I often watch a show called "Discover Oklahoma" and note any places to see or new dining places. Then, when I am out and about or planning a day trip in the state, I can access my list as a reminder of new things to do.

I've posted before about "bucket lists", but do you have a list of smaller items that you want to do or see that really don't qualify as a "bucket list" item. I think of "bucket list" items as things like a trip to Italy or a trip to the Grand Canyon and other grand ideas. While my smaller list includes a few museums, ice cream shops and BBQ joints. 

However you keep lists, or don't keep lists, just make sure you get out there and enjoy that retirement day!

8 comments:

  1. I retired "early" when my 80 year old widowed father had a massive stroke. He passed the same year my first local grandchild was born. Somehow our early retirement years have turned into a grandchild daycare center. I joke I am busier now, running a diner for breakfast, putting kids on school buses, potty training, preschool, snow days, sick days and my homeschool during Covid. The youngest two are in preschool now and our real retirement will begin in 2025. I am hoping we (and the country) will still be healthy enough we can travel a little. My first order of business will be to sleep in every morning, lol.

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    1. We kept our three grand daughters for about a year last year and it wore us out. Now we are in the "real retirement" as you say and life is good.

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  2. I tend to do the same but in the evening. One of the last things I do at the end of a day is to write in my journal about that day. It is kind of like clearing my mind by writing it down. That leaves me free with thoughts of what I might do tomorrow.

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    1. End of day is probably a good time, especially to journal about that day. Great routine!

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  3. I had never heard the phrase "everyday had the potential to be the greatest day in your life", but I I'll be putting it on a Post-It note and sticking it somewhere I can see it on a regular basis. Thank you for the reminder.

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  4. Your post captures the essence of retirement. It reminds of waking up as a kid on summer break; the sun spread across my flowered comforter and I would think, hum...what do I want to do today? Thanks for the reminder that I need to carve out more days for this in retirement.

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    1. Our retirement days need to be appreciated one day at a time. Enjoy each one!

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