3 Benefits of Having a Schedule In Retirement

You’ve retired…yay!

Gone are the days of:

• alarm clocks
• commutes with bumper-to-bumper traffic
• client calls
• long, boring meetings

Awesome! So why would you bother having a schedule in retirement? Isn’t life after a career supposed to be all about freedom? 

Freedom is certainly a BIG benefit of retirement. If you ask any newly retired person what the best thing about being retired is, most will probably say, “No schedule!” 

However, without a schedule you may find that the weeks begin to fly by, leaving you wondering, “What did I do this week?” as each one comes to an end.

3 Benefits of Having a Schedule in Retirement

While there are certainly more benefits of having a schedule in retirement, here are 3 that I’ve experienced myself.

1. A schedule can give you clarity about what you want and need to do each day

When you worked for someone else, your work schedule helped add structure to your day. Whether you liked it or not, this structure helped you know what you were doing next. Priorities were usually set for you based on the work that needed to be done. This took away a lot of the guesswork.

The need for structure doesn’t go away just because you’ve retired. Keeping a schedule (even a loose one) will help provide it. For example, establishing a morning routine that includes a healthy breakfast, exercise, stretching, and meditation can help you stay on top of your health without having to give it much thought.

Afternoons can be time for reading and other hobbies, while the dinner hour can be your time to focus on relationships.

2. A schedule can help reduce feelings of overwhelm and stress

After retirement, you may find yourself forgetting to schedule those things that you either need to do (medical appointments, etc.) or want to do (visiting with friends and family, for example). 

Missing key appointments or feeling like you’re not using your time wisely can make you feel overwhelmed and stressed. Scheduling time for these things is the best way to keep the stress at bay. 

To do this, start by listing your priorities. Next, make sure you’ve scheduled them into your week. 

Planning your activities in this way can also help condition your body and mind to know when to be active versus when to rest. This can help you wind down more easily at the end of the day, which will result in a more restful sleep. 

3. A schedule can help you stay active and engaged

In their book, What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life’s Third Age, authors Dr. Ken Dychtwald and Robert Morison state that many retirees struggle with their identities and with  feeling relevant.

In an interview with The New York Times, Dr. Dychtwald states, “I was really troubled when I read that last year the average American retiree watched more than 48 hours of television per week. I don’t believe that’s the best we can do, or that’s the best we can be as elder men and women.”

When you thoughtfully schedule time in retirement, you can plan some routines that help you stay active and engaged in fulfilling ways. Want to volunteer with your favorite charity or be a foster parent for the local animal shelter? Seeing your activities in a schedule will let you make important activities a priority. 

While having a schedule in retirement can seem counterintuitive, the structure one provides can help you make the most of this chapter of your life. If you need some help getting started, check out my free Guide to Block Planning to learn more. Here is an example of how I plan my week using the Block Planner:

Want to Share? 

Have you experienced some benefits of having a schedule in retirement? You’ve seen my sample calendar…now I’d love to see yours!

Email me at janice@ijustretirednowwhat.com and tell me about your experience with creating a post-retirement schedule (photos or screenshots of your planner pages are welcome as well). I’ll update this post periodically with your new ideas so we can all learn from each other!

Let me know:

• what system (if any) you’re using to schedule your time
• your favorite scheduling app (if you use one)
• how you’re finding balance in your life
• any tips you’d like to share