How Much Time Is Too Much Time to Waste?

How much time is too much time to waste?  I’m not sure, but I am sure I’m not wasting enough.  Wasting time is one of the great pleasures of retirement, and lately I haven’t had enough of it to waste.  I miss that.

This is the time of year when folks are making New Year’s Resolutions.  I think I made some last year, but I don’t remember what they were or whether I accomplished them.  Does anyone really?

Here are all the resolutions I’m not going to make this year.

1.  Be more efficient with my time.  Time-efficiency is way overrated.  That’s something you do when you’re trying to cram more stuff into a limited amount of time.  The thing I appreciated most when I first retired was that I no longer had to do that.  Taking on a part-time consulting gig has put some restraints on my time, in that I have less of it to just sit around doing what appears to the outside world as nothing.  

Before I quit the world of full-time employment, I had to squeeze in my daily workouts, sometimes before work, sometimes during my lunch hour.  When I retired, I thought I would have more time to work out.  Certainly, I did have more of it to devote to fitness, but I didn’t.  I used it for goofing off.  Ditto with yard work and house cleaning.  Wasting time is a luxury.  I’m going to bask in that luxury.

2.  Lose 5 pounds.  Whatever.  How many times have I made that resolution, and really what do I have to show for it?  I weigh 108 pounds.  There, I said it.  That’s pretty much what I’ve weighed for the last 20 years give or take a pound or two.  Would I like to be 5 pounds lighter?  Sure, but I really like food and I really like wine and I really don’t want to get up early for boot camp.

3.  Give up drinking.  About a month ago, Doug and I agreed to a month-long challenge with a friend.  We each decided to give up something that was hard for us to give up.  For our friend Jeff, it was sugar.  For Doug and me it was alcohol.  You might think I would have gained something positive from the experience, increased energy, weight-loss, or a greater sense of well-being.  Nope.  I was just as tired at night, woke up with more headaches, and weighed exactly the same at the end of the experiment as I did at the beginning.  Oh, and I had less fun.  I’m having wine with dinner whenever I want.  So there.

4.  Spend less money.  I’ve had a part-time consulting job now for almost 5 months.  And I do admit, I like the feeling of having more money to spend.  I was in Crate & Barrel last week to pick up a Christmas gift for a friend.  I savored all the beautiful items on display.  While there was nothing there that I felt compelled to own myself, I liked the idea of having the money to pick up a little something if I wanted to.  But here’s the thing.  Even though I’ve been bringing in extra spending money, we don’t actually use it for spending.  There’s nothing that I want that I’m not already getting within the confines of our retirement budget.  

So is it too terrible to resolve to waste more time, drink more wine, and spend more money, all while trying to just maintain my current weight?  Sounds like the underachiever’s guide to resolutions, but that’s what I’m going for in 2011.

Related Posts:

            Am I Drinking My Retirement Savings Away?

            Retirement and the “B” Word

            Retirement and Skinny Jeans

 

This is a post from Retirement:  A Full-Time Job

 

Comments

[Sara]

Hey Syd...This post is JUST great....I can see why Doug "LIKES" it.

Now the question is .... will I ever get over that feeling of guilt when I am wasting time? I felt guilty aboutt not studying from the time I graduated from college until now...

Time to get over it!!! With your encouragement!

[Retired Syd]

@Sara: Maybe a 12-step program?

[Steve Skinner]

I like the idea of letting go of time management and just spending a little quality time goofing off.

[Bob Lowry]

Spent the day at the Desert Botanical Garden and then went to see the new True Grit movie. Skipped morning to-do list, then skipped afternoon list as well.

Not bad.

[Devremülk]

i like to read your posts. thanks for this one.

[First Gen American]

I love it. We have this week off from work and there is definitely a temptation to cram in a ton of errands and projects to maximize our days off. Instead, we've been taking it easy and leisurely getting to our projects, mid/late morning.

I still feel guilty but I'm glad I won't go back to work utterly exhausted.

[fred doe]

happy new years. once your retired time is yours to waste. losing weight, i've lost an honest 20 lbs since i've retired because i don't eat as much and i guess i eat better. not due to any effort, but because i have the time and i like it. i save more money now. why because i don't eat my lunch at jersey diners. what do i do with the money i save? i invest it in stocks and i do very well. why because i have the time to research and there's no sense of urgency. one thing leads to another with out trying. giving up drinking is easy i've done it hundreds of times:) 108lbs for the last 20 years,your batting 1000 girl friend.