My Retirement Day Plan: From Leisurely Breakfasts to Avoiding the Dead Sea Syndrome

If you missed Friday's newsletter on Lifestyle, do give it a read! I thought it was a brilliant article that will provoke some serious thoughts about retirement—the kind that make you question whether your "escape from work" fantasies are actually realistic or just elaborate daydreams.

I can't agree more with the "grass is greener" syndrome—I am firmly planted in the fantasize-about-retirement camp. I've heard stories of people who found themselves in this camp because of a new boss from hell, but I'm very fortunate that there are no major push factors for me at work, apart from the occasional deadline pressure and stress (you know, the usual "everything is urgent and due yesterday" workplace drama).

The author shared some fascinating lessons that I'd never considered, like identity crisis and social connections from work. I imagine this might be less of an issue for me because I have other communities I connect with outside of work, but I'll definitely update you on these points when that time comes! Famous last words, right?

One lesson that really got me thinking is all the extra time I'll have in retirement, and how I think I'll structure my day and fill up my schedule when I'm not away checking off my bucket list items. So here's my current (probably naïve) retirement day plan:

Morning: The Leisurely Human Approach • Waking up not too late for a leisurely breakfast (because apparently, rushing to eat cereal while checking emails isn't the pinnacle of human existence)

Daily Movement: The "I Actually Enjoy This" Collection • Exercising daily in various forms: running, cycling, swimming, stair climbing, strength training, and the simple art of walking 10,000-15,000 steps. I'm fortunate that these are activities I generally enjoy—with cycling, it's usually tied to some food hunt (don't judge!). I'm currently working on psycho-ing the Wife to join me in these exercises... wish me luck.

Afternoon Learning: The "Useful and Useless" Mix • Learning/practicing new (sometimes completely useless) skills like juggling, doing a handstand, origami, and other party tricks that will make me the hit of retirement community gatherings • Plus the "more useful" new stuff—like whatever the internet was to my parents, whatever technological revolution might be baffling us by then

The Sacred Siesta • Taking an afternoon nap, which supposedly has health benefits! (Finally, a health trend I can get behind without buying expensive equipment)

Mental Gymnastics: The Money Game • Researching trading and investing, plus actual trading and investing. Hopefully, this will fund my bucket list and keep my mind sharp and engaged. Maybe I'll find a platform to share these insights too, so I don't become a "Dead Sea"—where all the good stuff flows in but nothing flows out due to its geographic location. So rich in nutrients and minerals, but no sea life can survive in it. (Yes, I just compared myself to a hypersaline lake, and I'm oddly proud of this metaphor.)

The Reality Check

Of course, this is all theoretical planning from someone who's still very much in the working world. It's like planning a dinner party when you've never cooked anything more complex than instant noodles—optimistic, but potentially disastrous.

Your Turn: I would love to hear from actual retirees—new or otherwise—about what you do daily. Or, if you’ve started thinking/ planning for you approaching retirement. Is my plan too naive? Are there issues I should consider that my working brain can't even fathom yet? Do you have days where you miss the structure of work, or are you living your best leisurely breakfast life? Drop a comment below and give me the real scoop—I promise I can handle the truth, even if it involves less cycling to food destinations than I'm currently imagining!

Setting Realistic Financial Goals (Dream Big, Plan Smart)

Setting financial goals without a plan is like deciding to climb Mount Everest without checking if you own hiking boots. Enthusiasm is great, but you need a roadmap that actually makes sense.

Start with the big picture: When do you want to retire? What kind of lifestyle do you want? Then work backwards. If you want $1 million by age 65 and you're currently 35, you need to figure out how much to invest monthly to get there (spoiler: it's probably more than you think, but less than you fear).

Make your goals specific and measurable. Instead of "I want to be rich," try "I want $500,000 invested by age 55." Instead of "I should invest more," try "I'll invest $300 monthly starting this month." Vague goals lead to vague results.

L-Plate Takeaway: A goal without a plan is just a wish. But a realistic plan, followed consistently, can turn wishes into reality—even if it takes longer than you'd like.