I’ve always had a hard time doing nothing or just hanging out. To be content I always need a project. I’m also the kind of person that makes lists. I don’t know why, but I think I have been that way since I learned how to write a list.

It just must be part of one’s personality or upbringing. I will often make lists of projects that I think need to be done and then take great joy in crossing those things off the list as I complete the tasks. At one point, I found myself adding something to my list that I had already completed just so I could then cross it off my list. About now you are saying that this guy needs to “get a life.”

I kind of thought that this bizarre behavior would end when I retired. Not so my friends. I, like most retired people, find myself making that worn out old statement that goes something like; “I don’t know how I ever had time to work.” I’ve been thinking about that and wondering how that could be. Before I retired, we saw the movie, “About Schmidt” staring Jack Nicholson. This is required viewing for any Baby Boomer approaching retirement. After seeing it, I had twinges of fear that I too might have a hard time adjusting to the new lifestyle.

Fortunately, those fears were paper tigers. As I mentioned, I have been busier than ever and enjoying it all. The key is staying involved. The good news is that you replace the daily grind of work with other things that are still rewarding and fun at the same time like volunteering. Consequently, it goes back to that old rule of thumb; “All men are equal… Each has 24 hours in his day…. It’s what we do with the 24 hours that makes us different.” Now, I need to get busy and make a new list.