This is what an actual Tuesday looks like for me now, two months into retirement.

Morning

I don’t get up as early as I did when I was in the 9 to 5. When I was working, I would get up around 6 AM and leave the house around 6:30 AM. That has slipped a little since taking the leap. I now get up around 7:15 AM and leave the house around 7:45 AM, I still go to my office to work on some projects that I have going on. My morning routine after getting up is still basically the same, I have just relaxed the wakeup time a little, I don’t feel the rush getting out the door.

Midday

During the day, I now work on my projects, writing for this newsletter, real estate and day trading. I am still ironing out a structure and schedule that allows me to give each of those projects enough time to be successful. I still have regularly scheduled calls, not nearly as many as the 9 to 5, for some projects. For example, real estate has calls during the regular workday and some evenings. This has given some structure to my days. One thing I have found to be helpful is a written daily calendar with times earmarked for each activity, although this is still a work in progress.

A small, honest moment

I have learned during these first 2 months that personal relationships are a very important aspect of retirement and need to be maintained and strengthened. In fact, I think personal relationships are higher on the priority list than the other lifestyle aspects and the financial component. It is important to remember that this retirement isn’t just for you, it is also for your spouse and your kids. Creating new friendships and revisiting old friends you may have been too busy to stay in contact with during the 9 to 5 years is something I look forward to.

Evening

The evenings aren’t much different than before, except I have been known to leave the office early and get the evening started much earlier. I do feel more relaxed later in the day, most of the day, for that matter. My wife and kids have mentioned it on a few occasions too! I don’t feel like I am attached to the clock any longer.

Life After 59 and a Half posts regularly. If this hit home, please forward it to someone else thinking about the leap.