Pearls of Wisdom from Two Years of Retirement

I actually can’t believe I’ve been retired for two years now! Time has flown by, and Laurie and I have enjoyed every minute of our new lives down here in Sarasota, FL. We have also learned a lot over the past two years as we’ve adjusted to being retirees. For our two-year retirement anniversary, I thought I’d share some pearls of retirement-related wisdom for those of you who are looking forward to retirement yourselves!

Retiring early two years ago was the best decision Laurie and I have ever made as a couple! Our lifestyles have changed dramatically, and all for the better, as we transitioned from working full time and doing what others want and need us to do to doing what WE want to do! We have also learned a lot about ourselves and made some significant changes in our lives that have improved our emotional, physical, and social well-being. So, what exactly has changed? I’m glad you asked!!

I’ll take a quick break from talking food, wine, and spirits this week to share our pearls of wisdom learned from two years of living the retired life – let’s get going then!

• Avoid the urge to surround yourselves with like-minded people. As I’ve mentioned before, almost everyone who lives in Florida is from somewhere other than Florida. This is a great thing, because it creates a veritable “mixing bowl” of neighbors from all over the country (but mostly the mid-west and the northeast), with varied backgrounds and experiences. On our street alone, we have made fast friends with people of all political persuasions, young families with small kids, empty-nester retirees, neighbors both straight and gay, deeply religious and boldly agnostic, high-strung and relaxed & mellow. We love them all, and they make life much more interesting because we aren’t in our own “echo chamber” and are exposed to new and different ways of thinking about things every day.

• Life doesn’t have to be as complicated as we make it, so don’t overcomplicate it. We have a community Facebook page that I read frequently, and there are a few people who post almost daily about either their constant struggles and challenges (way too much information!), or about everything they are upset about that particular day. Seriously, who has the time for that?! Retirement has taught Laurie and I that once you strip away all of the things that don’t matter and focus on what does, life is really pretty uncomplicated and easy to enjoy! For us, this has meant getting rid of stuff we no longer need or use, not agonizing over or over-analyzing decisions we need to make, and focusing on simplifying our lives and lifestyle and avoiding things that would over-complicate our lives, including certain people who just can’t seem to find a way to be happy!

• Find joy in the mundane everyday things in life and don’t sweat the small stuff. We have also discovered that the simplest pleasures in life are oftentimes the greatest pleasures that bring the most joy. That includes things like watching the sunset each evening, taking a walk around the lake or the community to enjoy the beautiful weather and amazing wildlife here, napping in the afternoon, or joining friends for an impromptu happy hour with whatever wine we have chilled in the refrigerator. Also, it’s so easy to get riled up over the smallest things that really mean nothing, so we have worked to change our mind set so we don’t sweat the small stuff. A contractor doesn’t show up for a job (which happens frequently here given how busy they are)? Just text them to reschedule – no biggie – they always eventually show up (Note - this 'pearl of wisdom' doesn't apply when your air conditioning stops working and it's 97 degrees outside and the contractor says they won't be able to come out for four days, ...!). It’s supposed to be 73 degrees with no humidity in the winter and instead it’s 89 degrees and humid? Time to spend an extra hour or two in the pool that day to cool off, perhaps with a hard cider or beer to make everything better! You get the idea, …

• Small changes can improve your life immeasurably. We have also learned that you don’t have to make big changes to make big improvements in your life – small changes usually work just fine. For example, both Laurie and I are focused on living healthier so we can live longer and enjoy every day of our retirement. So we decided to eat vegetarian a couple of times a week – an easy and simple change that has made a big difference in our health (just ask our doctors!). We also decided to up the amount of time we exercise each week – so when I walk now, I walk for an hour instead of 45 minutes, and increase my pace by a minute per mile. A simple and easy change that has improved my health and fitness greatly!

• Find your passions and pursue them relentlessly. Before I retired, I had many things I wanted to do but didn’t because I simply didn’t have the time to do them, or at least that’s what I told myself. I can’t tell you how many times Laurie and I put off a much-needed vacation, or I passed on taking a wine class or pursuing my passions in other ways because I was too busy with work. Talk about screwed up priorities! So when we retired for good, both Laurie and I recommitted to pursuing our passions, both independently and together, and not letting anything get in our way as we did so. For Laurie, that meant spending more time learning about photography and taking pictures. For me, that meant writing this blog and spending more time learning about and educating myself about wine, and also reading more every day (one of my other passions!). We are both happier and better having done so!

• Splurge on yourself routinely – you deserve it! And finally, it’s absolutely worth it to splurge on yourself and treat yourself when you are in the mood to do so! We do that frequently now and never regret it when we do! It might mean making a reservation at a top restaurant in Sarasota and enjoying a 5-star meal on a weekday evening. Or purchasing VIP tickets for a Grand Wine Tasting so we can get valet parking, enjoy a champagne reception, and gain early entry into the wine tasting venue before the masses converge on the event. Or planning a two-week retirement-celebration trip to the Willamette Valley in Oregon, a mecca for anyone who loves world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and celebrating by staying in some beautiful hotels and resorts and imbibing at some of the best restaurants and wineries in the country. Because we DO deserve it!

As you can probably tell, Laurie and I are wearing the retired life well and making the most of everything retirement has to offer! Come and visit us and you can experience it all for yourselves! Until then, feel free to apply some of these pearls, even if you aren’t retired – they’ll work regardless of where you are on your life’s journey!!

Enjoying retirement at the Sarasota Forks and Corks Grand Wine Tasting – April 2023