taking-care-of-yourself

Volunteering in Retirement Retirement gives us something many of us haven’t had for years—time. The question is: what do we choose to do with it? For many people, volunteering becomes one of the most rewarding answers. Volunteering has been a feature on my life since the age of 16 – when ‘dinosaurs roamed the Earth’. … Read more

Who Stays…and Who Drifts? During the Covid pandemic there was a running joke at work that a colleague and I spent more time talking to each other than we did to our respective wives. We became really good friends and, even after the pandemic ended, still talked almost every day. After retirement we’re still good… Read more

It’s always been the same. I see something I’d quite like to buy and my brain immediately says: “You just can’t justify spending that sort of money on that.” So, I move on. The strange thing is — after a lifetime of saving for tomorrow, tomorrow has finally arrived… and I’m not entirely sure that… Read more

Photo: One of my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award groups setting – volunteering often happens behind the scenes. – A group of fourteen-year-olds setting off on their first unaided two-day Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition is quite a responsibility. They must navigate unfamiliar paths, cook their own meals, pitch tents, and somehow reach the finish in… Read more

(A Rookie Retiree Myth-Buster) A couple of months before I took early retirement, I came out of a Webex meeting about pensions feeling pretty pleased with life. I had my pension numbers and the post-retirement financial picture looked okay. Conventional wisdom says that, if you get your finances sorted, you can walk away, relax and… Read more

TO IGNORE OR NOT TO IGNORE IS THE QUESTION Deciding to retire gives you the freedom to slow down, step back, and – if you choose – stop trying to keep up with the latest gadgets and apps. After all, isn’t that what kids and grandkids are for? But is that really a wise move?… Read more

Happy New Year! I hate going to the gym at this time of year—suddenly it’s bulging with hordes of new people, sporting brand-new tops and trainers, attacking exercise with the zeal of a convert.And then, 2–3 weeks later, the crowds thin out, resolutions fade, and everything returns to normal. Various studies suggest that around 80%… Read more