"Did you ever wake up to find a day that broke up your mind?
Destroyed your notion of circular time?"
Retirement Theory of Relativity
Making decisions in retirement are based on lifestyle choices and sometimes those decisions are already made for you... It's all based on retirement relativity.
GUAMPHILIPPINESFEATUREDLIFESTYLES
7/17/20267 min read
So you have decided to retire. That was likely a tough decision. But moving abroad to a place that limits your decision making choices may not be the right choice. Even in retirement, time management skills are an asset - that's if you choose to use them. Being able to make decisions in retirement is a luxury, and having few options limits the decisions you're able to make. That is especially true when living in the Philippines, but here in Guam, that decision making skillset seems to be put to the test. Consider the following decision making scenario I encountered recently...
Yesterday...
I started out yesterday posting my most recent video "Wife Braves Tough Ride for Fiesta Food!" After that, I decided to drive to the post office looking for mail. Nothing! I returned home and accomplished absolutely nothing the rest of the day. I swear it was my decision. I tuned into the frustrating morning war-in-Iran updates, and before long, I had spent nearly 3 hrs doing internet deep dives. That was also my decision. Then it was time for lunch and our daily soap opera (Amazon Prime series) - this week it's "Spider-Noir." After watching one episode, I logged back onto the internet for important messages, left a few comments here and there, before I laid down for a nap. It must be all that Spanish heritage here in the islands that rubbed off on me where the daily siesta has become the norm.
I woke up at about 3:30 pm, got me a cup of coffee, and started all over again. I refer to a day like this as "Same Day - Part Two." I visited my website for a quick update on stats, answered some emails, then got showered and readied for Bowling. We were at the bowling alley from 6-10 pm for league play, where I consumed much 'aiming juice', then returned home, grabbed a bite to eat and hit the hay. I'm totally accustomed to breaking my day into two parts... no arguments there. It's a well-planned decision in my opinion! I had plenty of decision making opportunities this day, but I chose not make too many.
Today...
This morning I woke up, coffe in hand, sat down at my desk and did not know where to begin. I cleaned up some computer memory as needed, visited a couple video and blog ideas, and came up empty. So I said to myself, "screw it, I'll get right on it after lunch" (after the nap). My first thought was that I might be procrastinating, but I'm not entirely lazy mind you. I still plan my scooter rides, make time for bowling and the gym, and various outdoor activities. I also make time for the computer with blogging and vlogging. There are just too many things happening at a rapid pace in this world and it's making me just want to go slower. Prioritizing is ever so important. Maybe it's a "Retirement Theory of Relativity" ... where the more things and activities there are to do, the more decisions need to be made and the faster time slips by.
Then there is the self-realization that I've been blogging for over 20 years, and vlogging for over 12 years, and if anyone should be burned out, I suppose it should be me. If I were a bit younger, all the new AI publishing and creativity software advances would excite me. But to advance with the current rapid pace of technology takes away valuable leisure time, that seems to already be in short supply. So I decide not to indulge in most of it. I occasionaly have to remind myself that, I "Retired in Samar" 13 years ago, but I still need things to do keep myself busy. I could simply quit, but then I would have fewer decisions to make and absolutely nothing to do. Boredome can strangle the life from anybody quickly if one allows it to (easy to do living in the Philippines). Even a procrastinator like me isn't ready for that. So I've decided to keep plugging along with a full calendar doing the best I can manage.
Tomorrow...
After my early moring routine, I will run a few errands before I pick up the new Harley seat I ordered at the dealership. Our local Harley Chapter has a ride scheduled for tomorrow evening, so now I have to decide whether I need to install it before the group ride so the wife can ride along with me. It's a ride to a predetermined destination and it's called "Take The Long Way Home." The end of the ride concludes with gathering in a cool tropical setting with views, with some Chesa's (local poo-poos) and refresments (sponsored by a local beer distributor). From there, one by one, riders find their own way home. But before all that happens, I have to do some research on my new camera, pick up a new portable hard drive, get some file management done, and fuel up and polish the bike. We also have an outbound tropical depression on our doorstep so, if no rain tomorrow, it will cost me the better part of an afternoon doing nothing but cruising and chilling out with friends. If it does rain, I just might get some computer work done or just hit the gym. Then again, I haven't gone swimming in quite a while. I have a decision to make. All in all, it will turn out to be an easy week on the decision making front.
The Guam-Philippines Comparison.
In the Philippines, I can generally wake up and take the day as it comes. First coffee, followed by moping around the house looking for things to do. And if I determine that something needs to be done which involves manual labor, I can easily farm that out to anyone willing to do it. Then eventually I'll find my way to the man cave and I'll create something to do. No rush, no hurry. And when the wife suggests going into town, I rarely turn her down because it provides me an opportunity to get out and away from the homestead (and out of doing yardwork in the swealtering heat!). Nothing ever goes as planned in the Philippines and because of that, making decisions here are more improptu. Brownouts, water outages, unexpected loud celebrations and karaoke sessions, and tropical storms... they all seem to disrupt anything you might have planned. In reality though, there never seems to be much of anything to do (activity wise-unless you like drinking) so not much decision making is involved. So in essence, I don't ever plan for much. If it happens, it happens. And I still manage to get things accomplished, albeit at a much slower, hum-drum pace. Life here can become downright boring.
Here in Guam, I must operate with an entirely different mindset. On any given day, I'll start with the fresh brewed coffee at my desk. There is no property maintenace or yard work, and very few honey dos get assigned to me (condo life!). I get more done computer-wise here in the mornings because of and in the name of "certainty." We can count on stable electric power, internet, and the water flowing. We can count on trash collection and traffic. We can count on the local businesses to be open as scheduled. We can count on something to happen, because it is scheduled to happen - and we plan accordingly.
Because there are so many activities on this island to keep one occupied, it requires good planning skills to squeeze it all in. I already know in advance what's coming and what needs to be done. Sure I might have things lined up like scheduled vechicle maintenance and or a medical appointment, but that's normal anywhere. But then there are all the other activities and social events that fight for calendar space. There are outdoor leisure activities like golf, diving, and group motorcycle riding events (weather permitting), and in case of rain, there are back-up plans like playing racquetball, getting a massage, or a visit to the sauna. I've always been a strong advocate of staying busy in retirement and it's much easier to accomplish that here in Guam without getting bored. The biggest problem one might face here is with deciding which activities one wants to participate in. There are so many conflicting activites going on here and you can't do them all. So decisions need to be made.
The cruise I'm not taking!
For example, the wife invited me to join her and her Tai-Chi fitness group on a sunset cruise next week and I initially areed to go. But then a Harley group ride got scheduled for that same afternoon. So it's either hang out with a bunch of ladies on a boat, or with the guys who ride? Easy decision made!
Should I golf on Friday or hit the gym? Decision required! Do I stay home and work on videos, or do I head to the beach? Another decision! Do I pop a pizza in the oven or should I just order Papa Johns? Decision! But when the wife decides to go grocery shopping, I tell her "see ya later" because that's a no-brainer! There are plenty of other things I'd rather be doing.
It seems that all those time-management skills I learned over my working years are really being put to the test here in Guam. And if you say it all sounds too fast-paced and complicated for a retirement lifestyle, then the Philippines might just be the place for you. You decide!
