Averyl.com

I officially retired earlier this year!! But what does that mean to me?!

I have been self-employed since 2001. I’m still in business but have significantly wound down my activities to a minimum. But retirement, for me, is so much more than a career or job.

I’ve had lots of non-profitable but highly enriching side-hustles for most of my life. Some of those causes have been more like full-time jobs, and I may write about that more in future posts. When you don’t need a lot of sleep you can get more things done!

I’m always busy, even if it’s just in my head analyzing a situation. If someone told me to sit down and do nothing I would go nuts, In fact, as much as I love living in a beach town and have my beach passes and talking walks by the ocean, I’m incapable of actually planting myself there for the day. A day at the beach?! Just no. I’m way too ADD.

Underneath it all, I’ve lived my life serving God, my divine Employer. My faith enables me to take on big challenges, and the resolve I receive from living a spiritual life empowers me to do things that surpass my perceived capabilities. “You must do that thing you think you cannot do” is one of my favorite quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt. I’ve always felt inspired by that sentiment and challenge and accepted it.

I have no plans to not be engaged in various capacities, and to continue taking on new challenges. But now, my personal expectations are changing. Retirement for means raising the bar by lowering my standards. Let me explain.

My homemade cake doesn’t have to look like it was decorated by a professional. I used to agonize over this, wanting it to look so pretty. Now I think that simple and wholesome is stunning. Creating nourishing meals with love and not stressing is raising the bar.

I’m letting go of the expectation that I’m not supposed to look like a fifty-eight year old woman. That does NOT mean I’m “letting myself go.” It means that I’m not being mean to myself when I look in the mirror. That’s raising my spirits instead of feeling depressed. My face is changing and keeping it looking like it did ten years ago is not a job for which I will sign on.

Last night, I decided to go up to the podium at local public meeting and speak without having a prepared, printed page from which I read which is how I normally do it. I told myself that I can relax, it’s OK if I say something clumsy and it’s recorded on the town’s YouTube for all to see. (Like Eleanor said, I wanted to do that thing I didn’t think I could do!) I mean yeah, it’s good to be prepared and all, but I just wanted to ease up on myself. The media was there covering this meeting due to its being a controversial topic. The craziest thing happened. I was one of many speakers, but the local news selected me and my comments to show in their story?! I guess I didn’t suck.

I’m retiring from perfectionism and allowing myself to be what feels like I’m slacking. Yet from a wellness perspective, I’m excelling at being more present in the moment so that I can enjoy the time I have left in good health.