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I’ve always been a man of habits and routines, but it seems that these days, as a 72 year old retiree, I adhere to them even more. I’m not yet on the level of Dustin Hoffman’s Rainman with Judge Wapner, but I’m getting there.
Maybe it’s because I have more control over my schedule now and so can more faithfully indulge these habits. Or maybe the calcification of my brain and the well known tendency of old folks to dislike change have combined to make me ever more dedicated to them.
Five or six mornings a week, I’m on the treadmill, fast walking to Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. A good movie really makes the miles fly by.
Then for breakfast every day, it’s oatmeal, and I must say, a great oatmeal: with apples, raisins, strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, bran, flaxseed, and hemp hearts.
When I first fire up the laptop, I also have a routine: I click on a variety of sites that benefit the animals, especially the doggies, with small contributions or contests. I actually won one of them once, and designated a local shelter to receive the $2500 prize.
Sometime during the day I check the latest offerings here on Humble Dollar. It’s almost like taking a correspondence course in personal finance, among other things, and I always feel a little smarter afterwards.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6 PM, I do free weights with the PBS News Hour. I’ve been watching this show so long that it was only recently that I finally quit referring to it as the The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. Fridays are the best as I always look forward to the weekly political analysis of David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart, and for many years before that it was Brooks and the great Mark Shields.
And if it’s Friday that means that first delicious taste of a cold Modelo Negra, or maybe a glass of wine, as I only imbibe on weekends. In fact, despite having been told during my working life that when I retire, “Every day is Saturday”, I’m most comfortable with treating Monday through Friday as “workdays”, and weekends as weekends.
My wife likes to go to bed earlier than I do, especially on weeknights, so after she retires I read my books (usually one nonfiction, my “vegetables”, and one fiction, my “dessert”), and then watch a half hour or so of a movie, usually on Kanopy. That’s followed by the late local news and a small dose of ice cream. I’ve read that having a pre-bedtime routine helps with getting a good night’s sleep, so maybe this habit even has health benefits.
Finally, if it’s Sunday lunchtime, I’m enjoying the migas or breakfast tacos (for lunch) I made, while reading Adam Grossman’s latest contribution. Just seeing Adam’s name in print makes me hungry!
I could go on (and on), but you get the picture.
So what habits and routines do my fellow HD denizens practice and enjoy? And if you’ve retired, have your habits changed?
Jan 1, 2020, the WSJ had an article about how to create a new habit and make it stick. You start with a trigger, then do the act. Start modestly and then add to whatever it is. Well, needing to get more fit, my trigger is to turn the coffee pot on when I roll out of bed. Then, I go to an empty bedroom and do 20 pushups and plank for 1 minute. By the time I’m dressed the coffee is ready and I have a small fitness victory for the day.
Patrick, I like that! My wife, though, might prefer I find a trigger for shedding a few habits!
Just returned from a 3 month road trip thru Canada to Alaska and back. We actually made it to the Arctic Ocean and I did the obligatory polar swim, (more of a dunk). The best thing about being home is returning to our daily routines! Walk the dog in the morning, usually followed by a couple hours of pickleball at our club with friends. Late breakfast/lunch around noon, (we do intermittent fasting). Read HD and a couple of history/political blogs, then maybe some gardening or work around the house. Occasional nap. Dinner around 7. Evenings almost always PBS Newshour followed by Jeopardy and a favorite show or movie.
We do lots of roadtrips, like a fall foliage trip in a couple of weeks up to Vermont, so our routines when we’re home are nice to come back to.
Mike, thanks for your comments. Sounds like you’re quite active physically, so let me ask how you maintain that during road trips?
We don’t travel all that much but when we do, I miss my treadmill and weights. On those occasions I try to walk more, and do a few exercises in the hotel room or, if they have an exercise room, maybe there.