Would You like a feature Interview?
All Interviews are 100% FREE of Charge
I had poured nine years of my life into that law firm. It was demanding, nonstop work, but I loved it. Up until that point, my entire adult life had been focused on building my legal career and raising a family. Then my youngest of four kids graduated from school. The kids were done, my firm was sold, and suddenly, I felt like I had nothing left.
Looking ahead to the rest of our lives, my husband and I wondered what would happen to us without our children or jobs.
I was worried about how my husband and I would spend our new free time.
I was lost. For the first time in my life, I had no purpose or direction. I had all the time I wanted to do something, but I didn’t know what it was.
My husband and I agreed to sell the business but not to retire early.
“We’re too young to retire,” I told him more than once. “We still have so much to offer.”
“Let’s not be reckless. We should grab the opportunity for a new, slower life with both hands,” he would reply.
Our marriage was long and happy. I didn’t mind spending a lot of time with my husband. all Time together. As we headed towards retirement, I wondered: what would we do, what would we talk about, would we get sick of each other?
These questions haunted me as I reluctantly began organizing my cupboards during the first few weeks of early retirement. The task was so tedious and daunting that I worried it would represent the rest of my life.
Through force of habit, I compulsively checked my email multiple times a day, only to be disappointed whenever a shopping email arrived encouraging me to buy the latest thing.
Eventually, I noticed a change in myself.
Day by day, week by week, I felt myself growing lighter. The lines between my eyes faded. I hadn’t realized how often I’d frowned, concentrating on solving the latest problem. I’d failed to realize the magnitude of the burden I was carrying on my shoulders: the weight of a team of 35 people and thousands of customers. The weight of the wildfires I’d thought flickered outside, constantly threatening to flare up and damage the business, had finally lifted.
I started filling my days with things other than work and the 100+ emails I had to respond to each day.
I continued to surprise myself by meeting up with estranged friends and telling myself that I would get along with them. their Once a week. No more guessing when to meet for coffee, no more taking your laptop to the salon, no more texting while grocery shopping.
On our usual morning walks with our baby golden retriever, my husband and I were able to slow down our pace. Our walks were longer and slower, and we often ended them with a leisurely coffee in a cafe.
Plus, we are traveling more and for longer periods of time.
Of course, I get to spend more time with my husband, but the time we spend together is more meaningful and helps me discover a new side of myself.
I’m trying to write a new chapter for myself
As I explored who I wanted to be outside of my career and marriage, I decided I should start writing. I enrolled in some online writing classes. I began trying my hand at flash fiction, short stories, memoirs, poetry, and travel writing.
Now 18 months into my retirement, I’ve come to realize that this time in life is a gift: I can stop rushing and start nourishing myself with the things I love. I can do what I want. I have the luxury of time and the freedom to do what I want, when I want. I can focus on the present, without being distracted.
Early retirement has given me the opportunity to literally write a new chapter in my life, and this chapter is all about me.