I’m Retired!!!

They say to wait until you make enough money writing to replace your job before you quit. My social security pretty much covers what I made at my part-time job. So, I think that qualifies.  Now that we are at last empty-nesters, our expenses have dropped significantly. I’ve worked part-time in some capacity for over 20 years. And before that, I homeschooled my five children for 15 years. Yep, and I still have most of my mind intact.

Choosing my own time to write.

I am a morning person. My most creative time is before noon. On my days off from work, I devoted my mornings to writing. Now I have every morning to write. Some may feel the need to hit the ground running. Me? I’d trip and fall in the process. Last week as my first full week of retirement. I took it slow. I need to figure out my new normal. Design a schedule that works for me and my husband. He is a writer too. We are also doing some rehab on our home and have ten grandchildren to spend time with. Did I mention I have five children? They have spouses. So yeah, it’s easy to get distracted from my writing goals.

Why retire?

When I was asked why I was retiring, I replied it’s time. I needed to devote more time to the thing I love—crafting stories. The company I worked for is now a new company under new management and the changes were—well changes. And some new software is on the way.

It was time. Stress from work made it hard to focus on writing. Wearing a mask for hours made me exhausted at the end of the day. And I’d felt God ‘s nudge back in 2019 that 2020 would be the year I would retire.

Is writing a real job?

Some who asked were the people who work those few-hours-a-week jobs to keep themselves busy. They had no idea how busy I would be writing every day. Most people haven’t a clue about all that is involved in creating a novel and marketing it. Even my son asked if I was going to get another job. He knows I have novels published. Yet, in his mind, it’s not a job. I love the sweet man and let his remark fade in the background.

Picking up the pace

Now on week two, I am ready to hit the ground at a quick walk. I have a to-do list and have scheduled my day to include time for things other than writing. I need to learn new marketing and find ways to improve my social media presence to name a few.  I’m more rested, less stressed, and looking forward to the days ahead. I’m sure I’ll continue to adjust my schedule as I navigate my new normal. So far it is everything I imagined it would be.

Have you retired from your job to write full-time? What does your day look like? Curious minds want to know.