Many industries – and thus jobs – have busy and less busy times of the year. Maybe things slow down a bit over summer and year’s end. Or, like retail, perhaps they ramp up end of summer and around winter holidays. Even if your industry is pretty steady from month to month, the feel of your job may change as colleagues take time off during school vacation times.
When I was working, the rhythm of a calendar year was governed almost as much by the ebb and flow of my job as by the seasons themselves. Summer vacation time. Everyone back after Labor Day. Christmas week off, which I looked forward to as a way to have time for myself that didn’t count toward my scarce allotment of vacation days. And, when everyone else was off, too, I didn’t return to an Inbox filled with new to-dos. Then came company expectations that we’d be back to full throttle to kick off the New Year.
My first Christmas week after retiring was only a few months after I’d left my job. At that time, it felt a bit strange, since it no longer signaled a break from working. And I was missing some work-related holiday fun.
Now I’ve had a full calendar year as a retiree (I retired the end of July 2024), and I’ve experienced more of the ebb and flow of seasons without a job. Summer feels like a lazier, relaxing time, both because of weather and society around me. Others are away on vacation. Some places close for a break. Spring and fall are busier times to get things done. And around Christmas, even many of my retired friends have different schedules – they’re traveling, or seeing family – and lots of businesses close or reduce hours. There are still external cues around me that it’s a down time, even without a work cycle that used to overpower a lot else in my life.
I didn’t find it strange this year that Christmas week no longer means “a break from work.” I thought a little about the work holiday gatherings we used to have, but not that much. I did notice and enjoy that it’s a great time to see my loved ones who are still working full time but have some time off. The holiday week also meant I couldn’t do some errands and general life tasks – even if banks and government offices are technically open, a lot of staff are on vacation. And that was kind of relaxing and guilt-freeing to know. Unlike when I was working, I can wait until another week for all that.
What’s most remarkable and awe-inspiring to me now as a retiree this time of year is that I don’t have to go back to a job tomorrow. The world around me is ramping back up; but at least to a certain degree, I can choose when and how I return to regular life. Yes, there are appointments and house projects and other obligations that can’t be put off forever. Maybe even a freelance project to pitch now that editors at my former employer will be back to work. But I have so much more control over my schedule, and so much more choice about what to do and when. And, as I’ve discovered these last 15 months, more control over my schedule means a lot more control of my life.
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