I started this series of posts at the end of October 2018. I had just cut back my hours from full time to 90%, and wanted to use my new free time wisely. Some of that time was to relax, but I also wanted to improve my fitness, make my home a more pleasant place to stay, and work on becoming a more well-rounded human being.
My last update was in January 2021, with a number of wins, and several misses.
So how have I done with my new goals? Read on for the latest update, covering the first 3+ months of 2021.
The Goals.
I am trying out a number of things I think I might like doing in retirement. My goal in practicing now is partly to see if I actually like them, and partly to work on enjoying myself now, rather than putting it all off until later.
As time goes on, I have added some tasks or activities that just need to get done.
Exercise.
My original goal was to get 150 minutes a week of exercise, with plans to ramp up my strength training. Over time, I decided I wanted to increase my exercise time; however, it became clear that I just can’t exercise as much during my weeks working in the hospital. Setting an unrealistic goal was a little demoralizing, so I set a two-tiered goal:
- When I am working in the hospital, my goal is to get 90 minutes of exercise a week. It’s not the recommended amount, but it is definitely a stretch for me.
- When I am working in the clinic only (and have weekends off), my goal is to get 210 minutes of exercise a week, of which at least 60 should be strength training. I choose to include yoga under the strength training category. If you worked with my teacher, you would understand why.
During this first quarter of the year, I finished about 50% of my hospital time obligation. If you think this means I spent a disproportionately high amount of time working in the hospital during COVID surges, you would be right.
I met my exercise goals in 2 out of my 5 hospital weeks. Some of my fatigue spilled over into the weeks after my hospital rotations; I ended up meeting my exercise time goals in only 7 of the 10 non-hospital weeks.
As a former med student, I’d say I did terribly: 9/15 weeks is an average of 60%!
As a more mature adult, I will point out that I did meet my goal more than half the time. And, after taking a recent hilly walk with Mr. PiN, I note that my fitness is much better than it has been in some Springs, when the route would leave me huffing and puffing until July.
In the coming 3 months, I should have many more weeks with lighter schedules; at the least, I will get weekends off.
I think my exercise goals are quite reasonable, and I would like to continue with them.
Eventually I may work on increasing my aerobic fitness, and stretching more regularly, but first I need to get back into putting in the time.
Also, I need to work on reducing the number of weeks I work in the hospital; they really are bad for my health.
Connecting with friends and family.
The internet has also helped me be more consistent about socializing with friends. Every Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, I log on to see my friends’ smiling and maskless faces. One year into the pandemic, I am so grateful we decided to set up regular meetings.
For the last few months, I had wanted to add in the following goals:
- Study MKSAP with my friend, keeping in mind that the CME for half of the MKSAP 18 modules will expire this summer.
- Meet with people other than my tea-friends, at least once per month. Which would have been 3 visits.
How did I do?
These goals were pretty much a total miss.
All that hospital time meant I seldom had a weekend day where I was energetic enough to do extra study (not to mention, my friend was often working on weekends when I was off).
I did see my family via Zoom for a holiday, and went for a walk with a friend on vacation, but I think that was the only time I really had a social event with other people beyond the baseline.
Even so, I was so happy to have my weekend meetings, I can’t really complain.
My goals going forward, though, will be bigger.
Spring is coming, and outdoor socializing will be practical. Also, people around here are getting vaccinated (though not enough. I can’t believe how many vaccine-hesitant people I am running into!).
I have hopes of some in-person socializing, though in very small doses. One per month, or 3 in the next three months, seems reasonable. Of course, if COVID goes nuts in the area again, then this may have to be abandoned.
Also, I really should start working on MKSAP again. Preferably with my friend, or on my own if I have to. At this point, getting through 2 subjects–including passing the CME test for credit–before the July deadline would be a bonus.
Local Adventures.
This goal was absolutely on hold until the pandemic ended.
The pandemic isn’t over yet, but with vaccination, things are looking up. Mr. PiN will be fully vaccinated soon.
I think it is premature to make goals in this category. But, if he and I visit a museum, or possibly take a walk in a different neighborhood, I would consider this a bonus win for my mental health.
Reading.
I feel ever so much better if I read things unrelated to medicine. I decline to set a goal for overall reading (X books in Y months) to avoid spoiling my reading time. But I do want to work on reading “worthy” books. In the past I have tried to work on reading some of the classics.
My goal for this period was to finish The Age of Innocence and to start on another book–either a classic or one given to me by family.
I still haven’t finished The Age of Innocence. In fact, I mostly read some escapist fiction to deal with the stress of hospital work. While I was on vacation, I started reading some short stories by Ernest Hemingway: “The Snows of Kilamnajaro” was very good; I then re-read “Hills Like White Elephants,” which I still don’t care for; and then moved onto “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” At which point I remembered why I don’t like Hemingway.
As I emerge from my tough work season, I think I can address my reading goal with a better chance of success. I would still like to finish The Age of Innocence, and maybe finish off another of the many “worthy” books I have started. Possibly I might pick up another of the many books on my To-Be-Read pile.
Clear the Clutter.
One benefit of staying home (more) during the pandemic has been clearing out spaces that have been stuffed full of… stuff… for years.
My goal for the last quarter was flexible. I just wanted to finish any one of these projects:
- Clear out the linen closet.
- Clear out the guest closet downstairs (full of a spare mattress, pillows, and I-don’t-know-what).
- Clear out the bathroom cabinets.
- Clear the two large boxes of things to give away (already filled in prior months) out of the house.
Strangely enough, I did not have the energy to do much while I was working every day in the hospital. However, while I was on vacation, I did clear out the bathroom cabinets AND also cleared out one of the two give-away boxes.
Right now, my urge to declutter is lower than it has been for a while. Possibly because I am enjoying the fruits of my labors. However, it would be a total misrepresentation to say the house is tidy.
I think it would be a reasonable goal to get one of these tasks done by the time of the next check in:
- Clear out the linen closet.
- Clear out the guest closet downstairs, the one with the spare mattress (don’t ask).
- Give away/dispose of the remaining box of things to give away.
- Continue to off-load the books I culled months ago (they have been going to the local Little Free Libraries, but maybe they need to migrate more quickly).
- Clear another shelf’s worth of books from my collection (25 books, or so) to make room for the ones that are being acquired.
Creative Activities.
One of the things I feel is very important is to use some of my free time to do something more creative. In my case, to explore different activities, maybe revisit some passions from childhood. I still totally overwhelmed this winter, see: long hours at the hospital. I had three goals for this period:
- Finish a photo book for either 2018 or 2019.
- Continue knitting, or possibly restart quilting.
- Keep blogging.
Not only did I keep blogging (except a short, unplanned hiatus when I just couldn’t manage), I kept knitting. The baby blanket has kept me quiet and engaged through many a Zoom meeting.
I feel pretty good about sticking with these goals, though maybe adding an easier photo book assignment (there wasn’t too much action for 2020, it should be a quick photo book to finish). I am pretty sure I will keep making progress on the knitting and the blogging.
I would very much like to get some of those photo books done. Eventually, maybe in 2022, I may even put piano practice on this list. We will see. I think studying chess and practicing regularly may happen first.
Connecting with the community.
My goal for the fall was to attend two weekday religious services (via Zoom). I had decided that if I went to two services, I would award myself an A+; one service would get me a B.
My work from home schedule got busier, such that attending morning services just wasn’t possible. I did attend a holiday service, one that fell on a weekday. I think I may give myself a B.
I am not sure how my work schedule will look in the next few months. I might stick with a goal of one weekday service, which is probably more realistic.
I had originally (pre-pandemic) put volunteering in this category. When the pandemic is over, I will have to think more seriously about volunteering, but I think this is enough for now.
Business goals.
I had very few financial goals for this time period: set up and fund Mr. PiN’s backdoor Roth.
After years of missing out on this, I did set up Mr. PiN’s backdoor Roth IRA and funded it for 2020. Finally! Many thanks to The Physician Philosopher, whose step by step guide to doing this at Vanguard was extremely helpful.
Also, public service announcement to anyone who wants to do this: the deadline is tax day, which this year has been pushed out to May 15, 2021. So if you are reading this soon after publication, you still have time for 2020!
My financial goal for the coming few months will be to get the 2021 contribution in, and work with him to get the money invested.
TL;DR
In short, my goals are to:
- Keep exercising.
- Socialize weekly via Zoom, and try to add in some other friends occasionally.
- Finish The Age of Innocence and start (maybe finish) another “worthy” book.
- Clear out a closet or two. Or else find a way to give away the contents of my donate box.
- Keep blogging, keep knitting, and also fire up Shutterfly to make some (belated) year books.
- Attend services via Zoom at least once.
- Get Mr. PiN’s backdoor Roth invested.
- Study a lot of MKSAP.
I’ll plan to report in around July.
Do you have any big plans for the coming months? If so, how much do they depend on COVID activity declining?