I’ve just come back from a walk outdoors at the end of a 3-day weekend.
Prior attempts at a post for this week were… whiny.
It’s been a very difficult few months, with parents hospitalized, a death and a funeral, a house guest who stayed with us for 3 weeks over 2 months (not that I’m counting), and some tough stints at work.
During that time, our lives at the PiN household were turned upside down, and we were taken out of our usual schedules. It was not great.
As I walked in the sun today, warmly dressed so that the cool weather was merely refreshing, I was able to reflect on the routine life that I have built with Mr. PiN over the past few years. The one that I missed very badly when it was gone.
When we are not in the middle of a crisis (and I am not working in the hospital, which is like living in a crisis for several weeks in a row), my schedule allows me to do many things that are good for me: working a job I am good at, which provides value to others; exercising many days of the week; entertainment (usually TV–the music channels, or, lately, tennis) in the evening, reading before bed, socializing on the weekends. Somewhere in there I fit in tidying up and blogging.
Money is comfortable. We aren’t financially ready to retire yet, but I don’t worry too much anymore about the utility bills. If the AC finally gives up the ghost this spring, finding a replacement and someone to install it is likely to be harder than coming up with the cash to pay for it.
Cutting back on work (a smidge), paying off debt, and paying attention to what I truly enjoy has led me to a routine that makes me happy.
Reading about financial independence has helped me feel more comfortable with our money. Reading about early retirement has pushed me to make sure I have a life outside of work to enjoy.
Concentrating on these things have made me happier and let me build a wonderful life for myself. Even if I never retire early, the last few years have really been very good to me.
I hope that you can look back on your year and feel that you, too, are living a wonderful life. Or else, that you are working towards making your future into what you love.
Wishing you all the best for 2022.
–Physician in Numbers
Sorry about your home situation. Completely understandable that blogging takes a back seat.
Hoping ’22 brings some much needed great things ahead
Thank you for coming by, Xrayvsn. I think things are calming down now, and I can return to my prior routine, which was pretty comfortable. I’m sure I’ll be thinking of ways to improve on it soon enough.