Plan On

Feeling more and more like I'm back on track after a Winter hibernation, this arrived in my work In box attached to a retirement flyer.  Perfect for the day when I gave my assistant a pep talk about tackling one thing at a time and not letting the sheer magnitude of the list of things to do be overwhelming.  Write things down as they come up, prioritize based on date due (or who it's for - our boss gets things right away regardless of other more pressing items) and just move forward.  

It's easy to let it all feel/be overwhelming - I've been there.  But I've learned it's just best to keep up with keeping up - lists are my friend - and just plug away.  Make solid, repetitive, concerted effort for the majority of the day and little by little, things get crossed off the list.  

I also take deep breaths and align my chakras periodically when I feel overwhelmed and that helps, too.  Stand up straight, shoulders back, hands up over my head prayerfully and a huge stretch.  It works!!  Shakes off the muddled mind cobwebs and helps me refocus and get back to it - 

It was also fortuitous to find this given J. spent the day in San Francisco meeting with our financial planner.  He (financial planner) doesn't understand why I haven't retired yet - I think he's delirious. No one on the planet has crunched those numbers more than I have - and with a house payment, it's not feasible.  We don't have an amount equivalent to another house payment to pay out of pocket for health care - and we sure can't live without that.  And yes, we've looked into the Affordable Care Act offerings on the California website - and the plans we could get through that are comparable in pricing to the insurance I would have through my (former) employer if I retire.  So no savings there. 

It's OK.  At least for today.  J. knows I will be frantic at some point in the not-too-distant future that I can't keep doing this - it's been happening periodically since he retired.  But I will snap out of it - and have this card posted on the tack board above my desk.  A reminder to keep planning and stay calm. Things will work out.  I'm sure of it.  

I'd rather work a bit longer to ensure we have plenty of money to do the things we want to do vs. retire earlier and live on a shoestring budget where travel and Starbucks are not in the plan.  We want those things to be 'the plan'.  Lots of leisure time and the funds to enjoy that time - so when I think of it that way, I can keep on keeping on for a few more years.  At least.

We had SUN today!  It was lovely.  Our office was actually warm enough to open the doors and windows a bit - which necessitated some of us delayering a bit to be comfortable.  

Busy two days ahead - meetings booked solid with other things wedged in between.  Weekend work is coming up.  I haven't worked a weekend since June so I'm 'due'.