Life’s A Buffet…and Retirement Is The Time To Savour It All

Dear readers,

This is not a post. It’s a farewell, of sorts.

Imagine walking into a hall filled with endless assortment of dishes from every corner of the world. There’s savoury, sweet, spicy and everything in between. Now imagine someone handing you a tray saying, “Go ahead, pick what you want.” 

That, my friends, is life in retirement: one big, glorious buffet. 

Sampling Starters – Trying New Hobbies

Retirement is when we are free to try things we’ve always been curious about. Always wanted to paint? Grab that canvas and brush. Intrigued by birdwatching? Get those binoculars and head outside. Feel like starting a podcast about your favourite 1970s sitcoms? The microphone is all yours. 

For me, this curiosity was writing. I’ve had my share of writing business plans and sales proposals but those are factual and commercial. I wanted to explore my breadth and flow on a topic of my choice. 

That was how Smart Retirement Today started – in the depth of Covid-19 when life was disrupted, activities came to a standstill and travel was restricted. 

Main Course – Pursuing Passion Projects

This blog has helped me to discover my writing voice. I’ve learnt to work on a digital platform, editing my writing and grappling with SEO maximisation. Incorporating my own photos has proven to be extremely satisfying and taught me an eye for captivating visuals. So much so that I’m often besieged by that ‘Aha! photo moment’, to the chagrin of my S.O. who has to wait or even help me find a winning angle for my shots. 

A friend recently shared a graphic that captured in no uncertain term how life is galloping by. 

Every row has 12 neatly dotted blocks representing months of the year. 8 rows are depicted, meaning 8 reasonably healthy decades when we’re hopefully blessed with physical and mental capacity. The unshaded part will increasingly shrink as the days go by. So sit up, and partake in the buffet of life so that it is lived to the fullest.

Desserts – Indulging in Pleasures

While blogging satiates my creativity, it’s time to explore other cuisines in the buffet spread. 

In 2025, I will embark on a couple of new endeavours that will require my full focus. That means halting this blog. Perhaps it will come back…another time, in another form. Who knows, maybe it’s waiting for me at the dessert station?

A New Year Beckons

So in the final hours of 2024, it is with gratitude and love that I’m bidding off. Thank you for your support and being a part of my journey. I hope you found helpful tips, new perspectives and learnt from my experiences to make your retirement shine. 

A Happy & Meaningful 2025…and beyond! 

Savvy Maverick

(Main image: Dylan Nolte, Unsplash)

If you’d like to stay in touch or share a story of your own, do write to me at sm(at)rt(dot)today or smartretirementtoday(at)gmail(dot)com.