Routine or Freewheeling in Retirement?

We go away a lot - nothing flash, but we have a caravan/lodge that we can go to whenever we fancy, so long-standing routines don't work for us.

I have a few social commitments that I stick to - things that happen monthly or less frequently, and we come home for those, and take the opportunity to catch up on washing and other chores. I tend to arrange things like hair appointments around the social things, so that there is more 'free time' to use as we please.

I still work, but part-time, and what I do can be done remotely, so that doesn't get in the way. I don't think I would take a job that required any sort of regular attendance now.

When my pension kicks in I might give up working altogether (or I might not, but there will be that option) and when/if that happens I will look into doing volunteering so long as it can be done on Zoom or otherwise online. I'm not sure what form it would take, but I have a lot of transferable skills that could be used by someone.

I suppose I like a mixture of spontaneity and commitment. Not having to set the alarm is absolutely non-negotiable though .

We aim to have a mix of volunteering, socialising (both independently and together) and doing nothing. Inevitably stuff crops up on the nothing days. I love to be busy but relish the odd day with nothing in the diary.

My mum used to say that it's good to have something to hang one's week on.