How does it all get done?

Some of it is routine (cleaning, shopping etc) because broadly it is done on the same day each week. Some of it is activities booked in the diary, just as one did at work - that covers classes, meetings, visiting friends and families and the rest are ad hoc activities, lodged in the mind to be done when there is a spare moment, gardening, baking cakes, making preserves are my current ad hoc activities

We have a monthly list as we have not long moved and there are a lot of jobs to do. Other than that it's sit up in bed in the morning and " What are we doing today? " We do of course have things we have to do, like taking the library books back and I do some voluntary work. Other than that we just decide, often depending on the weather what we would like to do. Retirement is great

I feel a bit rebellious at the moment about routine work. I decided this morning -to hell with it and went for a long lovely walk on the Downs instead of the usual Monday bed changing and housework as well as washing.

Did it this afternoon

I retired in march and keep thinking I really must stop all this relaxing and taking life as it comes. I’ve had a perfectly lovely day today at a local seaside enjoying this unusually warm autum day. Depending on the weather I may do the same tommorow then lunch with ex colleagues. I can have my grandchildren over every weekend without worrying how to catch up with housework. I do wonder how I’ll fare this winter though. Hopefully I’ll be as snug as a bug and feeling smug that I’m not out fighting the weather and feeling stressed at work. For now I’m just enjoying doing as I please.

I decided that it was important to keep the weekends special or at least different from the week. I have several set activities and work in social activities and shopping/washing/boring household stuff around those.
Best bit is the luxury of time, especially in the morning!

I wondered the very same thing winterwhite! I'm not yet retired, so I fit the housework, shopping, childminding etc. around my work.
When I am retired, will I take longer to complete these tasks and therefore just spread them out through the week?
I like the advice to keep weekends special, almost like a treat.

Only one thing on any day - e.g. I don't plan anything else for a Monday, because that is Pilates day

I just go with the flow . If that means leaving the house on an impromptu outing, with chores left undone, so be it.

My yardstick is kind of - that I've gone back to how it was when I was a child: I don't do anything that I don't really feel like doing!

I don't have a plan. I just do what needs to be done on a daily basis. Today I did washing and unblocked my bathroom washbasin, ( don't ask)?. Tomorrow, I'm having the grandchildren, all four of them, so that my DD and SiL can go to Newcastle by themselves for a change! At some point this week I need to go and have my hair cut. Dusting and vacuuming I do as and when needed.

It never all gets done. We've survived so far ?

We do have a bit of a structure but after a life time of early mornings - 8am is now our getting up time. I refuse to do anything outside the house before 9.30. Our week does revolve round some things but they are all fun things. The diary gets quite full at times but I'm good at culling. Sundays are always ours.

Like whitewave we were rebellious today and went for a long walk on the beach in the hot autumn sun instead of doing any of the chores. They will still be there tomorrow!

I think it is important to have some routine but with built in relaxation days. Sometimes I over book myself and find I am rushing round all week. Do not get up early unless absolutely necessary. Still find myself cleaning at the weekends, can't seem to break that habit!

We thought to go for a walk along the beach yesterday, but the weather was so awful it was dangerous. So we stayed indoors and did little jobs. Better today though so off out

Who says it all gets done?

We have some things to 'hang our week on'. Both DH and I do volunteering on (changeable) a couple of days a week. I have the school run for 2 dgc every Wednesday. Other things have to fit in.

And i have a cleaner!

How does all WHAT get done?
Surely the point of being retired is that you live to the beat of your own drum (or indeed none)
Some people spend more time on childcare, others on the golf course. Some will volunteer and others meet friends for coffee or lunch. Many do all 4 !
Say goodbye to list making, daily schedules and early starts.
This is YOU time (with certain constraints because of course you are now available to help out with family commitments or there may be other considerations regarding your own health or that of your partner)
I retired 7 years ago and that well intentioned “to do” list is still untouched. Like morethan2 I do sometimes think I should stop all this relaxing and taking life as it comes but “as it comes” can also be life hurling missiles at you, and the time you spent relaxing may have been what kept you sane.
Or maybe I am missing the point of retirement altogether?

Spot on MawBroon that’s how I feel too.No lists or structure here, we do more or less what we feel like doing, depending on how we feel and the weather.After all those years of routines, this is bliss.?

For most 'retirement' simply means stopping doing paid work and choosing how to spend your time.

For some people this might mean relaxing and doing nothing other than what occurs to you on the day, but for others who enjoy being busy, organised and on the run all the time retirement means continuing to be busy, organised and on the run all the time but having more control over what we do and how and when.

I think few of us are ever entirely fancy free in retiement. Retirement for me has included looking after elderly relatives, nursing my daughter for sometime after an accident, and, of course, grandchild care, not much in my case because we live so far away, but we have done DIY, helped with moves and done all sorts of other jobs for our adult children.

This Duracell bunny intends to keep rushing around doing things as long as she can.

I'm lucky my grandchildren are all grown up so no child minding required. I like to get any housework done in the morning as I dislike having to work after going out. Fit in some voluntary work, dog walking and lunches out with friends. Forget the chores if there is something better on offer.

When i first retired after a life of working and being self sufficient...
I couldn't get quite used to the fact that money came into our bank accounts without having to work for it... seemed not quite right somehow!
Got over that feeling now and we purposely make plans to treat ourselves once a week...
i choose the treat one week and "he" chooses the next week...
Can be as simple as going to the cinema to a holiday... Otherwise we found we were beginning to "morph"...

Like Jane10 we keep the weekends free to do as we please apart from cooking, washing up etc. I don’t do the 18:6 on weekends so we go out to breakfast on Saturday followed by some shopping. Sunday is the only day we don’t go out apart from walking the dog. I do have set jobs for set days as I have found it is the only way I can keep up with housework which is usually done in the mornings. Jobs like oven cleaning, carpet cleaning, window cleaning and deep cleaning a room are usually done in the afternoons, as is gardening when required and weather permitting.

Reading this back I realise I am turning into my Mum although unlike her I will not get stressed if I go out for the day and have to leave that day’s jobs until another time.

Ooh I think I must be a bit odd. I have a timetable -so I stay fit and meet real people. - Monday Pilates, Tuesday swim, Wednesday domestic day and singing, Thursday Zumba, Friday coffee meet up with friends. Saturday is free (sometimes a beach clean with local group) and Sunday usually church + something active and or social. Shopping, gardening, cards with friends, monthly club to see a play. I do have to watch not to get over committed and then things stop being fun. I do not have grandchildren so it would be easy to spend life on computer and following husband about. But that would not be a good life would it?

It would be a good life if somebody wanted it sandelf ( although going out as a couple and doing things that please you, is hardly ‘following husband about’) but the whole point of retirement is doing things that you want to do, and when you want to, whenever you can.Sure, we all have some responsibilities/committments but nobody has to stick to Monday is washing day syndrome anymore.
Life is short.

The joy is to simply do what you want, when you want, total freedom. If it’s housework day and you get invited out, the dust will still be waiting for you tomorrow ! After bringing up families and years at work, just get drunk on your freedom and relish every moment, you will discover a new lease of life ???‍♀️✈️?‍♂️

I agree with you Coconut. Why have a routine when you're retired and anything can wait till tomorrow? My SIL retired a year ago and if I ask her to come out on a nice day she sometimes says she can't as its her ironing day, or her meal planning morning. She has to keep to the same designated days for chores that she had when she worked full time. I've tried to suggest that she could do that tomorrow, but she refuses to get out of sync! A bit OCD I think.