Acronyms-how many is enough?

64 PLUS’ 4M process has as its second M “Measuring”. This is the moment of revelation that a person’s retirement diary can look quite empty when compared to a work diary.

For some retired people this is fine, but for others it is a source of anxiety. Why so?

Let’s call it DGS – Diary Guidance Syndrome. It’s quite common for full-time workers to use their diary as the locomotive that pulls their day along. Appointments, meetings, deadlines, travel etc. This can lead to a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder of constant diary checking in order to make sure that nothing gets missed.

OCDD, Obsessive Compulsive Diary Disorder. When an OCDD sufferer moves to retirement it may be a massive relief OR may lead to a loss of guidance. 

This can lead to BS or Bunnings Syndrome, where the retired person marks a day as dedicated to one and only one activity (an outing to Bunnings perhaps) and saves other activities to fill out another day. Self-limiting behaviour perhaps.

In summary, the diary can be a useful slave or a cruel master both at work and in retirement, but if it was your master when you worked what will your diary look like when you stop working?

Do you want any of: DGS, OCDD, BS or none of them? 

Retirement: You won’t know what it is like until you get there.