Eating my third breakfast of the day at I-don’t-know-what-o’clock, I had a frightening realization: Is this pandemic quarantine what my retirement will be like?
Clearly, I’m not the only one thinking about it. From memes all over Facebook to this article by Alessandra Malito in MarketWatch (Is quarantine like early retirement? These people think so), the similarities of quarantine and retirement are being considered by many.
So, while these feelings are fresh in our minds, let’s do a completely non-scientific quiz to see how ready you are to be a retiree. For those of you who were retired before our current unpleasantness, revisit that first month of retirement to answer these questions.
1) The sudden lack of schedule without a regular school/work routine is…
- Absolute bliss – I get up at 12 and start to work at 1. Take and hour for lunch and then at 2 I’m done. Jolly good fun! (Does anyone know where Kristi got that little rhyme?)
- I had to create my own schedule to keep productive, but I pretty much stick to it.
- I don’t know where my days go, at 6pm I’ve gotten nothing done and it’s making me feel bad about myself as a human.
2) Being at home all day with my partner is…
- So great! We give each other the right amount of space and when we are together never run out of interesting things to talk about.
- Okay, but I miss the joy of girls’/guys’ nights out and the occasional trip to the hardware/book store to just goof around on my own.
- Partner? What partner? I promise, Officer, he/she is not in pieces in my freezer. Really!
3) My pandemic alcohol consumption is…
- Moderate to non-existent. My relationship to alcohol is healthy and not dependent on outside stressors.
- A bit the high side because I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to shower, get the kids to school, commute to work, or much of anything else. But, I’m not doing tons of day-drinking, so feeling okay.
- I’m sorry, can you repeat the question? I just had to step away for a minute to top off my glass.
4) Occupying my time at home has been…
- Fantastic. I have all this extra time to work jigsaw puzzles, sew my own clothes, try new recipes, read, binge watch shows, and reorganize my closets.
- I keep pretty busy with work from home and a few hobbies/projects, but I’m starting to get a little bored.
- One more week of this and I won’t be responsible for my actions.
5) My hygiene/self-care routine has…
- Been a little off, but I manage to shower and put on clothes every day before 5pm.
- I never knew how easy it would be to miss a shower and forget to put on fresh clothes in a whole day. Although I try to have standards.
- The great thing about this pandemic has been the complete lack of laundry since I stopped changing clothes and using towels completely.
6) My relationship with my pets has/is…
- Remained the same or I don’t have a pet.
- Not totally co-dependent, but I do take my dog on four walks a day as a reason to get out of the house. He is looking really fit.
- My pet and I are totally on the same wavelength now. We have complete conversations and Rover recently completed an entire PowerPoint presentation that I gave to clients via Zoom.
Now for your retirement-readiness score! Assign each A answer 1 point, B answer 2 points, and C answer 3 points. Add up your score. If your score is between 1-12, you may be ready to embark on a successful retirement. If you scored 13-18, some serious life coaching may be in order before you step away from work completely.
Wondering if you’re ready for retirement? Allyn Bader Barclay is a wonderful resource for people who are thinking about any lifestyle changes. Here’s an interview with her on the Now What? podcast:
