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Yes, I would say what makes my life run smooth, efficient and pleasant is having as few people in it as I can get away with. Thinking back on life over six decades the times that were hardest to deal with involved other people making it that way. The times I was most on my own were the easiest and most enjoyable
I could have written that myself. Thanks! Thinking about it I have to say that I have very few people involved in my 'non work' life. I try to keep as much drama out of my life as possible. I have concerns, yes, but they don't involve other people, usually. The times I've done best in my life have been when I was on my own and that's been about 20 years now. At 75 I'm pretty much done with what 'everyone else wants'.
I've been quite orderly with the things one can keep in order (bills, timely phone calls, logistics of selling/building house, retiring). Let the Brazilians go who cleaned my house in anticipation of being on fixed income. Dog hair becomes an art form.
I don't expect my dogs to make life orderly. It's a pleasure of dogs, them being themselves (as I gather cats are, too). Being without familial relations, lumpiness is rare with friends. Perhaps I am missing something, I don't know, but don't seem to find much difficulty with people. Maybe that's because I've lived alone for 41 years and counting. Always wished for a husband-style man in my life who either lived across the street or a plane flight away. We shall see.
I used to say that all the time. lol He had to have his own place, I'd have mine and we would 'visit' back and forth. Now I don't even care about that!
Lucky to be living where labor rates are low. As we age (retired at age 50, now 65), we realize while we are still be able to paint a room or trim back landscaping, we will pay for it with sore backs or leg muscles the next day. Not to mention the risk of climbing ladders....falls are biggest cause of going from active retirement to retirement riddled with pain, doctor visits, surgery, mobility issues.
We are able (here in Mexico) to hire competent gardeners, laborers. Also here, home delivery from any store is either free or very minimal charge.
For me, nearing retirement (and I hope in to retirement), the things that make my life pleasant and run efficiently are:
sunshine!
no debt (living within my means)
a regular, stable routine
regular exercise
planning - shopping and meals
periodic contact with friends (like others, I have gravitated to fewer people in my life as I get older because it's true, sometimes THEY cause the drama)
wow - JRKLINY - I agree with the clothes and food simplification path! I do the same thing. Same shoes in different colors. Same with pants, shirts etc. If something feels comfy and I look good in it - I buy several cuz you know it will be unavailable later.
.....
Somehow you just have to make it more complicated. Why different colors for the same shoes? Mine are a neutral gray color. Pants are all khaki or similar. I have not found anything that really lasts so I usually buy 2 pair for winter and 2 pair for summer. At least that way 4 pair will last for several years. I typically also have an extra pair of shoes in the back of the closet for replacement use when needed. I have 4 dozen socks set aside for when the current batch needs to be replaced in another year or so. I went overboard on shirts. I bought an extra batch of 10 shirts for $33 delivered. They are pocket polo shirts that last forever. Never fade, do not pill, do not appear worn. I have at least 30 in rotation and have been wearing the same batch of shirts for many years. Only 2 look bad. I splashed bleach on one and another got hit with some expanding foam insulation that will not wash out. Shirts provide my color variation and are red, maroon, grey, brown, blue, navy, green, yellow, or black. I was thinking of standardizing on maroon, but I will never wear out the shirts I already own.
I still retain one set of fancy clothes from when I worked: black shoes, white shirt, blue blazer and a choice of red ties for weddings and happy occasions and black for funerals. Daughter #2 forced me to buy a suit for her wedding this past Fall. I doubt that will be worn again.
As you can imagine my expenses for clothing are pretty minimal. Probably $100/year for shoes, $100 for pants/underwear/shirts and maybe $40 for a replacement winter coat or some other similar item. This year I really splurged on accessories. I bought a Tilley hat for about $75.
Before I go to bed the coffee maker is set up with coffee and water. When I worked I used a pot with an automatic timer. Now I get up at different times and have to turn it on manually. That is usually about all I can handle for my first 10 minutes of being awake.
I'm always surprised or even shocked to hear my older friends still talk about getting rid of old clothes, organizing this or that, paying for xyz etc.
So I wonder - when should you be done with all of this? Shouldn't your goal be to live life without any obstacles, besides the ones you can't avoid like health or safety issues? Car wrecks etc.
Does your life run like a well oiled machine? What are your secrets?
This quote popped up on my facebook feed and it made me think of this.
“You have to exercise,” he said, for instance. “Or at some point you’ll just break down.” You also need to remove from your life the day-to-day problems that absorb most people for meaningful parts of their day. “You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits,” he said. “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.” He mentioned research that shows the simple act of making decisions degrades one’s ability to make further decisions. It’s why shopping is so exhausting. “You need to focus your decision-making energy. You need to routinize yourself. You can’t be going through the day distracted by trivia.”
That quote sounds like he wants to live a boring life. That sounds like a recipe for dementia to me. I believe the brain must be used daily. Use it or lose it. I am constantly making plans, trying new activities, going new places (mostly local, but new to me), cooking new foods, meeting new people.
I do think my life runs pretty well-oiled, my checks are direct deposited, my bills are on auto-pay, my insurance handles all my health care stuff, my hubby does most of the yard work except the things that I do better. And that frees me up to do the fun stuff I just wrote about above.
That quote sounds like he wants to live a boring life. That sounds like a recipe for dementia to me. I believe the brain must be used daily. Use it or lose it. I am constantly making plans, trying new activities, going new places (mostly local, but new to me), cooking new foods, meeting new people.
I do think my life runs pretty well-oiled, my checks are direct deposited, my bills are on auto-pay, my insurance handles all my health care stuff, my hubby does most of the yard work except the things that I do better. And that frees me up to do the fun stuff I just wrote about above.
So if someone else simplifies their life, they are heading for dementia. If you do it, that frees up your time to do something else.
Somehow you just have to make it more complicated. Why different colors for the same shoes? Mine are a neutral gray color. Pants are all khaki or similar. I have not found anything that really lasts so I usually buy 2 pair for winter and 2 pair for summer. At least that way 4 pair will last for several years. I typically also have an extra pair of shoes in the back of the closet for replacement use when needed. I have 4 dozen socks set aside for when the current batch needs to be replaced in another year or so. I went overboard on shirts. I bought an extra batch of 10 shirts for $33 delivered. They are pocket polo shirts that last forever. Never fade, do not pill, do not appear worn. I have at least 30 in rotation and have been wearing the same batch of shirts for many years. Only 2 look bad. I splashed bleach on one and another got hit with some expanding foam insulation that will not wash out. Shirts provide my color variation and are red, maroon, grey, brown, blue, navy, green, yellow, or black. I was thinking of standardizing on maroon, but I will never wear out the shirts I already own.
I still retain one set of fancy clothes from when I worked: black shoes, white shirt, blue blazer and a choice of red ties for weddings and happy occasions and black for funerals. Daughter #2 forced me to buy a suit for her wedding this past Fall. I doubt that will be worn again.
As you can imagine my expenses for clothing are pretty minimal. Probably $100/year for shoes, $100 for pants/underwear/shirts and maybe $40 for a replacement winter coat or some other similar item. This year I really splurged on accessories. I bought a Tilley hat for about $75.
Cuz I do like to match my shoes with my handbags. How complicated is it to have a pair of brown and a pair of black? They are very comfy and warm for our mild winters.
I also keep sets of more formal clothing. I call it my wedding and funeral attire. Make sure to try them on every now and then to make sure they still fit appropriately.
I get my jeans from Eddie Bauer and they last a long time.
That quote sounds like he wants to live a boring life. That sounds like a recipe for dementia to me. I believe the brain must be used daily. Use it or lose it. I am constantly making plans, trying new activities, going new places (mostly local, but new to me), cooking new foods, meeting new people.
I do think my life runs pretty well-oiled, my checks are direct deposited, my bills are on auto-pay, my insurance handles all my health care stuff, my hubby does most of the yard work except the things that I do better. And that frees me up to do the fun stuff I just wrote about above.
That quote was from Barrack Obama during his first term. Doubt he was bored or headed to dementia or ever will be bored.
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