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• The “Errand-Tainment” Upgrade: Level up your boring tasks. If you’re trapped in a long line, bring a book, a puzzle, or whatever interests you. You’re still in line, but now you’re winning.

• Say Yes: See an obscure Tuesday night jazz show? Why not. Finally pop into that cute shop you always walk past? Just do it. Even if you end up at a sports game you didn't plan for, the best and worst-case scenario is a memory you didn’t expect.

• Embrace the Unexpected: I struggle with the 'my joggers are too comfy to leave the house' trap constantly. But staying in a comfort zone is usually a guarantee of exactly the same reality experienced yesterday. Sometimes, the most spontaneous, “let’s just try it” decision can open the door to genuine connection. You might encounter the highlight of your year. If there’s one introvert telling you it’s worth it, it’s me 🥂

What are your plans this weekend? On a taco quest, or maybe just hitting up a bookstore? Let me know. My summer itinerary is wide open and I’m ready for your best recommendations!

Living it up doesn’t have to be fancy to be fun. You just gotta show up ✨

I’m spending my retirement money now, in the form of time, and it’s the best investment I’ve ever made.

In my last post, I teased a concept I call Retiree Hobby Roulette: the art of picking up a complex, high-effort skill purely for the joy of it, with zero financial motive.

Today’s spin of the wheel has me conducting a “climb” toward fluency from the comfort of my couch. I’ve taken up learning Portuguese. While it’s a blast, I am locked in a daily psychological battle with a persistent green owl on Duolingo. (If you’ve used the app, you know exactly which owl I mean. If you haven’t, please imagine a tiny, feathered supervisor who pops up on your sleeping screen to warn you it’s getting late and you have exactly 59 minutes to not miss your lesson.)

The “High-Performance” Brain Workout: Why Portuguese? Aside from always wanting to learn it, I have family roots in the language. My dad’s family spent time in São Paulo before coming to the U.S.

Beyond the family connection, like physical exercise, learning a new skill can keep your mind agile and flexible. Cue better problem-solving and creativity:

• Building Cognitive Reserve: Learning a language is an ultimate way to “Never Stop Learning”. It keeps the mind sharp, adaptable, and active.

• The “Flow” State: There is a specific type of personal triumph that comes from learning something new. Successfully navigating a sentence like “Eu sou a «insert your name», muito prazer” or “tenha um ótimo fim de semana!” (‘I’m «insert your name», nice to meet you’ or ‘have a great weekend!’) provides a mental high that can fuel productivity for the rest of the day. Such as I crushed that, what else can I knock out? 😎

So, what’s your Hobby Roulette spin? What is a skill you’ve been deferring for “later”? Stop deferring that joy and start the climb today. Adventure and intellectual curiosity are within reach, and your brain will thank you! 🩵

I’m spending my retirement money now, in the form of time, and it’s the best investment I’ve ever made.

I’m launching a new section on the blog called “Stuff I’d Do When I Retire, But Doing It Now.” This is my first post in the series. My delivery is mildly tongue-in-cheek, but I’m also 100% serious.

The standard advice is simple: Grind out the next forty-ish years, then cash in for the idyllic future state called retirement. We’re told we’ll finally earn the right to the good stuff like travel, hobbies, and long afternoons of sitting in sunshine, after four decades of work. That’s nice and all, but I’m calling time-out on this model. Why defer joy, vitality, and intellectual curiosity til our later years? The key to staying young at heart is integrating the best parts of retirement into life right now. I call it “Pre-Tirement.” I didn’t invent that phrase, but I am happily co-opting it.

This isn’t about not doing your work; it’s about high-grade restoration that fuels productivity. For example, I recently spent two hours working at a complex project with zero meaningful progress. I called a “Pre-Tirement” time-out, went for a hike, and the solution hit me before I reached the switchback. That’s the “return” on my investment.

Here are the first two pillars I’ve put into place:

1. Time/Location Freedom: The Mid-Week Adventure: Retirement means having the freedom to go where you want, when you want. Why wait for a three-week vacation window? My goal is to reclaim high-value, high-impact blocks of time during the work week. I block my calendar off for a challenging hike, sailing, or an afternoon jaunt to my favorite coffee shop. Admittedly, this usually happens on a Saturday or Sunday [we’re practicing freedom, not miracles] but I consider it essential maintenance to happiness. I use it to clear my head and solve complex problems, so I can return to my desk with energy and perspective that my desk simply cannot provide. The point is to practice freedom while we still have to work. Squeeze it in where you can.

2. Working Out: The Physical Independence Fund: I genuinely love working out, and it’s a nice perk that it has benefits for longevity. My focus is on functional fitness over intense gym routines. My routine works for me:

   1. Strength Training: I’m convinced this helps with mental clarity.

   2. HIIT Workouts: I like the challenge; I follow GrowingAnnanas videos.

Treat your workouts today as a deposit into your future physical independence fund. The energy and focus you get back is the best return.

Next time, we’ll dive into a concept I call Retiree Hobby Roulette—the art of picking up a new, interesting skill just for fun, without any financial motive. See you then!

I’ve been having some fun adding 'Pre-Tirement' captions to these incredibly adorable photos by @patricias_books ❤️. Why does this cat’s royal pose resonate so much with me? 😄 Here’s to treating our time like royalty.