Thom writes a weekly email called “Friday Randomness”, which is always a treat to read as I eat my Friday morning breakfast. Today he shared the story of Alex Honnold, the amazing free-solo rock climber who notably scaled El Cap a few years ago. That was a monumental achievement– some have called it the most incredible exhibition of human athleticism of all time– and afterward, he was asked about what was next for him. His reply: “Now that I’ve achieved that life dream, nothing is calling to me as much as it did. That’s what I’m struggling with.”
In his email, Thom posed a similar question: “Maybe any of you who have reached what you’d consider a defining pinnacle is essentially asking… Now what? That’s a tough one.”
I replied with a rather lengthy email, and after hitting send I thought “that feels like a good blog post”. So here it is.
Two years ago, as my planned retirement date crept closer, I started wondering what I’d do with my time. Freeing up 8 hours a day is a life-changing thing, and I’ve never been one who sits around reading books or watching shows. (I enjoy those things, but only in small doses.) “What if I get bored?” I thought. “What if the hobbies I’ve been thinking about getting into turn out to be dull?”
The day came and went, and I stopped working. But I didn’t get bored. That was my last summer in Colorado, and I filled it with ultimate and trips with the kids and lunches with friends and preparing to move to a new place. The time flew past, and then before I knew it, I was in Montana. Our kids were gone, we didn’t know anyone, and everything was at least a 15-minute drive away. Turns out, that just gave me new things to work on. Meet people. Explore the area. Make changes to the house. Figure out how to stay in touch with friends who are now long-distance. Experiment with new hobbies.
A year and a half has passed. I can’t really think of a single day in that time when I’ve thought “Man, today was a waste. I was so bored.” I’ve always had something going on. I’ve taught myself new things, I’ve explored and expanded hobbies that before I could only dabble in, I’ve met a ton of amazing people, and I’ve fallen in love with this little corner of the earth.
So what’s next? Well, I recently applied for a part-time job helping at the local high school. I’m starting a weekly gaming guild with a friend. I’m looking for opportunities to hang out with my kids and my new grandson. I’m planning summer trips, and thinking of the next hobby I’ll pursue.
In short, I think my answer to your question is that you just find some new pinnacles to climb. Retiring is definitely a Big One, but it doesn’t mean the journey’s over. Rather, it means that PART of the journey’s over, and now it’s time to start a completely different journey… one that’s a little more self-directed. Frankly, I don’t know where it’s going to take me in the next fifty years… or even the next five. But all the little adventures and accomplishments along the way are definitely worth getting over that first Big One. The pinnacle isn’t an end; it’s a beginning.