Here’s a little secret I’ve recently uncovered about retirement: all those things we set aside for “someday”? We may never actually get to them. 

For years, even decades, I’ve tucked things away for “someday”: books from as far back as college, a box of old VHS tapes to digitize, and a long list of hobbies I hoped to explore.  There’s this mystique of retirement as a magical time when the calendar clears, the distractions fade, and we finally become the person we always meant to be. 

Now, as I take a break from work to discern my next career chapter, I’ve realized that I’m not reaching for those books at all. I have the time, yes — but my attention and energy have shifted. New interests have emerged. The rhythm of my days feels different, and those long-delayed “someday” projects no longer hold the same pull they once did. 

I’m still putting them off for “later”—and now I understand why people say, “I’m retired and busier than ever!” 

It’s made me realize that if I haven’t made time for certain things yet, maybe I never will. Or maybe I never truly wanted to — at least not in the way I imagined. Sure, it’s fun to think about reading those books, or going for a middle-of-the-day bike ride or golfing when you’re smack in the middle of a busy and perhaps stressful career. 

But retirement—or any break from work—doesn’t magically spark the motivation to tackle everything we’ve postponed.  It simply gives us space to notice what really matters now. 

There’s nothing wrong with saving things for later — but it’s worth asking why we’re waiting. If a book, a project, or an experience calls to us, maybe the best time to answer that call is now, in the midst of ordinary life.  

The reading I do want to do is about my current interests.  The books I saved for “someday” are wonderful, but they represent the interests of my past. 

When your schedule opens, you will likely have new curiosities, new energy, and new things you want to dive into. You might not want to revisit the projects your younger self thought you should do (or could do some day). 

The time you have is now. Pour your energy into what excites you today—and trust that your future self will discover new and meaningful ways to fill the hours.