I can’t believe that a year has already passed since I resigned from my last role as a community manager in a tech company. Around the same time, I also gave up and deleted all my social media accounts and felt that I had walked away from another part of my life to start afresh again.

A reboot.

I’m glad I did it though. I couldn’t hang on to the ideas and keep harping on about communities, social networks, professional development, working out loud because frankly, I felt that they were all irrelevant and unacknowledged to effect any change in the business and corporate worlds.

I was wasting my breath.

I got tired.

Time to walk away.

It’s been an interesting year though. Not quite as personally transformative as I would have imagined it (for one, I would have liked to travel more but it turns out that my entire year has taken place within 5km of home and with people at least 20 years senior to me – but there’s a reason. When you’re the only one not working, youre bound to find activities with other retirees in your local community).

Thankfully though, I don’t care much about this. I’ve met MORE people this year than I ever have done before. I’ve certainly smiled and laughed a lot more – and picked up a new skill of GOLF!

My husband has another couple of years before he retires then we are off (fingers crossed), travelling around Australia and the world. Until then, he has to work to keep me in the life I’m now accustomed to. 🤣

Here’s the things that I’ve done in my year:

• Read over 70 books
• Read War & Peace
• Finally read Jane Eyre and Pride & Prejudice
• Built à YouTube channel “Life Lessons from Books” to over 2300 subscribers
• Stumbled upon a story about the mad Count Castlenau, explorer and naturalist in the 1880s and wrote about it in our golf club news and subsequently invited to the Heritage Committee where I’m now filming and editing oral stories of older members of the club
• Went through as a cohort of a Women Into Golf Program (a blended social learning program I might add that won the best Australian program for women by Golf Australia) and now playing 2x 18hole and one 9 hole game a week (reduced my handicap from 50 to 38 now)
• Continued with my French Conversation classes to the point I’m now speaking fluently with natives
• Joined a Connected Women community group (they use Mighty Networks platform which is one of the best platforms I’ve seen for this) for events and catch-ups. I’m still new to this so still learning about it
• I sang and played ukulele in front of an audience (crazy yes, I know. Me singing!!)
• I’ve upped my crochet skills to a higher level thanks to YouTube tutorials by a Spanish channel Tejer es des Guapas. I have no idea what she’s saying but I follow along what she does
• We finished our backyard and front yard landscaping finally! (And starred in our own client testimonial video for the company).
• I joined two U3A’s learning more about this excellent learning organisation in our community.
• I dropped into the women’s session at the Men’s Shed and learned more about how they too, provide a great way for women to learn carpentry and repair skills
• I listed and sold my business, learning and development and reference books on eBay (still happening). The books are now whittling down making space on my shelves for the classics and literature replacing them.
• I decluttered the house and garage
• Began writing creative stories for fun
• Joined the RSL and finally, after many years stopping myself from parading in military events as a veteran, decided to order my replica set and parade.
• Approached to consider returning to work in the same jobs in L&D as before but I declined – I simply couldn’t face these anymore.
• Seen some great shows and live events in Melbourne with Andrew.
• I’ve cooked and baked more following recipes from cookbooks I had on my shelves over the years

Overall, it’s been a good year. I’ve filled my time easily and have not been bored at all. At times, I do worry that I don’t have more spending money but on the whole, if it means I have to go back to work then I’ll just figure out a way to cut something out (reduce, recycle, reuse, stop a subscription, go without, borrow from friends and family etc).

Last night, on the news, they highlighted that companies will be needing casual workers in the lead up to Christmas. I might do this – I’ll see. I’d be happy to work in retail for a few hours in the week, in the evenings or weekends.

Or alternatively, government has and will be making some TAFE apprenticeships free of charge so that more people enter trades. I’m still young enough to change careers if I wanted to go back to school and learn a trade.

There’s so many options that it’s mind boggling.

Even though my work in the past about communities, learning and development and skill building fell on deaf ears in corporate land, I would say that it’s helped me MORE outside of work trying to figure out my new life and a new me. It’s helped me at least know the process of creating a plan for what to do next where I don’t resort to falling back on old habits because they were a comfort zone.