Anniversary: Retirement from Full-time Employment

Today 18 January 2013 marks my first anniversary of retirement from full time employment. It has been a year since I decided to stop working on a full time job. For the last ten years since my compulsory retirement from government service, I had been working on a 8.30 am to 5.00 pm job. And driving 64 km to office and back home five days a week, often through massive traffic jams!. Oh, I am glad that I do not have to endure that anymore. 

Though it was a tough decision to make, I thought it was time to let go and have more leisure time for myself, doing things that I enjoy. There was the fear with what am I going to do to keep my day fully occupied. Actually during the past year, I had kept myself busy working as an independent consultant. I have also been engaged by an United Nations' organization to provide my services in Laos. Was in that lovely country for 3 times, with each mission lasting for about one month. That took up 3 months. There were also two local consultancies that kept me occupied. These two working activities kept me mentally challenged!

I must say that I have enjoyed my past year. I now spent more time working from my small home office. While working in my own office, I could also listen to my music. This was something I missed when working full-time.  I could go for my regular morning exercises. Spent time reading and working for a few hours a day on my consultancy work. And whenever I feel lazy, I could just relax or take a nap without feeling guilty! And of course I am now more regular in posting on my Face Book and blog. And more importantly, I am spending more time with my family. My wife and I took a holiday touring Dubai, Moscow and St. Petersburg. We hope to go on more overseas holidays.

Life is a bliss in retirement, while working on a part-time basis!
I pray that all the coming years will be as equally blessed as this past year.

With the office secretary on my last working day

My Small Office, Home Office (SOHO)