There’s nothing more decadent than having time.

Time to do anything I choose.

This is where perspective comes into it. And perhaps some red wine, though it’s a little hot in HK for that at the moment. I will stick with my water this evening. Partly also because lunch involved a few beverages.

I have the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else and I can choose to spend those however I would like, subject to a few constraints. These constraints are generally legal in nature and for the protection of myself and those around me.

I choose to work.

Work gives me social contact, a platform to help others, money and the opportunity to do some really cool things every day with some fantastic people. Yes, it has some down times too and this helps me appreciate the good ones even more. A bit like life.

Based on this, it’s unlikely I’ll ever retire in the traditional sense. I am more likely to find opportunities to structure my work differently so I can explore other careers and interests. The timing will be financially driven since I’m quite risk adverse and would want to make sure that I keep a roof over my head, clothes (that’s partly that legal constraint again and also weather related) and can travel.

My retirement is likely to involve writing, diving, coaching, reading and travel. All things I enjoy (and currently do in my non-work time) and all things that could generate an income should I choose.

I’m also considering the possibility of being a director on a Board. This would make good use of a range of skills and it also could be part-time.

Some of this requires additional study which I have begun and am also enjoying. Anything where I have the opportunity to learn more is going to be fun for me! Such a nerd…

Multiple sources of income will make my tax return messy so perhaps I should be finding a decent accountant while I’m putting my retirement plan together. I’ll add that to the list.

Being able to focus on the things I enjoy daily is fortunate. I am privileged enough to have had a tertiary education while a lot of others don’t have the opportunity to learn how to read and write. The only times I’ve been genuinely concerned about affording food and rent was while at uni and I was fortunate enough to have made some fantastic friends who helped me on numerous occasions. Others don’t have any safety net.

I am still in a position of good fortune and with this time I have, I figure I should be doing all I can to maximise it, enjoy it and help others.

Volunteering / philanthropy is the aspect of my life that I am going to focus on shortly. I’ve been researching and I am almost ready to start again. It is one of the areas that I’ve neglected since coming to HK and while I participate in some ad hoc things, I would like to be more actively involved in a cause or two that is meaningful to me. It’s these causes that I have been researching. It’s likely to be something environmental, involving books or education. It could even be a mix of these.

So many options of how to fill my time.

Yesterday, I chose to read an entire book.

Now that’s decadent.

* Thanks to Dido for the title to this post.