When I tiptoed into retirement two years ago this month, I was worried about how to use my time. I wanted to finish my first novel. That was my number one goal. The thing I’d wanted to do since the day I got my library card. The thing I’d put off until the kids were grown, and until I didn’t have to go to work every day.

I already had a few volunteer posts I expected to continue, and some travel plans. But writing was supposed to be my reward for all those years of working.

Now, on the second anniversary of my mostly-retirement, I’m feeling as if I never quit working. I still haven’t finished revising that novel. I’m going through my travel budget at a much faster rate than I expected. And I’ve said “yes” to far too many requests for help.

I’ve decided it’s time to peel away some of the layers of volunteerism, back off on the travel plans and actually finish the revisions.

I didn’t find it easy to establish a schedule after retiring, but I was just getting into a nice routine when I took on another volunteer job. I hadn’t expected it, but from February through the beginning of May, I had to put everything on the back burner for it. Between learning the duties, adding the trip it required, and my usual summer conference, I was effectively off my newly-established schedule until mid-June.

When I got home, I found myself playing catch-up with my other volunteer roles, and working in some family time. Somehow, despite a few stabs at revision, I never really got back to the novel until November. And by then it was National Novel Writing Month again.

I expected the second year of that demanding task to be better, which in some respects it was. But I tacked another conference onto the East Coast trip that the volunteer job required. And I added a second summer conference. This year my novel went on the back burner again starting in February. I anticipated being off track for at least three months.

But since one of my volunteer boards went haywire in May, it’s been one IED explosion after another right into this month. I’ve been losing sleep and definitely not working on my novel.

But how to pick up the pieces of my schedule despite the unexpected challenges?

I came across a book called Start Finishing by Charlie Gilkey (who also puts many of his tips on his website, Productive Flourishing). Sure, there are plenty of “self help” books, and I read a few about organizing and time management right after I retired. I was looking for help in creating — and keeping — a routine that is self-imposed.

I think Gilkey’s project-based approach to making time to do what he calls “your best work” may work for me. My goal right now is to set boundaries. I have to do that if I really plan to get my novel revised and into the world And then I have to keep doing it with all the NaNo novel drafts I created in the last ten years of my full-time work life.

To that end, I’m adopting Ben Franklin’s daily schedule as a template. I’m not likely to get up at five in the morning to start my day, but we’ll see.

And don’t ask me to volunteer for anything. In fact, I’m finishing the year (or the term) with several of my volunteer boards right now, and I don’t plan to sign on again.

Now, to the revisions!