Have been retired since August 2006. It took me about 4 years to start enjoying it. Never understood fully the term, "goal oriented" until I retired and realized that, by nature, that's what I had always been.....start a job, complete it!...start a project, complete it. Realize that's a goal many strive for and that can be a good thing but, if taken too far, you never learn to relax. At some point along the way though I reached the conclusion that when working I had to pick and choose what I had time for but, since I was retired, I could do ALL the projects I wanted to and that it was impossible to complete ALL of them at one time...even though I tried!!! Everytime I turned around there was another "really cool" pattern to be tried, a new craft to be learned, new fabric to play with, new computer site to visit, new book to read, etc., etc., etc!!!! Never could understand the concept of "being bored" . I'm doing much better now as a recovered goal-a-holic! I do what I want, when I want and I've learned to like it. But, I will use the timer idea.....that way I can do what I want for a specific period, do something else for a specific period, etc. and, eventually, they ALL get done. We do not have air conditioning (by choice...LOVE to have the windows open, listen to the birds in the daytime and the crickets at night ) but this summer has been brutal with the heat. So I alter what I do with the season and enjoy each day.