In recent weeks, my semi-retirement has felt far more “semi” than I expected.

Leading up to last week, I was preparing for a trial.

• Last Tuesday, I testified in Fredericksburg, Virginia. My latest post talks about that experience and the memories it brought back.
• At the same time, my team and I were working hot and heavy to complete a gift tax assignment involving 22 appraisals with a hard due date of October 14 to meet an October 15 filing requirement.
• I am also preparing for a trial scheduled for October 26 in Oklahoma City.
• Then, this past Sunday, I was asked to provide the sermon for my church on Sunday, November 1 — an invitation I was delighted to receive. Preparing a 25-minute sermon will take considerable time.

Put all these things together, and I was feeling enormous personal pressure. Each could be taken in stride in the normal course of business, but things in life sometimes bunch up in unexpected ways. My stride was feeling a bit uncomfortable.  Then I realized that there was an extra week before the Oklahoma City trial that I had simply overlooked.  And we completed the major gift tax assignment.  That provided a bit of breathing room I did not previously know I had.  Nevertheless, the pressure I was feeling was real to me and I’m certain is experienced by others.

So I am writing about it before the feeling disappears into the distant past.

When the Calendar Bunches Up

It would be easy to turn this unexpected time pressure into a lesson about saying no or managing time better. Or taking a closer look at the calendar.  Those are useful subjects, but they don’t quite explain this particular stretch.

Trial dates get set and moved. Assignments already underway approach their deadlines. Work that looked comfortably spread out suddenly occupies the same few weeks. There is some chance involved in how it all comes together.

Most of us have experienced versions of this form of time compression. Family responsibilities, work, travel, and commitments to people or organizations we care about can and do converge. Each seems manageable until we look at the calendar and realize they are all happening at once or within a short span of time.

At 78, I am aware of the demands. I still have the experience and ability to do the work, but I also feel the stress when several things need attention at once. Semi-retirement does not provide immunity from a crowded calendar.

A Small Cost Worth Noticing

During the trip to Fredericksburg, I missed my 10,000-step goal on three days.

For someone who has made walking a daily commitment for nearly seven years, that gets my attention. Three days do not erase years of walking, but they do tell me that the normal rhythm of life has been disrupted.

I recently wrote about listening to my body and adding strength and flexibility work to my walking routine. Apparently, writing about physical stewardship does not guarantee that the calendar will cooperate.

There is a practical reminder here. During a demanding stretch, the routines that help us feel and function well still deserve attention. I won’t always meet every goal. I do want to notice when something important begins getting squeezed and return to it as the pressure eases.

The Satisfaction Alongside the Stress

There is another feeling running through all of this: gratitude.

It is nice to still be capable when my services are needed. After decades of work, experience remains useful to clients and colleagues. And being invited to speak to my church offers a different, meaningful opportunity to contribute.

I would prefer a little more space between these commitments. Still, I appreciate being able to meet them. And I will. I can feel the pressure and still be grateful.

Many of us hope to remain useful as we grow older. That usefulness may take the form of limited professional work, helping family, volunteering, teaching, or simply being someone others can count on. But opportunity can certainly arrive at inconvenient times.

I don’t have a grand conclusion about balancing it all. This is a busy stretch, and I will work through it. I will also be glad when there is a little more room in the day.

For now, I am grateful to have work I can still do, people who trust me to do it, and an invitation to contribute in a different way at church.

A few more steps would be welcome, too.