Looking back on the 2026 boating season here in New England, I have to say it got away from me. I’m not sure how, but I managed to spend far less time cruising Kokomo than in previous seasons. Considering this was my first boating season in retirement – the season I was finally supposed to have all this free time – I’d say I got off to a poor start. My business brain is telling me I need to conduct a review of the season, identify the root causes, and take corrective action to prevent a recurrence. My retired brain is asking a much simpler question: what happened to all those plans we made?
For sure, my cruising plans were affected by the time spent on the lobster operation. Claire Elise took more time than I expected. Between weekday trips down to Plymouth for bait and fishing a couple of days a week, I couldn’t wander too far from home. Add in the not-infrequent maintenance on the boat and the traps, and it’s pretty clear my cruising plans never had much of a chance to get off the dock. Apparently lobsters don’t have much respect for a retirement schedule.
Aside from the lobstering, my wife was busy enough with work that she was tethered to her home office. Client calls, projects, and the day-to-day work process required dependable internet access and what seemed like enough office machinery to support a small branch operation. Kokomo has many fine qualities, but she’s still a little short on conference rooms and high-speed internet.
So what did I do on the days between lobstering while my partner was working? I puttered, I polished, and when I was really bored, I napped. Yes, I admit it. Apparently my nervous system needed some shut-eye to recalibrate from work life to retirement. I’m not sure how long that process is supposed to take, but I’m committed to seeing it through. My list of maintenance accomplishments is long and can be cross-referenced to an even longer credit card statement. When I walk into the local marine store, they know me by name, and we have a standing agreement that if my wife calls looking for me, they haven’t seen me.
Back to my business brain. I have to ask myself what corrective actions I’ll take to ensure better performance next season. After decades of management, there’s really only one logical answer: I’m putting myself on a self-imposed “Performance Improvement Plan.” I’ve decided to hold off on involving Human Resources for now.
The first thing I need to do is set some goals for next year. It will be a long off-season, so I have plenty of time to develop the plan. There should probably be some measurable objectives, a few key performance indicators, and maybe even a deadline or two. Or perhaps the whole point of retirement is that there shouldn’t be. For now, I think I’ll sleep on it.
