150. Retirement Benefits

Two girls from the Time Management course are talking over phone.

A. My dad has now given me an assignment. I am supposed to plan his daily routine.

B: Isn’t he retired?

A: Yes! He has all the free time of his life and he wants me to make a schedule! This is his way of mocking me. I know my dad.

B: Why do you think he is mocking you? Maybe he is testing you.

A: What type of testing is this? My dad is at home all the time. He can go for walking whenever he wants. He can read as much he wants and play as many chess games as he wants. Oh, and on top of it he wants his daytime naps as well.

B: I doubt it is that simple. He is probably trying to see how good you understand a client’s demands. I mean, in this situation he is your nothing but your client.

A: I understand his demands. And I can make his plan in exactly five seconds. Want to hear it? Walk in the morning, read newspaper, breakfast, gardening, lunch, nap, chess with friends, read books, dinner, sleep. He is mocking me by asking my learned advice on this, I am telling you.

B: Have you considered the fact that he has no compulsion to follow a standard routine? He has the liberty to do whatever, whenever. And you are asking him to follow a copybook routine every single day. You are restricting him.

A: Oh sure, he can work in the garden at midnight if he is that desperate to enjoy his retirement.

B: Well, why not? He does not need to get up in the morning.

A: Please, can we be serious here?

B: I will tell you what I seriously think. I think he has given you a 

chance to make his life more interesting. Take it as a challenge. Make him happy.

A: If I want my dad to be happy, then I will only need to give him some opportunity to criticize me. Maybe I will include an hour in the plan for that. Mocking me and my ambitions.

B: If that is your client wants, then that is what you should give…

A: Are you kidding me?

B: Not really.