Those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make bored.

Flemming's quote appears in one of his spy novels. His protagonist, James Bond, abhorred boredom and Flemming rarely let that happen to him. I feel the quote has real relevance in the life of a physician. Many of us are so accustomed to a full and busy life that retirement and the absence of responsibility falls as a heavy blow. I see many of my acquaintances enter retirement with dread and, in truth, many hate it and succumb to illness and death relatively quickly. On the other hand, those with strong interests outside of medicine greet retirement with enthusiasm and see it as a release which permits them to indulge their non-professional interests more fully. Finding such interests late in life is difficult and cannot be forced.

My advice to my young colleagues is cultivate avocations outside of medicine early in life to find an outlet for those energies which will eventually be diverted from work. For the old timers who have not had the good fortune to find such avocations, start looking and don't quit work until you have a plan to fill your days with some activity which will yield interest and productivity. Some of the most unhappy physicians I know are those who have not taken the time to plan adequately for their departure from medicine. Such a program should be an essential part of one's life plan. I'm still working on mine!