10/01/25 — The Ruthless Decider (Journal Entry Dissection: #Time #Death #Limits)

Kurt Bell
Oct 1
2 min read

Updated: Oct 3

About These Posts

Each day I add a new journal entry to my social media feeds. Here on the blog, I expand that entry through the lens of my Good Life Creed, which you can read about in my book Going Alone (available for free on this site). These dissections aim to connect ordinary reflections with the enduring objectives and principles of the Creed.

Journal Entry (10/01/25)

Since retiring, I’ve noticed how much more decisive I’ve become. Whenever I reach a crossroads—whether it’s accepting an invitation, making a purchase, or simply choosing how to spend the day—I make my decision quickly and with certainty. It isn’t just decisiveness; it’s a deliberate insistence on spending my time exactly as I mean to. And this change is tied directly to no longer needing to work.

During my career, every choice had to be weighed against its impact on my family. I learned to choose stability over impulse, shaping my will to serve the greater good of keeping a steady income. That necessity is gone now. I’m free to decide on my own terms, and I’ve become a ruthless decider.

Most often, I say no. What surprises me isn’t the “no” itself, but how quickly it comes—how little thought it takes to land on what I think is truly the best use of my life. Sometimes people seem caught off guard by the speed of my answer, as if I’d been planning it in advance. I hadn’t. I just know very clearly how I want to spend the few good years I have left, and I don’t need much time to decide.

Dissection

This entry highlights the clarity that can emerge when the demands of career and family no longer dictate every choice. Retirement here is not passive, but a sharpened mode of life—time and attention guarded like a precious resource.

#Time (Make Good Use of Time) — The instinct to decide quickly reflects a deeper commitment: no wasted motion, no frittered hours, only deliberate use of what remains.
#Death (Be Always Ready to Die) — The awareness of “the few good years left” adds weight to each decision. Saying no is not rejection, but prioritization in the shadow of mortality.
#Limits (Recognize True Limits and Opportunity) — The clarity to say no quickly arises from knowing one’s boundaries—what is worth engaging in, and what is not.

Takeaway

Decisiveness in retirement is not impatience but clarity. Each no is a yes to what matters most. The Good Life is sharpened when we stop negotiating with every possibility and instead choose firmly, knowing our time is short and our priorities few.