This seems like such an American viewpoint (I'm American). The idea that idle time is to be "suffered" through. It's a great chance to practice some mindfulness. I also find it striking when people say they have to figure out how to "fill" their time. As if we must be "productive" at all times.

I'm coming up on 1 year of retirement, and I still keep a calendar and write out monthly goals. But I often carry them over to the next month, at least the ones that don't have to be accomplished in say, August instead of September. If I don't get something done on Monday, there's always Tuesday.

I agree that having some structure to your week is helpful, but every time I've tried to designate certain days for certain tasks, my mind rebels at the thought that I'm back at work.

I play pickleball two mornings a week, go to a fiber group one morning a week, and watch football and read the print newspaper on Sundays during the fall. I do Wordle, Quordle, and Octordle every morning with my coffee, often on the balcony if it's nice weather. I volunteer one or two afternoons a month. And that's about all the structure I need. Then I let my day's activities announce themselves: reading, writing for Medium, doing art, doing laundry. Thinking about what I want to make for dinner. Trying new recipes.

Perhaps I will start feeling differently as time passes, but for now, I'm unclenching from having to keep to other people's schedules.