Do you spend your time like the average American? Find out by looking at the recently released American Time Use Survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In many cases, readers could arrive at the same conclusions as the researchers by thinking about how they and others their age pass their days. For example, women over the age of 15 spent more time than men on “personal care activities.” Looking around, how hard would that be to figure out?

A few results surprised me. People in the age category 65+ spent more time shopping than 15-19 year olds. I once read that people over 55 were an “undesirable demographic” as far as marketers were concerned, except for the pharmaceutical companies that urge them to purchase drugs with the possible side effects of blindness, kidney failure or death. Now it turns out that they “out shop” their grandchildren.

I was distressed to learn that the same older age group spent no time in “educational activities.” Whatever happened to lifelong learning?

For me, the real question is not how I spend my time, but whether I am satisfied with the results. As one who still feels like she’s in the transition phase a year after retirement, I ask myself these questions all the time: to volunteer more or less? to create (and follow) a schedule so I can accomplish more? to set one big goal and focus my efforts on this?

I noticed that nowhere in the time-use survey did they mention time spent napping. I think I’ll lie down and think about these questions.

Ann Oxrieder has lived in Bellevue for 35 years. She retired after 25 years as an administrator in the Bellevue School District and now blogs about retirement at http://stillalife.wordpress.com/.