The full calendar
A full calendar can contain a good life: people who matter, meaningful work and things you look forward to. It can also contain commitments whose reasons no longer hold.
From the outside, both calendars look much the same. You may only notice the difference when something is cancelled and you feel relieved. That feeling is not an answer yet. But it is worth a question.
Revisit one commitment
Which obligation do you still fulfil simply because you have done it for years? Perhaps it still fits. Perhaps it needs a different form. Perhaps you want to end it.
Freedom here begins with taking stock. What did you actually promise? Who depends on it? What could you honestly renegotiate? A boundary works better when others know where they stand.
Leave the space open
An empty evening can feel strange. Suddenly there is no next task. It is easy to turn the time you have gained into another project that needs completing.
Leave a small stretch of time open. No improvement project, no measurable output. Read, walk or stay on the sofa. Perhaps the first experience of freedom is simply not having to make anything of it for a while.