Celebrating someone’s ability to continue a winning streak is harmful to them and to us. We celebrate the retiree who never missed a day of work by featuring them in news articles.* But showing up every day and doing the thing, without missing a day, ever … under any circumstance, is problematic. It’s time we… Continue reading Lose That Winning Streak Mentality
Category: Emotional journey
Stuck In The Weeds
The trickiest part of any journey is when nothing is going right and there’s the temptation to give up. At the beginning of any big endeavour there is a thrill of starting something new that you’re passionate about. This was me with my life coaching business. But when the momentum fades and the going gets… Continue reading Stuck In The Weeds
A Powerful, Personal Word
Recently, I’ve been talking with two different people about a word of the year. It’s a word that is unique and special to them. It’s a word that they choose independently, or one that others help them to identify. Either way, it is a personal word. The difference is that for one person their word… Continue reading A Powerful, Personal Word
Your Ship Has Not Sailed
I was guilty of this too. I thought that because I was retired there were certain ships that had left my harbour forever: boats that I would never travel on, and places I would never explore. This year, I’ve learned a lot, but the biggest ah-ha moment came when I realized that this thinking was… Continue reading Your Ship Has Not Sailed
Retiring The Excuse
It’s a lot harder to say NO these days. I used to have a ready excuse for not wanting to do something: “Sorry, I’m so busy with work.” It was a legitimate reason. I was often extremely busy and had difficulty balancing any added commitments. But if I’m honest, it was also a handy excuse.… Continue reading Retiring The Excuse
Righting My Life/Work Balance
It is wonderful to be retired. I’m not going to lie. I love having the flexibility in my day to take care of my own needs for exercise, daylight, writing, nutrition, hydration and social interaction. I’m no longer trying to wedge self-care into a bulging work schedule of teaching, planning, marking, reports and paperwork. But… Continue reading Righting My Life/Work Balance
Learning What You Don’t Know: step two in the process
According to psychology, there are four steps to acquiring mastery over a new set of skills.* At first, you don’t know what you don’t know: ignorance is bliss. But then the thorny second stage begins, and there’s a wave of overwhelm as you realize just how much you don’t know. I’m in this stage now… Continue reading Learning What You Don’t Know: step two in the process
Getting Familiar With Discomfort
I didn’t realize how important discomfort would be during my journey from retired teacher to something else. I knew there would be challenges and change but I didn’t understand how essential it would be to accept not feeling comfortable, to realize that it’s a good thing. The Familiar Is Comfortable. My automatic reaction to discomfort… Continue reading Getting Familiar With Discomfort
Enjoying A Sideways Move
In my early years of teaching I made my first move from teaching kindergarten to teaching grade one, and I was met with a strange response from the parent community: congratulations. It made me laugh, and slightly annoyed. People outside the field of education equate an opportunity to teach a higher grade as a promotion.… Continue reading Enjoying A Sideways Move
Senior People
Senior management. Senior partner. Put the word “senior” in front of “judge” or “senator” and it conjures up an image of extensive experience, vast knowledge, and confident leadership. Now, place the word “senior” in front of domestic labels: senior care, senior portion and senior home. The image is one of fragility. Gone is the impact… Continue reading Senior People
Retired, And Now What? 