I resist a routine at the same time as really craving one. It’s a paradox that became glaringly obvious when I left the schedule of full-time work. When I retired, I both loved the flexibility of doing whatever I liked with a day, while at the same time feeling lost when I drifted without focus.… Continue reading A Cat, A Dog, And Routines That Stick
Category: Retirement Tools
Teaching Partners: Turning Good Intentions Into Actions
Every February, there was a literary convention in town, Reading For The Love Of It.* It was a highlight on the calendar that was sorely needed when we were in the months of snowsuits, puddles of wet slush, lost mittens, and damp socks. It re-energized me to see all the newly published books, get some… Continue reading Teaching Partners: Turning Good Intentions Into Actions
Getting Things Done
Tricking my brain into doing some work often involves creating a time-limited game, of sorts. In the morning, emptying the dishwasher becomes a race to complete before the kettle boils for my tea. Doing some writing in an hour-long co-working zoom, focuses me and tricks my brain into starting and continuing to write. How much… Continue reading Getting Things Done
Personal Long Range Plans/Vision Board
At the beginning of 2025, I created a Personal Long Range Plan for the year. Some might call it a Vision Board. It was my first time making one. When I messed about with collage and paints to create it during the quiet days before New Years’, I didn’t realize how helpful it would be.… Continue reading Personal Long Range Plans/Vision Board
Who Inspires You?
Older women who are living their lives authentically without a worry about cultural norms or fashions, are inspiring to me. They are folks who have designed their life to suit them, not their partners or children or society. Some start businesses, some sell their homes and travel, some learn new skills, and others continue to… Continue reading Who Inspires You?
Productivity Reframe
Doing something useful with my time is something I value. It feels good to be productive. There’s a feeling of satisfaction when I get to the end of the day and look back at projects completed. My time wasn’t wasted. It’s my personal values and beliefs that determine what’s useful and whether I’ve spent my… Continue reading Productivity Reframe
People From Strange New Worlds
Trying new things means meeting new people from worlds that you’ve never even imagined. That may seem like hyperbole. I’ve worked in a people-facing career all my life. How can I have been unaware of these worlds? I didn’t think I was. I tried to keep up with current events. But understanding what peoples’ experiences… Continue reading People From Strange New Worlds
Are You Successful?
Re-thinking Success And Self-Worth How do we measure success these days when it’s not as easy to identify using wages or position? I didn’t realize until recently that I was measuring my success in numbers, trying to quantify it. I also didn’t acknowledge how much my self-worth was connected to my measure of success. … Continue reading Are You Successful?
A Very Good Place To Start
For creative people, for life-long learners, and for those eager to discover what they’re capable of after retiring in midlife, this is a very good place to start. Julia Cameron’s, It’s Never Too Late To Begin Again was recommended to me when I first retired and it gave me direction and opened possibilities to me… Continue reading A Very Good Place To Start
The World Will Fill Your Time
The other day I heard these words, “The world will fill your time.” As the summer winds to an end, I find myself realizing the truth of this statement. My sunny summer days are filled. I drift from one thing to another and suddenly it’s bedtime again. I have no trouble filling my time with… Continue reading The World Will Fill Your Time
Retired, And Now What? 