Once I retired from my stressful work schedule, I realized that I needed to create my own routine. Drifting aimlessly from day to day wasn’t an option for me. I felt stressed and unfocused. Nothing got done! A routine is essential part of a healthy life for three main reasons: What a great opportunity this… Continue reading Night Owls and Early Birds: Creating A Routine
Category: Retirement Tools
Shaking Up What You Think You Know About Yourself.
Have you ever seen the moon when it’s on the horizon? It looks massive and yet we know it hasn’t changed size. It’s a matter of our perspective: the way our brains are processing the information. Did you know that if you look upside down at the same moon, it will appear its normal size?*… Continue reading Shaking Up What You Think You Know About Yourself.
“Put yourself in a position where you can never be lonely.”
“Put yourself in a position where you can never be lonely.” I keep returning to these words, spoken to me in a conversation by a woman I’d just met. “Put yourself in a position where you can never be lonely.” Regularly Reach Out With Texts It’s a hopeful statement that empowers each of us. We… Continue reading “Put yourself in a position where you can never be lonely.”
A Cat, A Dog, And Routines That Stick
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
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
Retired, And Now What? 