I’m that person who’s been known to stop reading half-way through a mystery novel and read the last few pages. Sometimes the suspense is too much and I need to know how it all turns out. Sitting with uncertainty is a challenge for me. I’m trying to figure out my next steps in my retirement… Continue reading Impatient At The Crossroads
Category: Using Your Skills
To Label Or Not To Label
Being kind to others involves letting them do their own self-discoveries. As a teacher, I was able to read my students fairly well. It would take only a few moments after meeting my class in September, to realize which kids might need extra support. It’s a skill teachers develop over time, after interacting with many… Continue reading To Label Or Not To Label
When Your Plans Get Cancelled
Having plans for the day is a joy. The anticipation can carry you through the mundane or difficult stuff that you have to do in life. Having them cancelled by something out of your control, such as forest fire smoke, is crushing.* It’s not just a simple case of rescheduling or adjusting. It’s a full… Continue reading When Your Plans Get Cancelled
Why persistence matters when you don’t see any gains
It’s hard to start new things, but it’s often even harder to persist with them, especially when it doesn’t look like you’re achieving anything. As a teacher, I had a career of persistence: I showed up and did my best without many signals that I was achieving anything. Teaching Is Persisting. No Extra Money. No… Continue reading Why persistence matters when you don’t see any gains
I Have Time But I’m Always Late
It’s a conundrum, a puzzle. How can I have all the time in the world but constantly be late for things? It doesn’t make sense. I think it’s a time management problem. But I didn’t have this problem as often when my time was dominated by working full-time. These days when I have a definite… Continue reading I Have Time But I’m Always Late
Happy Challenges, Happy Self
Challenge is essential to my happiness. When someone asked me to imagine my best life, it would include some challenge. But finding the right amount of challenge is key. I can’t imagine a life without any problems to try to solve. I’m not talking about where to buy new winter tires or how to fix… Continue reading Happy Challenges, Happy Self
What Will Be Your Legacy?
I didn’t consider my legacy until recently. As far as I was concerned, if I did my job well and took care of my family and friends, that was my legacy. For many people that is their legacy. There is nothing wrong with that. But now that I have time to consider it and time… Continue reading What Will Be Your Legacy?
Procrastination Lives On
I really thought that being retired would enable me to do all those things that I was procrastinating about. I’d finally have the time to book those appointments, clean out the spare room and organize the kitchen pantry. Not so. Working full-time was a convenient excuse not to do those things. Now my excuse is… Continue reading Procrastination Lives On
Building On and Moving On
“She failed retirement,” laughed a retired work colleague as she spoke about her partner. Her partner had tried to retire for a year or so but was lured back to work in a job that used some of the skills she had developed from a career in education. It wasn’t the same job that she… Continue reading Building On and Moving On
Good Enough
Be prepared to mess up. During lockdown I wanted to learn a new skill that would keep my hands and mind busy. Using good ole Youtube, I taught myself to crochet. I was making little bee toys to remind my students to bee kind to themselves as the world was turned upside down. I messed… Continue reading Good Enough
Retired, And Now What? 