The Day Planner Experiment

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As anyone who is retired knows, time management in retirement is a struggle. It comes as a surprise that having “all the time in the world” does not actually help you get anything done. It’s ironic and annoying. Recently, I discovered the work of Nir Eyal on Distraction and I’m trying his time management technique… Continue reading The Day Planner Experiment

Creating Healthy Habits

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Our brains love to create habits. It allows our brains to relax and not use much energy. How many times do we bring conscious thought to our daily habits?  We don’t need to! We brush our teeth; get into bed and turn out the lights. No thought needed. Habits Can be Beneficial, Neutral Or Unwanted… Continue reading Creating Healthy Habits

Retirement Is Saying Hello And Goodbye

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All change is saying yes to the new thing and also, saying no to the old. When I retired, I was saying hello to a new exciting, chapter of my life. But, as with many hellos that I’ve had over the years, I didn’t see all the goodbyes until much later. I’m experiencing desiderium: a… Continue reading Retirement Is Saying Hello And Goodbye

Are You Adventurous?

The stories we tell ourselves about who we are have a tremendous impact on our decisions. As a teacher, I saw the students who believed that they were good at math, be happy to try new math problems. Students who thought they were good writers, eagerly scribbled away in their journals, and students who believed… Continue reading Are You Adventurous?

A Work/Life Balance Doesn’t Make Sense

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I’m determined not to get sucked into that whirlwind of work again. Before I retired from teaching, I was a chronic over-worker. I enjoyed my job (for the most part), and filling my out-of-school hours and weekends with work felt necessary and purposeful. Perhaps it was just easier to do more work than to figure… Continue reading A Work/Life Balance Doesn’t Make Sense

Lose That Winning Streak Mentality

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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

Got Junk? Grow Some Space.

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Somehow the older we get the more junk we accumulate. I’m not sure how it happens. It grows in cupboards, and closets and it’s especially fertile in basements and garages. It seems to grow without thought or nurture on my part. Soon, like a garden over-grown with weeds, it becomes a problem. Ignoring it or… Continue reading Got Junk? Grow Some Space.

Benefit From Blue Spaces

I’ve intuitively been drawn to spending time near bodies of water. I love the sounds, the sparkle and the feeling of calm that I get from an expansive lake or a quiet stream. These “blue spaces” seem to give back and recharge me. I always thought that it was a nostalgia thing: I grew up… Continue reading Benefit From Blue Spaces

Where Planning Falls Short

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Having a detailed plan sounds like a solid idea, something an adult who is organized would do. A positive. As a teacher, I was required to have lesson plans in case I was absent and a supply teacher needed to take over my class. I was also required by my administrators to have weekly plans,… Continue reading Where Planning Falls Short