Taxing Reminders

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This is more of a rant and reminder than my usual content. Frustration with government bureaucracy seems to be universal no matter what part of the world you live in. Setting aside any arguments about the validity of specific taxes, it can be a challenge to remember to pay them. It can also be a… Continue reading Taxing Reminders

Fortifying Your New Direction

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It’s discouraging to toil away at something that’s meaningful to you and not receive any recognition. You start to think, “What’s the point? Why bother when no one else seems to care?” But that is the exact moment when this will help: the mere exposure effect.  What is the mere exposure effect?  It’s a psychological… Continue reading Fortifying Your New Direction

Get Used To Making Mistakes

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Part 2 on The Benefits of Making Mistakes (click here to read part 1) It’s important to make mistakes. I’m not kidding. If you’re getting life more than 85% correct, you’re not in an optimal place for learning. “That means a 15% error rate, which allows someone to have space to improve without giving up…”***… Continue reading Get Used To Making Mistakes

The Benefits Of Mistakes

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As a teacher, I often made mistakes. I realized when I started teaching the older grades that there were going to be times when the students would know more than me, or recognize that a word had been spelled incorrectly, or a math question had an error in it. It was inevitable. But, it was… Continue reading The Benefits Of Mistakes

Not If, But When, You Exercise

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Did you know that the time of day that you exercise effects the results that you achieve? I didn’t. Like most people, I’ve struggled to find a consistent time to exercise. When I was working, there were only a few spots in my schedule where exercise would fit. There wasn’t much choice. As a retired… Continue reading Not If, But When, You Exercise

Deep Conversations

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There’s nothing I like more than sitting down, cup of tea in hand, to have a meaningful chat with someone. When I was teaching, having even a moment in the week to sit down with someone was almost unheard of. Life was too busy, too rushed, for conversations. Now, there is time for meeting at… Continue reading Deep Conversations

Barriers To Asking For Help

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Part 2 in Rethinking Help (click here to read part 1) I see the value of accepting help for the giver, who shares their support, and the receiver, who is supported. It builds connection between friends and family and is mutually beneficial. Accepting help is like accepting a gift, it strengthens bonds. But my independent… Continue reading Barriers To Asking For Help

Rethinking Accepting Help

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I will admit that I’m not great at accepting help. Recently, it came as a revelation that allowing others to help me, may be truly meaningful to them.  I’d never considered help from the perspective of the giver before. I thought that I was “taking” from others when I asked for their assistance. I resisted… Continue reading Rethinking Accepting Help

Celebrate Your Wins

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It’s both physically and literally difficult to pat yourself on the back. When you accomplish small steps, do you celebrate?  It’s a foreign idea for me to get my head around. It seems like bragging or “blowing your own horn:” embarrassingly self-serving. However, there is value in celebrating those wins. A Checklist Is Not Sufficient… Continue reading Celebrate Your Wins