Author: Admin01

You’ve circled the date on the calendar, and retirement is on the horizon! Whether it’s months or just weeks away, the countdown can stir up excitement, relief, and even impatience. It’s natural to want to mentally check out, but this is also an important season to finish strong, leave a positive legacy, and preserve your peace of mind. Here are some practical tips to help you stay engaged, valuable to your employer, and sane while you count down the days.

Shift Your Perspective

Instead of viewing this time as an obligation to “get through,” try to see it as a capstone to your career. These last months or years are an opportunity to wrap up projects, mentor colleagues, and share knowledge that only you hold. Framing this season as a chance to give back can help you find purpose and pride in finishing strong.

One way to keep your mindset steady is to adopt simple mantras. Here are a few to try:

• “I am leaving a legacy, not just a job.”
• “I finish as strong as I started.”
• “Every day is a rehearsal for the joy that’s ahead.”

Repeating these phrases can help you shift your energy from “counting down” to “making each day count.”

Prioritize What Matters Most

As retirement nears, you don’t need to take on every task that comes across your desk. Focus on high-value contributions; projects where your expertise makes the biggest difference. For example, rather than getting bogged down in administrative details, use your experience to troubleshoot complex problems or advise on long-term strategy. This not only preserves your energy but also ensures your employer sees you finishing well and with impact.

Set Boundaries to Protect Your Sanity

It’s easy to feel stretched thin if colleagues lean on you too heavily, especially as they anticipate your departure. Setting boundaries doesn’t mean being unhelpful; it means being clear and intentional about where you spend your time.

Here are some practical ways to set healthy boundaries:

Limit “Urgent” Interruptions

If a coworker asks for immediate help on something minor, suggest scheduling time later in the day or guiding them toward a resource.

Delegate with Purpose

Instead of saying yes to every request, redirect tasks to colleagues who need the experience. For example: “That’s a great project for Maria, let’s have her shadow me so she’s prepared moving forward.”

Protect Your Downtime

If you’re tempted to work through lunch or stay late, remember you’re modeling balance for the team. Block time on your calendar for breaks and personal commitments.

By protecting your time and energy, you’ll reduce stress while still supporting your team.

Share Your Wisdom

Your knowledge and experience are priceless. Use this season to document processes, create “how-to” guides, or mentor someone stepping into your shoes. Even small acts, like recording best practices or sharing lessons learned during team meetings, make a big difference. Not only will this lighten your load, but it also ensures a smoother transition for your employer – and leaves your legacy intact.

Practice Self-Care Daily

Retirement planning can feel overwhelming. Balance the workday with personal rituals that ground you. Practices like morning walks, journaling, stretching at your desk, or short breathing exercises between meetings. Think of this as rehearsal for your retirement lifestyle. By caring for your body and mind now, you’ll step into retirement healthier and more energized.

Celebrate Small Wins

Don’t underestimate the power of small victories. Whether it’s wrapping up a project, mentoring a colleague, or finally cleaning out that file drawer, these moments matter. Acknowledging progress keeps you motivated and helps you feel lighter as the countdown continues.

Wrapping Up with Intention

Retirement may be the end of one chapter, but it’s also the beginning of another. By staying focused, offering value, and taking care of yourself, you’ll not only leave on a high note, but you’ll also enter this exciting new season feeling proud, energized, and ready for what’s next.

And if you’re finding yourself needing some additional support during this transition, let’s connect! I would be honored to walk alongside you as you plan your next chapter.

I’d Love to Hear from You:

What retirement planning strategies are working for you right now? Which ones helped you the most?

Let’s be honest: most of us don’t think twice about our glasses. We pick a pair, wear them until they practically fall off our faces, and only replace them when the prescription is so outdated we can’t tell if that’s our neighbor waving at us or a tree branch swaying in the breeze. Sound familiar?

Here’s the thing – glasses aren’t just for seeing. They’re a full-on style statement, as important as your favorite scarf or the shoes that make you feel unstoppable. Sticking with the same old frames for years can actually make you look older (and not in the wise, elegant way we want). Updating your glasses is one of the fastest, easiest ways to refresh your look.

Don’t Get Stuck in a Time Warp

Think of glasses like hairstyles. Would you still wear a perm straight out of 1987? (If you said yes, we need to talk.) Fashion evolves, and your frames should too. That doesn’t mean chasing every fad, but it does mean updating your eyeglasses with frames that feel current and show the world that you’re a vibrant, stylish midlife woman who is not stuck in the past.

It’s About Personality, Not Face Shape

Forget all those rules about glasses needing to “suit your face shape.” That’s old news. Eyeglass trends for 2025 are all about letting your glasses reflect you. Are you bold and adventurous? Try oversized aviators. More playful? Cat-eyes in a pop of color. Love a little retro flair? Round frames inspired by the 1960s are calling your name.

Take some cues from 60 and older style icons like Oprah, Demi Moore, and Meryl Streep. Oprah’s oversized frames scream confidence. Demi’s sleek designs say, “effortless chic.” And Meryl? She’s proof that you can rock everything from quirky rounds to polished classics. None of them are hiding behind their glasses – they’re owning them.

One Pair? That’s So Last Decade

Here’s a truth bomb: one pair of glasses just doesn’t cut it anymore. You don’t have one handbag for every outfit, right? (If you do, I admire your discipline.) Eyewear deserves the same variety. A bold pair for evenings out, a classic pair for everyday errands, and a fun pair just because. Glasses are accessories – collect them like jewelry.

And if prescription frames make your wallet wince, start with reading glasses or a great pair of sunnies. Both are ridiculously stylish and affordable. You can grab a few pairs in different shapes and colors without guilt. Better yet, you don’t even need a prescription to get in the eyewear game – non-prescription glasses are everywhere. Consider them fashion candy for your face.

Trends You’ll Love Right Now

Ready to try something new? Here are a few trends that are flattering, fun, and age-defying (in the best way):

• Oversize Aviators – Big, bold, and a little bit dramatic. They say, “Yes, I’ve seen it all, and I look fabulous doing it.”
• Classic Cat-Eyes – Playful, flirty, and always flattering. Modern cat-eyes come in sleek styles that work for every day.
• Colorful Frames – Red, teal, blush, even patterned – because life’s too short for boring black frames.
• Retro Wayfarers in Bright Colors – A classic reinvented. Think 1960s cool meets 2025 chic.
• Round Frames Inspired by the 1960s – A little artsy, a little bohemian, and totally fresh. Perfect if you like to stand out.

Your Face, Your Style

At the end of the day, glasses shouldn’t just help you see better – they should help the world see you. The confident, stylish, fun-loving you. Whether you’re sipping coffee at brunch, reading your latest mystery novel, or heading out to dinner, the right frames can make you feel polished and alive.

So, the next time you find yourself reaching for those old frames you’ve had since… well, who can remember? – pause and try on something new. Have fun. Surprise yourself. Because your style doesn’t stop evolving at 60, and neither should your glasses.

Let’s Talk About It:

Do you match your eyeglasses to your outfit or your mood? Remember the saying, “Girls with glasses don’t get passes”? Well, no more. How do you make a style statement with eyewear?

“A pause gives you breathing spaces to listen to the whispers of the real you.”

—Tara Estacaan, Poet

In a world that prizes speed, productivity, and constant connection, the idea of pausing can feel counterintuitive, even ‘bad’ – not just bad behavior, but that I’m a bad person. And as I age, I fear that if I pause, I might just stop all together. But I keep reading that pausing is important, even as we age; that it is not a sign of weakness or laziness, but instead, it is a deliberate choice to create space, restore clarity, and harness my energy more effectively.

What I Learned About Pausing

I’ve watched several TED talks, and read many articles that tell me that pausing, taking time to daydream, or pausing before speaking can not only be helpful, but can actually enhance my life.

A pause, I learned, doesn’t have to mean retreating to a cabin in the woods though sometimes that does sound tempting. Sometimes it’s just a breath before answering a difficult question. Sometimes it’s a walk in nature without music or an audio book, allowing silence to do its work. Sometimes it’s sitting and gazing out into space and having a daydream. Sometimes it’s resisting the urge to fill every gap in conversation, and letting the moment linger.

So, I decided to explore… can taking time to pause actually enhance my life? Can it make me happier, improve my relationships, and/or even re-wire my brain? These are some pretty big claims for just stopping whatever I’m doing and breathing for a few seconds!

Three Times to Make a Pause

As I did a bit of research, I discovered three different significant times to pause:

• In the morning to be intentional.
• During stress and/or conflict
• At positive moments, to savour the good.

The Pause for Intention

“Every intention is a trigger for transformation.”

—Deepak Chopra

Several books I’ve read recently encourage me to live more intentionally; that my intentions can bring transformation. I always thought of goals and intentions as more or less the same thing. But is setting a goal for the day the same as setting an intention? What is the difference between goals and intentions?

I’ve discovered that for me goals feel like I’m pushing toward an external thing, a driving force, like something I push to make happen; whereas intentions feel more internal, like a spark from within that moves me.

A Pause for Intention in the Morning

David Emerald, author of TED – The Empowerment Dynamic, beautifully describes the differences between goals and intentions:

“Goals are focused on the future. Intentions are in the present moment. Goals are a destination or specific achievement. Intentions are lived each day, independent of reaching the goal or destination. Goals are external achievements. Intentions are your inner-relationships with yourself and others.”

Wayne Dyer describes intentions like this:

“Intention is not something you do, but rather a force that exists in the universe as an invisible field of energy – a power that can carry us. It’s the difference between motivation and inspiration. Motivation is when you get hold of an idea and don’t let go of it until you make it a reality. Inspiration is the reverse – when an idea gets hold of you and you feel compelled to let that impulse or energy carry you along.”

Deepak Chopra explains:

“Intention is the starting point of every dream. The sages of India observed thousands of years ago that our destiny is ultimately shaped by our deepest intentions and desires. The classic Vedic text known as the Upanishads declares, ‘You are what your deepest desire is. As your desire is, so is your intention. As your intention is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.’ An intention is a directed impulse of consciousness that contains the seed form of that which you aim to create.”

So, by pausing each morning, and indeed throughout the day, to listen to that inspiration, focus on the intention, that impulse of consciousness, I am honouring that trigger for transformation.

And as I age, my drive toward achieving goals has lessened dramatically. But because intentions feel more internal, even ‘transformational’, it feels like there is still a spaciousness for that in my life, that I can honor that ‘trigger for transformation.’

The Mindful Pause

“Practice the pause. Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you’re about to react harshly and you’ll avoid doing and saying things you’ll later regret.” 

—Lori Deschene

In a podcast I listened to recently, Tara Brach encouraged us to pause when we are feeling stressed or in conflict. Brach explains that one of the main keys that mindfulness offers us in times of conflict and stress is time to pause to help us move from reaction (a knee jerk response to conflict that occurs in the amygdala), and shift the process to the prefrontal cortex.

Brach explains:

“When we feel threatened, part of our evolutionary design is to go into fight, flight or freeze. None of which serve so well when it comes to good communication. Neuroscience research confirms that mindfulness practice improves the brain’s ability to process under stress. It trains us to shift our response away from our primitive, survival reaction, to access more recently developed parts of the brain, in particular, the prefrontal cortex with its capacity for reasoning, flexibility and empathy.”

So, when I’m stressed or in conflict, I can pause and hopefully move away from getting triggered and reactive, and instead choose a more measured response, finding a calm space and empathy.

The Pause to Savor

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”

—Albert Einstein

In a TED talk I watched recently, ‘Hardwiring Happiness’, Rick Hanson suggested that “we pause to savor the good moments in order to offset our negativity bias.” Our brains have a built-in negativity bias that taught us it was a lot more important to notice, react to, and remember the dangers than it was to savor the good.

That’s because – in the tough environments in which our ancestors lived – if they missed out on a carrot, they usually had a shot at another one later on. But if they failed to avoid a stick – a predator, a natural hazard, or aggression from others of their species  then there was no more chances to pass on their genes.

Hanson explained that the negativity bias shows up in lots of ways:

• In a relationship, it typically takes five good interactions to make up for a single bad one.
• People will work much harder to avoid losing $100 than they will work to gain the same amount of money.
• Painful experiences are much more memorable than pleasurable ones.

In effect, our brains are like Velcro for negative experiences, but Teflon for positive ones. This impacts our implicit memory –  our underlying expectations, beliefs, action strategies, and mood –  in an increasingly negative direction. Research shows that it only takes about 30 seconds to install the good, to let it become part of our implicit memory.

Making the Good Stick

Hanson has three suggestions about how to take in the good and make it stick:

#1. Look for Good Facts, and Turn Them into Good Experiences

Good facts include positive events – like the taste of good coffee or getting an unexpected compliment – and positive aspects of the world and yourself. When you notice something good, let yourself feel good about it. Try to do this at least a half dozen times a day.

Each time takes just 30 seconds or so. It’s private; no one needs to know you are taking in the good. You can do it on the fly in daily life, or at special times of reflection, like just before falling asleep (when the brain is especially receptive to new learning).

#2. Really Enjoy the Good Experience

Most of the time, a good experience is pretty mild, and that’s fine. But try to stay with it for 20 or 30 seconds in a row – instead of getting distracted by something else. As you can, sense that it is filling your body, becoming a rich experience.

As Marc Lewis and other researchers have shown, the longer that something is held in awareness and the more emotionally stimulating it is, the more neurons that fire and thus wire together, and the stronger the trace in memory.

#3. Intend and Sense That the Good Experience Is Sinking into You

People do this in different ways. Some feel it in their body like a warm glow spreading through their chest similar to the warmth of a cup of hot cocoa on a cold wintry day. Others visualize things like a golden syrup sinking down inside, bringing good feelings and soothing old places of hurt. So, when we have an experience and we feel good because of that experience, take time to feel good; pause and let it sink in.

Can We Train Ourselves to Stop?

Of course, pausing is not always easy. It often feels uncomfortable to stop when the world keeps racing forward. It can feel scary to slow down and pause. But I’ve learned that a simple pause really does have incredible power. It’s the inhale before the exhale, the rest between the notes, the stillness that makes movement possible again.

I’m convinced that it will make a powerful difference in my life if I:

• Choose to pause before jumping out of bed to set a simple intention for the day.
• Choose to pause when I’m triggered from anger or stress, to refrain from reacting from my primitive part of my brain and instead choosing a more measured and empathetic response.
• Choose to pause throughout the day to savour the good.

So I invite you to pause today. Take a few moments to think about your day before getting out of bed to start your day. Take a deep breath and even close your eyes when you are feeling anger or stress and give yourself space to choose your response. And pause today to savour the good. I promise you, it will enhance your life.

If you are interested in more articles about pausing to enhance your life, you can find more on my Website or my Substack Page. I love hearing from people, so please let me know your thoughts about how you pause during the day, or any other subject that comes up as you read.

Also read, 3 Reasons Why You Can Stop Setting Goals.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What kind of pauses do you use to refresh yourself during the day? Do you ever feel like there is just too much to do/not enough time to pause? What is your favorite way to pause and refresh?

What will she be doing?

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Originally posted at: Heather Gay’s Red Confessional Look