I have been there and have ignored the obvious. I’m not saying that I have buried my head in the sand, but the idea is very familiar. I can remember thinking to myself, “If I check my balance, I will spiral out of control.” Or worse, I remember thinking not knowing made me feel better than knowing.” But next week, the problems were still there. And because I ignored … [Read more...] about Ten Minutes With My Money Is Better Than Seven Days of Avoiding It
10 Simple Rules That Quietly Make Your Life Easier (Most People Ignore #7)
On a whim, I am checking out CLAUDE. This AI tool is supposed to make curating easy. When I asked it to create a list of 10 practical tips, it came up with the list below. It turns out I am already using many of the ideas in the kit. Some of these tips I did not recognize as things I regularly do. I have been using #2 for years, but never knew it was a thing. Attached … [Read more...] about 10 Simple Rules That Quietly Make Your Life Easier (Most People Ignore #7)
Checking In This Holiday Season: Retirement, Family Memories, and What’s Next
30 Days in Retirement; wow, the month went by so fast. It has already been 30 days since I retired. And we are celebrating a New Year, 2026. My original plan was to retire very early in 2025. I realize now that I kept pushing back the actual date because I really enjoy what I am doing. It turns out I really enjoy solving problems within company policy. And I love the … [Read more...] about Checking In This Holiday Season: Retirement, Family Memories, and What’s Next
Retirement Day 5 – If You’ve Ever Rushed Through Life and Are Finally Slowing Down, This Story Is for You
I never expected to be wide awake by 2:00 AM on Day 4 of being retired. Nor did I expect finally slowing down to be a thing. Yet, there I was, staring at the ceiling while the entire world slumbered. It wasn’t until I made my way to the window that I saw something I hadn’t expected: snow in the mountains of Virginia. These quiet, early-morning snows seem to bring a … [Read more...] about Retirement Day 5 – If You’ve Ever Rushed Through Life and Are Finally Slowing Down, This Story Is for You
Retirement: What Day Three Really Looks Like (Hint: Not What I Planned)
Somehow, Day Three doesn’t seem as calm and quiet as I expected. But as I sit with it now, I can see that today was calmer—definitely calmer than Day Two. I didn’t feel the need to write a 17-item to-do list, and I didn’t wake up with that sense of urgency that I used to carry like a backpack full of rocks. I actually had less on my plate today, and that alone felt like a … [Read more...] about Retirement: What Day Three Really Looks Like (Hint: Not What I Planned)
