This week I wanted to share an article by financial planner Mark Cussen on the six stages of retirement. He says that those who “have given serious time and thought to what they will do after they retire will generally experience a smoother transition than those who haven't”.

If your house burns down, it is perfectly natural for you to feel a range of strong, difficult emotions. If you make yourself “wrong” for having these reactions, you are adding more difficulty to the pile. Emotional intelligence is about being able to accept and work with our emotions effectively, not about being sunny no matter what.

When you envision the road ahead, what do you see? Our mind’s eye can offer valuable clues to what’s going on for us. The metaphors it offers up aren’t usually too mysterious.

When I turned 38, my dad said something funny. It got me thinking. Just like parents need to remind themselves that their kids are their own person, as fully alive, thoughtful and feeling as they were at the same age, many leaders know their staff are actually people, but on some level they relate to them as adjuncts, resources, less-than.

Why do we wait until ‘the perfect time’ to take a break, when really, we can take one at any time. All we need do is turn off devices, rest our bodies, spend time in nature or relax with family and friends.

Too many important sessions turn out to be a waste of everyone’s time. Here’s a few thoughts as to why, and what else is possible

So you don't want to meditate…

The science on the effectiveness of meditation is rock solid. But, I've worked with plenty of people who can't, or don't want to, sit down and meditate. No problem.

I have noticed something of a pattern in people I’ve worked with. When their work requires them to focus purely on facts, disregarding things like emotion, gut feel, and intuition, they can become quite unhappy (and unproductive) humans.

Most people intend to do a good job. Even the ones that are driving you crazy are unlikely to be doing it deliberately. You are more likely to be able to overcome an issue and maintain an effective relationship if you come at it from the perspective of assuming someone meant well when they did whatever they did.

“I made a conscious effort to avoid smartphone addiction somewhat before the pandemic, but since March, my phone has become another limb. While I use it for all of its intended purposes, I also scroll unnecessarily. I reach for it randomly, without awareness, and find myself staring at the screen looking for … what?”

This week I’ve been thinking about fear versus growth. We’ve had to take some pretty serious physical steps back into safety lately and I’ve been feeling like things had become smaller and more contained. In many ways, that’s true. And I’d been feeling that with each step back, growth was getting further away. On reflection, though, these steps into physical safety have actually taken courage.

I’m sure you could readily list the blind spots of multiple bosses you’ve worked for. It’s a little more uncomfortable to consider that your team could do the same thing about you.

To illuminate your leadership blind spots, you need to start with trust.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade - or so the saying goes.

But if life gives you lemons, and your eyes are really stinging from lemon juice, it’s ok to say it hurts. Real life is not all sunshine and platitudes can hold us back. 

Many people retire with a financial plan, a vague idea about a holiday, and not much else.

I’m interested in understanding how people from different lines of work, and of different ages and genders, are feeling about their retirement, and would love you to take 5 minutes to complete this survey.

Have you been surprised by positives during lockdown?

While it’s been extremely challenging, it’s introduced some things we are reluctant to let go of.

Effective boundary setting is so important for both wellbeing and productivity, but it’s something we frequently find so difficult.

When you say “yes” to something, what are you actually saying “no” to?

Saying nothing about what’s happening in the world right now feels like saying it doesn’t matter. And it does. A riot is the language of the unheard. And right now, we need to listen to each other.

Back in the olden days (mid-March), I wrote this post about how important it is to think beyond only finances when approaching retirement.  I didn’t publish it as the time, as events overtook us. Now, it applies equally powerfully for all of us facing big questions about who we are and what we do.

In all of our relationships, being truly seen is a deeply validating and enriching experience. To connect with someone, you must first see them.

As Brene Brown says, “never underestimate the power of being seen”.

As we find ourselves in unprecedented times, it’s tricky to make plans for ourselves and our businesses. This week I’m sharing three tips for managing this change process, and staying alert to the indicators that will allow you to broaden your planning radar.