Author Archives: juliefj1

Well, we are almost done with the first month of 2022. How many New Year’s resolutions have you kept? I don’t make them anymore because I was setting myself up for failure. As I got older, I realized that Jan. 1 isn’t any different than Dec. 31, and resolutions were just a way to setContinue reading “Goaaaal!”

It has been six months since I officially resigned from my job and began a new phase of life. How time flies. What lessons have I learned? Have I learned anything? Not that I consciously thought about what I was learning as the days progressed, but upon deciding to write a blog I had toContinue reading “How Time Flies”

OK, I’ll admit it. I am good at feeling guilty. It’s a talent I’ve had all my life, and I work hard to maintain it. Seriously. But, as I get older, I am trying not to be so good at feeling guilty. I’m working on letting go of the things that make me feel guiltyContinue reading “Feel Guilty About Enjoying Retirement?”

Hi, my name is Julie and I am . . . wow! How do I identify myself? What defines me? What defines you? Our identity is a crucial part of our soul and how we relate to everything around us. Did you think you resolved your identity crisis in adolescence or middle age? Nope. ThinkContinue reading “Who am I? Redefining Yourself in Retirement”

Finding your passion is a bit like Finding Nemo, only you are the clownfish dad and your passion is the son, Nemo. There may be a forgetful Dory in your life, and the encounters with ocean life and dangers are comparable to land life and retirement. It wasn’t easy for Nemo’s dad, Marlin, to findContinue reading “Find Your Passion”

The first few weeks after I left my job, I was on a constant “freedom” high. There were no meetings, no deadlines, no fires to put out, and no alarm clocks to set. Those feelings of elation eventually lessened and I felt a bit overwhelmed and disoriented. What day is it? It’s a long weekend?Continue reading “How Time Flies”

I’ll just play one more game. The leaves need raking. I’m tired. What? 1 pm.? Already? Time for lunch. Yep, procrastination is my worst enemy. If I can put something off, I will, and hope that nothing happens to thwart that plan. Sometimes I win, and sometimes I lose. Let me tell you, burning theContinue reading “I’ll Do It Tomorrow”

In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” In other words, explore! Exploring is all about getting out of your comfort zone, whether that be walking the streets of a new neighbourhood, going for a drive inContinue reading “Be an Explorer of Life”

We all need inspiration in our lives. Inspiration fuels us, it stokes the fire so to speak and gives us purpose. Without it, life would be shades of grey. As I said in a previous blog, we are all inspired by different things. It could be a story, nature, music and, of course, people. If weContinue reading “Life, Motivation & Inspiration”