There’s an old expression that seasoned college professors like to invoke about teaching: “The first year you get it wrong. The second year you fix it. And the third year you’re bored.” As I settle into my third year running my…
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I realize that’s not exactly a shocking admission for those out there who find their work to be fulfilling. But I’m well into middle age and have been working for the better part of three decades. And it’s only in the past few years, since I started…
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I had a vivid dream the other night. I was preparing to teach a class, but I couldn’t find my notes. As the time for the class drew nearer, I got increasingly stressed that I’d lost my window to prepare. In and of itself, that dream isn’t…
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I got a call the other day from a friend who’s looking to change careers in midlife. Knowing that I was a fellow traveler, she wanted to set up a time for us to talk so that I could give her some advice. I probably get a call…
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Several years ago, back when I was contemplating a change in careers, I did an exercise where I described my “ideal day.” My description basically reads as follows: I spend my mornings writing, followed by some other, related creative…
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Have you been laid off recently? When that happened to me a couple of years ago, it was something that I both wanted – and welcomed. But I also found myself struggling to adjust to that new life. Read More
The aftermath of a parent’s death – especially when it’s your second parent – provokes a range of feelings: confusion, loneliness, anger, regret… and, of course, sadness. Sooner or later, however, you’ll find yourself back…
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I lost my mother recently. It wasn’t to Covid-19, thank goodness, but it was very sudden. Because of the virus, I was not able to make a planned trip to spend Easter with her this year. Indeed, and like so many other families who have lost…
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Just before lockdown, I ran into a student whom I’d worked with a year ago. She was in the office of a local university where I coach PhD students on how to write their dissertations. She was there to pick up her diploma…
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As the reality of an extended quarantine sets in across many corners of the world, we’re all discovering new ways to spend the extra time we have on our hands…
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