As you move towards retirement, it’s essential to plan. Retirement today looks different than it did for previous generations, with many older adults choosing to remain engaged in the workforce, like I am. Ensure you have a solid financial plan in place, considering factors like savings, investments, and any pension or social security benefits. Financial planning can give you peace of mind and the flexibility to choose how you spend your retirement years—whether that’s continuing to work, volunteering, or pursuing hobbies. Retirement doesn’t have to mean the end of your professional life. Many retirees like me find fulfillment in coaching, consulting, mentoring, or  evenvolunteering. Staying connected with your professional network and participating in community or industry groups can keep you engaged and provide opportunities to share your knowledge and experience. Remember to be grateful and keep on with your PPFs! PAST: Remember the past and be grateful, PRESENT: savor what we have in the present and FUTURE:  anticipate the good things the future holds with hope.

Ageism in the workplace is an unfortunate reality that you may face as you advance in their careers. It is especially a hard issue in Switzerland as it is required by the government for the company to pay more into your pension as you gain years of experience. For you nearing retirement or simply seeking a job later in your life, the challenges of age discrimination can be particularly daunting. However, understanding this issue and finding ways to counteract it can help you navigate their career paths with confidence and dignity.

Navigating the transition into your retirement can feel daunting, especially if you’re unsure how to structure this new phase of life.

This is where coaching comes in and I will continue coaching and supervision (and consulting/training) well past my retirement from teaching at the university.

I, as your coach provide guidance, support, and practical tools to help you design a fulfilling and purposeful post-career life. Here’s how coaching can make a difference in your next steps.

But to continue my thoughts on retirement, here are some ways to make the most of it:

1. Be adventurous and ready to explore new Interests and passions

Retirement finally provides you the freedom to dive into old and new hobbies, interests, and passions that may have taken a backseat during your career.

Are you retiring soon? I am semi-retiring at the end of this academic year; that means I will not be working for a university anymore, but will still be a coach, supervisor, trainer and consultant. It means I can order my life in a way I find more amenable to my needs and wants.

Retirement marks a significant life transition for you and for me—one that’s often met with both excitement and apprehension.

For decades, you may have structured your life around work, routines, and other responsibilities.

Life transitions are both inevitable and challenging. They offer you the potential for growth, but they also require support, guidance, and a strategic approach.

Coaching plays an essential role in helping you not only navigate but excel through these periods of change. With a coach, like me, the fear of the unknown can transform into excitement for the future, providing you with the foundation for a successful and fulfilling transition to the next stage in your life.

There is good stress – contact me for a chat if you disagree.

But there is a time when your stress level tips. Then the stress begins to hurt your body.

What is that bad stress and what can you do about it? What causes it?

Stress: So, tip number one: label your stressors. Know what tips you into the “bad zone”.

Then, when possible, lessen those bad stressors. Do something about it.

For example: when possible, ask for help. It is good for two things – sharing the stress is making it less, but also social interaction lessens stress, in general.

Tip number two is BREATHE- either the 4 x 4 method or the 4 x 7 x 8 one, which I have recently shifted to. Look them up.

Tip number three: look at your expectations and see if they are realistic or are you trying to be/achieve perfection.

Finally, take on myPPFs® activities and be grateful for the PAST, savor the PRESENT moment and look forward to the FUTURE with hope.

In the fast-paced world of your work week, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind, focusing on deadlines, projects, and the never-ending to-do list. Yet, there’s a simple and often overlooked tool that can help you stay grounded, motivated, and continually growing in your career: journaling. Specifically, keeping a record of the positive feedback you receive - and your “wins” - can be a game-changer, offering a host of benefits that extend far beyond the moment of recognition. Your “positives” journal can also serve as a valuable resource when building your personal brand. It provides concrete examples of your strengths and achievements, which can be woven into your resume, LinkedIn profile, or discussions with mentors and peers. This practice not only helps you articulate your value more clearly but also builds your reputation as a reflective and growth-oriented professional.

To start reaching your goals, you need to put good habits into place.

Whatever the transition, whether small or heavy, we must work through the stages of grief so that we can really function well in life.  This means we much actually face the situation, the feelings of anger, disbelief, the deep sadness we might feel, so that we can begin to try and live again.  It’s won’t be a linear process, but a back and for of all those emotions.  Emotions are good; they are what make us human.  We shouldn’t be afraid to cry with our friends who are mourning.  In fact, it may encourage them, and even help them feel that we are a “small part” of their grief process.  When you have a transition, take your time and feel your feelings when you grieve a loss.

Are you having problems with getting back to work from a great holiday time? My husband and I have been, AND we have some ideas to help - maybe you can do them too!

Start back on a Wednesday, or even Thursday (my son tried to do this on a Friday, recently)

This is what I am doing a week ago.

Make your first work-week lighter by only working a few days, or perhaps schedule something “fun” first, such as a training day, or a team building day where you have no choice but to ignore your email list. 

What about you? Can you re-start midweek?

Start slowly, with lowered expectations

Skipping your 2024 vacation because you have too much to do?

It’s now proven that stressed employees cannot produce as well as rested and relaxed employees. 

Going on holiday can be a critical management strategy for you as a  business leader, especially in today’s “always-on culture”. While it may seem counterintuitive that taking time away from the office can benefit a company, the reality is that strategic downtime can enhance leadership, creativity, and overall organizational success.

Happy August 1st!

On this day all over Switzerland you can go to Farmer Brunches, attend speeches and fireworks, go to the forest and have a bratwurst over the fire.  You can do all these and more – and we are a direct democracy, and so far, it is working. Thank God.

But today I remember places where democracy is threatened or non-existent.

I remember, Myanmar, Sudan, DRC, and of course, Yemen, Palestine/Gaza/Israel.

I also remember Venezuela today, on August first.

How have you set up your life so that your habits help you to do what you know?

After all we can know what is good for us to eat, for example, and then go to McDonalds several times a month. We can know that exercise is good for us and then sit in front of the computer every evening after work. You get the idea.

Our minds are stronger than we think, though, so, not just what we know but what we think at any given moment can change our emotions and our direction.

Liminal spaces: There are physical liminal spaces: waiting rooms at the doctor’s office, airport terminals, airplanes in flight, hallways, bridges, in the car driving somewhere, and doorways…

I was waiting at a bus stop on a rainy evening recently, wondering about all those other people I saw. Their stories, but also all “on hold” until their bus came.

Liminal - waiting for something new to begin.

For the new to come something needs to end.

There was an end of something, a meeting, a job, a visit, a holiday, a relationship.

Between all the client meetings, teaching, exam corrections I have been doing quite some networking – Friday is one more: a MidSommer dinner Fest. I love it! Next week I get to get ice cream with a group of people I have joined for a year of networking together- and the venue is even in my own village, for once!

What about you? Your best referrals will come from people you know, no matter what.  So, you need to expand your network to find business, get referrals and maybe, for those of you looking, get a job. Let’s do it!

To find the people who will refer you will have to network.  A web presence is nice and kind of like a “calling card”, and that’s where your referrals go to “check you out”, most people do not find you that way (so, there are way too many people spending time and energy on this, in my opinion) find you”.  Well, usually that’s the case from the people I know.

Are you starting a business because you need a new direction after recovering from burnout? Here is a success story:

My client wrote me from out of the blue that he wanted to start a business and that RAV (the Swiss unemployment service) would pay for me to coach him.

So, we started a journey that helped him to look at his product, the market, and even how long he could invest in the enterprise without much financial return before he would need to get back into the regular business market.

I just ran into a former client who was looking for a better job and could not get past the “Swiss system of hiring”.

She was well qualified and young and energetic, but  as a trailing spouse, felt left behind regarding her own career path.

After some CV-checking and somne caching, she found her way and just today I ran into her and it was refreshing to see how well she is doing!

Maybe you need direction, or re-direction in your job search?

OR…

Have you successfully gone through a burnout phase but need to get back to work somehow and feel daunted? A certified coach may help you in this better than a therapist.

The temptation is to keep on working, or even work while on holiday, BUT it is NOT sustainable, nor is it healthy.

Many of us are tempted to skip our vacation, or at least check out work emails daily (hourly?) while away. 

After all, nobody wants 1,000+ emails to go back to work to. 

But psychologists have found it vital for our health and well-being to completely “shut down” for a while, even if it’s a 48-hour break from emails, and a change of pace and scenery. 

A few weeks ago a friend asked me what exactly is executive coaching and I though of this success story:

Are you a business leader who has been under pressure for a number of years?

Have you not taken a vacation in months or years?

Do you feel close to burnout?

Here is a client success story (names and ülaces have been changed to protect them):