The Red Velvet Lawyer

100 Things I Did in 2019 Sara Pruitt Arey, at ReFutureYourLife ,  offers a tool she calls "Harvesting the Energy from 2019."  She suggests that you list 100 things that you accomplished during the year. Instructions: She said to look in different parts of your life, including business/work, home, relationships, health, fun, adventure, learning, and self-development.  She also suggests you include less tangible things, like listening to your intuition or treating yourself with more love and kindness. Use your calendar, emails, or social media posts to help you recall the steps you took throughout the year. Be very inclusive.  Don't leave something out just because you think it quite ordinary.  If the item that pops into your head feels like a positive step, then write it down. She explains that every step forward -- no matter how small -- is progress. This list is evidence of your hugely vast creative power.  When you feel stuck in 2020, take a look a

What Happened?   What Didn't? In my last post, I explained a goal setting process I use that involves choosing one to three words for the year as a source of inspiration and anchoring.  In 2019 , I chose the words " Expert " and " Support ."   I explained: Expert  tells me what I believe about my life. It also shows how I expect my work to change or improve the world in the coming year through my leadership. It will be about the books that manifest in 2019 and 2020, along with the related conference presentations and media coverage. Support  will remind me of two things. First, my support for friends, colleagues, and students. But, also the need to find support for my own well-being. I've already started that process when I felt overwhelmed in December. I hired a personal assistant. I also asked my housekeeper to come every week to reset my apartment. And, I once again got weekly massages. Even so, I need more support from

Planning the Transition  to the Third Stage of Life:  Retiring to Thailand For over half a decade, I have used a goal setting technique described by Christine Kane and Chris Brogan .  They advise selecting one to three words to define intentions for the coming year.  Christine's tool for discovering your word for the year is here . Last year , I picked "Expert" and "Support."  The first word acknowledged my desire to be seen as an expert in my field of dispute resolution.  The second word acknowledged my need to build and rely on friends and care-givers who could support my emotional and physical well-being.  My post from last year also describes the words I have picked since 2014. This year, the word I needed came to me easily.  It's "Transition." I learned in the spring semester that Qatar University is forcing me into retirement because I recently passed the retirement age mandated by law. At first I was angry.