Susan Abel🚢⚓ Daily Journaler & Writer ✍

Have you been seeking change? Journaling can be the tool you need to change your mindset and start on the path to success.

Just in case some of you think I have an agenda (besides doing what’s best for all students, teachers, and schools), I asked ChatGPT: WHO would be affected the most if the Department of Education was abolished. So, here’s what AI thinks… #DepartmentofEducation

@LeadAuthentic Thank you for #9

Personal development is deeply personal. There is a lot of fluffy advice, expert tips, and sacred cows floating around, and it can be hard to tease out what works for you. These are some of my opinions about things that are talked about often. MINDSET MYTHS: 1. You can't force change on others. Period. Change is an inside job. How often have you tried to "fix" someone, only to end up frustrated? Save your energy. The only person you can change is you. 2. Excuses or solutions? Pick your poison. Both are always available. One moves you forward, the other keeps you stuck. 3. 24/7 hustle? More like 24/7 burnout. You're not a smartphone. You can't run on low battery mode forever. Take breaks. Recharge. Do your thing. REDEFINING SUCCESS: 4. Your bank account isn't your report card. Chasing zeros? You might end up feeling like one. Money can't buy happiness (cliché, but true). Redefine wealth: relationships, experiences, growth. 5. Self-help is selfish. Those books often just make you feel good without driving real change. Action beats reading every time. Close the book and do something. 6. "No pain, no gain" is caveman logic. Sustainable growth comes from balance, not constant struggle. Push yourself, sure. But know when to ease off. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES: 7. Meditation isn't magic. It's a skill. Sitting cross-legged for 10 minutes while your mind races about your to-do list? That's just uncomfortable sitting, not meditation. Learn proper techniques. Practice consistently. It has helped me a ton but it is not a magic bullet. 8. Your comfort zone isn't the enemy but it's not your friend. It's your launchpad for growth. Stretch yourself, but it helps to have some security Balance challenge with comfort for sustainable progress. CAREER CLARITY: 9. Not everyone needs to be an entrepreneur. There's a lot to be said for being an excellent employee or team player. Find your role. Excel at it. Impact is possible from any position. 10. "Done" trumps "perfect" every time. Perfectionism? It's just procrastination in a fancy suit. Ship it. Improve it. Repeat. THE REALITY OF CHANGE: 11. The 21-day habit myth and "think positive" delusion? Building habits and being optimistic helps but not without action towards where you want to go. Real change is a marathon of effort, strategy, and grit. No shortcuts. No magic pills. Just showing up, day after day, even when it sucks. 12. Your potential has limits. Deal with it. Accepting your limitations leads to focused, meaningful growth. You can't be world-class at everything. Pick your battles. Excel where it counts. 14. Not every failure teaches a lesson. Sometimes, you just fail. And that's okay. Learn to distinguish between instructive failures and plain old mistakes. Analyze, but don't obsess. Sometimes the lesson is simply "don't do that again." BOTTOM LINE: Personal development isn't one-size-fits-all. What works for the guru selling courses might not work for you. Stay curious. Stay humble. But most importantly, stay true to yourself. What's your most unpopular opinion about personal development? Drop it in the comments.

Hi, Friends! I'm still hanging around and thought I'd share my thoughts today. If you choose to give someone a compliment today, think about the words you use. sgsabel.substack.com/p/give-my-comp…

@lifelikeanocean Congratulations! 🎉

@SGSAbel Thank you so much, Susan 🙏🏻🌊💙 I’m now a proud Channel swimmer 🏊🏻‍♀️

So the English Channel swim is on for tomorrow morning 🌊🏊🏻‍♀️💙 Please keep the fingers crossed that I’ll make it this time. A friend told me:“Leave all negative thoughts on the shore in England.” Going for a dream, magic happens out of your comfort zone🙏🏻

X(Twitter) is an example of how we find people we are a reflection of. My newsletter this week: sgsabel.substack.com/p/who-are-you-…

@rubengp @dickiebush @Nicolascole77 I love these Ruben! We need doctors who think and question.

The doctor who only knows medicine; he does not even know medicine Keep an opend mind with some interest unrelated to your expertise 8 quotes unrelated to medicine... from physicians Read about them in my 6️⃣9️⃣0️⃣ essay at @dickiebush & @NicolasCole77's #ship30for30 👇🏼

@infopyles Thank you, Denise. That really means a lot, especially coming from you!

@SGSAbel Love your newsletter, and I love how you capture what catches your attention in photos - very contemplative.

Often, on my walk, something will catch my eye, leading to a thought that ends up in my newsletter.

Use journaling or other forms of reflection to regularly assess your progress, setbacks, and future steps in personal and professional areas. This can help clarify your thoughts, prioritize your actions, and keep you motivated.

How often do you change journaling prompts? A small change can bring new revelations.

@lifelikeanocean It sounds like you'll be ready. Can't wait to here how it goes!

Little update on my upcoming English Channel swim🌊🏊🏻‍♀️💙 I’ve swam 778.035m so far, 2x25km swims, several 10-16km swims, my average distance per week is 30km. This weekend I’ll go for another long swims before I’ll head to the U.K. 🇬🇧 in 2 weeks. 🙏🏻💙

@DrPhilipHinds I love this post. I might have 2 weekly newsletters, but I never know what I'm going to write until a few days before they are posted.

The #1 piece of advice I would give a new retiree. (And it's not to have a bucket list, plans or goals.) 256 days ago. That is when I handed in my laptop, security pass, and waved goodbye to 37 years of paid employment. When I resigned my medical licence the following month, there was no way back. I was lucky to have had a fulfilling, interesting, and well-compensated career lived out in the company of some great people. (Or perhaps I just made some sensible decisions, worked damn hard, and took a few exciting and unconventional opportunities when they came around.) So. What next? You don't need a plan, a bucket list or a list of goals Instead, you just need to be open to new opportunities and to have "fun with purpose". The retirement experts recommend having a plan for your retirement, otherwise you might get bored, watch too much sport on TV, become fat, get on your significant other's nerves, and die a miserable and early death. I didn't have a plan. I don't have a plan. And I don't think you need to have one. Of course I had planned my path to retirement with appropriate financial measures put in place. But this post is about living after you have stepped over the line from employment to retirement. Here's why. Plans are a nice idea, but in reality they're pretty useless If I live as long as my father, I'll have about another 30 years. That's a long time. How can I plan for that? Thirty years ago, I had no idea I would move towns six times, retrain mid-career, and emigrate a third of the way across the world. I had made lots of plans, but I ended up pretty much ignoring them all. And that's what I recommend in retirement. This is what I'm doing Retirement is about "Having Fun With Purpose". It's a time to shake off anything you have done before, open a new book in your library of life, embrace the blank pages, and have fun. Fun is not about doing frivolous stuff, although it might be from time to time. Rather, having fun is about doing stuff that gives you joy and meaning. For me, that includes reading about history and science, cycling, golf (sometimes it can be fun), taking courses that I want to do, playing strategy games, tennis, keeping fit, learning about new subjects, watching a little sci-fi, live theatre, playing and listening to music, going to favourite coffee shops, and more! I don't plan much beyond next week's calendar. And I do some, but not all, of this with my wife. Going forward... Of course you need a plan for finance and healthcare. But the rest? Go with your instincts. They've probably served you well so far in life. And have fun following them.

@JAdamUllrich I have so many friends on FB because of my age. And I don't post every day. I think I'm going to stop trying to sell myself on X and just post like I do on FB. Can't hurt to see what happens.

@SGSAbel If you do decide to no longer post, stay in touch! I've tried FB and can't get over the feeling the algorithm on it is intentionally designed in ways I don't necessarily agree with. Haven't tried IG though!

Do you remember when you joined X? I do! #MyXAnniversary I joined Twitter 7 years ago today. Today, I'm considering giving X up, but I had to lose contact with some wonderful friends.

When I'm not writing my newsletters, I like to walk around stores and take pictures of the floor. I think this is Hobby Lobby. Happy Monday!

@JAdamUllrich Not really. I probably just won't use X but not remove myself. I still like keeping up with friends.😁 I get more engagement from IG and FB.🤔

@SGSAbel Hey Susan, are you considering moving to a different platform?

@DanielSchimpke I've been doing that with social media. It does feel good.

In the last days I consumed less content like articles, newspapers and podcasts. And I have to say, it feels good and has cleared my mind. Have you had the same experience?

@DanielSchimpke We often resist change. But a little can do a lot.

Sometimes it is enough to change a template to get new fun out of a tool. Whether you change the color or use a completely different template, it can be really simple...

@MindfulMen99 The more we are present in the moment, the easier it is to see what we have.

Looking for contentment or happiness outside of your moment? That is like looking for your sunglasses, when they are on your head.