The Art of Thinking Clearly

Retirement brings freedom—the chance to set your own schedule, travel, or dive into long-awaited passions. But it also brings choices, and sometimes, those choices can feel overwhelming. Should you downsize your home? Invest in a new hobby? Plan for future healthcare needs? With so many options, decision fatigue can creep in, making it harder to think clearly.

But here’s the good news: clear thinking isn’t about having a perfect memory or making split-second choices. It’s about understanding how we think, recognizing common mental traps, and making decisions with confidence.

Why We Don’t Always Think Clearly

Have you ever made a choice, only to wonder later, What was I thinking? We all fall into thinking patterns that lead us astray. For example:

• The “gut feeling” trap – While intuition can be helpful, it’s not always the best guide, especially when making complex decisions like financial planning or healthcare choices.
• The “too much information” problem – The more options we have, the harder it is to choose. This is why simplifying decisions—focusing on what truly matters—leads to better outcomes.
• The “what if I’m wrong?” fear – Doubt can paralyze us, but in reality, very few decisions are permanent. Most choices can be adjusted over time.

How to Start Thinking More Clearly

One of the best ways to sharpen your decision-making skills is to step back and ask, What’s really important here? Instead of getting lost in details, try these simple shifts in thinking:

1. Look at the big picture – Imagine you’re advising a close friend. What would you tell them? This small mental shift helps you see things more objectively.
2. Take a break – Our brains process information even when we’re not actively thinking about it. Stepping away for a walk or a good night’s sleep can bring surprising clarity.
3. Trust your ability to decide – You’ve been making decisions all your life. Just because retirement brings new choices doesn’t mean you’ve lost the skill—it just means you’re learning to apply it in new ways.

The Power of Taking a Break

It might seem counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to make a clear-headed decision is to stop thinking about it for a while. When we take a break—whether that means stepping away from the problem for an hour, a day, or even just a few deep breaths—our brains continue working in the background.

Think about a time when you struggled to remember someone’s name. The more you forced yourself to think, the further away the answer seemed. But then, a few hours later, it popped into your head out of nowhere. That’s your brain at work, solving problems when you’re not actively focused on them.

The same process happens with decision-making. When we stop overanalyzing, we give our minds the space to connect ideas, filter out distractions, and prioritize what really matters.

A good way to use this to your advantage is to sleep on it. If a decision feels overwhelming, give yourself permission to step away. Go for a walk. Read a book. Spend time with a friend. When you return to the decision, you’ll likely find that what once seemed murky now feels much clearer.

A Simple Exercise to Try

Think of a small decision you’ve been putting off—maybe choosing a new activity, deciding whether to travel, or sorting through paperwork. Instead of overthinking, ask yourself:

• What’s the simplest way forward?

• Will this matter a year from now?

• If I make a mistake, can I adjust later?

Then, walk away from it for a bit. Do something else. When you return, notice if the decision feels easier to make.

The Next Step

In the next post, we’ll explore how memory challenges can affect decision-making—and more importantly, how to work around them. The goal isn’t to fight against how your brain works but to support it with practical strategies. Decision-making is a skill, and like any skill, it improves with practice.

Decision making for seniors

Over the past few weeks, I have had to make some interesting decisions and over time my confidence and clarity around decision-making became a bit clearer, but as I talked to other seniors I found that some of them were having problems with their own confidence and clarity around the idea that they were making the best decision for themselves. So, over the next few posts, I will explore the idea of decision-making for seniors. Below is the outline of what I will cover.

1. The Art of Thinking Clearly

2. Navigating Memory Challenges and Better Decision-Making in Retirement

3. Strengthening Your Decision-Making Skills

4. Thinking Ahead—And Then Thinking Again

5. Bringing It All Together

I hope you will enjoy the series, if so, let me know.

Thoughts to ponder

 Friends,

Why do peanuts float in a regular coke and sink in a diet coke. Go ahead and try it...

I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes. 

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered? 

Why do you have to "put your two cents in"... but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going?   (taxes?) 

 Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity? 

 What disease did cured ham actually have? 

 How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage? 

  Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours? 

  If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing? 

  Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV? 

 Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground? 

 Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're going to see you naked anyway. 

  Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural? 

  Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat? 

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?   I've never seen a sign that says 'Two or more LIVE people needed to use the HOV lane'...

 If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat? 

 If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from? 

 If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons? 

  Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? 

  Why did you just try singing the two songs above? 

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you,  but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

HOW DID THE MAN WHO MADE THE FIRST CLOCK, KNOW WHAT TIME IT WAS?

Retired time to find a new balance

In her blog A Retirement Blog, Caree Risover posted a blog on "More than One Way" in which she said, When we were working, many of us fell into this trap and felt the frantic nature of life as we ran from one commitment to another. Who'd have thought how easily you can fall into the trap of doing this, even when you are retired and theoretically have time at your disposal?

I've been ruminating on my folly, and although that wonderful feeling of tranquility is clearly linked to a slower tempo, it isn't true that to appreciate the joy of life, you always have to operate at a snail's pace. Indeed, the early years of retirement are definitely an opportunity for adventure and exploration, deriving thrill from the novel and unfamiliar. There are many ways to revel in the moment. I agree that there are many ways to revel in the moment. Then, a friend of mine asked me a question. This is my response to her question and Caree's thoughtful post.

One example would be to read your latest novel while you watch the rain and wind flow around your house. Another is to sit with friends for lunch and listen as they talk about past glories and future dreams.

One of my friends imagined retirement as a time of slow mornings, leisurely walks, and peaceful afternoons filled with books and tea. After decades of juggling deadlines, meetings, and family commitments, she was ready for tranquility. Or so she thought.

Two months into retirement, she found herself busier than ever. She volunteered at the library, signed up for a watercolor class, agreed to help plan the neighborhood potluck, and even babysat her grandkids twice a week. The freedom she had longed for seemed just as frantic as her working years, just with different commitments. She had forgotten how to say no.

One day, she said to me, I don’t understand it. I thought I was done with rushing from one thing to the next. But here I am, running around again. Retirement wasn’t supposed to feel like this."

Having been retired for almost 20 years, I laughed and said, "Ah, the retirement rush. We all fall into it. The trick isn’t slowing down completely; it’s finding the rhythm that suits you. Sometimes, life is about exploration and adventure. Other times, it’s about pausing to soak in the moment. There’s no single right way to enjoy this stage."

My friend started to make small changes; she left her schedule open for an entire morning. No plans, no commitments. She sat by the window with her book and let the sound of the rain tapping on the glass set the tempo for her day. It felt wonderful.

Later that week, she told me she had experienced something new and wonderful. She joined a hiking group and was excited when they reached a breathtaking viewpoint.

You don’t have to choose between movement and stillness, between adventure and tranquility. Retirement is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Some days were for discovery, for stepping into the unfamiliar with a spark of curiosity. Other days were for stillness, for soaking in the simple pleasures of life.

Retirement is about finding a new balance, not by following one strict approach but by embracing all the ways life could be enjoyed.