Transitions With Jean - Columns

Dear Jean, A while ago, you talked about the importance of making an “advance directive”. I finally finished mine and put it in my safe-deposit box for security. I named my daughter as my health care agent. Should I give her a copy too? Answer: Yes, give her a copy....

“I need help getting rid of all this stuff and the sooner the better!” were the first words Yolanda said when I met her at the door of her half-empty house. She had just moved to a senior apartment, and she needed help clearing out all the things that were left...

This month I had a couple of customers tell me about frustrations they are having with their children. In the first case, when their adult kids came to visit over the holidays, the parents wanted them to go through their bedrooms and get rid of some of their stuff....

Sometimes I feel like I am turning into a jalopy. Yes, that is a word: “An old, dilapidated automobile.” I never really was like a souped-up Camero or even a sleek Jaguar. I was more of a Chevy Trailblazer –like the SUV I had in the ‘90s. It was functional, with...

This week, I had fun when two of my grandboys helped decorate my house for Christmas; they are 12 and 7 years old. What a treat for me.  Hopefully, they thought it was a treat, too. Like many of you, every Christmas decoration in my house has a history.  I’ve tried to...

Veterans: Today’s column is for you and your spouses. This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with David Holst, one of our County Veterans Service Officers. I asked what he would like to share with veterans. He has two...

Have you ever heard of the 80-20 Rule? It asserts that 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort.  Well, that wasn’t very clear, was it? Let me share some examples to explain better– 80% of the work in an organization is done by 20% of the people: consider your...

Do you remember your first day of school? It was so very long ago, but I’ll bet you remember how you felt that day. There was probably a little bit of excitement, a little bit of fear, a little trepidation. Will people like me? Will I make friends? Can’t I just stay...

Every day, I make a to-do list. Honestly, it is because I just can’t remember all the things I need to do. Do you make to-do lists? It wouldn’t surprise me if your answer is yes, because when I meet with my customers, and we talk about planning for their transition,...

Lately, I have been thinking about this older column. I first heard about this story at a Mass at St. Mary’s in Appleton in 2008. It was a sermon told by Fr. Mike O'Rourke. His take on it was a little different because he was talking about things that might keep us...