When I did my thesis on happiness I found there are a bunch of things we can do to feel happier. One of those is to be grateful. What can be even more powerful, I’ve found, is to look back on the awful, sucky stuff that happens, and notice how it actually brings good stuff. Here […]
Category Archives: Life Management
Do you feel you want to change your life? Like you need to shake things up, do something different, feel different? You don’t have to sign up for a week-long intensive workshop, buy a library of self-help books, or commit to some dramatic gesture in order to start change happening in your life. You don’t […]
Sales get a lot of hype, but make no mistake about it: sales are not your friend. They mess with your mind. They waste your money. They add clutter to your home. And that’s not all! Here are 5 reasons you should step away from the bargain bin. 1. You Waste Money This is the great […]
Have you seen the quirky new headquarters at Google (UK)? There are rooms called the Velourmptious snug, Granny’s Flat and the Lala Library. Google are well known for their innovative & fun workspace. I think I would be super-organized in a place like that. I feel motivated to get organized when things around me have […]
Being organized can extend your life. That’s a fact, according to Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin, authors of The Longevity Project.* If you haven’t heard of The Longevity Project, it is a landmark study spanning over 80 years involving 1,500 people. Started by Dr Lewis Terman in 1921, the study concludes that they key factor to […]
07
Aug
Aug
Motivated by Michele’s creative sabbatical, I started thinking about my own creative expression. I love recharging my batteries with a creative activity. I look forward to the free time, releasing myself of daily responsibilities and doing something creative, purely to make me happy. My most recent creative expression is photography. I love taking a picture […]
22
Jul
Jul
Next month I’m taking a creative sabbatical. What is a creative sabbatical? Well, I foolishly thought I’d coined the term but apparently not. It’s a time-out for recovering from burnout or recharging creative batteries. A way to let some different stuff in or get some different stuff out. I’m not a big vacation-taker, preferring to steal […]
17
Jul
Jul
Lately I’ve been thinking, as I often do, about friendship. My friends are so important to me. I feel lucky and happy whenever I think about them. And something that occurred to me is how much my life is enriched by having a variety of different people as friends. People who are not very much […]
03
Jul
Jul
The Definition Of Insanity – Not So Much The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This quote must be true because it was said by someone super-smart. Einstein, right? Benjamin Franklin? Um, Mark Twain? No, no, and nuh-uh. Oh okay. Then doing the same thing over and over again and expecting […]
12
Jun
Jun
Yep I’m serious. There’s a way to stop ‘procrastinating’. How? Well, I’m going to suggest there’s no such thing as procrastination. I mean yes, there’s a word and a set of associations that go with it. But I’m suggesting that by treating it as a meaningful phenomenon like it’s some deep-seated childhood trauma or pervasive psycho-sexual dysfunction, […]
06
Jun
Jun
This month my word of the month is discipline. Not the scary, willpower-y kind of discipline. I’ve never been good at that. Anything enforced immediately brings out the rebellious child in me. I can’t diet because as soon as there’s something I can’t have it’s the thing I want most in the world. Even if I had zero interest […]
30
May
May
Feeling confident helps us to do more, be more, and give more to others. The following 7 simple strategies can help you to feel better about yourself – and that can help make you more productive, motivated, and effective. So why not pick at least one strategy that you can use today… 1. Dress Your Best Sure your appearance can affect how others perceive you, but what […]
More than 1200 people are signed up and completing the 21-Day Simplify Your Life Challenge. It’s exciting to read the comments and see the pictures as people make small changes that can have a big impact on their lives. Here are some of the discoveries so far that people have found surprising: Knowing where to […]
07
May
May
UPDATE: The $2 offer has now closed. If you: Feel overwhelmed Have too much stuff in your life Have too little time Don’t have your priorities in order Are drowning in chaos Find it hard to think straight because there’s too much on your mind… Then the 21-Day Simplify Your Life Challenge is for you! Each day I’ll give you a challenge – perhaps a decision to make or a task to […]
01
May
May
UPDATE: Start any time! Join now… Do you wish your life were simpler? This May I’ll be running a 21-Day Simplify Your Life Challenge. Each day I’ll give you a challenge – perhaps a decision to make or a task to complete – designed to help you simplify your life. Day by day these challenges will help you to untangle complications, […]
25
Apr
Apr
Sometimes life’s little tantrums make it hard to keep your cool. You get sick, you face one problem after another, your goals stall, your relationships struggle… You can start to feel disorganized, frustrated, in a rut… So what can you do to keep yourself afloat? I suggest a daily checklist that will help you feel as though you’re hanging in there and doing okay. Keep the checklist simple and achievable. It shouldn’t add to […]
23
Apr
Apr
I’ve been slow getting geared up for this quarter, which is now somehow nearly one-third over. Hey, how did that happen? But I’ve finally put together my list of things I want to get done by the end of June. That still gives me two solid months. My theme for this quarter is back to […]
The way you feel about yourself is a tricky thing. No one wants to be egotistical or overconfident. But most us are more likely to err in the opposite direction – to be unsure, self-doubting, lacking in self-esteem. A library of self-help books and/or years of therapy can maybe help. But for a simpler approach, you […]
18
Apr
Apr
Earlier this month a took a week off. I went away for my previous vacation and didn’t particularly enjoy it, so this time I decided to make it a staycation. And I’m glad I did! I spent most of my week catching up with friends, watching DVDs, reading, and generally lounging around. It was wonderfully […]
11
Apr
Apr
Here are some common frustrations I hear from people who are trying to declutter their lives and organize their homes: My husband is a hoarder – he still has college notes from the 80s. My wife’s hobbies have taken over the entire house. My kids have too much stuff and won’t get rid of anything. If you relate, […]