If you’re trying to make a change in your life, whether it’s small or huge, you’re going to run into obstacles. Here are five ideas to help you hurdle the obstacles and stay on your new path. Continue reading
Baby steps to start getting organized
It’s time for a Food Revolution!
If you’ve been thinking about eating healthier, I’d highly recommend the upcoming Food Revolution Summit. The FRS is a week of free talks sponsored by the Food Revolution Network. There are 3 talks a day; each one is about an hour. This year’s Summit runs from 4/29-5/7 from 11 AM – 2:00 PM EST.
I’ve listened to the Summit the last two years and have learned a ton. The cool thing is because it’s free, you don’t feel bad if you skip talks that don’t interest you, or when you don’t have time. And they’re not sequential – you can listen to one – or all. Continue reading
When life interrupts you…
Ask Warren Buffet or Bill Gates what the most important trait is for success, and they’ll tell you “focus.”
You hear that. It totally makes sense. You think, “Of course. Do one thing at a time and really focus.” And then the phone rings. Or someone texts you. Or you get that overwhelming urge to check your email.
The focus was there, then it was gone in the blink of an eye.
Here are five prompts to help you stay focused. Continue reading
How much of your life do you choose with intent?
How much of your life do you choose? And how much is you walking down a path you’re on?
Before you roll into weekend plans, I challenge you to pause and think about what your intent is for a myriad of aspects of your life.
Did you choose, or did you happen upon:
- Where you live
- Who you live with
- What you eat
- What you do for work
- The people you hang out with
- What you do with your free time
- What you watch on TV/Netflix/Hulu, et al.
- What you read – books, magazines, newspaper, and online sites
- How you spend other time online and/or on your phone
- What you do for volunteer work
- How you present yourself – what you wear, how you hold yourself, when and how you speak; is your driver fashion, comfort, to make a statement, to blend in?
- How you decorate and keep your home – precise, comfortable, colors, textures, style, messy, neat, etc.
- How you tend to deal with others – speaking, listening, teaching, being directive, being kind, sharing knowledge, being funny, etc.
- How you get around – walking, biking, in a car, using mass transit, running, etc.
A 3-Step Declutter Plan
Ready to do a little spring cleaning? How about doing some decluttering as you go?
Decluttering can be intimidating if you think about your whole house. So start small. What’s a single area of your house that’s been calling to you? The refrigerator? The cabinet under the TV? A bedroom closet?
When you have a target in mind, here are three steps to get going. Continue reading
Finding harmony in your work
If you’re trying to create harmony in the work you do, it’s important to look at the platform you’re working on. When you have personal fundamentals in place, your platform is solid. If you’re missing a few fundamentals, your platform may feel tippy and stressful.
Everyone’s fundamentals are different. And your fundamentals may vary depending on the type of work you’re doing.
Organizational Exercise
Grab a piece of paper and divide it into four columns. The first column is how you think of yourself in general. The second column is for any paid work you do. The third is for volunteer work. And the last is for any fun work you do. Continue reading
Crossing the finish line
In an organization class I took about 20 years ago, one of the exercises we did was writing our obit. When you spend time puzzling out what you want to be remembered for, top priorities on your daily to-do list are magically re-arranged.
When I did the obit exercise, a top priority that popped out for me was that I wanted to write a novel. I love books. Books on the shelves. Books by the bed. Libraries. Bookstores. I still have many of the books I read as a child because the characters and stories are real to me and have helped shaped who I am.
How could I die without adding to the book-ness of the world? Continue reading
Building a trusting community
When you’re not doing your best work, it’s good to question your intent and motivation. To vow to get better organized so you can get more done. To study your habits and think of ways to break bad ones and start new ones. To get healthier so you can focus better.
But if you’re doing all that and still aren’t feeling charged up and on “a path”, take a look at your community. You’re a plant trying to grow. How’s the soil, the sun, and the water where you are?
In Thank You For Being Late,” Thomas Friedman writes that when people feel “protected, respected, and connected,” the outcome is a community that fosters trust and belonging. Continue reading
Mapping your personal ecosystem
Having a stable network can play a huge role in how much you get done and how happy you are.
- Building a stable network takes time, energy, and focus.
- A stable network isn’t static – it’s in a constant state of change.
- When you have a stable network it’s hard for one outside influence to take down the whole eco-system because the connected parts sustain the larger whole.
So let’s make a map of your own personal ecosystem as it stands today. Continue reading
Organizational Habits 