Ask your guides

March 14, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Travel tips, Working with your guides Changing habits, forming a new habit, organizational tips, State of "flow", Travel tips, Working with your guides

Sharing ideas on “best practices” is a great way to learn from someone who’s doing work that’s similar to what you’re doing. When you learn something new, you feel a jolt of positive energy. And when you share best practices in return, it can make someone’s day. You win. They win. And we all get better work done.

A couple of years ago, I was getting back into consulting work and decided to go on a road trip to hear what friends in the direct marketing industry were doing for best practices. I planned a week-long trip through western Massachusetts with a zig to upstate New York, then down through the mountains of New Hampshire with a few final stops in Vermont.

I headed out and all was well until day #4 when I realized I was on the last disk of a Dennis Lehane novel – and that was it for audio books. Anytime I’m in the car I listen to audio books. I get them from the library and listen to them to learn new stuff as well as to be entertained as I drive. I’m pretty much never without an audio book in the car. But as I pulled into the parking lot at Kripalu in western Mass, I broke into a cold sweat. My next stop was Burlington, Vt. There’d be plenty of bookstores in Burlington, but that was four hours away. Continue reading →

The gift of generosity

March 12, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Decision making, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides Decision making, getting things done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips for being kind, Working with your guides

When you have control over your time, you have a peaceful feeling that the work you want to get done is getting done. You’re choosing what to do and don’t feel pushed by circumstances.

But sometimes, circumstances pull you away from what you’re focused on. You see something that needs action. Or you’re asked to help. This isn’t your problem but it’s so compelling you can’t turn away. So you wade in. Continue reading →

Our habits change us

March 9, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Staying focused, Working with your guides Changing habits, forming a new habit, getting things done, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Working with your guides

I read a science article this week that said we are completely different at age 77 than we are at age 17. I found that hard to believe. Inside, I feel like I’m the same “me” I’ve always been; it’s just the circumstances around me that have changed.

But when I think about how much I’ve read. And how much I’ve learned. And how differently I think now than I did growing up, I get the change. Maybe it’s just my energy and core interests that are the same.

So here’s what I think is important: If we’re completely different, then other people are too. And how often do we recognize that? When someone you’re close to changes, do you accept it? Or do you hold onto who you think they are, to the person they used to be? Continue reading →

Organizing at a time of grief

March 6, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Decision making, Planning impacts on your health, Setting organizational priorities, Tips on decluttering, Working with your guides Decision making, decluttering your life, getting things done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips for being kind, tips to be more productive, tips to stay healthy

When I give talks on organizational Zen, my focus is on helping people think about how they want to spend their time. Part is figuring out a long-distance focus, and part is figuring out how to get there.

When we talk about what gets in the way, I often get a question along these lines:

“I lost a parent last year and ended up with all of their stuff. I’m overwhelmed. How do I get through the boxes?”

As organized as I like to be, you know what my response is? If the boxes are too heavy to lift emotionally, leave them until they feel lighter. Continue reading →

All magic – and no magic potion

March 4, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Finding your "why", Meditation, Organizational Exercises, Staying focused, Tips on decluttering, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, decluttering your life, getting things done, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, tips to be more productive, Working with your guides

I was giving a talk this week on Organizational Zen and asked the participants to jot down what their intent was for attending. There are a couple of things I like about focusing on intent.

When you have a clear picture in your mind of why you’re doing something – whether it’s working, going to a meeting, taking a class, or having a conversation with an old friend or with a complete stranger – you listen differently. When you know what you’re looking for, you’re more attentive which makes whatever you’re doing a great use of your time. As Eckhardt Tolle says, whatever you’re doing now is the most important thing you can be doing. So choose with intent, and then show up.
When you don’t have a clear picture in your head of why you’re doing something and can’t for the life of you remember why you chose to be there – leave. This probably isn’t a great use of your time. Even if this is something you used to love, if you feel your energy drain even thinking about participating, it’s time to do something else.
When you don’t have a clear picture in your head of why you’re doing something AND you feel in your gut that this is meant to be – stay put. There’s magic at work.

Continue reading →

10,000 hours

March 2, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Decision making, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Decision making, figuring out my life work, Getting work done, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, working on big projects

Malcolm Gladwell describes “outliers” as people who are at the ends of the spectrum – the few who stand out for their artistic success, their business acumen, or their athletic achievements. His book, Outliers, studies these winners like scientific specimens and comes to an awesome conclusion: to be successful in any field, you need smarts. You need opportunities. And mostly, you have to work hard. Really hard. Like “10,000 hours” hard.

Great artists, successful business people, and uber-athletes make what they do seem easy. It’s not. Yes, there are savants, but to be a success in any field, you have to be intentional about the work you choose to do. You have to stay focused. You have to prioritize getting your work done.

And you put in those 10,000 hours to get really, really good. Continue reading →

Exploring the power of a connected community

February 27, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, figuring out my life work, getting things done, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, Working with your guides

I’m working my way through Thomas Friedman’s book, Thank You For Being Late, for the second time in as many weeks, and am struck by the immense power of a connected community.

The amount of digital information you can learn from a computer with internet access is unlimited – with free on-line classes at Khan Academy or YouTube. Through free podcasts. By taking a MOOC (mass on-line class). Using search sites like Google. Or reading newspapers from around the world.
You can join a conversation of millions through social sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest, to effortlessly share ideas, businesses, products, and friendships with strangers from around the globe.
There are no gatekeepers in an open, digital world for anything you want to create and share: products, books, music, videos, classes, and ideas.
The largest hospitality group, Airbnb, owns no rooms. The largest transportation company, Uber, owns no vehicles. The largest retailer, Amazon, owns no stores. The largest content provider, Facebook, owns no content. What each group owns is a terrific, helpful vision, great software, and a global connection through the Cloud. You don’t have to own anything to have a thriving business.
If you need cash for a start-up, crowd-sourcing has become business-as-usual through sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and GoFundMe.

Continue reading →