forming a new habit

In praise of a backache

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I’m directing a big Christmas musical at a local community theater. This show has taken up pretty much every minute of my free time over the past 10 weeks and I’ve loved every minute of it. Theater for me is a passion that brings energy to all of my other work and even to chores.

For the last 10 weeks, I’ve been at the theater almost every day – teaching, directing, building sets, making props. To make time for this, I’ve read less and blogged less. I’ve skipped running and meditation. And I’ve been eating on the fly and drinking coffee. I look like a bag lady wherever I go – hauling around work, my planner, scripts, and props.

I thought I was holding it together until Wednesday night when I threw out my back, and last night missed the opening of the show.

Here’s why I’m deeply grateful for this. Continue reading →

Consider Meatless Mondays

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It’s probably unfair to post this right after a huge Thanksgiving meal. Or maybe this is the perfect time :).

If you want to be efficient and do great work, it helps to be healthy! And a huge part of being healthy is being mindful of the foods you eat and how you feel after you eat them. More and more people are experimenting with foods – testing how they react to sugar, to gluten, to corn products, and to dairy products.

I would argue that it’s also important to test how you feel when you eat less meat. There’s nothing evil about meat, but it’s hard to digest. It’s high in fat. Many meat animals are fed unnatural grains and other substances including antibiotics so you don’t know exactly what you’re eating. And meat production can be taxing on the environment.

You don’t have to give up all meat to try out a month of meatless Mondays. So why not try it and see how you feel? Continue reading →

The Power of Positive

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In Gretchen Rubin’s book, The Happiness Project, Gretchen writes about small steps she took each month to improve different aspects of happiness in her life.

Why?

Because research shows that happy people are more altruistic, more productive, more helpful, more likable, more creative, and more resilient. They’re more interested in others. They’re friendlier. And they’re healthier!

If there was a magic elixir to help you accomplish this, wouldn’t you be tempted? And wouldn’t you like to hang out with the happy people described above? So why not be in that group? Continue reading →

The secret life of broccoli

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One of the last surviving flowers in my garden before we finally got a hard frost this week was broccoli. I put in six plants this year. I harvested on a pretty regular basis from five of them but decided to let the sixth one go without a trim. I was curious about what would happen. Most of us only “know” broccoli from what we see in the grocery store. What would old, more mature broccoli look like?

Continue reading →

We are terrible at listening to people we disagree with

organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Staying focused , , , , , ,

“We are terrible at listening to people we disagree with.”

That was the topic of a TEDx speaker yesterday in Portland.

Chanel Lewis was visiting a local flea market, taking pictures for her Instagram account when she met two staunch Republicans who wanted to know what she was doing and why. She explained she was looking for unusual images. Somehow, that evolved into politics and she quickly discovered she had nothing in common with these two men. But she chose to continue the conversation with them because she’s practicing “internal quieting, and radical listening.” That’s where you turn off your inner murmur and just listen. Continue reading →

Work out with a group? Or on your own?

organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health, Staying focused , , , , , , , ,

I was talking with a friend over the weekend who said she hurt her hip doing yoga. I tend to do the same thing when I work out with a group – I push things past where I should, and always end up with an achy something.

That discussion got me thinking about the pros of working out with a group v. working out on your own.

Pros to working out with a group Continue reading →

Turning Points

organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Getting started, Setting organizational priorities, Working with your guides , , , , ,

You have points in your life where everything was going in one direction, then “this” happened, and your life headed off in a new direction. You know what I’m talking about? Those big “before” and “after” moments.

For me, this would include the day in 8th grade I decided to try out for cheerleading which changed who I hung out with in high school, what I did with my free time, and how active I became in my class.

Another big turning point was my decision to go to the University of Virginia. This meant I met certain wonderful, life-long friends, chose a certain major, and hated being at the University so much I chose to go hiking for 3 months with an Outward Bound program. This, in turn, was another HUGE turning point because that’s where I met the person I married and had children with. Continue reading →

Wishing v. Working

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When people tell you to “follow your passion,” it sounds so easy. “Just follow your passion and everything will turn out great.” Make a wish and it will come true. Right?

What you don’t hear is that it takes work to make your wishes come true.

I don’t want to downplay wishing. Dreaming big schemes is the first step to creating a new reality. But once you come up with a terrific vision, how do you get from “energy bubble” to “done?” Continue reading →

How to improve your concentration

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Being focused on what you’re doing helps you do good work. And it’s fun to sink deep into a project.

If you’re feeling a little scattered, here are 5 Buddhist tips for meditation that also help with concentration.

Pay attention to where you’re working
If you’re trying to do serious work in a noisy, active place – good luck! When you need to focus, give yourself the best shot possible by finding or creating a calm, quiet place with few distractions. You may think you can concentrate amidst chaos, but give quiet a chance and see how much it improves both the amount and quality of your output. Continue reading →