The Joy of Color

October 16, 2018 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health, Working with your guides Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, organizational tips, tips to stay healthy, Working with your guides

I’m reading a great new book: Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee. Lee opens the book with studies and thoughts about what makes a moment joyous and settles in on something quite simple: color.

If you want to change a drab day, a drab building, or a drab party, add bright, warm colors and you add a pop of joy to the world. Think birthday party balloons. Chinese dragon parades. Maypole ribbons. Hot air balloon festivals. Fields of wildflowers. Can you picture any of these in black and white? No! Just thinking about these colors brings up a bubble of joy.

“Color is energy made visible.”

Lee believes that energy is all around us and that bright colors have high energy that’s contagious.

If you need a little pop of energy, you could try something as simple as… Continue reading →

How can we build a more loving world?

October 9, 2018December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips for being kind

A few weeks ago I was part of a great discussion at a Democracy Cafe about ways we can create a more loving world. Wouldn’t it be awesome to live in a more loving world? How can we work as a team to make that happen?

Here was the #1 suggestion: Greet strangers with warmth.
Most people are kind when you’re kind to them. And while it can be intimidating to start a conversation with someone you don’t know, it’s a blast to meet as strangers and leave as friends. Most people are looking for community and connections and welcome a friendly smile. Trust that it’s never wrong to be kind. Continue reading →

A life well lived

September 30, 2018December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Staying focused Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks

One of our speakers at the library last week, John Baugher, has a new book coming out about the joy of end-of-life care. I’m certain I’ve never heard anyone speak about end-of-life as being a joyous time. Most of us face end-of-life care, for ourselves or for others, with a certain amount of dread. But John’s decades of working with hospice have left him feeling otherwise.

But John’s talk didn’t center on the end of life. It centered on a life well lived. And not as a reflection – but as a daily practice. His question was:

“Was your life well lived – today?”

Continue reading →

Improve your organizational skills by changing what you eat

September 24, 2018December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Planning impacts on your health, Staying focused Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, Grocery shopping tips, how to get organized, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, tips to stay healthy

If you aren’t feeling good about what you’re getting done, it might not be an organizational issue – it might be a matter of health. When we push our bodies to the limits, it’s not a surprise when the quality of our work suffers.

Here are some easy steps you can start this week to improve your health. Continue reading →

Is singing the new exercise?

September 4, 2018December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Planning impacts on your health, Working with your guides Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, tips to stay healthy, Working with your guides

No matter what type of work you’re doing, finding a “like” community can help you accomplish more and have more fun with what you’re doing.

In Daniel Pink’s book, When, he writes about the benefits of choral singing – a unique kind of community. If you’ve ever sung with a group, you know how it lifts your spirit even more than singing solo. “Happy” countries, like the Netherlands, have regular gatherings where everyone sings. And I think group singing is why so many of us love theater – both participating in it and being part of the audience.

It’s not a stretch to think that singing makes you feel good. But check out the other benefits Pink lists for choral singing: Continue reading →

Take a break

August 6, 2018December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Staying focused Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, tips to be more productive

I’m reading a new book by Daniel Pink, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. The chapter on the importance of taking breaks caught my eye because I’m so bad at taking breaks!

Pink reviewed dozens of studies and swears you’ll be more productive by taking breaks that are:

Short and frequent
Moving v. stationary
Social v. solo
Outside v. inside
Fully detached v. walking while texting or talking on the phone

He describes the perfect break: Continue reading →

Mind the Gap

July 10, 2018December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Meditation, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health, Staying focused Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, tips to stay healthy

I love when I’m traveling in England and the government courteously reminds me to “mind the gap” when exiting a train or subway.

As a life-philosophy, you also want to “mind the gap” between what you say and what you do. When you meditate or spend quiet time with yourself, it’s easy to think kind, generous thoughts. To feel connected to the earth. And to will the energy of the Universe to allow you to do your best work.

But if you’re cross when someone crosses you, or immediately feel disconnected when things don’t go your way, then it’s time to mind a gap in your life. If someone crosses you and you snap, practice stepping back mentally from the scene and sending that person loving kindness for whatever is going on with them. And see yourself from a distance, like a loving angel, and think, “That poor girl! I wonder what made her cross?” It takes practice to be non-judgmental with the world and with yourself but what a nice practice it is.

If you struggle with this, here are four things that may help you close the gap. Continue reading →

Feel gratitude for everything

June 10, 2018December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Finding your "why", Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, figuring out my life work, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, working on big projects, Working with your guides

My daughter, Samantha, graduated from Duke a couple of weeks ago. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, was the commencement speaker and gave a great talk. I love that we have guides everywhere. When you’re open to new ideas, a hot morning in a football stadium can turn into a cool well of inspiring thought.

Here were a few of my favorite take-aways from Mr. Cook. Continue reading →

Beware of GIGO!

May 28, 2018December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused Changing habits, Decision making, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive

I’m hosting a songwriting workshop at the library, and our fearless leader, Jud Caswell, mentioned something last week that resonated with me.

“Beware of GIGO!”

Asked to explain, Jud said simply, “Garbage in. Garbage out.”

In the context of songwriting, Jud was saying that if you want to write good music you need to surround yourself with music you love. There’s no “right” when it comes to music. There are just some notes that make your heart sing and that’s what you want to listen to.

If we take Jud’s metaphor a step further, think about the work that brings you the greatest joy. How can you surround yourself with the best that’s out there? Continue reading →