getting things done

Stepping from one stone to the next

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Have you ever found yourself racing through life. And then something happens that brings you to a halt and you realize you never intended to be where you are. Or to be doing what you’re doing. Or to be acting like you’re acting. Somehow you got to this point. How did that happen?

In Julia Cameron’s book The Vein of Gold, she talks about plotting the major stepping stones in your life. Plotting out your stepping stones is particularly helpful if you feel in need of making a change and aren’t sure what direction you want to go.

What were key turning points where you made a decision that pushed you to change direction? Or maybe you didn’t decide – sometimes fate decides for you with illness. Or an accident. Or perhaps you had a move, job, or relationship change that was beyond your control. Continue reading →

Who is the Crazy Maker in your life?

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I just returned from a weekend at the Kripalu Center in Western Massachusetts. The class I took was on Creative Myths and Monsters and was taught by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way. I have all sorts of ideas to pass on to you but will start with the last discussion we had – talking about the Crazy Makers in your life.

What’s a crazy-maker? Think about someone in your life who may be charismatic, charming, and persuasive, but who also: Continue reading →

The Science of Meditation

organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Meditation, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Staying focused, Working with your guides , , , , , , , , , ,

New scientific studies on meditation liken it to a workout for your brain. When you pair meditation with a healthy lifestyle, what can’t you accomplish? And, if you look at exercise, eating right, and meditation as three legs of a healthy lifestyle stool, meditation takes the least amount of time and effort. You just need to carve out a quiet moment to get started.

Still not sure? Ponder this. Science says meditation can help you:

  • Improve your memory
  • Hone your focus
  • Increase your brain size and density
  • Increase blood flow to your brain
  • Decrease your blood pressure
  • Regulate your emotions
  • Release antibodies
  • Decrease stress
  • Improve your mood
  • Be less bothered by physical pain

Continue reading →

6 ideas from The Food Revolution Summit

organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Planning impacts on your health , , , , , , ,

I’m three days into the Food Revolution Summit (3 hours of talks per day now through Saturday; free if you listen to them live or within 24 hours of when they are presented).

I’ve listened to the Summit for the past two years and it’s pretty much changed how and what I eat. I deeply believe that to be organized, productive, and to get your best work done, you have to be healthy. And food is clearly at the core of staying healthy.

My takeaways so far from this year’s Summit: Continue reading →

Choosing energy

organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s so easy to waste time. Look at all the temptations! TV, Netflix, Facebook, email, computer games, movies, parties, magazines… What’s your poison?

Distractions can be fun and have social elements to them, but are they the best use of your time?

It’s hard to hold the line, once and for all because your time demands and needs change. For me, the #1 reason to not do an activity is if I lose energy even thinking about it. Continue reading →

Starting a “love to do” list

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Want to have some fun and get a bump of energy?

Grab a piece of a paper and a pen and brainstorm a “love to do” list. This is a list of 20 things you’d love to do but aren’t doing now. If 20 is easy, go for 30. Or 40. My experience is that the last few things I struggle to add to the list are often the most interesting. Continue reading →

It’s time for a Food Revolution!

organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Planning impacts on your health, Staying focused , , , , , , , ,

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…

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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?

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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.

Continue reading →