Dissolving into the core of YOU!

September 2, 2019September 2, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Staying focused Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, working on big projects

This beautiful chrysalis, hanging from a birdbath in one of our gardens, got me thinking about how magical it is when ideas grow and flourish.

We’re letting more and more wild milkweed grow in our yard to give the monarch butterflies a place to lay their eggs and to give the emerging caterpillars a place to eat. And we grow a ton of flowers for the butterflies to dine on in between. We’ve seen lots of butterflies and caterpillars over the past few months, but this is the first chrysalis I’ve spotted.

So how does this tie to organization? Continue reading →

Creating an inspiring work environment

August 22, 2019December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Planning impacts on your health, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, decluttering your life, Defining who you are, figuring out my life work, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, organizing big projects, tips to be more productive, working on big projects

Ideas need a healthy environment to thrive. Organizational skills need a strong environment to thrive. YOU need a healthy environment to thrive!

If you’re struggling bringing your cool ideas to life, take a look at your work environment to see if that’s an issue.

Ideas are kind of like the DNA in your body. Each of the 37 trillion cells in your body has a little road map of DNA in it. But DNA is triggered by the environment the cell lives in; the DNA by itself can’t take action. In a healthy environment, a cell thrives. In a toxic environment, a cell dies.

If you want to avoid catastrophic illness, you strive to create an environment where your cells thrive. You eat well, watch your weight, exercise, meditate, and you’re happy. Healthy living isn’t a guarantee you won’t have to deal with illness, but it gives you the best shot at keeping cellular proteins wrapped tightly around potential DNA triggers that can harm you. Continue reading →

Living a creative life

August 14, 2019August 15, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Defining who you are, getting things done, Getting work done, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, working on big projects, Working with your guides

Have you read Liz Gilbert’s book Big Magic? There are so many great ideas to ponder in this short gem of a book. I’m re-listening to the audio version this week as I zip between work and directing Brigadoon in Freeport, Maine; we open on 8/30 – oh, my!

Here are my big reminders from Liz: Continue reading →

Share what you know

July 31, 2019December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Decision making, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, Prioritizing tasks, working on big projects, Working with your guides

How much do you know of your family history?

You most likely know back one generation to your parents. Maybe you knew your grandparents. And maybe you were lucky enough to know your great grandparents. After that, things usually get a little fuzzy. But how much do you know about any of them – even those who have been part of your life? Continue reading →

In defense of chewing your food!

July 5, 2019December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, how to lose and sustain weight loss, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, tips to stay healthy

Smoothies are all the rage and when you drink one, you feel awesome. You just consumed enough fruit and vegetables to get you through the day!

The goal is wonderful, but the vehicle isn’t.

Here’s the thing. Liquids process so quickly in your body, your body hardly knows they’re there. That’s true no matter what you drink which is why water is always your best bet.

But you drink smoothies partly for the fiber they contain. Doesn’t that take a little longer for your body to process? Nope. Continue reading →

5 tips to be a successful leader

June 21, 2019December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, figuring out my life work, getting things done, Getting work done, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips for being kind, tips to be more productive, Working with your guides

When I was working my way up through the business world, I had very few bosses I emulated. It appeared to me that to “make it” to the top, you had to work 100 hours a week and expect your employees to do the same. You had to be somewhat cut-throat and keenly competitive with others at your level within the organization. And it didn’t appear that empathy had anything to do with business.

I know a lot of that still goes on but was encouraged to read an article today in The Washington Post by Aaron Gregg and Thomas Heath about three executives from the DC area who were rated “the highest” by their employees. These are bosses you can look up for who they are – as well as for what they accomplish.

What’s cool is that these principles apply whether you’re running a small, medium, or large company. And they apply if you aren’t running a company at all! They’re simply great life ideas. Continue reading →

Eyerolls and sighs

June 7, 2019December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, figuring out my life work, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, how to save time, How to stay focused, organizational tips, tips for being kind, tips to be more productive

I’m a big believer in following a high energy path with anything you’re working on. If you don’t feel energy at the center of your body when you think about next steps in what you’re doing, it may be time for a change.

Eye rolls and sighs are your body’s clue that you’re on a low energy path. Sometimes these are obvious – oh, my! But sometimes only you can see and hear them like maybe when: Continue reading →

The importance of being playful

May 23, 2019May 23, 2019 organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Business tips, Decision making, Finding your "why", 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, How to stay focused, organizational tips, tips for being kind, tips to be more productive

We had Christopher Phillips in as a speaker at the library this week. Chris is the author of Socrates Cafe and Democracy Cafe which we used to model some of our programs at the library. Chris is an interesting, engaging, fun guy so we asked him back to talk about his latest book, A Child at Heart: Unlocking Your Creativity, Curiosity, and Reason at Every Age and Stage of Life.

Here are some of my favorite take-aways from Chris’s talk: Continue reading →

Health is Happiness

May 10, 2019December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Planning impacts on your health Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done

Each spring, I learn something new listening to the Food Revolution Summit. One of my favorite take-aways from last week’s Summit was about “lifestyle medicine” which is all about being healthy (and productive!) with help from lifestyle changes versus being healthy from taking meds.

One lifestyle change you can make is to eat more plant-based food and fewer animal products. If you think about the entire history of mankind, it’s only recently that we’ve had the money, refrigeration, and resources to eat meat up to three times a day v. just on special occasions! And it’s only been recently that we hear about diabetes starting earlier in life. About more heart disease. About more cancer.

So why not fight back and take a baby step to change one meal a day to be plant-based? Continue reading →