It’s time for a Food Revolution!

April 15, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Planning impacts on your health, Staying focused Changing habits, forming a new habit, getting things done, how to lose and sustain weight loss, How to stay focused, losing weight, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, tips to stay healthy

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…

April 12, 2017December 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, Staying focused Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get organized, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, organizing big projects, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, working on big projects

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?

April 7, 2017December 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, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, organizational tips for kids, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, Working with your guides

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 →

A 3-Step Declutter Plan

April 2, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Changing habits, Getting started, Organizational Exercises, Staying focused, Tips for organizing your house, Tips on decluttering Changing habits, Decision making, decluttering your life, getting organized, getting things done, how to get organized, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Tips on decluttering, tips to organize a closet

Ready to do a little spring cleaning? How about doing some decluttering as you go?

Decluttering can be intimidating if you think about your whole house. So start small. What’s a single area of your house that’s been calling to you? The refrigerator? The cabinet under the TV? A bedroom closet?

When you have a target in mind, here are three steps to get going. Continue reading →

Finding harmony in your work

March 31, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Staying focused, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Decision making, figuring out my life work, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get organized, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, Working with your guides

If you’re trying to create harmony in the work you do, it’s important to look at the platform you’re working on. When you have personal fundamentals in place, your platform is solid. If you’re missing a few fundamentals, your platform may feel tippy and stressful.

Everyone’s fundamentals are different. And your fundamentals may vary depending on the type of work you’re doing.

Organizational Exercise
Grab a piece of paper and divide it into four columns. The first column is how you think of yourself in general. The second column is for any paid work you do. The third is for volunteer work. And the last is for any fun work you do. Continue reading →

Crossing the finish line

March 26, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, figuring out my life work, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, organizing big projects, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, working on big projects

In an organization class I took about 20 years ago, one of the exercises we did was writing our obit. When you spend time puzzling out what you want to be remembered for, top priorities on your daily to-do list are magically re-arranged.

When I did the obit exercise, a top priority that popped out for me was that I wanted to write a novel. I love books. Books on the shelves. Books by the bed. Libraries. Bookstores. I still have many of the books I read as a child because the characters and stories are real to me and have helped shaped who I am.

How could I die without adding to the book-ness of the world? Continue reading →

Building a trusting community

March 25, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Decision making, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused Changing habits, Decision making, figuring out my life work, Getting work done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips for being kind, tips to be more productive

When you’re not doing your best work, it’s good to question your intent and motivation. To vow to get better organized so you can get more done. To study your habits and think of ways to break bad ones and start new ones. To get healthier so you can focus better.

But if you’re doing all that and still aren’t feeling charged up and on “a path”, take a look at your community. You’re a plant trying to grow. How’s the soil, the sun, and the water where you are?

In Thank You For Being Late,” Thomas Friedman writes that when people feel “protected, respected, and connected,” the outcome is a community that fosters trust and belonging. Continue reading →

About those critics

March 21, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Decision making, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Staying focused, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, figuring out my life work, forming a new habit, getting things done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, State of "flow", tips for being kind, tips to be more productive, working on big projects, Working with your guides

A friend from high school asked me a question.

“How do you take that next step when you don’t want to hear the criticisms…. constructive or not? I am a big believer that art, whatever the medium, is a personal expression… So how can one tell you what you created is wrong?”

What a great question as we try to do good work, try to be helpful, and try new adventures.

I have so many thoughts on this. Here are the big three. Continue reading →

Mapping your personal ecosystem

March 19, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Decision making, getting things done, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, State of "flow", tips for being kind, tips to stay healthy, Working with your guides

Having a stable network can play a huge role in how much you get done and how happy you are.

Building a stable network takes time, energy, and focus.
A stable network isn’t static – it’s in a constant state of change.
When you have a stable network it’s hard for one outside influence to take down the whole eco-system because the connected parts sustain the larger whole.

So let’s make a map of your own personal ecosystem as it stands today. Continue reading →