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 →

Finding joy in caregiving

May 30, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Staying focused, Working with your guides Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, tips for being kind, Working with your guides

One of the cool things about bringing programs to our library is that I get to choose the topics and speakers, and I get to attend! I have learned so much over the last two years about squirrels, birds, writing, songwriting, democracy, art, travel, and much more.

Last week I had a new author in, John Eric Baugher, to talk about his book Contemplative Caregiving: Finding Healing, Compassion, and Spiritual Growth Through End-of-Life Care. Here are seven things I learned from John’s 25+ years of working in hospice that every end-of-life caregiver should know.

And honestly, I’m posting these today because they’re great advice for all of us no matter what we’re tasked with. Continue reading →

Pay attention to coincidences!

April 25, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Finding your "why", Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, figuring out my life work, getting things done, organizational tips, working on big projects, Working with your guides

Life is full of chance encounters that aren’t as random as they seem. The person you sit next to on a plane that gives you an idea for a new project. A conversation you have that months later leads you down a new path. The choice you made buying a house or choosing a school that led to all sorts of new relationships. A book you pulled from a shelf that gave you new insight on how the world works.

My latest awesome coincidence came out of the writers’ group at the library. One of our attendees mentioned, in passing, that she had a friend who wanted her to read The Artist’s Way. That led to our Artist’s Way group which has set me off in all sorts of new directions with writing as well as with beads. And all it took was listening as Tyche mentioned a book and a desire. And then listening to my gut to take action.

When I started this blog, I wrote about my Book of Coincidences. Here’s how that started… Continue reading →

Getting out of the nest

February 12, 2019December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Finding your "why", Staying focused, Working with your guides Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, figuring out my life work, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, organizational tips, State of "flow", working on big projects, Working with your guides

I stumbled on this quote from Pema Chodron in a book I was reading this week:

“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.”

Isn’t that counter-intuitive? When you’re organized and doing good work, doesn’t that mean you keep control of your time and your days? And when you’re truly engaged with your work, isn’t that when you feel fully alive and awake? And when you’re “continually thrown out of the nest,” doesn’t that feel crazy and chaotic? Continue reading →

Walking the Artist’s Path

January 17, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Finding your "why", Setting organizational priorities, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, tips to stay healthy, working on big projects, Working with your guides

I met last night with a group of 11 women to start working our way through the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I read this book about 20 years ago with a couple of friends. Reading it got me back into the theater – first teaching it to kids. That lead to getting back on stage. Then I started writing for the theater, and now I’m writing, directing, and running a theater group. All good. All high energy!

What I like about The Artist’s Way is that it assumes that creativity is part of everyone’s nature but that it can get lost in the day-to-day shuffle of life. The book has fun, simple exercises that help you remember who you are and get you back to practicing “the art of creative living.” Continue reading →

Free Meditation Challenge with Zen Master Sharon Salzberg

January 11, 2019December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Getting started, Meditation, Planning impacts on your health, Staying focused, Working with your guides Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, Meditation tips, organizational tips, tips for being kind, tips to be more productive, tips to stay healthy, Working with your guides

Sharon Salzberg offers a 28-day meditation challenge each February. If you’ve been thinking about starting a meditation practice, Sharon’s prompts cover a lot of territory which is a great way to find something that works for you. Recent studies show short-term and long-term benefits from meditating even for short periods of time each day. Meditation helps you be calm. It helps you focus. It helps you detach from the day-to-day crazies. And it helps your body heal itself. What’s not to love!?

And when you do something for 28 days, guess what? You’ve formed a new, healthy habit. Yay!

I met Sharon over a decade ago at a weekend retreat in NYC. The irony of having a meditative retreat in the heart of NYC is not lost on me. :). When I signed up for Sharon’s meditation challenge this year, I remembered why I like her so much. I’ve told you this story before, but here it is again. Continue reading →

Looking back at the path you’re on

December 27, 2018December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Organizational Exercises, Staying focused Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, figuring out my life work, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, working on big projects, Working with your guides

December is a great time to look at the path you’ve been on over the last year. If you want to shape the direction you’re headed, it helps to look back at where you’ve been.

If you can find a quiet moment this week, take out a clean sheet of paper and jot down the big events that happened to you this year. Brainstorm first, then think month by month to help spur your memory.

What events did you experience this year for… Continue reading →

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 →

Standing firm in a time of change

September 12, 2018December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Finding your "why", Productivity tips for work, 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, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, Working with your guides

From your first breath as you emerged from the water of the womb to your last sigh as you leave the earth, each breath connects you to nature, to your work, and to fellow human beings across the world.

Can you tell I just finished reading a book on Wind work? 🙂

Author and shamanic healer Renee Baribeau’s book, Winds of Spirit, blows you around in all manner of directions. Here’s my #1 takeaway:

If you’re feeling disconnected from your work or your life, take off your shoes, step outside, and take a “wind bath.” Start off with a few deep breaths. Then ask yourself a question. Continue reading →