As we build a sustainable life, we need to be productive. Enjoying deep work, getting “chores” completed, and having time for the things that matter to us. The challenge is ensuring we feel productive and not busy. Productive is accomplishment. Busy creates anxiety...
According to two older articles from Inc Magazine and The Guardian, the amount of creative work hours that knowledge workers are able to handle each day is 4. Yes, four total hours of deep work. They looked at science and examples from historical thought leaders to...
The word hacking typically has a negative connotation. Many immediately associate the word with gaining illegal access to a computer system. Yet, there are other meanings. I was reminded of this recently. Fred Quijada gave a speech during my MIT Sustainability...
The weight of the world can feel huge when it comes to significance. We want to provide relevance and meaning in the world. The world needs a lot. We wonder how we can make a difference. My Perspective Maybe the definition of statistical significance could help....
I heard a quote on the Happier podcast that seemed interesting to dig into. “It’s hard to stay changed.” - Gretchen Rubin There is a lot of conversation about setting goals, change, and new habits. What we don’t talk about often is the challenge of keeping those...
There was an article in the Harvard Business Review written by Teresa Amabile and Steven J. Kramer years ago called “The Power of Small Wins”. A finding in the research was this: “Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday,...
A recent podcast from Laura Vanderkam talked about leveraging meetings for accountability. The concept was to review the action steps at the end of the meeting. This increases the likelihood that you will complete the task you are supposed to. My Perspective This...
I’ve always been a fan of habits… at least the good ones! Grouping habits into routines is even better. These habits and routines keep us on track to meet our goals. Yet, I was reminded yesterday that the best habits are unconscious. We do them automatically without...
Today marks the 500th day that I’ve started my day writing. A handful of days, the writing had to happen at a different time, but mostly it’s been the morning. The rules have been simple – one page a day on personal development topics. About 325 of the posts...
We’ve all heard of systems thinking. This approach to problem solving considers both the overall system and the individual parts. The concept has been used for years in science, engineering, leadership, and more. My Perspective I think systems thinking is underused at...
We all have morning routines. Those things we do to get out day started. When those routines don’t happen, our whole day can feel a little “off”. There is a lot published on morning routines. People offer advice on the “best” way to start your day. Suggestions to make...
We’ve covered the formula of hope over the last couple of weeks. Today and tomorrow, we’ll dig a little deeper into willpower & waypower. First up is willpower. When we look at the definition, willpower is “the ability to control one’s own actions, emotions, or...
We all know how busy life can get. As the year goes on, our goals and desired habits can start to be forgotten. An article in the Washington Post notes a study that found 50-70% of our everyday memory failures involve forgetting our intentions. No wonder it’s...
Now that we are settling into January, many of us have goals established. This is a great time to have a conversation about the systems in place to achieve our goals. I have been researching systems and there are great references we can leverage. Open vs. Closed Loop...
This week we’ve covered some frameworks for building a habit. Today we are going to pivot and talk about creative work – at your official job or outside. Developing a creative habit was the foundation of Seth Godin’s book The Practice. The book starts with this:...
The last two days, we’ve focused on the habit loop. Today, we’ll look at an alternative approach. This one is based on behavioral design and was developed by Stanford professor BJ Fogg. Like the habit loop, this method has three components - Motivation, Ability, and...
Yesterday, we talked about the habit loop. This concept is based on the work of Charles Duhigg in his book The Power of Habits. The habit loop has been popularized by Nir Eyal’s book Hooked and James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. In this post, we’ll cover the first...
Habit formation is a fascinating and complex process. Forming and breaking habits involves a mix of neurological, psychological, and environmental factors. Research suggests that it takes an average of 66 days to form a habit. There is a framework called the Habit...
We talk about habits all the time. Creating a habit. Breaking a habit. Re-evaluating a habit. Yet do we really know what a habit is? The dictionary defines a habit as: A settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. At its core, a...
When we consider our 8 dimensions of wellbeing, we likely have goals in each area. Some we may have set as New Year’s Resolutions. This time is when most are starting to give up. In fact, research has shown that less than 10% of us will actually meet the resolution....
No matter what goals we have set for the new year, we will hit barriers. The barriers one person encounters will likely be different than those of another. Knowing when you hit a barrier and having a strategy to overcome is important. Common Barriers Below is a list...