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...
There are two things I heard recently that seemed interesting to consider. Cal Newport mentioned the benefits of scheduling 30 minutes after a meeting. In this time, we can review our notes and handle actions that can be done quickly. The second was a comment from...
I’m continuing updates on my yearlong project to spend 15-minues a day tackling projects. Over 20 years in the house and there are many little (and big) things that need addressed. Progress was captured in the January intention and the Q1 & Q2 summary posts. While...
There was a podcast listened to at least a year ago where I captured a note on my phone. This was the note: Tasks Done People Met Ideas Generated and Acted On I think this might have been an interview with Dorie Clark discussing her book The Long Game. However,...
I read a blog post from Cal Newport that referenced an article by Dan Kois in Slate. The article discussed how Gen X and Boomers remember a time when there weren’t laptops, cell phones, and readily available internet enabling us to take our work home with us. In the...
A podcast the other day mentioned a James Clear quote from his book Atomic Habits. “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fail to the level of your systems.” James Clear This got me thinking about all the systems we use each day to get our work done. ...
Sometimes mashing ideas together creates a technique that works. I think I’ve found one of those. Lisa Woodruff of Organize 365 talks about “pink” folders in her organization system. She describes these folders as the place to keep ideas before they become projects....
The workplace these days has a lot of challenges. Reports suggest that people feel underappreciated. Team members are unengaged. Everyone seems overwhelmed. And the debates about hybrid work continue. Today might be perfect the perfect day to focus on something...