Ten to fifteen years ago, multi-tasking was a part of many conversations on how to be more productive. Making calls while driving. Answering emails while in a meeting. Dealing with text messages while working on a presentation. Watching TV while playing with...
When life gets busy, we can suddenly find ourselves running our lives in defense mode. We are going to the meetings, completing deliverables, getting the kids to events, making meals, and all the other things. These are the times that we feel like we are on defense...
Yesterday, the blog covered a foundational understanding of your energy each day. When it peaks and what you need to recharge. This post will take that knowledge and introduce activities that make up our days. By combining your understanding of your daily...
We all procrastinate. In fact, Darius Foroux conducted a survey of 2200 of his newsletter readers and found that 88% of professional workers procrastinate at least one hour per day. You can read all his findings here. There are many reasons we give ourselves for...
The other day, I heard someone mention “OOPS Syndrome” in a conversation about calendars. I questioned what OOPS was and the response was “it’s Overly Optimistic Planning Syndrome”. This made me laugh out loud with familiarity – both something I see in myself as...
We have all been there. Our email box is full of messages. Some have been read, but not responded to. Some are “looming” unread. Important ones are likely lost in the mix. Unnecessary ones are taking up space. For some, this mess of email causes mental clutter. This...
This past week, in a workshop I’m taking, I was prompted to write down my process of creating. While this seems obvious, I hadn’t done it before. Writing the process down was quick and the result was so valuable. This reminded me of Laura Woodruff...
Today, I’m combining thinking from Gretchen Rubin and Laura Vanderkam with a bit of my own perspective sprinkled in. Several years ago, Gretchen started talking about alternatives to the “to do” list. She turned her concepts into a cute gift. You might want to...
Personal development is an ongoing process. We continue to work on different areas of our lives with the goal of improvement. Along the way, some things we try will work and we stick with them. Others will fail and fade away. Adapting a test and learn mindset helps...
The transition from one year to another is also a time where reoccurring meetings are set up for the year ahead. Often this is done without thought and just placing them in the same location as the year before. What would happen if we set this foundation...
Life is full of moments when we say, "when this happens, I will (fill in the blank)". We wait for many reasons: When I get my first job. When I retire. When work is a bit less busy. When the kids go to college. When I move out of my parents’ house. When I get...
Much is written this time of year about setting goals and changing habits. The focus is striving toward something that will make your life “better”. I am an advocate of personal development and join in the annual quest to embrace the year ahead. In fact, yesterday, I...
Over the holiday, I read the book “Rest – Why You Get More Done When You Work Less” by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. This seemed to be the perfect pairing to time away from work. The book highlights how work and rest are partners for those who lead creative lives....
As 2022 comes to a close, you may be asking yourself, "why should I do a year end review?". Even for those who spend time each year reflecting, sometimes it can be difficult at the end of the year to find the time and space to think about the year gone by. While I can...
Photo Credit - Lori Sullivan The New Year often brings with it resolutions. Webster's defines a resolution as "a firm decision to do or not to do something." And, many studies indicate that most of us will quit the resolution before the end of January. So, with the...
Photo Credit - Lori Sullivan A new year starts full of possibility. While we are still social distancing and many businesses remain closed, the new year holds the promise of achieving anything you set out to do. I lot of people (myself included) spend some time at the...
Photo Credit - Lori Sullivan I've read and heard a lot about considering your "future self" in your focus "today". Advice tends to mention things like investing for the future, eating well, reading, traveling, getting out of your comfort zone, and much more. I agree...
Photo Credit - Lori Sullivan In remembering the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg this week, I saw the quote in the image above in many of my social media feeds. The quote struck me in relation to personal development. I've been thinking a lot lately about how consistent...
Photo Credit - Lori Sullivan Photography I have listened to Lisa Woodruff's podcast Organize 365 for the last several years and was excited to pick up The Paper Solution when it was released. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who feels like they have...
Photo Credit - Lori Sullivan Photography Years ago, the concept of working on your business vs. in your business got a lot of attention and discussion. The concept was that we are all so busy working "in" the business that we don't spend enough time working "on" the...
Several years ago, I joined an online group who took a picture a day. I was taking classes to get my Photography Certificate and I thought that committing to taking a photo a day would help me work on my skills. While the daily practice has definitely got me to try...