Market research isn’t just about numbers, surveys, and focus groups. It’s about understanding human behavior, spotting patterns, and making informed decisions. My background in market research has given me a unique lens. For evaluating situations, reducing...
This time of year, we focus on many things. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Parties to attend. Holidays to celebrate. Gifts to give. Season’s greetings to send. The Clearing Season Yet, there are days in the middle of the celebrations that are quiet. We...
Since the time changed, it seems so dark in the house. The kitchen in particular has been a problem. I’m constantly turning on all the lights under the cabinets and above the sink. The main six bulbs above the island just weren’t cutting it. It bugged me, but I...
Our homes are full of rooms that are labeled when we buy the house. The kitchen. Living Room. Dining Room. Bedroom. Family Room. Office. Den. And more. There is an expectation of how we will furnish and use each room. But why? Aside from the kitchen, bathrooms, and...
How do you organize your life? That is a big, and vague question. These days, the answers are interesting. Tools – digital and physical come up: A calendar. A planner. A to-do list. A physical “in box”. A software system like Trello. The opportunities are endless. My...
The last quarter of the year is a great time to clear up and reset for the year ahead. In fact, clearing before Thanksgiving (in the US) can add some calm to chaotic December. For those inspired to clear some space, here are some ideas for each dimension of wellbeing:...
I love the holiday season. The festivities. The gathering of family and friends. The slowing down. Reflection on the past year. And looking forward to what’s ahead. Yet, I also know the crazy last-minute rush to get ready for it all. The rush before the rest. And...
It’s summertime. Time to relax. Spend time outdoors. Enjoy the season. For homeowners, summer also brings additional chores. Lawncare. Weeding. Outdoor maintenance projects. My Story This summer I chose a word for the season – savor. I want to soak in all the summer...
Our lives are full of systems and routines. Often these are beneficial and necessary in our lives. Systems at work include invoicing, time logs, and other administrative tasks. Systems at home include food preparation, laundry, cleaning and so much more. Finding ways...
I am always fascinated by organization. How we each approach “order”. The interesting thing is that we all have a different definition of order vs. clutter. I’ve written about this in past posts, including these two: Clutter & Organization are Different and...
Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. But for many of us, it’s a day of dread. The to-do list feels like it’s growing, not shrinking. The Sunday Scaries show up. The day becomes a catch-all for everything we didn’t finish last week. What if, instead of defaulting...
Kendra Adachi was recently on an episode of The Next Big Idea Daily. She provided an overview of her book The Plan: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius. The book is about leading what she calls and integrated life. She comes at planning through the lens of a life that...
The concept of work-life balance has been a conversation since I began my career. Doing a little searching, I found a research report that gave some history on the origins. Back in the late 1800s the work hours of women and children were limited and in 1938 the Fair...
There are many different approaches to planning our week. None of these are “right”. The key is to find the method that is “right” for you. I have an idea of using the questions – what, why, when, and how – to help prioritize. Start with What What is already on your...
Yesterday, we explored how to use CliftonStrengths to shape the way you naturally approach tasks. What energizes you. What drains you. And what might keep you stuck. But awareness isn’t enough. You still have the list. The pressure. And the uncertainty of where to...
We’ve all been there. Staring at a massive to-do list, not knowing where to start. Everything feels urgent. Nothing feels doable. We close the folder. Or the notebook. Or just quietly panic. That’s to-do list paralysis. And it has less to do with laziness than we give...
I’ve been thinking about the things around the house lately. Specifically, why does it always seem there is a long list of things to do? As I thought more about why, I realized there are three different types of “jobs”. Manage, Maintain, and Modify. Manage This is the...
My website has a program called WP-Optimize. Yesterday, I got an email that said, “updates have been made”. Specifically, “WP-Optimize – Clean, Compress, Cache”. As soon as a saw the message, I chuckled and thought about how this applies to life. I love finding...
At work, we manage our time and calendar carefully. We see when meetings overlap. We know when we don’t have enough time set aside to work on a project. We shift and rearrange. At home, we know the commitments. Picking up the kids. Dinner with friends. The calendar....
We all have closets. Cupboards, pantries, and other spaces to store our things. Yet, many of us have a challenge getting and keeping our closet organized. I thought I would look to CliftonStrengths to see if there are ideas that might keep us on track. The next four...
Yesterday, we discussed keeping personal information personal. If we are working for someone else, we need our own computer. A place to run our life. Household papers. Personal projects. Professional resume and case studies. Budgets. Vision boards. An email of our...