Life is full of tensions. Gathering input and producing output. Completing necessary duties and being creative with time to explore. Spending time alone and enjoying the company of others. All these things happen both at work and at home. There is no perfect balance...
A podcast today mentioned the idea of fiscal fitness. We’ve heard of this. We’ve also heard of physical fitness. In both cases, we are aiming for our personal goals and definitions of “fit”. My Perspective This got me thinking about how fitness might be a term that...
When we think of fluency, we think language. Fluent in English, Spanish, Chinese, etc. While the primary definition of fluency is tied to language, there is another meaning. The ability for something to flow freely. This could apply to many things in our lives. We...
There is often conversation about the need for emotional intelligence (EI) at work. Yet, there is little conversation around what this really means. We often perceive that you “have it” or you don’t. 5 Components of Emotional Intelligence There are five components of...
We all know the concept of IQ (Intelligence Quotient). In the last 15 years, more has been published on the importance of EQ (Emotional Quotient). I was doing a bit of research and came across the work of Howard Gardner. In the early 1980’s, he identified 9 different...
With much of the year still in front of us, there are a lot of possibilities. We aspire to make areas of our lives a little better than they were before. One common aim is to be more present in day-to-day activities. Not letting our lives pass us by in a blur. “The...
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...
When we consider our goals, we place more focus on gaps than gains. We quickly consider how far we are from what we want to achieve. Or, if we hit a goal, we might raise the bar higher. Again, focusing on the gap. What if we instead spent time reflecting on gains?...
I recently listened to a podcast on the TED Radio Hour titled “Daily Habits of a Longevity Expert”. During the interview, there was a conversation about food, exercise, and supplements. Dan Buettner who studies the Blue Zones, said that changing our environment –...
The start of the new year brings new energy to cleaning up. We pack away holiday decorations and aspire to get rid of the clutter. When the word clutter is used, we automatically think about environmental clutter. A messy kitchen. An overflowing closet where we can’t...
Yesterday, I provided some highlights from my 2023 word of the year. There were some questions at the end to prompt you to consider your own word for 2024. That might have got you thinking. You might also have wondered where to start. There is no “right” process, but...
The last two weeks, the posts have covered the 8 dimensions of wellbeing – physical, emotional, occupational, financial, intellectual, social, spiritual, and environmental. For those who want to dive deeper, a 63-page workbook is available. After doing a reflection on...
In 2010, I founded One Shade Greener. A company focused on the was environment. Change habits one by one to lighten our impact on the earth. Each step moving us One Shade Greener. That was 13 years ago. Today, the mission and philosophy still stand. Yet, my...
The eighth and final wellbeing dimension in our series is Spiritual Wellbeing. Our spiritual wellbeing is the connection to our soul. Sometimes there are questions between emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Emotional wellbeing relates to how we feel when interacting...
Our surroundings have a profound impact on our mental and physical health. Today, we explore the seventh dimension of wellbeing - environmental. The world we live in is a delicate balance of interconnected ecosystems. From the air we breathe, to the water we drink, to...
Today, we are covering the sixth dimension of wellbeing – emotional. Our emotional wellbeing can be impacted by all the other wellbeing dimensions. We can feel stress from work. Joy from an intellectual hobby. Frustration with a relationship. Peace from a spiritual...
Today, we will cover the fifth dimension of wellbeing – Social. Social wellbeing focuses on the relationships in our life. Family. Friends. Coworkers. Volunteer Teams. Book Clubs. Neighborhood Groups. Online Communities. The connection we have to others has a...
Today, we will cover the 3rd dimension of wellbeing – Financial. Our financial wellbeing is tied tightly to our occupational wellbeing. The status of our finances can also impact all the other dimensions positively or negatively. The goal is to reach a sustainable...
Our work is an integral part of our daily lives. The career choices we make shape our attitude and impact our overall wellbeing. Over time, many of us can find ourselves in a job not quite sure how we got there. Today we explore the second dimension of wellbeing -...
While I don’t know where I saw the quote below, it got me thinking. “Busy-ness is not the engine of production. It can, in many cases, instead be the obstacle to accomplishing your best work.” - Cal Newport Busy does not equal productive. Busy is the obstacle. The...
There was a Twyla Tharp quote that caught my attention the other day. “Obligation is a flimsy base for creativity, way down the list behind passion, courage, instinct, and the desire to do something great.” Twyla Tharp This is such an interesting perspective on...