The myth of perfect conditions
I was talking with an attendee at one of my writing workshops. She was there to write the novel she’d been thinking about for years. But when it came to actually writing—not just talking about writing—she wanted to wait until she could afford to purchase a laptop to start her novel. This purchase was months […]
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Limiting beliefs are sure to keep you stuck
I watch otherwise smart and capable people stay stuck day after day because of limiting beliefs. The person who says, I’m just not creative foregoes opportunities to create. The person who says, I’ve never been able to stick with things stops setting goals altogether. The person who says, I’m not good at networking and wouldn’t really know how […]
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I don’t want to be in debt
There are some questions that almost guarantee an interesting conversation. What’s your ideal life? is one of them. Which is why I love asking this question. I’ve noticed, though, in describing their ideal life, most respond with a laundry list of what they don’t want. I don’t want to be in debt. I don’t want to […]
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Will you take the energy challenge?
Often I hear someone say they wish they had more time. Maybe you’re someone who says this. But time isn’t always what people are really looking for. More than time, I think most of us want more energy to do the things that matter most. Wishing for extra time Recently a client said, I wish there […]
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Are you doomed if you don’t make the right decision?
A client and I were recently talking about how to make a no-lose decision. It reminded me how much I’ve benefited from Susan Jeffer’s approach to decision-making outlined in Feel the Fear . . . and Do It Anyway We’ve been taught to be very careful about making decisions. Very careful as in highly anxious, second […]
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Why I’m dragging my feet about making a will
I really hate tolerations. Those nagging energy drains that lurk in the background of life, sapping the spirit. So I’ve gotten really good at nipping them in the bud. I have specific strategies in place to keep tolerations from coming into my life, and when one does get through, I’m usually quick to address it. […]
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Organizing and managing are not the answer
We have too many things and situations in our lives we’re trying to organize and manage. Our closets overflow with clutter and we think, If only I could get organized. Our calendars spill over with commitments and we think, If only I could manage my time more effectively. Our lives are filled with tension and worry […]
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Time is not the enemy. Priorities are the problem.
I used to live a time-starved life. My days were endlessly structured around time–and there was never enough of it. Time was the enemy. I approached time from a place of lack and martyrdom, uttering daily: I never have enough time. There’s not enough time. I perpetuated the habit of being up against time by repeatedly […]
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Read this when you start jumping to conclusions
While it’s a little early for Halloween, I’d like to talk about mind readers and fortune tellers. No, not those kind. I’m talking about thinking distortions that come from jumping to conclusions. Here’s what happens: Rather than rely on evidence to come to a logical conclusion, mind readers and fortune tellers focus on a negative […]
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Have a love-hate relationship with your To Do list? Get rid of it.
I used to have a To Do list. OK, to be honest, I used to be ruled by my To Do list. It reigned. Supreme. I was its oh-so-humble servant, and we definitely had a love-hate relationship. On the love side… I loved how writing things on my To Do list gave me an initial […]
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Are you willing to be friction-free?
It’s amazing the amount of energy we’re willing to expend day after day to maintain what isn’t working, to avoid fixing what’s broken, and to keep doing what we know we should stop. Friction comes in many forms. It comes… Wrapped in the putting off and postponing of procrastination. In the slow death of good […]
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Are you addressing symptoms or root causes?
A number of my clients stress over feeling disorganized. They talk about finding the right time management system, decluttering once and for all, or finding a new and improved way to tackle their To Do list. Unfortunately, none of those strategies address the root cause of the problem. Which means the symptoms associated with feeling […]
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Sometimes giving up is a good thing
Someone once asked what I’ve given up to balance my schedule. My answer: Perfectionism. Not an easy feat for someone who used to think perfectionism was a good thing—a quality that meant I’d been raised right. I didn’t give up perfectionism slowly. Instead, I went cold turkey. Like someone does when their doctor issues the […]
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Where are you settling—and why?
Are you settling? I know, I know. It’s such a loaded question. Because if the answer is “yes”, what do you do with that? What do you do with the knowledge you’re accepting or agreeing to something you consider less than satisfactory? Because THAT is the definition of settling. Accepting something that’s less than satisfactory. […]
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Warning: These undone To Dos are robbing you
A To Do list… Need backup system for computer Bags of clothes for donation piled in closet Call phone company about echo in phone line Replace broken tile in backsplash Overflowing junk drawer Burned out light bulb in closet Figure out how to use budgeting software Clean out the garage Recaulk bathtub Get referrals for […]
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