Back to my “Just Say No,” blogging campaign. My goal is to identify all the complexities of saying no, in the hope that we can someday be able to say no as easily as Nancy Reagan would have liked us to. Why is this important? If we want to change our habits around organization and productivity, we need … Read more
In my last post, I discussed decision making styles, which are inherent parts of our personality and can impact our productivity. Now here’s another trait to consider: time perspective. I’ve summarized briefly, below, but for more information, check out this scholarly article, or the two-minute summary. Five Time Perspectives Researchers have identified five distinct perspectives: Past-negative: Focus … Read more
Are you stalled from moving forward on a project because you can’t make a decision? Perhaps you aren’t sure which contractor to hire, which bookkeeping software to use, or which after-school program your kids should attend… Life requires lots of decisions. Our decision making styles are inherent parts of our personality, and they fall into two groups: maximizers and satisficers. … Read more
I’ve been enjoying the humorous “Spellman series” by Lisa Lutz, and was struck by a simple statement from lead character Isabel Spellman: Our ability to adapt is amazing. Our ability to change isn’t quite as spectacular. How profound! She articulated something that I observe with my clients and myself. Expecting ourselves to start behaving differently … Read more
I just got back from the annual CHADD conference, where the therapeutic benefits of mindfulness and/or meditation was a huge topic. Mindfulness is helpful not just for reducing unwanted aspects of ADHD, but for improving mental and physical health in all sorts of ways. If you’re skeptical, check out these websites from Harvard, the American Psychological Association and UC … Read more
I was asked how to ensure lasting results when working with an organizer. Whether it’s maintaining a newly organized space or adopting any other new habit, I think the answer is not to focus on immediate change, but instead to focus on the intended result, so the new behaviors are a natural outgrowth of a person’s own awareness and insight. Let’s say a … Read more