I’ve written about my love of good morning routines before. It was my early rising habit for the past several years that has made it possible for me to maintain this blog, write several ebooks, work on learning a second language and meet other personal goals while raising seven kids. This past year, my good […]
On Courage
I posted about my goals for the year here, and updated in March and April, but haven’t since. The year is more than half over, it’s certainly time for an update. One of the goals I set was rather difficult to measure. It was this: I want to be better at: listening to my gut and having courage. […]
No Complain Month
A couple of months ago, I read this article about how complaining damages the brain. An excerpt: When we complain, our brains release stress hormones that harm neural connections in areas used for problem solving and other cognitive functions. This also happens when we listen to someone else moan and groan. “It’s as bad as secondhand smoke,” […]
Reducing Decision Fatigue (or, how to be nicer to your kids on grocery shopping day)
Reading the books Willpower and The Paradox of Choice convinced me that too many choices are paralyzing and they deplete our willpower. Reducing decision fatigue is a way of avoiding this problem. Hence, I’ve actively looked for ways to make fewer decisions in my life. To automate mundane things so I can be more effective […]
What’s saving my life right now
Modern Mrs. Darcy recently posted about “what’s saving my life right now” during the second half of the long, dreary winter. In her words: “To beat back the gloom, today we’re sharing the things—big or small—that are saving us right now.” Fun – and I need a reminder of what’s working in my life. Things have […]
My Goals: 2015
It’s 3 weeks since my premature baby’s homecoming, and I’m finally getting a bit of sleep. Josiah has made huge progress this past week in adjusting to life at home and despite my current whopping case of mastitis, breastfeeding is getting easier. Things were very stressful for a couple of weeks, and I went to […]
Complicated attacks
I try very hard to keep my life simple. Minimalists inspire me. I read this article recently about Mark Zuckerberg (yes, that Mark Zuckerberg) where he explains why he wears the same shirt every day to work. It’s about minimizing decisions, petty decisions that is, in order to save energy and brainpower for more important […]
Making Happy Moments “Stick”
One thing I’ve learned about our brains (a topic endlessly fascinating to me!) is this: our mind places more emphasis on unhappy moments, on negative things, than positive. It doesn’t matter whether you consider yourself an optimist (I do) or not. The data is in. Many, many studies and decades of research into how our […]
In Which I Decide to Abandon a Goal
Last August I stated my intention to write 12 ebooks for the Amazon Kindle. I completed 6. And now, after a bit of waffling and see-sawing for several weeks, I’ve decided to abandon that goal. It’s so difficult to do that even though I know it’s for the best. Do you have a difficult time letting […]
Some Beats None, and the Power of Small Actions
Today I want to talk about the power of small actions to bring about big changes, and why “Some Beats None” is one of my favorite expressions. But first, a story. My 3 year old daughter Ruby has been resisting naptime for well over a year. I know she is not ready to give […]