goals as waves

Goals…As Waves?

I'm a musician and engineer. I was educated on waves. I'm also a productivity nerd with a healthy interest in goals. So when I came across this article in my archives, I decided it needed some more exposure. It presents goals as waves.
organize your workspace

Organize Your Workspace with 7 Strategies

If you had to show a photo of your workspace right now, would you be comfortable? You, like most people, probably need to have a session to organize your workspace before you could show it off.

We recently had a "show your workspace" thread come up for my company. This was a part of an ongoing Teams campaign to keep us connected during the COVID isolation. As I looked at some of my co-workers' workspaces, I wondered how they could get anything done. Their desks are masses of equipment surrounded by piles of stuff.

I challenge you to look around your workspace right now. Even if you think "it's not that bad", I would ask you if you can tell me about all the hidden spots - drawers, organizers etc. If you can't, then there is room for improvement.

So today I'm going to look 7 strategies to organize your workspace - and give you tips so that it stays that way.
podcast

Podcast Episode 28: Saying No

Saying no is a crucial skill to learn if you are going to be in charge of your life. Today we will look at when and why to say no, how it's not always a black and white answer, and various ways to say no.
balanced life myth graphic

The Balanced Life Myth

Too many people talk about living a balanced life, as if life can be slotted into the chunks of a pie graph. The truth is, we don't balance, not as people typically think.

In fact, it's not about doing more, but rather being deliberate about what you do, and letting the rest go.
edit relationships

Editing Life: Relationships

Not all relationships are created equal. Some are great, supportive relationships, while others will suck the life right out of you.

After a round of social isolation, you are probably aware of the benefits and drawbacks of your various relationships. So today we will consider the last phase of our editing life series: relationships. As we emerge out of isolation and choose to restructure our lives, we can choose which relationships to nurture and which to let go of. It's time to look at editing relationships.
Editing Life: Projects

Editing Life: Projects

When I was young, I believed I could do everything. People told me I could do "anything" and I assumed that meant "everything". Unfortunately, this has given me a "put more on my plate than I can eat" with respect to the things I want to do.

The truth is, I am not Wonder Woman. I am human. I have limited time and energy. And deciding to do everything right now takes a lot of energy and accomplishes little.

Now that I am reconsidering what I want my life will look like after COVID, I am looking at editing my projects.
Editing Life: Expenses

Editing Life: Expenses

When the pandemic hit with the stay-at-home orders, many people were knocked out of work. The world economy is now officially in recession, and most households are facing lean times. I'm one of the lucky ones in that I can work from home, and my client committed to keeping us consultants employed. But there is still the uncertainty of the future, both for my family, and many others.

One of the outcomes of this recession was that many people cut back on unnecessary spending. I'm including expenses as one of my areas of life to edit, because I have found that I shifted spending, and I'm not sure I want to go back to the way it was.

Editing expenses is not just about cutting back. It's about assessing whether the expense is really giving you a good return on your money, or whether it is the right service to use.

The thing I didn't realize is that I am often paying for things that I don't use or need. If I am aware of such services, and I'm not using them, I then feel like I should "do something about it", which becomes another open loop.