I don’t like wasting resources. Money, food, and time come quickly to mind as the most obvious examples. Recently, I realized I have learned how to make better decisions by understanding the interaction between these resources. The net result is a positive impact on my happiness. For example, last summer…
Last year, I wrote about a webinar on emotional resilience that was part of our company’s wellness program. In a follow-up e-mail sent out by the leader of the session, Jen Arnold of Redesigning Wellness, Inc., she made suggestions of Ways to Practice Gratitude. Here, again, are a couple: Three…
As I have done for each of the past few years, here are the many ways I enjoyed the experiences of my year: places I visited, what I listened to, what I read, what I watched, and more. Reading I love reading and I love learning. I read quite a…
There is a very nice family I've known them for nearly 25 years. Several of them are real estate brokers and they have a monthly newsletter. I’ve been on their mailing list for many years and often find helpful tips. A recent newsletter contained a list of ways to practice…
Gratitude is something I’ve written about many times. It's always extra pertinent around Thanksgiving. As part of our company’s wellness program, we had a series of webinars on emotional resilience. Jen Arnold (of Redesigning Wellness, Inc.) who led the sessions, sent a series of follow-up e-mails. As she explained, gratitude…
This year, my wife and I celebrated our 30th anniversary. Around the same time, I read a blog post called “8 Traits of a Happy Marriage, According to a Couples Therapist.” I agree with all eight of the defining characteristics of long-lasting, happy marriages. I am particularly drawn to these…
I’ve written before about things I learned from Daniel Kahneman’s wonderfully interesting book, "Thinking, Fast and Slow". In a section on availability bias, Kahneman shared useful information for couples. Availability bias is the way we judge situations by relying on immediate examples that come mind. For example, as Kahneman points…
I was at a conference where I had the good fortune to hear Catherine Sanderson speak on The Science of Happiness. Sanderson is a professor at Amherst College where she studies and teaches the subject of happiness. Her speech was fantastic. Here are some of my takeaways: Why do we…
I read a really good article in Fast Company magazine about to-do list mistakes. I am a big advocate of to-do lists, and of writing things down in general. Here are my favorite takeaways from the article, with my thoughts added: Create/update your next day’s to-do list before you end…
A reader wrote to me the following note about an old post of mine, Gratitude and Perspective… I completely agree with this post! Whenever I have stress, I try to ask myself: “Are my kids healthy? Are my wife and I healthy?” When the answers to those questions are “yes,” which is…
Two articles I recently read reinforced my feeling that most people have too much “stuff”. Beth Teitell writes in the Boston Globe, “Clutter…can assume many forms. It can present as a once-used bread machine or Lego hair that’s come unsnapped from its person. It can look like Tupperware without its assigned…
In the mid-1990s, I had the good fortune of participating in the Strategic Coach® program. Its quarterly, all-day sessions helped me focus on creating the life I wanted, personally and professionally. One of the first things I learned in the program was their time management system, the most important aspect…