(If you missed part 1 of my year-end reflection questions, it’s here.) What was the most important lesson you learned in 2019? My word for the year was FOCUS, and I learned a lot of strategies to help me prioritize, organize and manage my time. One of my favorite strategies was the brain dump. When […]
habits
My Winter Break Manifesto
I was reading my blog feed today and saw this post by Sarah Hart-Unger about her resolution to give herself a calm, happy winter break with her kids, and the manifesto she wrote to qualify it. I immediately thought, “YES! A manifesto! That’s EXACTLY what I need.” Like every other teacher on the planet, I […]
Which Habit Is More Important: Reading or Sleep?
I’m pretty good at habits. Sometimes, I’m too good. My habits gather strength. Sometimes, one of my habits gets in the way of another habit. I wrote in my “What’s Making Me Happy in July” post that one thing NOT making me happy is my lack of sleep. It’s becoming a huge problem. I spend my […]
How It Feels When Your Habits Begin “Tightening”
Last Friday night, around 8:00 PM, I was tired. It had been a full day for me and a stressful one for the world. I was ready to get into my pajamas and snuggle with my baby girl on the couch with a mug of tea and some mindless television. Instead, I cleaned the bathroom. Let […]
Important Habits For A Creative Life
When you think of a creative person, what comes to mind? An artist who follows her muse and sleeps until noon? An advertising executive staring at the wall of his office? What about the rest of us, in ordinary jobs, living ordinary lives? Is creativity important, and is it a tool we can use just as […]
The Price of Efficiency
Americans, more than any other nationality on earth, are obsessed with efficiency. In fact, it was America that gave birth to the Efficiency Movement, spearheaded by Frederick Taylor in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Taylor would come into factory and construction settings and study them until he came up with the most efficient method […]