Last Wednesday, I reached the end of Blizzard, draft 1. (For more details about the book’s plot and characters, return to this post.) I was powerfully reminded of the way I felt when I reached the end of draft 1 of Waist on the auspicious date of 12/12/12. I was exhilarated then; I thought I […]
time management
Time Management vs. Energy Management
I spend a lot of time thinking and writing about time management. I’m constantly asking myself, “Is this the best use of my time? Could I be doing something that better suits my priorities?” But maybe those aren’t the right questions to ask. Maybe I should be asking, “Is this the best use of my […]
The Only Tool You REALLY Need For Productivity
We’re all familiar with the standard productivity advice given to those who want to accomplish something big. “If you want to [write a novel, run a marathon, crochet 100 afghans],” the productivity gurus say, “you must make it a habit. Do it every day. Wake up early. Track your time, and then figure out when you can […]
If You Want To Discover What You Love, Take A Vacation
Last weekend, my husband and I took a trip to Vermont. We hadn’t made many plans for the trip: we had a room booked for two nights at a B&B, and we knew the route we planned to take up north, but that was about it. We’d never been to the area before. When we left, […]
The One Type Of List You Should Be Making
When I was a child, I remember wandering into the home office of an adult I knew well, and finding a list of priorities taped to the wall. They were numbered, with the top priorities up high and lesser ones on the bottom. I remember thinking, “That’s weird. Why would someone need reminding about what’s […]
What Work/Life Balance Really Means
Here’s what I don’t understand about the term “Work/Life Balance.” What is work, and what is life? If we spend roughly 40% of our lives working, then isn’t work one of the greatest parts of our lives? Work/family balance, or work/home balance might make the term clearer; but what if your […]