I regularly suggest writing things down to make sure they aren’t forgotten. No one is perfect and mistakes happen, but many errors can be easily avoided if you simply make a note—a written reminder to yourself. (When I say written, I mean in any of the ways you can make…
I was playing with words in my head earlier this year, as I often do, and the title of my book, Six Simple Rules for a Better Life, became "Six Better Rules for a Simple Life". (I wrote about it in my monthly newsletter.) Simple things of all types appeal…
"Be Organized" is one of my Six Simple Rules for a Better Life. I felt very qualified to write about that subject because I'm about as organized as a person can be. That also makes me feel very qualified to review the new book, Super-Productive: 120 Strategies to Do More…
A few weeks ago, I wrote this post about all the things I've been clearing out of my house. For many years, I’ve been good about throwing out or donating things I don’t use. My house is not filled with clutter. We have very few toys from when our kids…
Last year, a friend of mine helped orchestrate his parents’ move from their house—the one my friend grew up in—to an apartment in a high rise. In the high rise, they would no longer be responsible for maintenance of their home, the cleaning would be reduced dramatically because the apartment…
This is guest post by Alex Romero. You’re a nervous volunteer at a nursing home. You're nervous because of the sounds you're hearing coming from a room down the hall—metal screeching, drawers falling, and floorboards scratching. Hopefully the residents are okay. You get to the room and find three elderly…
Since 2011, when I published my book and began blogging, I have also been a regular reader of other blogs. My favorite, Becoming Minimalist, has countless useful posts to help you have a simpler, better life. Reading Becoming Minimalist, and other minimalism blogs, led to several changes in my life.…
“Be Organized” is the fourth of my Six Simple Rules for a Better Life. I read a piece in Fast Company about the secrets of the most productive people. Following are some of the “Be Organized” strategies shared in the piece, along with some additional thoughts from me: Belinda Johnson…
I made sure I taught my kids, if someone sends you an e-mail, a text message, or any other type of communication, you need to respond. If you don’t have time to give a complete reply, acknowledge receipt and tell them you will get back to them later. And then…
Not long after I published Six Simple Rules for a Better Life, I read a book called Willpower, by Roy Baumeister & John Tierney, which had come out the same month. In my book’s introduction, I talk about how to make changes that stick. I knew my method worked, but…
One of my daughters was telling me about a position she was considering running for at her sorority. She had already taken on a lot (and accomplished a great deal) during her college years—at her sorority and in general—and had, at times, been overextended. I wrote to her: "If you…
Being disorganized adds stress to my life, and I would argue to most people's lives. Though while "Be Organized" is the fourth of my Six Simple Rules for a Better Life, I've also been trying to avoid placing too much importance on being organized of late; otherwise being disorganized becomes…