I heard a funny conversation on the street between a 20-something man and a 20-something woman. He asked, "When is your birthday?" She replied, "Well, there's my legal birthday and there's the day I celebrate." She explained she was born on April 1, but "that's the worst birthday because you're…
It’s a new year and resolutions are being made once again. And once again, many will be broken. Here are a ways to help make changes that stick: Be realistic when setting goals. If your goals are too big (and the goals most of us make tend to be too…
A bunch of years ago, when my company moved into the office building where we still reside, a number of people began using the stairs to get to our offices on the fifth floor. I had not been a part of that group until returning from a vacation in Positano,…
Over and over I talk about making changes that stick because it’s something most people want. (During speaking engagements, when I ask if anyone makes New Year’s resolutions, nearly everyone raises their hands.) My method is one you’ve heard me talk about here many times: take big changes, break them…
Since the publication of Six Simple Rules for a Better Life three years ago, I have read more and more evidence of the soundness of my method for making changes that stick. (Breaking down big goals into small pieces, and then working on them one small piece at a time for…
I was speaking with a business associate I hadn't spoken with for about a year. The last time we spoke she was pregnant and now she is enjoying her baby son (her third child). She and her husband had waited a few years between their second and third children and…
Much has been written about the importance of drinking lots of water. I've heard 64 ounces a day and I've heard half your weight in ounces per day. I've also heard if you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, the number of ounces can be fewer. I do not…
Living in a state of mindfulness is a worthy goal. Living mindlessly is not normally something to strive for. Yet, mindfulness and mindlessness both play a part in habit change. First, a definition I found for mindfulness in Psychology Today: a state of active, open attention on the present. When…
My friend Kevin was telling me of his weight loss struggles. He realized he kept procrastinating about working on the weight loss because there are about 10 habits he wanted to focus on to make it happen. He realized he was overwhelming himself by thinking about the 10 habits, and…
Over the last two weeks I shared some background, and then some highlights from a wonderful book, Zen Habits: Mastering the Art of Change by Leo Babauta. As Leo explains, quitting a bad habit is harder than starting a good one because you have the urge to continue the bad habit. Here…
I just finished reading a wonderful book, Zen Habits: Mastering the Art of Change by Leo Babauta. Last week I introduced the book and shared some background, and this week I’ll share some of the highlights from Leo’s book, which I highly recommend. Mindfulness. Leo learned to watch his mind. He…
I just finished reading a wonderful book, Zen Habits: Mastering the Art of Change, by Leo Babauta. Leo has written, in many ways, what I have envisioned as a possible follow-up to Six Simple Rules for a Better Life. I wanted Six Simple Rules for a Better Life not to be another one…