This past summer, I began an intentional change in my media consumption. As a result, over the months since, I cut back on, or gave up completely, a bunch of activities. I stopped watching late night talk shows. I had been DVRing them, and then watching the opening monologues the…
At least once a year, an event in the speaker series at 92Y in Manhattan catches my eye. I’ve seen several of my favorite writers, including Malcom Gladwell (three times) and Michael Lewis. This year, I saw Arthur Brooks in conversation with Simon Sinek. I have become a fan of…
With summer upon us, I wanted to write, as I did last summer at this time, about the importance of taking time off from work. I was fortunate to have participated for many years in Strategic Coach, a personal and professional development program where I learned, among many other things, the…
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…
I recently happened upon this Mark Twain quote: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small, manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” I like to take it back a step. The first step to…
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’ve written a lot about the way willpower impacts our ability to make changes that stick. The bottom line: we have a limited stock of willpower. It’s been studied. It’s a fact. Because of this, the key to making changes that stick is to go slow; to break down your…