Useful
How to Get More Confident
One of my favorite TV shows is the 1969 BBC series Civilisation, hosted by Sir Kenneth Clark. A survey of European art, it’s intelligent, insightful, and gorgeous, with (for the time) outstanding production values. Yes, it’s also the epitome of white male, Eurocentric art criticism, but it still rewards watching, especially if you keep its…
Read MoreThe Easiest, Most Powerful Thing I Do For My Productivity
The easiest, most powerful thing I do to boost my productivity is a nightly ritual that takes about ten seconds. Before I tell you what it is, I need to explain two things: (1) I use two computers: Using two computers may sound like an indulgence, but it’s not, especially given the productivity boost it…
Read MoreFocusmate: a Productivity App That Really Works!
So I don’t recommend products or apps very often, and when I have, the results have been mixed. (Libro.fm IS a good indie-bookstore-supporting substitute for Audible, but CBD oil as a sleep aid is probably an expensive placebo at best.) But I have NO hesitation in recommending Focusmate, an inexpensive app that gives you a…
Read MoreDogs Don’t Like Perfectionism Either!
This piece by Nancy Tanner on how impatience ruins dog training is brilliant: When I am asked what is the biggest problem I see in dog training today, it is the same problem I saw fourteen years ago, and thirty years ago, it is the misunderstanding of time. It takes time to learn how to…
Read MoreHow to Deal With Your Family Over the Holidays
For many people, holidays are incredibly stressful. Even leaving aside issues related to family history and dynamics, when people who happen to be related but don’t have much in common get together there can be multiple points of contention, including food, politics, and religion. Here are some tips for coping. 1) Educate Yourself (or Refresh…
Read MoreBe Sure to Check the “Preapproved Payments” Page on Your PayPal Account Every So Often…
…and to cancel those preapprovals no longer needed. I just found that I’ve been paying $10/month to elance.com. Unlike more honest, forthright companies, they don’t send account statements, so it’s easy to forget you’ve subscribed and are paying. I haven’t used elance probably in a year, so this was wasted money.
Read MoreSample Will for Writers from Neil Gaiman
It’s understandable why people do it, but you really shouldn’t procrastinate on writing your will. Along with your current assets, writers need to plan ahead to make sure both their literary works AND future royalties and other writing income are in the hands of people who will do well by them. Neil Gaiman has helped…
Read MoreI don’t often repurpose a blanket rack as a scarf and jewelry holder…
…but when I do, the result is so good I just have to share it… I have this preconception about myself that I’m not so good at home decor, so when I do come up with a clever idea it feels great. Plus, the rack was $10 off CraigsList…
Read MoreGuest Post: Your Power Zone
Second guest post by Linda Marks. Given that, the older I get, the more life seems like a balancing act, the below rings very true. When reading it, bear in mind that procrastination and underproductivity are caused by disempowerment. So, we can infer that moving too far along any of the dimensions Cedar identifies can…
Read MoreGuest Post: Soul Mates and Wound Mates
Below, one of the best essays I’ve read about relationships anywhere. I hope it’s as meaningful and useful to you as it was to me! It’s the first of two guest posts by Newton, MA-based Linda Marks, MSM, a super-smart and innovative psychotherapist, lifework counselor, and author. Her newsletter is one of the first things…
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