February finds me in the thick of several writing deadlines and poised to dive back into my Creativity Deck. I've managed to squeeze in a little bit of movement, but for the most part, I’ve been chained to my chair. February 2nd is Candlemas Day (the festival of lights) and Ground Hog Day (you know the drill, shadow = more winter, no shadow = less).
Read MoreTo 'lose direction' can literally mean just that. You are going somewhere, in a particular direction, let's say, south for example. Suddenly, you're not sure which way is up, your internal compass is on the fritz, your phone is out of batteries (hence no sat nav) and you didn’t bring a map...you are lost.
Read MoreAfter a busy September filled with writing and research, October finds me feeling fit as a fiddle and loving the change of season. In spite of the fact that the sun seems to disappear in an instant (how is it suddenly dark by 5!), I love the Autumn. The layers, the leaves, the melancholy....it's all part of the 'back to school' vibe I can never quite shake even though my school days are long behind me.
Read MoreA friend of mine is an engineer. Let's call him Sam. Somewhere in the bowels of Sam's current work place, is on old steam engine. Obviously, this steam engine is pretty heavy, it is not made of feathers and it is not easy to move. I know, because Sam tried. He pushed it with all the force he could muster but...no movement. Then, one day, Sam decided to lean against the train for a while and...lo and behold...it began to roll.
Read MoreI just finished reading 'Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less' by Greg McKeown. I actually bought this book by accident. I thought it was going to be about the philosophical concept (that, for any specific entity, there is a set of attributes which are necessary to its identity and function)... but it turned out to be a book about managing your work load, your life, your ambitions, your time and your identity.
Read MoreLately, I've been thinking a lot about motivation. Not surprising, given that I have an occupation that requires a great deal of the stuff. As most free-lancers know, motivation is a slippery old fish. When working from home, procrastination often rears its ugly head. The lure of the snooze button is a constant, and planning, shopping and cooking always seem to eat into a large portion of the day.
Read MoreThere's a baseball statistic called BABIP, or, Batting Average on Balls In Play, that measures how often a batter reaches base on balls that he hits into the field of play. A good batter who hits a lot of line drives may be a perennial all-star, but if his line drives keep rocketing straight to where fielders happen to be waiting, he can look like a minor-leaguer for months on end.
Read MoreI've been reading a book called 'The Optimism Bias' by Tali Sharot. In a nutshell, the premise of the book is that people tend to have a cognitive bias towards optimism, and that this bias has been naturally selected for because it helps us to get things done, to move forward, to procreate.
Read MoreWhen life throws you a serious curve ball that’s impossible to hit, and you have little or no control over external circumstances; sometimes HOPE is the only option.
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