So, you want to live a more intentional life? Your first baby step is to journal. Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-reflection. Setting aside dedicated time to ponder a question and write out your answer can lead to some fascinating discoveries. If you already have a journaling habit, you know that your answer to a prompt can really surprise you! I crafted the self-reflection journal prompts below to address questions we all need to ask, but most of us avoid. I’ve written before about the importance of sorting your top priorities from lower-value activities you spend time and energy on. That sounds simple, but it’s no easy task. Many of your “fluff” activities are valuable and enjoyable in their own ways. It’s nonetheless…
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Are you a mom to young children and feeling some mom burnout? I would honestly be surprised if the answer were an unequivocal “no.” In researching this post, I even found out there’s a medical term called “Depleted Mother Syndrome.” There are so many reasons moms feel burnt out that I can’t get into them all here. But the Cleveland Clinic page linked above and this article from Prevention are great places to look for more information about how you got to this point. What I found lacking in those sources, and similar ones, is suggestions for how to turn things around. Some tips are helpful, but most are not…
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Have you tried all the traditional productivity tips to get more done each day? Are you often rushing to complete tasks and disappointed in your progress no matter how much you accomplish? There’s a simple reason for that (but one you won’t want to hear): your expectations for time management and productivity are too optimistic. If you’re in the time optimist club, you’re in good company – most people are unable to accurately estimate how much time and energy various activities take. There is good news, though – there’s a simple solution for time optimism: realistic time management. I introduced this topic in a previous post. I define realistic time…
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Do you find yourself rushing around, perpetually late? Adding things to your to-do list just as fast as you check them off? If so, you may criticize yourself for being “bad” at time management. You may have read a thousand time management tips on how to “hack” your schedule to wedge more activities into your days but failed trying to implement them. This post is a counter to all those tips. Less hectic days are possible, but you need to employ realistic time management. What is realistic time management? I’d define it this way: Objectively and accurately assessing how much time and energy various activities require vs. how much…
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I often share decluttering tips for our physical space. We’ve all experienced stuff piling up around us because we weren’t intentional about what we bring into our homes. But what about our minds? Can they collect clutter, as well? My intention with this series on the Enneagram types is to show how we unconsciously build up “psychic clutter” and provide guidance on which unhelpful beliefs each type can declutter for a more fulfilling life. For more context, see the introduction to my post about the Enneagram 1. Here, we’ll focus on the Enneagram 6. There’s a lot of debate about the utility of personality typology, whether it’s MBTI, the Enneagram,…
