If you want to invite others to fully contribute in the workplace or at home... To listen effectively, you must be silent. Ask a question (ideally open-ended) and then close your mouth. If do this in a meeting, make sure that the quick-talkers don't fully fill the void themselves. You…

When life is a never-ending struggle to achieve "success" and avoid "failure," your self-view can depend on your performance. To step away from that binary perspective and maintain a more stable outlook... In her seminar book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck, Ph.D., describes an approach to life and…

If you were one of the millions of people who lost power this week due to snow and ice, you may especially appreciate this idea. It works whether your to-do's are gathered digitally or on paper... David Allen recommends grouping your to-do's by the resources needed to complete them. This…

Start your day focused and serene in fewer than five minutes... At the end of each day, leave yourself a quick note on your computer monitor or keyboard so you can pick up right where you left off the next time you begin work. This simple habit will save you…

Without a mindful approach to our thoughts, they can easily overtake us and wreak havoc through our actions. If left unchecked, negative thoughts can do a lot of damage... The way we talk to ourselves directly influences the way we behave. If you regularly beat yourself up for procrastinating, for…

Here's a simple, yet significant, way you can keep order for yourself and others... Write dates (including year) on all your digital and paper documents, forms, notes, messages, etc. It's astounding how quickly one year melts into the next. Always insert new pages into the back (or front) of physical folders so…

As children, we're told to use the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." As adults, though... The Platinum Rule is to "Do unto others as they would have done unto themselves." In other words, communicate and treat coworkers and clients in ways that…

Clutter can cause chaos. Whether it's stacks of undifferentiated papers strewn on your desk, low-priority emails clogging your inbox, or old ideas clouding your mindset, clutter gets in your way. You can begin to simplify by tossing or acting on that paper, deleting that email, or deciding to operate on…

Happy New Year to you! I'm writing from my new home--my husband and I moved back to the Austin area a few weeks ago. 2020 may have knocked you out of your usual orbit but that's not necessarily bad. There's nothing like a crisis (especially one that's months-long) to clarify…

2020 has been a year of upheaval and change. Unfortunately, pandemics don't care about calendars. January 1, 2021, won't bring an end to the increased economic insecurity and need for extra health precautions of 2020. For that reason, please... Self-care is the antidote to heightened anxiety and exertion. And it…