Today’s tip talks about how improving your working memory is essential for writing. It’s the fourth article in our series on writing productivity based on the book Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life: Train Your Brain to Get More Done in Less Time by Paul Hammerness, M.D., Margaret Moore, and John Hane. The first three...Read More

Today’s tip continues our series on writing productivity based on the book Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life: Train Your Brain to Get More Done in Less Time by Paul Hammerness, M.D., Margaret Moore, and John Hane. The first two articles are available on the blog; find the links at the end of today’s article....Read More

Writing can be like folding a banquet-sized tablecloth; you can do it yourself, but it’s a lot easier when you can find somebody to help. —Ted Kooser and Steve Cox, Writing Brave and Free, p. 118. I’m an inveterate introvert. I prefer staying home alone—even when I don’t have to trudge through snow to get somewhere....Read More

It’s nervous work. The state you need to write in is the state that others are paying large sums to get rid of. — Shirley Hazard In Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life: Train Your Brain to Get More Done in Less Time, authors Paul Hammerness, M.D., Margaret Moore, and John Hane use research from...Read More

All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking. —Friedrich Nietzsche Last week, I received my 2012 year-end report from Daily Mile. I learned that I’d walked and biked well over 600 miles. With all that exercise, Daily Mile reported that I’d lost ten pounds. Yeah, not so much. No doubt Daily Mile has some sort...Read More

In his writings, a wise Italian says that the best is the enemy of the good. —Voltaire I’ve been struggling with the whole New Year’s resolution thing. While I catch glimpses of what I might want to do in the New Year, I am resisting putting anything into writing. Part of my struggle comes from...Read More

Save some time to dream Save some time for yourself Don’t let your time slip away Or be stolen by somebody else —John Cougar Mellencamp The Mayan calendar ends its cycle on Friday, December 21, and some believe the world will end that day. Others believe that Friday will usher in a new era. The...Read More

This morning when I opened my email, I was drawn to the headline in Cheryl Richardson’s weekly tip: The Right Question: One simple self-care tip to change your life. The question Cheryl encourages readers to ask themselves: What can I do to make (myself) happy? I love it! So often when I plan my day,...Read More

Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes. —Napolean Hill You know you’ve stumbled on a big idea book when you think, “I wish I had thought of that!” A big idea book uses evidence and stories to present a simple and concrete idea.  If an idea book is done well, it will generate buzz...Read More

If you want to find happiness, find gratitude. —Steve Maraboli This past month I’ve spent three afternoons at two city libraries teaching children to write gratitude letters. We’ve used lots of paper as we’ve mind-mapped gratitude. Between all three sessions, the children have written almost 50 thank you cards. It’s such great fun to watch...Read More