Gosh, “mental health” is such a loaded term. Thankfully, it’s something that carries a lot less stigma today than it has for, well, ever. It’s a term our culture is becoming more comfortable talking about and accepting. I’m not sure why we treated it differently than physical health for so long. Myself included. Like most people, if my friend had a broken leg, I would recommend he see a physician. Obviously. I would not tell him, “You just need to change your thinking.” Or to “shake it off.” Or…
You’ve likely seen this article already, but it’s worth revisiting a few times. I enjoyed Cal Newport’s comparison of the social internet and social media [http://calnewport.com/blog/2018/03/20/on-social-media-and-its-discontents/], but this specific post hit home more for me. Not only does he offer some practical ways to embrace the social internet, but one of those tips is dear to me: own your own domain. He sums it up well: > I can tell you from experience that this approach is harder than…
John Piper pens a good reminder for us regarding our task lists, our “systems”, and what they mean in the big picture. > By all means, make your list of to-dos for the day. By all means, get as good at that as you can get. Prioritize the list. Get first things first. Make your plan. Do the very best you can. Go ahead and read a book about it. Then walk in the peace and freedom that, when it shatters on the rocks of reality, which it will most days, remember, you’re not being measured by God by…
CJ Chilvers posted a short blurb [https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/getting-more-from-your-calendar] in response to a recent article I wrote for The Sweet Setup, Getting More From Your Calendar [https://thesweetsetup.com/get-more-from-your-calendar/]. His main point is that I suffer from a common misconception about scheduling: > I hear this sentiment a lot, but I think this is the wrong way to approach scheduling (and, sorry David Sparks, I just hate the term hyper-scheduling). If your week is f…
Austin Kleon posted this last year and it’s worth revisiting. He shared what led him back to writing more regularly, then the results. It was a success and he lists multiple reasons why. This one resonates with me: > I had forgotten how wonderful blogging is as a mode of thinking. Blogging is, for me, more about discovering what I have to say, and tweeting more about having a thought, then saying it the right way. It’s also great to be able to go as long or as short as you want to go. This kind…
There are a lot of ways to use a journal. I use one every day, but not often to write down my thoughts or the events of my day.
Cheesy title, yes. But it describes how I’ve developed my use of various digital and analog tools over the past several years to live in a way that fits my beliefs and brings satisfaction. Is there room to improve? Of course — there’s always room to improve. But my combination of habits and tools is feeling settled and peaceful. And as many people seem interested in these topics, I wanted to share my overall system. Why paper and digital tools? Simple. Both have advantages. Digital tools are…
There comes a time when your tasks and responsibilities will get out of hand. Despite your best efforts and disciplined approach, you suddenly find yourself with overflowing inboxes, tasks and notes scribbled out on paper, and a sense that you're not in control. Something will be missed or forgotten. This happens to all of us. And this is when people feel their “system” is broken and they jump ship. This can come in the form of reverting to old habits and ways of doing things. Or you start look…