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In 'Before and After,' I identify the sixteen strategies that we can use to make or break our habits. Some are quite familiar, such as... →
Take care of difficult calls or emails as quickly as possible. Procrastinating just makes it harder; getting them done gives a big boost of relieved... →
As goofy as it sounds, I try to sing in the morning. It's hard both to sing and to maintain a grouchy mood, and it sets a happy tone for everyone... →
Don't keep excessive amounts of anything. Those glass vases that come from florists. Those ketchup packets that come with take-out food. A house... →
Sometimes, counter-intuitively, it's easier to make a major change than a minor change. When a habit is changing very gradually, we may lose... →
Watching TV is companionable: you share an experience, you can comment on the action here and there for a bit of conversation... it's a way of... →
I do better with routines and predictability. I don't react well when there's a sudden change in the schedule.
The biggest waste of time is to do well something that we need not do at all.
One thing I wish I could tell my younger self: take photos of everyday life, not special occasions; later, that's what will be interesting to you.
Spending hours stressed out in front of the TV isn't the same as volunteering or donating. Feeling a high level of personal distress makes people... →
Turn off your email; turn off your phone; disconnect from the Internet; figure out a way to set limits so you can concentrate when you need to, and... →
Most people enjoy 'potato-chip news' from time to time - to track a presidential election or the Oscars. However, some are particularly drawn... →
It's hard to avoid 'unconscious overclaiming.' In unconscious overclaiming, we unconsciously overestimate our contributions relative to... →