February 16, 2010
Fifteen years ago, my high school photography teacher Mr. Stamoulis — a man of many witty quips — put a saying in my head that I’ve remembered ever since: “Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Mr. Stamoulis was talking about himself of course, explaining to a room of teenagers why anyone would want to be in his shoes, teaching first-period photography at 7:25 AM to a bunch of teens.
Mr. Stamoulis taught because he loved it. He retired last year after decades at the school. His perspective on work left a lasting impression on me, and it was on my mind when I saw an article about another long career fueled by enjoyment. Read the rest of this entry »
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careers, inspiration | 
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Posted by sarahbfrom
February 10, 2010
My former boss used to talk about the wonderful feeling brought about by “found time.” Found time is when you unexpectedly gain free time — because of a cancelled meeting or a postponed lunch date — and get to decide how to use it. As over-scheduled as most of us are, a few hours of found time can feel pretty luxurious.
Much of the East Coast is getting some found time this week in the form of a snow day (or three). Why not make the most of it? While I wouldn’t suggest doing ALL of these things in one day — after all, you should relax — I guarantee that taking on two or three of these activities will make you feel more energetic and accomplished than, say, a whole day spent watching HGTV (ahem).
- Do one task you’ve been putting off. Crossing something off your list will feel so good, you might even be inspired to do something else. For me, this will be finding out how to change the address on my driver’s license. I moved two years ago, so I expect that finally doing this will feel pretty good!
- Plan your charitable giving for the coming year. Many of us only make donations at the end of the calendar year or when disaster motivates us to give. But nonprofits need our generosity year-round for the work they do day in and day out. Think about how much you are able to donate this year, and consider donating now or in installments over the course of the year.
- Pick a small area to declutter. What space in your environment aggravates you, embarrasses you, or slows you down? It could be your desk drawer or your sock drawer, the pile on the kitchen table or that black hole where you toss instruction manuals. Pick a manageable area that you can declutter in an hour or less, and get it done.
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3 Comments | GTD, productivity, social justice, time management, tips | Permalink
Posted by sarahbfrom
January 22, 2010
Few aspects of organizational life are the source of as many complaints as meetings: too many meetings, pointless and unproductive meetings, meetings that take time away from “real” work. But the reality is that much organizational work is done in teams, and teams need to meet. So why not try to meet better?
Team members need to understand why they are meeting, know that their valuable and limited time will be well utilized, and feel that everyone will be held accountable for taking action on the issues discussed. Here are three questions that I’ve used to whip team meetings into better shape.
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Posted by sarahbfrom
January 18, 2010
Almost exactly a year before he was killed in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a stirring sermon at the New Covenant Baptist Church in Chicago. King preached that day about The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life.
King began, “you know, they used to tell us in Hollywood that in order for a movie to be complete, it had to be three-dimensional. Well, this morning I want to seek to get over to each of us that if life itself is to be complete, it must be three-dimensional.“
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Posted by sarahbfrom
January 4, 2010
Photo by Merlin Mann, 43folders.com
The new year presents an opportunity to revolutionize your relationship with email. Many of us allow email to pile up and overwhelm us in a way that we would never permit to happen with physical clutter.
The good news is it’s not that hard to develop healthier email habits. Here are some ways to start:
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Posted by sarahbfrom
