Spring is in the air. On my daily walk in Central Park this morning, it was a thrill to see the variety of Spring flowers blossoming all around….big patches of yellow daffodils and candy-striped tulips on the ground below, white cherry blossoms and forsythia on the trees above. Combined with warmer temperatures, brighter sunshine and bluer skies, Spring ushers in a welcome burst of energy and the hope of new possibilities. As we emerge from the cold, dark winter, this sense of renewal also often inspires us to declutter. Spring is a wonderful time to shed—— to rid ourselves of the stuff that ..read more

I’ve long advocated for the importance of spending your evenings disconnected from work, focusing instead on truly renewing activities. Whether relaxing, socializing, spending time on hobbies or fitness, the goal is to spend our time off in a way that restores our energy and brainpower for peak performance the next day. Yet, intense workloads and challenging projects can make it hard to turn work off at night. The tangible satisfaction of getting a few more tasks completed or solving a complex problem you don’t have time to think about during the day can cause you to gravitate back to your co ..read more

January is “Get Organized Month”, an official holiday designated many years ago by the professional organizing industry.  It makes total sense because January is the time when we have this urge to take control of our spaces, our schedules, our habits, so that we can achieve whatever other goals we have set for the year.  The question is, where do you start? Getting organized can be so daunting. Here are three not-so-common strategies for figuring out where to start and how to convert the desire to take control into actual action and results without being overwhelmed.  Know the ..read more

Dear Friends, Happy New Year! Welcome to 2024. I hope you had a chance to relax and recharge even a little bit over the holidays and that you've entered the new year with a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm and hope.  Lots of people ask me if I believe in New Year's resolutions.  What I believe in is setting intentions.  It’s a great thing to do at the beginning of the year and actually at any fresh start moment throughout the year. But, January is the ultimate reset. Setting intentions or goals can be very energizing and focusing.  It can help shape your time and dec ..read more

Ahh, work-life balance — we all crave it, yet it seems so incredibly difficult to achieve. With a constantly changing workplace, it’s easy to say “It’s impossible….my job is just too demanding.”  Add to that the extra chores related to the holiday season while simultaneously juggling end-of-year projects and reporting, and it can especially become an uphill battle.    Yet, there is no better time to fortify self-care than the holiday season. With more days off we have the space to replenish our spirits (if we choose to use the time this way), and it is a great opportunity ..read more

As we step into this season of gratitude and togetherness, it's understandable if your heart feels heavy given the devastating wars and widespread suffering across the globe. Celebrating abundance and blessings may feel challenging against the backdrop of so much loss, trauma, and destruction experienced by others.  Yet, we need ways to fortify our strength, resilience and compassion during difficult times.   Taking good care of ourselves and others strengthens us, which in turn, gives us all the best chance to find ways to make the world a brighter place. So, I encourage you t ..read more

Years ago, before the digital revolution, workplaces had a “Keeper of the Files”—let's call her Mable. Mable was like a human version of the cloud, storing and retrieving information quickly and accurately. She would create order in the chaos of paperwork and file folders. But as we continue moving towards paperless offices and the vast internet of everything while still managing printouts, mail, and other physical documents, everyone has to become their own Mable. However, this is no small feat because not everyone is a natural organizer.   So, here we are, surrounded by profession ..read more

I’m often asked, “What do I mean, never check email in the morning? At all?”  I’m not against this powerful communication tool, but it’s also highly addictive. Research shows people now spend an average of 19 hours a day on screens. Can you just imagine all the things you could check off your to-do list by cutting down your email time? If we aren’t intentional and proactive about how we engage with email, it can easily hijack our day, draining our energy and creativity while distracting us from other important tasks. We need to stop kidding ourselves that we’re just “checking” because wh ..read more

How fully present are you when you are spending time with the people in your life?  Whether with friends, significant others, family, or even pets,  it’s so easy to fall into the trap of being “physically present” but mentally elsewhere because we’re half distracted on our phones. Our screen addictions lead to a frequent state of being “together but apart,” which makes it hard to cultivate true connections. The average American spends more than 4 hours a day on their phones, which is equivalent to two months a year lost to likes, swipes, and memes. Instead of forming meaningful ..read more

The busier our lives get, the harder it can be to find time for fun and hobbies. Of the four kinds of renewal, I describe in my S.E.L.F. Formula, the F /stands for” fun.”  We need fun in our lives. It recharges us in a way that nothing else does, just like exercise releases endorphins, fun releases feel-good hormones that fuel our happiness and well-being. It nurtures our souls and energizes us in a way that helps us navigate life’s challenges more easily.  Hobbies even make us better at our jobs, according to research published in Harvard Business Review, providing stress reduction ..read more