I’m very much a list person. Lists strike that perfect balance between organizing my thoughts into a logical flow and having the freedom to get those thoughts out of my head with minimal effort. A list doesn’t have to have perfect grammar or structure, yet it’s still structured enough to give me clarity on whatever…
If you’re like me, you like plans. Making them, having them, carrying them out perfectly — plans make many of us feel in control and on top of things. But plans aren’t perfect. Very rarely do they turn out exactly the way we want them to. That’s why I’ve learned the value of having a…
A couple of weeks ago, my favorite band, DAY6, released a new album. The title track, “Zombie,” illustrates a reality many of us currently find ourselves trudging through: day after day, repeating the same tedious motions with no clear end or change in sight. DAY6 are a South Korean band, so the song is in…
I strongly believe that in order to be truly effective both in taking care of yourself and in helping others, you have to be aware of and confident in who you are. I don’t necessarily see this as needing to “find yourself,” however, but rather that you should come to understand who you are already…
“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” Bruce Lee When writing a poem or story, it’s often best to start by putting everything down on the page. Just get it out of your head and into words, even if those words don’t seem to fit together. Next, you organize…
I started two or three other blog posts that I intended to publish this week, but none of them felt right for this particular time. With so much uncertainty and anxiety surrounding us, I find it easy to put up walls of sorts by pushing productivity and positivity, to try to make the most of…
These are uncertain times. Of course, I could say that all times are uncertain to a point, but it’s true that now feels a little extra uncertain. I’ve written before about facing uncertainty in my life and career, and about how I deal with that. But the main principle it boils down to is taking…
If I had to credit a single habit with keeping me at my most organized and sane, it would have to be bullet journaling. I call it a habit because I’ve made a point of spending time on it every day, but it is of course much more than just a habit. (More on that…
I talk a lot on this blog about mental clarity and its importance, so I thought I would share a few of the methods and practices that have proven valuable in my own life. Obviously, this is far from an exhaustive list, and not everything that works for one person will work for someone else,…
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about life, it’s that it’s unpredictable. Every time I think I have things figured out, the road curves in an entirely new direction. I’ve mentioned before that I was at one time convinced I didn’t want to go into teaching. Upon returning home after four years of teaching (and…
