Intentional Tuesdays

Complete this sentence ... my life would be better, if I had more ...

Did you say sex?  If so, I can't help you.  But if you said time, then stick around, because we're about to launch into a month-long series on managing time. 

This week we focus on getting clarity about what is most important.

I hope you enjoy it,

Prosperous Journey,

-zog.

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If you are interested in learning more about the Eisenhower Matrix, check out this short video.  It's a great place to start.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suGXZ1869qc

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Photocredit:  https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/

What can the craft of writing teach us about how to live? Lot’s actually. This week’s Intentional Tuesday is part of the WriteLife series, which explores the overlap between good writing and good living. You won’t want to miss it.

In his Masterclass, author Neil Gaiman explains a surefire technique for writing compelling drama. He encourages writers to constantly bring characters to a “fork in the road.” A point where they need to make a crucial decision. If the character feels the significance of the decision, the read will feel it too. Do this over and over again, and you’ll have a solid story worth reading. Pretty cool.

As an aspiring writer, I appreciate this technique. But what does it have to do with real life?

How many decisions do you make every day? Dozens? Hundreds? Some research indicates it’s in the multiple thousands of decisions every day. No wonder I’m so tired.

How many of those decisions are conscious? Intentional?...

 I’m excited to add a new dimension to the weekly Life Design Center vlog…book reviews.  I’m sensing a need and I hope this will serve as a useful response.  We are faced with an ever-increasing amount of information but the amount of time and energy we have available is decreasing. I hope my bi-weekly book reviews will help tip the equation a bit more in your favor. 

With each review, I’ll try to highlight the key arguments of the book and also describe the areas of Life Design where I think the book is most applicable.  In the video portion of a book review, I’ll probably spend the time reflecting on specific applications in my life or the life of other Life Designers.

Y’all ready for this?  Let’s get on with the first review…

Title:  Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind (99U)

Length:  250 Pages, but feels much shorter.

Life...

Why do we put off for tomorrow what we can do today, even though it has the potential to improve our lives? When it comes to Life Design, procrastination is a huge obstacle and it’s one that many people never overcome. These people never make the changes that could improve their lives and instead remain stuck in their old patterns and circumstances.

When this happens, there is almost always one reason…Fear. 

How does fear come into play when it comes to procrastination? Let’s explore…

In his hysterical TED Talk, blogger Tim Urban describes his Instant Gratification Monkey-brain that is trained to seek activities that are easy or fun. Admit it. You have a bit of Instant Gratification Monkey inside you, right? We all do. Here is the thing. The Instant Gratification Monkey has a darker side, which is that we avoid things that we fear may be difficult or painful. If your goal is to procrastinate less, you must examine both sides. Are you ready? 

Start...

Ahhhh, spring.  The season of rebirth.  We gratefully shed those heavy winter layers in favor of something lighter and less restrictive.  For many, the season holds a tradition of "spring cleaning" where we go through our homes and rid ourselves of unnecessary clutter and accumulations.  The ritual is as much a mental exercise as a practical one.  It feels good to toss away our baggage and start anew.    

This year, while you are cleaning up your closest and your garage, why not take some time to set your entire life in order?  Wait.  What?  You don't know where to start?  Luckily I have a simple framework that will help you take inventory and get cleaning.  The idea is simple.  To guide you, we'll use five categories: 

• Health - What is your current state of your body?  
• Work - Are you doing work that allows you to meet your obligations while simultaneously bringing you joy?
• Relationships - Do you have...

In his Masterclass on screenwriting, Aaron Sorkin contrasts writing to painting a fence.  He says that writing requires you to be in a good mood, but your mood doesn’t matter when it comes to painting a fence.  Sorkin's point is that to do our best work, we must be in the right frame of mind.  Mindless work, such as painting a fence, only requires we go through the motions.  Painting fences is my specialty.  

I often find myself choosing to do mindless work when I know that I should be doing something else.   I do this all the time.  In fact, I did it 30 seconds ago while writing this blog post.  I saw an email come in that I knew I could deal with immediately and I shifted my attention to address that, rather than focus on the more challenging task of writing.  I didn’t judge the email to be a higher priority, my subconscious recognized it as an easy opportunity for victory, so I took it.  Of course, this...