The waiter was halfway through taking my family’s order when his manager called him away. “Where did the waiter go?” Sophia, our seven-year-old, asked. Daniel,…
Productivity
If You’re Too Busy to Meditate, Read This
This morning, like every morning, I sat cross-legged on a cushion on the floor, rested my hands on my knees, closed my eyes, and did…
Protect Your Sweet Spot
The Best Strategy for Reducing Stress
Imagine you’re sailing in the Bahamas, sipping a cold drink and listening to the water lapping the sides of the boat. Relaxing, right? Not for…
Defend Your Sweet Spot
Spending time on projects that he considered unimportant was driving Carlos* insane. Carlos is an excellent leader. He’s turned around every business that he’s led…
What’s On Your To-Don’t List?
When the first iPad came out, I bought it, became obsessed, and, within two weeks, returned it. Why did the obsession wear off so quickly? It…
A Super-Efficient Email Process
“Here’s my problem with email,” Jane*, a lawyer friend of mine told me recently, “I open Outlook expecting to quickly check my email, but then…
Coping with Email Overload
A few weeks ago, I returned from a week-long technology-free vacation with my family. No computer, no phone, no email. When I got to the…
Do You Need a Checkup?
I had been feeling a little odd; a number of minor physical discomforts were leading me to feel anxious about my health in general. And…
How to Start the Big Project You’ve Been Putting Off
I want to write a screenplay. I wanted to write one last year, but other work took more time than I expected, and I kept…
The Biggest Myth in Time Management
Brad* is as hard a worker as anyone I know. He’s not just busy, he’s keenly focused on getting the right things done. And it…
Keeping Resolutions: How to Focus on What’s Important
When Nothing Works
I’d had tendinitis in my elbow for over a year. Even something as gentle as twisting a doorknob made me wince in pain. I went…
Restore Yourself to Your Factory Default Settings
My wireless connection to the internet had suddenly stopped working. At first I was frustrated — I had been in the middle of browsing some…
What’s Your One Big Theme?
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, the time when we think about our past year and plan for our next. What do I want…
Want to Succeed? Stop Trying So Hard
“What’s eight times eight?” I asked Isabelle, my 9-year-old daughter who was practicing her times tables. Her eyes glazed over. We were on a plane…
Three Questions that Help Me Live a Fulfilling Life
I am on a plane with my wife Eleanor as we fly back from our once-a-year-without-children vacation. It was, for us, the perfect week. After…
How to Stay Focused on the Important Things
“I want to pass something by you,” I said to my friend Jori* who has lost 80 pounds over the past six months. “Our ability…
Too Much to Do? Take on More
I know how to handle stress. I know that each day I need to get seven or eight hours of…
What To Do With Your To-Do List
Last week, in A Better Way to Manage Your To-Do List, I wrote about the importance of using your calendar…
A Better Way to Manage Your To-Do List
When my wife Eleanor was a little girl, maybe nine or ten years old, she needed new shoes. So she…
Optimize Transition Time (And Stop Being Late)
At 6 pm, my wife Eleanor was looking tense. “We are so late!” she said. After a great day of…