Reading Time: 6 minutes According to James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, “Genes do not determine your destiny. They determine your areas of opportunity.” We all possess personality traits we were born with, natural areas of strength and weakness. These natural abilities don’t lock us into a defined future but are areas we can consciously build on. “The …
Reading Time: 3 minutes Image is all-important in our social media culture. People regularly post carefully curated photos on Facebook and Instagram to project the image they want others to have of them. They select images that say, “Look how exciting my life is,” “Look at what a wonderful family I have,” or “Look at how cool I am.” …
Reading Time: 5 minutes Every New Year’s Day, millions make resolutions to change their behavior. Almost no one follows through. The Power of a New Year New Year’s Day holds an extraordinary power — it’s seen as a time to make a new beginning. “New Year’s Day has long held a special power over our behavior. We turn the …
Reading Time: 4 minutes What you allow into your mind makes a difference in your life, positive or negative. “You’re only going to be as good as the stuff you surround yourself with.” Austin Kleon, writing in Steal Like An Artist.“ We’ve all heard the old saying, “Garbage in, garbage out.” If we fill our minds with mental garbage, …
Reading Time: 3 minutes We live in a culture of outrage. The news media and social media intentionally feed this culture. It’s an enemy of intentional living because it’s pure manipulation. It’s the opposite of thoughtful and deliberate reasoning and thinking. It’s the direct result of news media and social media using “click-bait” to grab your attention and manipulate …
Reading Time: 4 minutes Preparing for a move to South Dakota, we recently discovered a mindset that will supercharge your decluttering — assume you’re moving to an apartment, not a house with lots of storage capacity. We’ve Been Decluttering for Years We’ve been in the process of downsizing and decluttering for most of our 50 married years. Decluttering your …
Reading Time: 4 minutes Too often, we let others define success for us. It’s “better to thrive at what you’re wired to do than to aspire to something that others tell you that you should want.” Daily Creative: Find Your Inspiration to Spark Creative Energy and Fight Burnout, by Todd Henry. Last week, my wife and I watched the …
Reading Time: 4 minutes We’re in Panic Mode! As I write this, my wife and I are in panic mode. We’ve been talking for some time about moving from our home in Phoenix, AZ to Rapid City, SD. Last month we spent several days in the Rapid City area, taking a hard look at it as potential residents. We’d …
Reading Time: 5 minutes For the past two years, I’ve been using a life intentionality system based on my life roles. It defines what’s important to me, and helps me evaluate how I’m doing each week and make needed adjustments. David Sparks describes the system in his Personal Retreat Video and Planning Pdf. He suggests that to set up …
Reading Time: 3 minutes When we discuss intentional living, we typically discuss topics like relationships and work. However, we can also be intentional in creating the type of environment we’re the most comfortable living in — our homes. Clutter Stresses Me Out Some people seem to enjoy living with lots of clutter, but that’s not me. I feel more …