Getting Rid of Writer’s Block is as Easy as Baking a Cake

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English: A chocolate cake decorated with icing...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We are all writers in some form or another. Some of you will have your own blog or journal, or maybe you’re a student writing essay after essay.  Even office workers write emails or send out a few tweets here and there. I’ve been fortunate enough to never really suffer with writer’s block.  Not that often, at least.  It can be difficult to break out of though.

Here’s a checklist of tricks to try when writer’s block pops up:

1. Bake a cake – I’m not kidding, baking a cake (or any other sweet treat) is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Thinking about your ingredients and what your going to make helps to distract you from the problem at hand and gives you something else to focus on. Once you’ve put the cake in the oven, go back and look and your work with fresh eyes.  You’ll probably find what was missing before. Plus you’ll have something tasty to eat once you’ve finished your work! (My intern Nicole has found this method to work time and time again!) Read more

Win Free Stuff for Sharing Your Bucket List

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Paula_MiamiThis past week I went on vacation to Miami for my birthday. I had a fantastic time relaxing by the beach and eating lots of delicious food. Even though this wasn’t an especially exotic vacation, it got me thinking about my bucket list and all the amazing places I’d love to visit and things I want to do before I “kick the bucket.” The thing about having a bucket list is that it is personal to you, so you’ll never feel like your list isn’t as good as someone else or the other way around.

My Bucket List

Thinking about the goals you would like to achieve is a great way to get started planning your future…especially after having another birthday! If you’ve always wanted to trek along the Inca Trail – why not research what time of year is best to go and what you’ll need to bring?

Here are a few things I’ve got on my own bucket list:

  • Visit San Francisco
  • Live in Paris
  • Hold a koala bear Read more

Limit Your Options And Get More Done

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29/52 choice paralysis

(Photo credit: maclauren70)

We often think that the more choices we have the better. That’s the whole idea behind bigger supermarkets and larger malls – more choices. But is that really what’s best for us?

For example, if you’re a bridesmaid picking your dress can be a fairly daunting task, especially if the bride has told you to wear whatever you like. You know very well that she’d be unhappy if you really did wear whatever you like so you second guess every option. But if the bride narrows it down to a specific color and designer — the choice suddenly becomes much easier.

This concept is called decision fatigue – the central premise being that the more decisions we make the less likely we are to make good decisions. Once you accept that fewer choices are better you can start being more productive and improve your judgement.

Follow the items on this list to limit your options: Read more

It’s Malala Day – Help Change The World

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Malala Yousafzai speaks at World Bank headquar...

Malala Yousafzai speaks at World Bank headquarters on the International Day of the Girl (Photo credit: World Bank Photo Collection)

When I was younger I loved going to school and my passion for learning has never really left me. I’m always looking for new opportunities to find out more about a subject or research a new trend.  Whenever I fill in Buzzfeed quizzes, I always end up with the bookworm or nerd personality type.  I like to think of myself as curious but even still I’m a big fan of education, especially education for women.

Who is Malala? 

Today I would to share with you the story of Malala Yousafzai. Like me, she is a girl who loves going to school and learning. Unfortunately, some people around her did not want her to learn. They feared education would give her power. Those people had a meeting and decided to assassinate her in Pakistan, where she lived. On October 9, 2012, they walked onto her school bus, asked for her by name and shot her in the head.  The bullet hit her forehead and ran down the length of her face but did not kill her.  She is lucky to be alive.   Read more

Checklist for Overcoming Awkward Moments at Work

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If You're Not Confused

(Photo credit: B Tal)

The average American spends 1,700 hours a year at work, and unfortunately for you and me that means it’s a statistical inevitability that something embarrassing or awkward will happen while you’re at work. I don’t know about you, but it always seems to happen to me at the most inconvenient time, like spilling coffee on yourself right before a big meeting.

Here’s a checklist of ways to deal:

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