The Productivity Question I Always Get Asked

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BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

A couple weeks ago I had a book signing for my new book, Listful Living: A List-Making Journey to a Less Stressed You. It was a great event and you can check out this video right here for a look at what it was like and hear from readers of the book about what they loved most! A big shout out to Micah Joel for shooting and editing this great video! 


My favorite part of book signings is always the Q&A. 

It gives me a chance to find out what listmakers are worrying about!

A great question that was brought up was what to do when you’re saying yes too much?  Read more

Four Steps to Taking a Real Vacation

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BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

I was recently browsing LinkedIn when I came across this BBC story, that I first thought had to be a joke. Apparently employees in the UK are taking vacation time to catch up on work! 

Isn’t that insane? 

I’m not really sure what’s happening on the other side of the pond. Are you guys okay?

All kidding aside – burnout is a real problem faced in the workplace.

In fact, the World Health Organization now recognizes it as a real condition. I write all about ways to combat this in my new book, Listful Living: A List-Making Journey to a Less Stressed You. 

And although I’m all for efficiency and hard work  – I would NEVER recommend taking vacation days to do more work! 

Your vacation time should be used as a way to break out of your workplace mindset and come back feeling refreshed. 

That’s the whole point!  Read more

Ikigai: Live a More Fulfilling Life the Japanese Way

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What do you do in a typical week?

  • Go to work
  • Spend time with your family
  • Read
  • Meditate
  • Have drinks with friends…

It’s important to have a good balance of work and play, social time and alone time. But at the end of the day, what’s it all for?

There are hundreds of self-help books on how to find your passion or change career path to something more inspiring.

But as my friend Terri would say, window cleaners don’t have that job because they have a passion for clean glass. There’s a certain level of practicality to what we do as well as a need to be financially stable.

So how do we find fulfilment? Read more

How to Hygge: A Lesson in Self Care

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BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

I love rules.

Clear cut, simply defined rules.

I also love a good mantra. You know a few words to remind you of your goal or purpose.

These two things are most perfectly combined in Marie Kondo’s idea of realizing if an item in your home sparks joy for you.

It’s a simple yes/no question that evokes an emotional response.

I’m doing research for my new book, Listful Living: A List-Making Journey to a Less Stressed You, and I came across the idea of hygge, which I quickly became obsessed with. I first heard of it from my media-training client Melissa Coleman, who is the author of The Minimalist Kitchen.

What is Hygge?

It’s a Danish word pronounced “hoo-ga,” which is broadly defined as a feeling of cozy contentment. Read more

Never Drink Cold Tea Again

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Let me guess – this has happened to you.

You’ve made a cup of tea or coffee, then got so absorbed in your work and it went cold. Right?

Or found that there’s a small window of time when your drink is at perfect drinking temperature and then you miss it and keep running back to the microwave.

This has been my reality and it drives me nuts. It’s so unproductive.  

I absolutely HATE drinking cold tea!

Ok fine – it’s a minor inconvenience, but it’s also one I don’t have to deal with anymore.

This past Christmas my parents bought me one of my favorite gifts ever – the Ember cup!

The idea is that it allows you to keep your drink at the precise temperature that you set.

No more cold teas!

I know it seems kind of crazy to spend $80 bucks on a mug but I’m telling you it’s been a game changer for me.

I’m much more productive actually because I’m not always running back and forth to the microwave. And it makes me happy to drink tea at the perfect temperature. It makes the experience that much more joyful.

I’m spoiled for all other tea cups!

If I could change one thing I would prefer a slightly less plain cup. I’m a sucker for a pretty tea cup. And sometimes the app is a little wonky. You use it to time how long your tea will steep and what temperature you’d like to maintain.

But I’ll overlook it all for a cup that stays a perfect 137 degrees. The Ember cup also comes as a travel mug as well.