An Alternative to Marie Kondo’s “Spark Joy” Approach

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PRE-ORDER LISTFUL LIVING: If you’re inclined to buy a copy of my new journal book, Listful Living: A List-Making Journey to a Less Stressed You,” please do it now.

The book will be out in the fall of 2019 but pre-orders are a big deal for authors and it would help me out tremendously.

Pre-orders tell the publisher and the media that this book is going to be a big deal. And I’m offering some great pre-order bonuses that you’ll be eligible to receive. All you have to do is send a copy of your receipt to my assistant at Tabitha@paularizzo.com and when they are unveiled you’ll get them! Thank you!  

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Clutter – thanks to Marie Kondo is the in thing right now.

Everyone is trying to reduce their amount of stuff and live more minimally.

But living by her ‘spark joy’ principle doesn’t always work for everyone. So how do you finally clear clutter once and for all?

Tracy McCubbin has the answers for you and I interviewed her via video recently.  
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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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.

Carve Out Space to Get More Done

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The biggest issue with writing (or any creative task really) is finding the time to sit down, distraction free, and put your ideas to paper.

We often put it off and never get to it.

I interviewed Karen Rizzo (no relation) author of “Things to Do, Sh*t to Bring” years ago and in her book she kept saying she wanted to learn Italian.

And guess what – she never did. She didn’t give herself the space and time to do it. Maybe you have tasks like that.

For me – I had to jump on a plane and travel across the world to give myself the space to write. I just returned from a writing retreat in France and it was divine. It was in Paris and it gave me time to focus on my creative side. (I started writing a novel! Who knows where it will go but it was so fun to start writing.) Read more