Tag Archive for: meditation

Savor Cotton Candy Moments

/1 Comment/in /by

___

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.

___

“There were no words left, we’d said them all.” – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex & The City 

This line is iconic if you’re a fan of the show. You’ll remember it well as the time that Carrie and Mr. Big broke up for what we all thought was the last time. It was painful and powerful. It’s when she realized their relationship was really over. 

Now I look at these words with new meaning. 

Sadly, on October 16, 2025 at 3:21pm ET my dear best friend and soul sister, Nicole Feldman died. 

Nothing went unsaid between us. 

Nicole fought various cancers for more than five years. She beat each one time and again. Even the doctors were stunned. Until she couldn’t anymore. She battled breast (2020), cervical (2022), pancreatic (2023), and finally metastasized pancreatic cancer to the abdominal wall (2024 – 2025).

Nicole and I went to college together, lost touch for nine years and randomly ran into each other when Eataly in NYC opened! What a wonderful moment! We’ve been super close ever since – and luckily our husbands get along and love the same music so we’ve traveled all over the world together.  

This picture is from Sorrento in October 1, 2024 – nearly one year to the day before Nicole died. We visited the Amalfi coast together in 2013 and vowed to return because we went in March, which is not the best time because of the weather! We got there 11 years later. We’re wearing matching earrings. The earrings I had picked for “Nicole’s Virtual Hug Club.” It’s a group I put together when she was going through her third round of chemo to support her. It was a WhatsApp group with special women in her life who all wore the same earrings to bring her luck and healing with each chemo treatment. 

I’m fortunate that I went to LA to spend time with her and her husband Peter weeks before she had to leave us. She was hurting and struggling but we still managed to have fun in between. We captured some “cotton candy moments” that were so sweet and fleeted too quickly.

I told her we are in the “Cotton Candy Time.” 

Just like cotton candy, we grabbed the sweet pieces when we could and we savored them because they melted away quickly. It helped us to stay in the moment and enjoy each other during what we knew would be our final times together.

This trip to LA was difficult but also rewarding. Her body was shutting down right in front of us and we refused to admit defeat. But we both knew. I asked her questions about her life and what she wanted to happen after she died. It was a gift that we are both planners and could really rifle through a checklist together. 

I got to be helpful to her and her husband at a time when nothing makes sense. I made lists and helped to organize her medications. With the help of my dear friend Sharon, who is a functional medicine health coach, we reworked Nicole’s eating schedule and foods she could digest more easily. 

Nicole and I turned it into a game. She has always been a foodie and a fan of any show about high-end cuisine like The Bear. We used all the industry terms for her meals like “amuse bouche” for her snacks, and “hands” when the food was ready to be served. 

There were times when she was too sleepy to talk and others when she was directing me how to fold a fitted sheet while laying in bed! She even showed me how to do a proper plie squat! She was a ballerina once. 

We watched her favorite daytime television show, The Price Is Right! She got to be a contestant on the show twice and was a very enthusiastic contestant! She never made it to the Plinko game though, which would have been amazing. 

We watched The Kelly Clarkson Show and Alanis Morrisette was the guest. We’ve always loved her. I got us tickets to see her a few summers ago and Nicole couldn’t go because of a work thing. I was always sad we didn’t get to see her together. But this was better – it was a private concert just for us with our favorite songs.  

We even got to watch Dirty Dancing, one of our all time favorite movies, one more time together. We danced (in bed) and sang too. And laughed. We laughed so much. So with all the sadness there was also sweetness. But it faded and went fast. 

I hope the cotton candy image sticks with you and you remember to savor the good wherever you are. Take the trip. Make the call. Do the thing. This is what Nicole would always say. And she’s right. You never know what tomorrow will bring. 

Before she died, I asked her how I would know she’s visiting me. She said she’ll come back as a butterfly. And wouldn’t you believe it…I have been seeing them everywhere! I know she’s with me and I savor the cotton candy moments we still share. 

___

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.

___

Sleep Your Way to Well-Being + Productivity

/0 Comments/in , , /by

___

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.

___

Sleep is one of the most powerful tools for productivity and all-around well-being. But too many of us are struggling with consistent sleep routines that work with our natural rhythms. 

It’s so important to get a good sleep routine down. Insomnia actually costs the world economy $818 billion per year in lost productivity!

Read more

I Finally Figured Out How to Meditate

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

I’ve tried to meditate lots of times.

I’ve gotten into the groove once or twice, but it just never stuck.  I’ve done countless stories at work as a senior health producer about all the benefits and it sounds great.

One of those benefits is better focus and increased productivity.  And you KNOW I want that. But I just couldn’t figure it out.

I always struggle to switch my brain off and so I’ve never had the “enlightening moment” everyone always talks about.

Well it turns out I was doing it wrong.

My intentions were all screwed up.

But thanks to Oprah (of course) and an all day meditation retreat with world renowned meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg I figured it out.

If you know me personally or have read my book Listful Thinking, you know  I have a generally positive and sunny outlook on the world. It’s the thing that many people tell me is one of my best qualities. Read more

How Doing Nothing Can Help You Get More Done

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

I meet people all the time who struggle with their productivity because they believe that being efficient means doing as much as humanly possible, all day every day. Not true! Productivity is more about quality over quantity, as well as prioritizing your time to suit what is important to you.

I love finding other productivity nerds like myself who are just as passionate about this stuff. Like Chris Bailey author of The Productivity Project. Chris recently did a TEDx talk about the year he spent trying to hack his productivity. He found that the most important lesson he learned was how valuable meditation was in his day to day life.

While most people see meditation as doing ‘nothing’ Chris found that these quiet moments allowed him to reflect on his day and focus on the tasks ahead.

Being productive doesn’t mean you have to be physically doing something all the time!

Here are some of Chris’s top tips:

The Rule of Three – Keep it simple. Give yourself just three tasks that you want to have accomplished by the end of the day. By limiting how much you have to get done, you can be certain you’ll complete everything you set out to do! Once you’ve finished those three tasks you can move onto other smaller chores.

Quit Multitasking – I harp on about the perils of multitasking all the time so it’s good to see that someone else agrees with me! Chris points out that the more tasks you do at once, the less chance of success you have with any one task.

All Things in Moderation – You can’t be at your best if you haven’t slept well or had enough to eat. Balance your day and take care of yourself. Make sure to get a little exercise, as well as eat healthy meals. Chris is also a big believer in taking regularly breaks like me!

Disconnect – Technology is nice, but when we become reliant on it, it can really hamper our productivity. Treat the internet as a nice tool for occasional use instead of something you must have!

Let your Mind Wander – If you’re too busy rushing from one thing to another your mind never has a chance to relax. Downtime is often the best place for coming up with new ideas. It’s why I stopped reading articles at breakfast and just let myself have a peaceful moment! I’ve come up with so many ideas for my blog this way!

screen-shot-2016-10-16-at-21-06-00

 

 

 

P.S. If you like TEDx talks you should check out my friend Terri’s! It’s about why you should stop searching for your passion and it has over 1,000,000 views!

Don’t Drop That Hobby — It Could Make You More Productive

/0 Comments/in /by

Screen Shot 2015-02-17 at 4.34.16 PMHobbies can be a double-edged sword. You’re always trying to carve out more time for them but then when you actually do them — you feel like you should be doing something else to stay productive. What’s the fun in that?

Well here’s some good news. Did you know that your favorite distraction could actually be boosting your productivity? It’s true – here’s a list of some popular hobbies that will build up your mind and muscles to help you get things done!

List-making: Yes! List making is a hobby. Organizing everything into lists is a great way to get all of your thoughts out. This will also prepare you for things you want to get done. As I mentioned in my book, “Listful Thinking” many celebrities reached their level of success by making lists. A few of these people include Richard Branson, Octavia Spencer, Bobby Flay, Heidi Klum, and Sandra Bullock!

Exercising: There are countless ways to get your body moving. Recently, a friend of mine was talking about how she wanted to start being healthy, but she didn’t know where to start. Starting small is the way to go, before you can move onto anything else.

If you live in a big city like I do, you’re already getting a ton of walking in! Some of my other personal favorites include hiking, swimming, and dancing. Physical activity releases endorphins in your brain which gives you that feel-good sensation.

Writing: Write, type, record– anything! Get your thoughts out of your head and express yourself for at least 10 minutes a day. Turn it into a book or just throw it away. Writing in your spare time is a perfect place to channel your energy. This will get your creative juices flowing. I’ve found that once you make a habit of something – even just writing an idea down once a day- it will become so much easier to do on demand.

Art: Whether it’s painting a picture, doodling on your notebook or sculpting some play-doh, creating something is one of the best ways to calm your mind. This is one of those hobbies that are great for thinking outside of the box and getting in touch with your creative side. *

Listening to music: Music can increase your productivity in two different ways. If you’re trying to clear your head, put together a relaxing playlist. If you’re trying to get motivated, knock out your to-do’s with an inspirational playlist.

Puzzles: Challenge your mind with a puzzle. This will put your brain to work and help you improve your problem solving skills. People who solve puzzles are more likely to creatively assess problems in their lives.

Meditation/Yoga: This is perfect for you if you are overstressed and desperately need a release. Practicing meditation and yoga will put your focus back in check, calm your nerves and clear your mind. It’s also important to pay attention when you’re doing one pose at a time. This is great practice for when you’re working on only one task at a time.

Reading: Reading is a great pastime to open yourself to new ideas and take you to new places. So pick up a new book or listen to a podcast! Read something you wouldn’t typically read and try out authors you’ve never heard of. This is the best way to sharpen your mind and learn new things. This will help you think quicker on your feet. Something we could all do when trying to be more efficient.

How does your hobby make you more productive?