If you're a blogger, or if you're a business owner who reaches out to your audience through a newsletter or podcast, consistently coming up with new topics can be challenging. Or rather (at least for me), coming up with the energy?to deliver fun, engaging content week after week is challenging. I also write a newsletter… Continue reading Not Feeling It? How to Deliver Fun, Engaging Content Anyway
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How to Find Your Mentor and Catapult to Success
While personal responsibility is key to success, a mentor can help us reach our destination much faster than we could on our own. According to John C. Crosby, "Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction." How do you find your mentor? For one, you must… Continue reading How to Find Your Mentor and Catapult to Success
How to Avoid a Meltdown At Work
I teach middle-school students in an after-school program, which itself can be challenging. But one particular kid really knows how to push my buttons, and he?s the ringleader when it comes to stirring up trouble. I do my best to stay calm, telling myself that their intention is to get me worked up and I… Continue reading How to Avoid a Meltdown At Work
The Best Self Care Books to Nourish Your Mind, Body, and Soul
The phrase "self-care" has become super trendy (at least in my Pinterest feed) and can be a bit annoying. But why is it so popular? I think it's because many of us have become so fixated on achievement that we put our wellbeing on the back-burner. Only when we experience the negative repercussions of the… Continue reading The Best Self Care Books to Nourish Your Mind, Body, and Soul
How to Stop Dragging Your Feet and Embrace the Future
Back to school. Sigh. I love my teaching job. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a slight tinge of disappointment as I prepared for the start of the school year. I sluggishly assembled my syllabi and lesson plans, with lots of grinding starts and stops. Of course, it would've been a… Continue reading How to Stop Dragging Your Feet and Embrace the Future
5 Life Changing YA Books to Accelerate Your Growth
Do the words "young adult book" make you cringe? That's always been my immediate reaction. "YA" brought to mind crushes, vampires, and clunky writing. Besides, who wants to be reminded of their awkward teen years? Luckily, working with middle-school students has forced me to reexamine this limited point-of-view. As it turns out, YA books can… Continue reading 5 Life Changing YA Books to Accelerate Your Growth
How to Get Off the Treadmill of Life and Actually Enjoy Time Off
Have you ever tried to reward yourself with a trip to the beach or the spa, only to be bombarded by a nagging feeling that you should be doing something productive? And whenever you are?working on something, you're haunted by the thought that you should be working on something else? Learn how to get off… Continue reading How to Get Off the Treadmill of Life and Actually Enjoy Time Off
What is the best resource for revising fiction?
Recently we covered writing exercises, which are helpful for plunging into your first draft. But what about when it's time to revise? It can be a letdown when you look back on that manuscript you wrote in a rush of inspiration and discover it's riddled with plot-holes and meandering subplots. You may be tempted to… Continue reading What is the best resource for revising fiction?
The Best Writing Exercise Books to Dust Off Your Creative Bone
Has your creativity been hibernating lately? Most days I do?some?form of writing, whether it's a blog post, an email to my list, or a sales letter. Creativity, though, is rarely the main objective. Even when I'm working on my fiction, which is supposed to be creative, it often feels like I'm going through the motions:… Continue reading The Best Writing Exercise Books to Dust Off Your Creative Bone
Is Your Life a Mess? How to Hit the Reset Button
Last week, I discussed the importance of planning your time. But as we know, plans can fall apart. Such was the case this week. Some things came up, my daily goals got neglected, and I'd fall asleep before I scheduled the next day's tasks (a big no-no for me). Yesterday, I finally looked at my… Continue reading Is Your Life a Mess? How to Hit the Reset Button