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When I consider the common threads in the work I enjoy (and, for that matter, the pastimes I favor), it comes down to problem-solving.
It would be nice if I could enjoy the feeling of strolling down the corridor at the music school I created, listening to the sounds coming from each studio and cherishing its existence. "I made this happen." But no, actually. The magic of simply experiencing it is lost on me. It's not why I do what I do. I'm more interested in how to make it better.
Read MoreIt's always funny to hear personal finance experts try to avoid using the word budget.
"It's a spending plan!" As if a budget isn't a spending plan.
We humans are easy to fool, and we like being fooled. It's worth it if we get the results we're looking for with respect to what we're trying to accomplish.
Read MoreWhen we think of decluttering, we might think of removing physical objects from our lives.
It’s a process that has to happen periodically. That’s because the default is to hang onto the things we’ve purchased or gained that are or were useful.
But we need to declutter not only the physical objects in our lives, but other things, too: time commitments, broken systems and processes, relationships, and even plans and dreams.
Read MoreI learned how to file papers from David Allen’s Getting Things Done.
It might have been better if I had simply become more effective at throwing things away. Then, I wouldn’t have found myself combing through a box filled with ten-year-old notes and supporting information, all meticulously organized.
On the one hand, it was interesting to see a time capsule of where I was in my work a decade ago — how I saw things and what I was hoping for. But whatever had once seemed precious and memorable and worth saving was gone.
Read MoreMiddle school is a time of great change and upheaval in a person’s life. We can thank puberty for that, along with an adolescent’s growing self-awareness and sense of identity.
Many students try on different superficial identities, coming to school with a carefully cultivated goth, punk, or preppy look. If it doesn’t fit, they simply move on to the next one.
On the other hand, there are profound transformations that are possible when students are willing. They can let go of a lifelong antipathy toward math and become devoted to it; instead of being closed off and lonely, they can initiate friendships.
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