The cabin emitted a loud ding, like someone outside the plane wished to come in. Seeing as how we were 30,000 feet in the air though, I presumed we had reached our cruising altitude. Soon coming over the loudspeaker, the captain confirmed my theory.

Reaching down, I pulled my laptop out of my backpack. It quickly powered up and I just as quickly had a blank document open. I had decided it was time to start a new business. My previous venture had come up short a few months back and I was itching to get out there once again…

Common advice dictates that you do nothing until inspiration strikes. That if you wake up uninspired or unmotivated, you are under no obligation to do your work. Particularly in the creative fields.

But is that good advice? History is undoubtedly filled with geniuses who waited for the muse to shine upon them before picking up their pen. Is that the rule though? Or the exception? Surely there is more than one way to get to where you want to go.

Personality Types

I had a conversation with a relative recently. We were discussing personality types. She and I both considered ourselves Type-A’s.

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Have you heard the saying about getting in shape for the summer? In my younger days, I assumed summer was the best time to prepare for summer. The reality of it though is that winter or even fall is the ideal time. Because you don’t start running on a Monday and feel confident in a bathing suit on Wednesday. It takes time to get the fitness results you’re after.

We’re in a similar position right now. Both literally in terms of the upcoming summer season, but also as life returns to normal. When do you think is the best time…

Two people stand on the beach. Before them is a volleyball and a net. One person serves, the other returns. Back and forth they go until a point is scored. In a way, email is very similar. You send an email and wait for a response. You get a response and send one in reply. Back and forth you go until the conversation reaches a conclusion.

Before I took my blog full-time, I worked for a company that relied heavily on email. It’s a position that you may just find yourself in as well. You have your email open all…

I like black coffee. There. I said it. Decaf, too. It’s a new thing for me, drinking coffee. And drinking it black is something I never thought I’d enjoy. Yet here I am writing about it. What changed? How did I go from a frappuccino-loving, extra-whip-cream-requesting, sugar-binger to someone who takes their coffee black as night? Well, it’s because I had a reason to.

Over the past year, I’ve learned a lot about nutrition. Of how refined carbohydrates work and the role of insulin in the body. I’ve also been experimenting with fasting. In short, my understanding of food has…

Have you ever looked at a mountain? Like, from afar? If not, do so now. Sit with that image for a moment or two. Notice the sunset (or sunrise, depending on your predilection). Observe the distant trees and the snow. And, most importantly, look at the mountain itself.

Notice its peaks. Notice its valleys. Witness how it grows taller and taller before eventually dipping. Focus on the dip. On that low point. Then, follow that line as it grows taller, taller, taller, taller. Eventually becoming taller than its previous peak. This is life.

Your life resembles this mountain. My life…

The words stared at me. Or rather, I stared at them. Unblinking. With heavy eyes and a foggy brain, there was no way I was going to get my reading done this afternoon. I placed the book down on the table beside me. In its stead, I grabbed my phone. Bypassing the lock screen, I opened the timer app and set the clock for 30 minutes. My head hit the pillow and I was out.

The alarm went off. Awakening from the fog, I grabbed my phone and silenced the noise. I was conscious but groggy. So before returning to…

The hill gradually got steeper as I pedaled my way up. Like a slog through mud, my legs were exhausted, my shirt was drenched, and I seemed to be both inhaling and exhaling at the same time. All the while, my eyes stayed focused on what was in front of me: the blinds.

I was taking an at-home spin class and the instructor was having us imitate a climb. However, his pep-talk was lost on me. The music was dulled. …