By User:Vassil (File:Sépulcre_Arc-en-Barrois_111008_12.jpg) [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

As anyone who’s ever felt The Blues can attest, there is a natural, knee-jerk reaction when this occurs:  panic.  “Oh no! I’m going down! Man the alarms! This ship is sinking!”

When this happens:  Stop. Breathe. It’s natural for us to go up and down. We’re creative people. We feel everything pretty acutely.

Remember:  Everyone has an off day, from time to time.

If it feels more serious than that — if your mood has been plummeting for days — it’s time to take some action.

Here are 30 proven ways to Beat the Blues:

1. Get outside.  You need natural daylight and you need it stat.  The Blues dissipates in daylight.
2. Move your body – walk, dance, do yoga or tai chi. Anything!  Any kind of physical activity can elevate your mood.
3. Fast as you can, write a list of 50 things for which you are grateful. Research in Positive Psychology has shown how gratitude makes us happier.
4. Call your most positive friend(s) for a chat. Ask them about what’s happening in their life. Allow yourself to get swept up in their joy.
5. Go to your music collection. Select and play songs that make you happy – or that represent a joyful time in your life. Sing along. Dance!
6. Watch or read something funny. Look up your favorite comic on YouTube. Or re-read a funny book you enjoy.
7. Lay off the booze. If you simply refrain from drinking for a few weeks, your mood will rise. Alcohol is a depressant and those nightly nightcaps can take a huge toll on creative minds and spirits.
8. Eat a small amount of good quality chocolate – the highest percentage of cocoa that you can handle. Real chocolate (not the junk version stuffed with fat and sugar) is a natural neurochemical mood lifter.
9. Lay off the news. Whether on TV or the internet, the news is bound to depress you.  Take an “Information Vacation.” Don’t worry.  If anything really important happens in the world, you’ll hear about it.
10. Take a day off. Rest. Replenish. Refresh.
11. Pamper yourself (in a healthy, positive way).
12. Play a game – a board game, a card game – something fun and engaging. It’s hard to feel blah when you’re having fun. (Note:  avoid any activities you find addictive).
13. Treat yourself to a play date – alone (if you spend most of your time with people) or with someone (if you spend a lot of time alone). Do something fun – purely for the pleasure of it.
14. Volunteer – give your time or money to a good cause.  Again, research has shown that volunteering is a terrific way to beat The Blues.
15. Press the reset button. Decide to be happier. Declare today ‘happier’ day and act that way. Even if you have to pretend at first, once you start “acting” happy, your mood is likely to lift.
16. Identify one thing in your life you adore. Meditate on it.
17. Smile. Hold you face in a smile for at least 30 seconds. Repeat once an hour. Research shows that holding your face in the ‘smiling’ position, actually makes you *feel* happier.
18. Think of a time and place you were really happy. Set a timer for (at least) ten minutes. Close your eyes and imagine you’re in that lovely time and place. When other thoughts intervene, push them gently aside and resume imagining.  Focus on the details.  ee if you can recreate those happy feelings, here and now.
19. Commit three random acts of kindness. It’s hard to feel blah when you’re bringing joy to others.
20. What’s the funniest film you’ve ever seen? Watch it again.
21. Invite a positive person for a walk or tea or meal. Get out of your headspace and into theirs.
22. Help someone else. Think of someone who could use your support right now. Offer it. Research shows that helping others provides profound, persistent joy.
23. Spend time in nature.
24. Focus on the now, on this particular moment.
25. Try a meditation app.
26. Put a thick elastic band around your wrist. Snap yourself whenever you utter or think something negative. It sounds trite but you can actually train yourself to refrain from negative thoughts – which goes a long way to improving your mood.
27. Avoid contact with anyone and anything that is negative. Unsure? What does your gut say? If your gut contracts when you think of a certain person, consider minimizing contact with them. If your shoulders cave in thinking about a particular task or idea, it’s negative. Avoid it.
28. Do something new. Go to a new place or try a new food. Novel experiences bust the blues and make life much less blah.
29. Often, a lot is going well except for the few things that hijack our psyches with some kind of dreadful doom. To the extent possible, take objective stock of your situation. What’s going well?  What’s not? What 20% of your life are causing 80% of the problems? Eliminate them.  Solve them.  Do everything you can to focus on the 80% of your life that’s going tickety-boo.
30. What’s the most important thing in your life – the thing you love most?  How much attention are you giving it? Give it more. It’s amazing how many writers haven’t written in a month . . . and then wonder why they’re feeling blue or blah. You know what your talents are – do them!

*****

Activity: what helps raise your spirits when you’re feeling The Blues?  Which of the above 30 techniques have you tried?

Activity: Of the ones you haven’t tried, which seem most appealing?  Make a list.  Write yourself a note:  the next time I’m feeling blue, I’m going to try *these* proven Blues Busters.

***

Check out my book  YOU CAN GET IT DONE:  Choose What to do, Plan, Start, Stay on Track, Overcome Obstacles, and Finish

***

If you’d like to share or publish this article, you may, if you include the author’s name, a link to this original post and the following text blurb:

Are you struggling with too many talents, skills, ideas? You may have The DaVinci Dilemma! Find tools, fun quizzes, coaching, inspiration and solutions for multi-talented people at http://www.davincidilemma.com/.

By User:Vassil (File:Sépulcre_Arc-en-Barrois_111008_12.jpg) [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Here’s how:

1. Compose a new affirmation for each day.

Each day, take a moment to write a simple, declarative positive sentence that represents a thought you’d really like to believe. For example, “I am living a wonderful life.”  “I find joy in every moment.”  “I am a kick-ass juggler.”  Whatever floats your boat on that particular day. Write your affirmation down on an index card. Repeat it out loud a few times, with feeling. Make it your screen-saver message for the day or put it on a Post-It where you’ll see it and read it several times over your waking hours. On the following day, compose a new affirmation. Write it on a new index card. Make it come to life for you. Replace yesterday’s screen-saver or Post-It with a new one.

2.  Select one affirmation and process it more deeply.

When you get bored writing new affirmations, you can rifle through your previously written index cards and pick one at random.  Write answers to the following questions:
(a) How do I know this to be true? When and where have I seen evidence of this in my life?
(b) What obstacles interfere with this?
(c) How can I overcome these obstacles?

By processing your earlier affirmation at a deeper level, you’ll gain new insights and give the affirmation more power. For today, anyway. But that’s all we’re seeking.

3. Focus on the “Blurt”.

This time-tested method pioneered by creativity guru Julia Cameron can help DaVinci’s deep dive into their core beliefs:
1. Choose an affirmation. For example, “I am a successful sousaphone player.”
2. Write it down on a sheet of paper that has plenty o’ extra space.
3. Wait for that little voice in your head that balks at your affirmation.  It might say something like “Successful? Ha! If you’re so successful, why haven’t you won any sousaphone awards? Why aren’t you living in a waterfront mansion, paid for by sousaphone royalties?” Or something like that.
4.  Whatever that nasty voice ‘blurts’ out, write it down.
5.  Dispute the blurt. For example, “There are plenty fine sousaphone players who haven’t won awards or live in mansions.  Those are unrealistic goals.  I know I’m an adept player because people applaud when I play and …” At this point, the nasty voice will blurt out something like, “They’re only being polite!” at which point, you can contest that, too.  If you allow yourself to do so, you can engage in a rather vivid, hilarious conversation with the nasty voice.  The more you do so, the deeper you can get to what’s really the core issue…self-worth or self-love or something similar.  Whatever you discover, this process is an extremely active and engaging way to use affirmations.

***

Activity: this week try all three methods to make your affirmations more effective. See which works best for you.

***

Check out my book  YOU CAN GET IT DONE:  Choose What to do, Plan, Start, Stay on Track, Overcome Obstacles, and Finish

***

If you’d like to share or publish this article, you may, if you include the author’s name, a link to this original post and the following text blurb:

Are you struggling with too many talents, skills, ideas? You may have The Da Vinci Dilemma! Find tools, fun quizzes, coaching, inspiration and solutions for multi-talented people at http://www.davincidilemma.com/.

Want to amp up your creativity?  One of the best, most effective — and most enjoyable — ways to inspire and hone your own imagination is to experience the creative work of other people. It doesn’t matter if you are a mathematician or a musician or an entrepreneur or an visual artist:  you can fuel your own creativity by experiencing the work of talented others in your field.  It’s a way to replenish your ideas, shift your perspective, and spark new insights and innovations. It can inspire you to stretch in new or different directions. It can illuminate new skills or techniques…or prompt you to figure novel solutions to the task at hand.

Begin with the people you admire in your chosen field. Who’s work do you love? Make a point of keeping up to date. It’s funny how we can have a favorite author or musician….and yet manage to miss the release of some of their titles. Maybe there are some hidden gems before they made it big. Perhaps you had a busy year and missed their most recent releases. The same thing happens with architects we admire, dancers we adore, and enterpreneurs we wish to emulate:  unless we make a point of tabs on them, we might be missing some inspiring examples of their creativity.

***

Activity:  Make a list of your favorite creators in your field(s). Now spend a few minutes googling each name: what have they done that you don’t know about?  Make a list.

Bonus activity: This year, make a point of catching up on anything you’ve missed.

***

Sometimes, we get so caught up in our own efforts, we neglect those of others. Sometimes, life intervenes.  Our schedule is packed. Our plate is full.  We have other priorities.

Of course. And to the extent we can include a regular stream of creative input into our lives, the more our creativity will benefit. Maybe it’s just a little: perhaps listening to music while we commute or exercise.  Perhaps it’s keeping an ebook loaded so that when unexpected time gaps occur in our day, we can read a paragraph or two.

Or maybe you have more flexibility in your schedule to add more creative input from multiple sources. Perhaps you’re able to spend an hour  a day on YouTube or Pinterest or podcasts for inspiration. Or maybe you make it a point to get to a gallery or museum once a week.

What works for you, given your current situation? Ask yourself what habits you can put in place to ensure you have a regular stream of creative input fueling your creativity? You are no doubt doing some of this already but here is an opportunity to take stock and ensure that you aren’t missing out on what is important to you.

***

Activity: What creative input is important to you? Make a list.

Activity: Brainstorm ways to ensure each of these things is a part of your life on a regular basis.

***

Now as much as you can profit from soaking up the innovations of heroes in your field(s), you can benefit even more when you experience creativity in other fields. This is especially true for DaVinics — creative people juggling several talents, projects and ideas — because our skill sets tend to be broader. We can see how something might enhance work and spark innovations in numerous projects. We are accustomed to cross-pollinating techniques and ideas across fields. A painting might inspire a song lyric that gives us an idea for a workshop that sparks a concept for a new product.

Start with the creative endeavors you admire, but don’t participate in. If you’re not that strong on the business side of things, for example, check out what successful entrepreneurs are doing. There are no shortage of YouTube videos, books, workshops, and teleconferences through which you can learn.  If you are not a gifted singer, listening to those who are can give you insights into story-telling, performance skills, and more.

***

Activity:  Make a list. What creative fields are you drawn to?

Activity: For each item on your list, start to make new lists. As you hear of creative people or products, add them to your list.  Going forward, when you are seeking creative input, check out someone or something on your list.

***

Many of us keep ‘to read’ lists. As we hear about books of interest, we jot them down. Ditto for ‘to view’ lists of movies, television series, and documentaries — or ‘to listen’ lists of music. When it’s time to indulge in creative input, we can easily and efficiently remind ourselves.  It’s easy enough to expand this practice to include whatever creative work we want to sample more of.

What do to with all these lists?  Keep them handy, for reference. Make a point of using them. Keep adding to them.

The simple act of beginning a list increases the likelihood you will treat yourself to more creative inputs.  The more options you add, the more diverse these ideas are likely to be. The more diverse your creative exposure, the more innovative you are likely to be.

The more creativity you experience, the more ideas you will have.  The more creative ideas you generate, the more will flow.

***

For more tips and techniques, check out my workbook  BE MORE CREATIVE:  101 Activities to Unleash and Grow Your Creativity

Available here in hardcover, paperback, and eBook formats:

http://bit.ly/BeMoreCreativeBook

 ***

CCO creative commons image via pixabay 

Do you have a negative little voice in your head?  Do you harbor an internal critic that tells you something you’re doing isn’t good enough or calls you nasty names or fans your deeper fears? It’s not pleasant and it doesn’t play fair.  It tends to kick us when we’re at our most vulnerable. It’s natural to have some fears and doubts but when they run amuck, it can harm our health and well-being. They can squelch our creativity and kill our productivity.  It is vital that we learn to detect and quell our Inner Critic when it arises.

Here’s how:

1.  Understand the purpose of your Inner Critic.

As harsh as your Inner Critic may be, know that it’s actually trying to help you. It’s your brain trying to protect you from unknown perils. It uses fears and doubts to prevent you from taking risks. It’s an ancient part of our biology that developed to prevent us from tangling with predators or consuming possible poisons or wandering away from safety.

In modern life, however, it can be problematic. It can get triggered by emotional stress that has little to do with our physical well-being. When it perceives pressure — to do well, for example — can initiate “fight or flight” biochemical responses, fears, and doubts. If you don’t recognize what’s happening, this internal danger-detector may cause you to walk away from an exciting opportunity or self-sabotage yourself on a challenging project.

That’s why it’s so important to pay attention. When you detect fears and doubts, pause.  Ask:  is this my Inner Critic?

 2.  Recognize your Inner Critic.

Pay careful attention to what’s going on in your head. To what extent are your thoughts and feelings appropriate for what’s going on?

Our Inner Critics tend to be divas so be on the lookout for exaggerated reactions and thoughts of impending doom:  If you are feeling inexplicably negative about your progress or project, it might not be valid. Your criticisms and concerns might just be your Inner Critic running amuck. (Danger!  Danger!  She’s trying something new! We might crash and burn!)

Once you detect it, listen to it:  What does your Inner Critic tend to say?  With what tone?  Does this inner voice sound like anyone in particular?  A parent perhaps or a disapproving teacher or boss?

Of what is your Inner Critic afraid?  Failure?  Success?  Embarrassment?  Dismemberment by wolves?

Also be aware of which situations tend to triggers your Inner Critic.  Under what circumstances is it more likely to arise?  When you are most vulnerable to it?

3.  Understand its impact on you.

How do you respond to your Inner Critic?  Does it paralyze you or spark you into action?  Does it make you sad or hopeless?  Does it frustrate or enrage you? How does it affect your stress level?  Your health and well-being?

For that matter, how does it affect others around you?

4.  Name your Inner Critic.

If you literally give a name to your Inner Critic, you can call it out — and laugh at it — when it arises.

I call my own inner voice Picky McStrict.  Picky is the one who shouts “Idiot!” when she finds a typo in a Facebook post I’ve written.  Picky is the one muttering “you are lousy at this” when I’m doing something for the first time.  Picky has very strict rules about the Herculean struggle and toil required before one can “earn” success.

Picky means well — and frankly, she’s helped me accomplish a lot — but she’s really more of a hindrance.  She makes me doubt myself. She sucks the enjoyment out of the task at hand. She applies unhelpful stress to me and those around me.

I’ve learned to recognize her not-so-dulcet tones and dismiss them, accordingly. Okay, sometimes I have to give her a stern talking to . . . but the point is she is no longer driving the bus.  I am.

My clients use names like “Sir Harps-a-lot”, “Ursula”, “Poopyhead”, “Nick the Dick”, “Lady Gwendolyn”, “El Stupido,” and “Mr. Dibbs my Grade 2 teacher” to address their own inner voices. I encourage you to find an appropriate name for your inner nemesis — and to practice recognizing it when it arises.

5.  Challenge your Inner Critic.

Dispute the fears and doubts as soon as you detect them.

It’s helpful to actually write out whatever your Inner Critic is saying, then analyze each statement. Is it valid?  What evidence is there to the contrary? Might the opposite be true?

Should you choose to engage this voice in conversation, you can expose just how ludicrously harsh it is — and put it in its place. Use two different pens to actually write out the conversation.  Be candid — and have fun with it.

For example:

 Sir Harps-a-lot:  This is not nearly good enough.

 You:  Aha!  I know that voice!  I hear you, Sir Harps-a-lot.

 Sir H:  Well, I’m concerned for your professional reputation.  Your work isn’t up to snuff.

You:  “Up to snuff.”  You sound like my sixth grade teacher.  The one who marked up my homework with red ink.

 Sir H.:  He and I go way back.  We don’t want you embarrass yourself with a sub-par performance on this project.

 You:  What I’m doing is better than what 99% of people on the planet could be doing, under the same circumstances.

 Sir H.:  You could do better than you are.

 You:  Possibly.  But not without making myself sick and/or making my colleagues sick of me.  As it is, I catch them cringing when I ask them to make adjustments.

 Sir H.:  See, the project is tanking and your co-workers know it.

 You:  Wow.  Harsh, much?  The project is not tanking.  We just have to work out some kinks and we haven’t yet found solutions.

 Sir H.:  See?  You’re failing.  You’re not good enough to do this project.

 You:  I am plenty good enough for this project.  I am a well-trained, competent person doing the best I can, given the time frame and resources I’ve been given.

 Sir H.:  What if your work isn’t good enough?  What if you lose your job and nobody else will hire you?

 You:  First, I’m not going to lose my job.  Second, if I did, there are other jobs out there.  Or I could start my own business.  This project does not define me or my career.  It does not determine my future.

Sir H.:  I’m just trying to help.

 You:  Thanks but you’re not helping.  You’re making me doubt myself and my abilities.

 Sir H.: Gosh, I didn’t mean to. I just want you to be safe and happy.  Um.  I’m sure your project will turn out fine. 

 You:  Yes, it will.  Now please go away.

***

Activity:  Do yourself a favor and take a few moments to write out answers to the following questions:

1.  What kinds of things does your Inner Critic tend to say?

2.  What tone does your Inner Critic use?

3.  Who does your Inner Critic sound like?

4.  Of what is your Inner Critic afraid?

5.  What situations tend to trigger your Inner Critic?

6.  Name your Inner Critic so you can call it out — and laugh at it — when you hear it.

Henceforth, I shall call my Inner Critic_________________

7.  Going forward, be on the lookout for your Inner Critic.  When it arises, pause.  Write out what it’s saying.  Refute each statement with facts and evidence to the contrary.

***            

*****

Want to re-publish this article? Go for it – just include the author’s name, a link to this original post and the following text blurb:

Are you struggling with too many talents, skills, ideas? You may have The DaVinci Dilemma! Find tools, fun quizzes, coaching, inspiration and solutions for multi-talented people at http://www.davincidilemma.com/ .

By Dennis Murphy [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

Here are Five Ways a Timer Can Help You and Your Talents:

1.  Overcome procrastination.  (In other words:  Help you Get Started).

The next time you find yourself procrastinating, set your timer for ten minutes.  Commit to doing as much as possible during those ten minutes.  Whatever you get done is enough.

Bonus #1: You will also avoid distractions.  Somehow, when the timer is ticking, it helps foster focus.

Bonus #2:  You will be surprised how much you can accomplished when you give yourself a ten minute time limit.  There’s something about the time pressure that motivates you to you get things done.

Bonus #3:  Odds are, when the timer goes off, you won’t want to stop.  A body in motion stays in motion – sometimes we just need a little nudge to break out of our inertia.

2. Improving the quality of your work. (“Work” meaning whatever it is you’re doing – your job, your talents, your domestic chores or something else).

Want to get things done?  Clear one hour and select the task you’d like to do.  Commit to completing fifty focused, uninterrupted minutes on your task.  Before you begin, take what steps are necessary to ensure you won’t be interrupted — for example, close the door, unplug the phone, disable your internet connection, etc.  Now, set your timer for fifty minutes and begin.

If, while you’re working, you think of something critical that needs doing, write it down as a reminder so you can do it AFTER the fifty minutes has passed.  When the timer goes, set it to ten minutes.  During this period, do whatever would be a fitting reward — walk around the block, call a friend, check your email, snuggle your pet, stretch your body — whatever you like.

Using this method, you will find that your work is more focused and of higher quality.

Bonus #1:  Built-in rewards for a job well done.  This is highly motivating.

Bonus #2: Using this technique multiple times a day or week can increase your productivity tremendously.

3.  Establish a new (helpful) habit.

Think about an action that would improve your life if you did more of it – especially on a daily basis.  Something that you really, really want to do more.  Something you know will be very beneficial to your well-being.  For example, walking, exercising, writing, practicing an instrument, journalling, spending time with your kids, etc.  Now think about your ideal goal:  let’s use the example of walking at least 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week.

Now:  think about an initial commitment that you can EASILY achieve.  In our example, let’s say we’ll walk five minutes a day, at least three times a week.

What’s that you say?  How can a five minute walk possibly make any difference to your life?  It’s not the AMOUNT of the activity that’s important.  What’s important is ESTABLISHING THE HABIT.

Now:  honor your initial commitment.  Using your timer to keep you honest, walk five minutes a day, at least three times this week.  Keep track.  You can walk more if you’d like.  Doesn’t matter.  What does matter is that you walk AT LEAST five minutes, at least three times during the week.

If you do walk at least five minutes at least three days a week, congratulations!  You’re well on your way to establishing your new habit.

If you find, at the end of the week, that you didn’t keep your commitment, don’t beat yourself up.  Simply ask:  “Hmm, why didn’t I do this?”  Either the new habit isn’t really something you’d like to establish and/or you’re experiencing [resistance that needs to be dealt with].

Once you are successful in establishing your initial commitment (let’s say a month of walking at least five minutes, at least three times a week), you can increase the amount of time per session.  Note:  better to take your time doing this, rather than trying to do too much, too fast which will lead to breaking your commitments, frustration and failure.

Here’s a sample schedule to establish a lifelong habit:

Month One:  Walk at least 5 minutes at least 3 times a week.

Month Two:  Walk at least 10 minutes at least 3 times a week.

Month Three:  Walk at least 15 minutes at least 3 times a week.

Month Four:  Walk at least 20 minutes at least 3 times a week.

Month Five:  Walk at least 25 minutes at least 3 times a week.

Month Six:  Walk at least 30 minutes at least 3 times a week.

Month Seven:  Walk at least 30 minutes at least 4 times a week.

Month Eight:  Walk at least 30 minutes at least 5 times a week.

4. Meditate.

Especially for those new to meditation or impatient with it, the timer is invaluable.  According to Yougey Mingyur Rinphoche, it is best to meditate for short periods of time (like 2- 3 minutes) throughout the day.

Whenever you think about it – once an hour if you’d like – set your timer for two minutes, sit upright and clear your mind.

Many Bonuses: studies show that people who meditate – even beginners—are healthier, happier and less stressed than those who don’t.

5. Beat unhealthy cravings

If there’s something you are trying to do less of – snacking, surfing the internet, watching television, smoking, drinking alcohol, etc. – your timer can help.  Let’s use the example of snacking.

First, generate a list of healthy things you’d rather do for fifteen minutes.  In our case, let’s say, instead of snacking, we’d rather walk around the block, listen to some music, paint, knit, call a friend to chat, have a bath, cuddle your pet, read a good book or mediate.

Now, when the craving hits, set your timer for fifteen minutes and commit to not give into your craving for that period of time.  Then, refer to your list and do the first thing that jumps out at you.

Example:  I find myself wandering into the kitchen, seeking something/anything to munch.  “Oh no!” I say.  “This is a craving.”  I deftly set my timer for 15 minutes and quickly refer to my List of Alternative Activities.  “Around the block we go!”

Bonus #1:  you will be doing more of what you prefer to do

Bonus #2:  you are likely to find that, fifteen minutes later, not only has the craving passed, you’ve completely forgotten about it.

***

Want more tips and techniques on getting things done?  Check out my book  YOU CAN GET IT DONE:  Choose What to do, Plan, Start, Stay on Track, Overcome Obstacles, and Finish

Available here in hardcover, paperback or eBook formats: http://bit.ly/YouCanGetItDone

***

Want to re-publish this article? Go for it – just include the author’s name, a link to this original post and the following text blurb:

Are you struggling with too many talents, skills, ideas? You may have The DaVinci Dilemma! Find tools, fun quizzes, coaching, inspiration and solutions for multi-talented people at http://www.davincidilemma.com/.

What would you like to do with 2026?

Some people like to set specific goals for the New Year.  Others prefer to give some general attention to a particular area of their life.  Keith’s priority in 2026 is to focus on his health.  Maria’s is to relax.  Maybe you’d like to travel.  Or learn.  Or create.  Or do good deeds.  Perhaps you’d like this to be the “Year of Fun”.  Maybe you’ve been overly career driven and this is the year you’ve like to give more attention to your home life.

It’s entirely up to you:  What would you like to experience this year?  What’s important to you?  What would you like to explore or learn?  What would you like to accomplish, acquire, or complete?

The beginning of a New Year is a terrific time to pause and ask yourself these questions.  New Year’s Eve is more than just a festive excuse to party…it’s a chance for a fresh start.  Kinda like pressing a personal “re-start button.”  If you choose to do so, you can use the opportunity to look back at the preceding year and take stock of your present circumstances.  You can identify what’s working well for you and what’s not.  You can make thoughtful, purposeful decisions about how to live the next twelve months.  With a little forethought, New Year’s Eve can be a pivot point to do more of what you love and less of what you don’t.

If this sounds appealing, I’ve developed a workbook to guide you through a process to make the most of the coming year.  It’s completely up to you:  What would you like to do, experience, explore, learn, accomplish, acquire, or complete in 2026?

Note the emphasis on you.  You.  Not what your Mom or your boss or your childhood chum might want.  What kind of year would you like 2026 to be?  What matters to you at this point in your life?

What would it mean to you if you made the most of 2026?

Whatever your desires for 2026, I can help.  I’m an author, life coach, and Ph.D. in Psychology who has spent the past twenty years helping people get things done, get organized, and get more out of life.  I’ve coached individuals, facilitated groups, and taught inventive workshops on four continents.

I’ve designed this book so you can get the most out of 2026.  Think of it as a personal seminar with a recognized expert, tailored to your unique circumstances and preferences.  Inside this workbook are proven tools you can work through at your own pace to foster whatever is important to you.

That’s what makes this book special.  It’s a flexible guide that will elicit different responses in everyone who uses it.  It’s up to you to apply your distinctive perspective to create and implement a plan suitable to your particular circumstances.

Think of it as a Self-Guided Workshop you can work through at your own pace to:

• understand and appreciate 2025
• generate ideas for all areas of your life
• identify your true top priorities for 2026
• make achievable plans for 2026
• keep yourself on track all year

A Word About “Resolutions”

The way most people do traditional “New Year’s Resolutions” is not very effective.  They tend to be overblown “To Do” lists that become a source of unnecessary frustration.  They can be overwhelming or intimidating.  They often become abandoned which can cause guilt, shame, and a sense of failure.

The alternative is to create a prudent plan that can be reasonably implemented, given your specific circumstances.  That’s the purpose of this workbook.

If you’ve been disappointed by past attempts at “New Year’s Resolutions”, let me reassure you.  As a life coach, I’ve developed proven techniques for you to figure out what you want and then devise achievable plans to make that happen.

Maybe you’d like to set some specific goals.  Perhaps you’d like to solve a problem.  Or participate in some key activities to enhance your life.  Or establish new habits or practices that are uniquely gratifying to you.  It could be that you have an unfulfilled dream or an unfinished project on which you are yearning to make some progress.  Maybe you’d like to reduce or eliminate an unhelpful or unhealthy habit.

It’s up to you.  Using this workbook as a guide, you have the opportunity to figure out what’s right for you, right now, to make the most of 2026 — then devise achievable plans suitable to your particular circumstances.  The Planner/Calendar is designed to help you actually do what you intend.

Give yourself — or someone else — the give of a wonderful 2026!  Hardcover, paperback & eBook formats available here: 

© Jorge Royan / http://www.royan.com.ar via wikimedia.commons.org

How comfortable are you being a DaVinci — someone juggling many talents, projects and ideas? Some people love being multi-hyphenates.  My Latin Dance teacher proudly labels herself as a singer/dancer/actor.  (“I’m a triple threat, honey”). Others find themselves feeling scattered or overwhelmed or confused.  The more they can do, the less adequate they feel. (“I’m Jack-of-all-Trades and master of none.”)

The first challenge for DaVincis is to find a comfortable way to juggle different talents and roles. To what extent do you find it fun or easy to flex different skill sets as you juggle different projects? What works for you? Do you like to mix it up, willy nilly, or do you prefer to compartmentalize different activities?

There’s no one ‘right’ way. It’ll depend on your own, unique personality, preferences, experiences, and circumstances. The important thing if for you to find a way to be comfortable and at ease, no matter which hat(s) you are wearing.

For me personally, I find it easier to compartmentalize my time and focus such that I have one priority for a given block of time…while toggling between different projects and roles throughout the week.  At this particular moment, I’m a writer. This evening I will be a metalsmith.  Tomorrow I’ll be a coach in the morning and a teacher in the afternoon…although odds are high that I’ll be wearing both hats at the same time, on and off throughout the day.

This approach might seem way too structured to you.  Or otherwise unappealing. Or impossible to set up, given the demands on you, personally and professionally.

Other people might find what I do confusing and overwhelming. They might be more comfortable focusing on one talent or project for longer periods of time. They may prefer to devoting one week (or more) to one thing before switching priorities. Or maybe they devote weekdays to one main project and delegate some weeknights or weekends to other activities.

If you know what works for you, great. If not, experiment. Give yourself permission to try new approaches until you find a way to participate in the projects, activities, and skill sets that are important to you in a way that feels gratifying and comfortable.

Another aspect of finding comfort wearing different hats is to consider the how you think about yourself. Are you  proud to be a multi-hyphenate like my Latin dance teacher…or do multiple labels make you feel like a dilettante/ flake/jack-of-all-trades, master of none?  If the latter sounds like you, try this:  reverse any negative term you attach to yourself.  For example:  Instead of “flake” you might think of yourself as “multi-talented”.  Instead of labeling yourself’ “ADHD”, you might think of yourself as “interested in many things”. Play around with different terms and phrases until you find a way to frame what you do in a way that feels better.

Extending this a titch:  how do you market yourself, to whom?

“What am I supposed to call myself,” wailed one multi-talented coaching client recently.  “How am I supposed to market all the things I do under one comprehensive umbrella?”  “Maybe you shouldn’t. If it doesn’t come naturally, then it might make more sense to try a more segmented approach by promoting particular skills to each relevant market.”

You have the same choice.  You can market ‘you’ and your unique voice.  Or you can promote yourself in different ways to different audiences.

Here’s a test:  When you meet someone new, how do you describe yourself?  What is your typical answer? To what extent does that change, depending on the circumstances?  How do you label yourself if you’re meeting someone at a PTA meeting versus a party versus an industry event?

If you tend to present yourself the same way, regardless of setting, then it would make sense to market yourself that way — as a general brand to all audiences. If you tend to compartmentalize and segment your talents, then it would be more efficient and effective to do the same with your marketing plans by tailoring your promotions to present specific skills to specific audiences.

There is more than one way to be a DaVinci — to be comfortable wearing different hats and marketing yourself to others. You need to find what works for you, given your own unique preferences, experiences, and circumstances.

***

Check out my workbook  SELF-WORTH ESSENTIALS

Available here in hardcover, paperback, and eBook formats: http://bit.ly/SelfWorthEssentials

***

Want to re-publish this article? Go for it – just include the author’s name, a link to this original post and the following text blurb:

Are you struggling with too many talents, skills, ideas? You may have The DaVinci Dilemma! Find tools, fun quizzes, coaching, inspiration and solutions for multi-talented people at http://www.davincidilemma.com/ .

CCO creative commons image via pixabay

Many of us live sedentary lives, tethered to our computers or work benches.  Sitting hurts our health.  Besides making us fat, it increases our likelihood of  getting cancer — and doubles our risk of cardiovascular disease.  The more we sit, the less long we live.  (If you want the gory details, here’s a vivid infographic with some relevant research.)

Standing desks are an option but may be impractical or uncomfortable.

Thankfully, recent research has revealed a simple, easy, effective way to overcome the problems caused by excessive sitting.   The solution is to take five-minute movement breaks throughout the day.

In this study, researchers compared what happened when office workers spent the day sitting versus those who walked on a treadmill for 30 minutes a day.  It didn’t matter if they walked for thirty minutes straight or if they walked for five minutes, six times during the day.  Those who spent time moving during the day had more energy, less fatigue, an improved mood, and reduced food cravings than those who just sat.

Think about it:  assuming you are able-bodied and uninjured, walking for five minutes is easy to do.  If you work in an office you can walk to the rest room, the break room, the mail room, the photocopier, a co-worker’s desk.  If stairs are available, you can walk up and down a flight or two.  If you work at home you can walk around your home inside or out.  You can scamper about with your pets or put on a song and dance, if you feel so inclined.  Poof!  Five minutes go quickly.  And the benefits are many:  When you return to your desk, you’ve given your back, neck and shoulders a break from the hunched over computer position we all sink into.  You’ve got your blood pumping a wee bit, which gives you energy and lifts your mood.  You’ve given your brain a break.  Taking a few minutes away from the task at hand allows your creativity to burble on the back burner, inviting spontaneous ideas and solutions to erupt.

A five-minute movement break is easy to do and can yield many benefits — so why not try it?  If you take a mini movement break a few times a day, you’re counteracting the damage of sitting and you’re probably giving your spirits a lift as well. [Note:  If you are disabled or injured, a five-minute break of any kind has benefits.  To the extent you can stretch or shift your body, do so.  To the extent you can alter your physical location briefly, do so.  Look for creative ways to insert variety into what would otherwise be long stretches of sameness.]

Remember in high school?  At the conclusion of one class, a bell would ring denoting a few minutes to walk to your next class.  It probably felt good to stand up and move your body after sitting for an hour.  It was a visual break.  Possibly a social one in which you could greet friends in the hall or chat with a pal en route.  This walking break functioned like a mini reset button:  no matter what happened in the class before, there was a built in “refresh” process between classes.  It may have even kept you thinner.

When I began testing these mini movement breaks, I noticed a couple of unexpected benefits.  For one thing, my dogs love it.  They get extra attention and activity every hour on the hour.  For another, I saw a marked uptick in my productivity.  That’s because I melded the mini movement breaks with my Magic Hour Method to make progress on multiple priorities in a given day.  What emerged was a flexible strategy by which one can toggle among projects, alternating 55 minute focused work sessions with five-minute movement breaks in between.

Somehow, the five-minute movement breaks supercharged my work sessions.  Walking around for just five minutes between work sessions gave me fresh energy and a mental “reset” such that I found myself getting more done, more efficiently, with more ease.  I’m calling it Magic Hour Method 2.0

***The Magic Hour Method 2.0***

What follows is a technique to make progress on multiple projects while taking better care of your body.  It is designed to be flexible so you can adapt it to suit your own unique circumstances and preferences.

Step One:  Identify your priorities

What are your top priorities for the week?  Let’s say you want to spend time on work project #1, work project #2, marketing, and research.  (If you work at home, you may wish to add some personal projects or domestic responsibilities to the mix.)  Do what makes sense for you.

Step Two:  Choose an easy way to track your progress

The easier the better.  A low-tech approach is to assign a color to each priority.  (For example project #1 is blue, project #2 is pink, marketing is green, and research is orange).  Going forward, every time you spend 55 minutes of quality time on that activity, give yourself a colored star on your calendar.

If you prefer, use your phone, tablet, or computer to track what you do.

Step Three:  Apply the Magic Hour Method and Mini Movement Breaks to the mix.

When you sit down to work:

1. Remove or reduce likely distractions.
2. Identify your top priority at that moment.
3. Set a timer for 55 minutes.
4. Spend this time engaged in quality, focused progress on your chosen priority.
5. When the timer goes off, put a star on your calendar to record your progress.
6. Set the timer for five minutes.  During this time, move your body.  Walk.  Stroll around.  If there are stairs handy, walk up and down them once or twice.
7.  When the timer goes off, identify your top priority at that moment.  This might be to continue what you did in step one, or it might be something else.
8. Repeat steps 2 – 7.  Do this as much as many times as make sense, given your particular circumstances.

Adapt this formula to suit your needs and to accommodate rest breaks, meals, interruptions, and “things that arise that require your attention”.  You may wish to insert a shorter period to attend to smaller tasks (e.g. phone calls, answering your email) — or to time box things that tend to swell (like internet surfing and social media).  If you have the flexibility to do so, you might insert two minute meditation or stretch breaks as needed, for example.

What’s with the colored stars?

There’s something about chronicling your progress that is intrisically rewarding.  At the end of the day, you can see what you’ve accomplished.  It’s also a visual way to monitor balance.  By looking at the ratio of colors, you can assess, at a glance, what adjustments are needed going forward.  Maybe,  when you look at the stars at the end of the week, you see that “marketing” got short shrift.  You can give it more attention next week.

If you expand this approach to include personal priorities, you can easily detect your work-life ratio and make adjustments, accordingly.

***

However you choose to adapt and apply this technique, it’s possible to make real, discernible progress on your top priorities, while taking better care of your health.  Try it and see for yourself.

***

Want more tips and techniques on getting things done?  Check out my book  YOU CAN GET IT DONE:  Choose What to do, Plan, Start, Stay on Track, Overcome Obstacles, and Finish

Available here in hardcover, paperback, and eBook formats: http://bit.ly/YouCanGetItDone

***

Want to re-publish this article? Go for it – just include the author’s name, a link to this original post and the following text blurb:

Are you struggling with too many talents, skills, ideas? You may have The Da Vinci Dilemma! Find tools, fun quizzes, coaching, inspiration and solutions for multi-talented people at http://www.davincidilemma.com/.

By photo taken by flickr user *Micky* (flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Tim Ferriss, author of The Four Hour Work Week, advocates minimizing electronic assaults by taking an Information Vacation. No checking email.  No web surfing.  No Twittering or Facebooking or watching the news.  No laptop activities of any kind.  No PDA.  No TV either.  Worried about missing some important new story?  You won’t.  Hey, you even have an automatic conversation aid when talking with people:  “I’ve been away from the internet — what’s going on in the world?”

Some groups have been practicing a regular, weekly ‘down time’ for millennia.  An Orthodox friend told me how grateful she is for her religion’s practice of taking 24 hour ‘time outs’ once a week.  It’s how she copes with this mad, electronic age.  She doubts she could manage her work, parenting, community service and everything else she juggles without stopping each and every week to unplug and re-energize.

You don’t need to join a religious group to reap the same benefits.

Why Take an Information Vacation?

1.  To relax.

If you’re a multi-talented person, you’ve got an awful lot going on.  If you’re also battling information addiction, you’re putting yourself under even more stress.  Your mind and body need some high quality relaxation.  Once refreshed, you’ll be better able to tackle the many things on your creative plate.

2.  To take a break from negativity.

A lot of news and current events are horrible and depressing.  (If it bleeds — or grosses out — or titillates — or infuriates — it leads).  You owe it to your many talents to take a break from all that.  Particularly if you’re feeling blue or blah or otherwise out of sorts.  An Information Vacation is an effective Rx for many mood ailments.

3.  To refill your creative well.

Sure, you can get some ideas from the internet and television and your Facebook news feed.  But once your creative cup is full, all the extra data is just sloshing over the rim, making a mess.  By taking an Information Vacation, you can push aside all those outside voices and let your own creative ideas burble back up.  When you’re unplugged, you can simply daydream and let your creative spirit play.  Ah…isn’t that better?

4.  To re-energize.

At the risk of repeating the point, creative people are susceptible to the nefarious forces of many electronic media.  Information addiction saps our strength and drains us of creative energy.  When we silence the media cacophony, we allow our minds, bodies and spirits to re-energize.  If you’ve been feeling fatigued or exhausted with no real reason, try taking an Information Vacation.  Odds are high, you’ll regain your former verve.

5.  To reward yourself.

Many DaVincis are far too hard on themselves.  They rarely reward themselves and they don’t indulge in nearly enough fun. Ideally, an Information Vacation can be a guilt-free treat for all the good works you’re doing.  It’s a well-earned treat to do the unplugged things you love.

6.  To reconnect with people (and pets).

Information addiction can isolate you from the world. The more time you spend online the less you’re spending interacting with your friends, family and community members.  Socializing is a basic human need.  An Information Vacation allows us to reconnect with the people (and animals) who give our life meaning.

7.   To improve your health.

Reducing stress improves every bodily function.  An easy, effective way to enhance your well-being is to remove yourself for the stream of stressors known as the information highway.  Give your body a treat by unplugging, at least temporarily, from the electronic world.

How to Take an Information Vacation

Ideally for a whole day (or even for the whole weekend!) but if that’s out of the question, then at least pick one evening to unplug.  No checking email.  No web surfing.  No Twittering or Facebooking or watching the news.  No laptop activities of any kind.  No PDA.  No TV either.  Take some time to do ANYTHING else.  Read a book, have a nap, play a board game, listen to some music, make something, take a walk, meditate, try a yoga pose or two, make a nice meal & eat mindfully, catch up with your household members, go to a concert or play — the sky’s the limit.

Activity: List ten unplugged activities you enjoy

Activity: Select an evening or a full day (or two!) to unplug.  Schedule it. Prevent/avoid anything that would break or disrupt your appointment.  During your scheduled time, avoid your computer, TV, PDA — anything electronic. Instead, do any of the unplugged activities you enjoy.

***

Check out my book  YOU CAN GET IT DONE:  Choose What to do, Plan, Start, Stay on Track, Overcome Obstacles, and Finish

***

Want to re-publish this article? Go for it – just include the author’s name, a link to this original

If you’d like to share or publish this article, you may, if you include the author’s name, a link to this original post and the following text blurb:

Are you struggling with too many talents, skills, ideas? You may have The DaVinci Dilemma! Find tools, fun quizzes, coaching, inspiration and solutions for multi-talented people at http://www.davincidilemma.com/.

By User:Vassil (File:Sépulcre_Arc-en-Barrois_111008_12.jpg) [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

1. Recognize that everyone has some regrets in life – and see how they handle them.

You are not alone.  Look at how the people you know handle their regrets.  Of those, who would you like to emulate?  Uncle Biff who’s never ever gotten over that missed baseball in Little League – or Aunt Buffy who made and lost a million bucks and laughed her way through the process of making her subsequent million?

Look for inspiration in celebrities, too.  Growing up, Mel Brooks studied drums with the drumming legend Buddy Rich. Rich thought young Mel was a prodigy and was grooming him to follow in his footsteps. When Mel heard the siren song of comedy writing, Rich warned him he was making the mistake of his life giving up a promising career in music to mess around telling a bunch of stupid jokes. Brooks says that although Rich never forgave him, he never regretted the path he took.

2. Apply a statute of limitations.

What is it that’s got you stuck in Coulda Woulda Shoulda thinking? Write it down.  When did this event occur?  (Wait, how many years ago?!)  How much longer do you intend to brood over it?  Do yourself a favor by placing a limit on how long you let yourself dwell on what happened (or what didn’t happen).    (“Okay, I’ve felt badly about this for four years now.  That’s plenty.  Time to move on.”)

3. Do a reality check.

Most Coulda Woulda Shoulda thinking involves the implicit assumption that IF I would’ve done X (or not done Y), my life would now be much better, if not perfect.  The fact is, however, that’s not necessarily so.  If you would’ve done X (or not done Y), it’s not clear that you would have been successful.  Odds are slim that every single thing would have unfolded perfectly.  You don’t know what challenges or calamities may have befallen you along that untaken path.

Consider the notion that you made the very best decision and took the very best course of action available to you at the time, under those circumstances.

4. Appreciate your present circumstances.

Whatever’s going well for you now might not have been possible, had you taken that other path way back when.  List five things that are in your life now — or experiences you’ve had that you value – that you would NOT have if your Coulda Woulda Shoulda situation had turned out differently.  For example, a colleague was talking to me about a ‘golden opportunity’ she had — but didn’t take — to become a TV writer when she was 24.  She had been thinking of it as a regret…until she realized that had she taken that path, she wouldn’t have had her ten year corporate career, the experience of living in Europe for a decade, her current wonderful marriage and a host of other elements that make her a better writer and a better person today.

5. What lesson(s) can be learned?

Think about your Coulda Woulda Shoulda experience.  What happened?  What might you do differently in the same circumstances?  If you could go back in time and coach yourself through whatever happened, what advice would you give yourself? In what ways have you repeated your Coulda Woulda Shoulda experience?  For example, did fear stop you?  In what way are you still doing this today?  Does your Coulda Woulda Shoulda represent an obstacle with which you’re still grappling? What alternative solutions are there?

6. Revisit your dreams.

If you’re still brooding over something, odds are it involved an important dream – one that probably got deferred.  Ask yourself: is this still a dream or goal to which you aspire?  If so, how can you take steps towards achieving that dream, starting now?   If the dream is less attractive to you now, then give yourself permission to stop mourning what didn’t happen.  It could well be that you didn’t REALLY want what you thought you did.  For example, it could be that your earlier goal was something you (or someone close to you) believed you ‘Should’ do, rather than a true passion.  For example, maybe you didn’t get into Medical School…and maybe that’s a good thing.  The blood and gore and educational costs and long hours and lawsuits just aren’t that appealing.  Perhaps you didn’t get that movie role and now you’re grateful you have the privacy that you would have lost and that you now cherish, working behind the scenes.

Or it could be that you weren’t (and aren’t) willing to put in the effort required to make your dream come true.  Maybe it’s more of a it’s more of a fantasy than a life goal.  (Sure, I’d love to be a size zero…but I’m not prepared to undertake the chronic starvation, oppressive exercise schedule and probably surgery required to achieve that particular physique.)

*****

Activity:

1. Write down your Coulda Woulda Shoulda experience.
2. How long ago did it occur?
3. Have you brooded over it long enough?
4. What lessons can you learn from what happened then? If you could got back in time and coach yourself through what happened, what advice would you give yourself?
5. Ask others for advice.  Present the situation as an anonymous hypothetical.  Ask what they would do under those circumstances. Odds are, they may come up with new ideas, suggestions or perspectives.
6. List five things that are in your life now — or experiences you’ve had that you value – that you would NOT have if your Coulda Woulda Shoulda situation had turned out differently.
7. Is this still a dream or goal to which you aspire?  If so, how can you take steps towards achieving that dream, starting now?   If the dream is less attractive to you now, then give yourself permission to stop mourning what didn’t happen.

*****

For more, check out my book “GET OVER It:   Overcome Regret, Disappointment and Past Mistakes”. 

Available here in hardcover, paperback, and eBook formats:  http://bit.ly/GetOverItNow

*****

If you’d like to share or publish this article, you may, if you include the author’s name, a link to this original post and the following text blurb:

Are you struggling with too many talents, skills, ideas? You may have The Da Vinci Dilemma! Find tools, fun quizzes, coaching, inspiration and solutions for multi-talented people at http://www.davincidilemma.com/