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Category: Managing your Life

Image by hartlandmartin on Flickr. Creative Commons License.

How do you approach fear? Fun quiz

[ 0 ] May 16, 2012

How do you approach fear? Take this quiz!

Image by epSos.de on Flickr. Creative Commons License.

Warning: Are you running from the wrong thing? (I was.)

[ 14 ] May 9, 2012

I’m afraid of lots of things: car accidents, getting mugged, running out of money, being laughed at, getting rejected, failing. I’m kind of used to those fears. But this was something different.

Image by Huntsville Car Scene

Overcoming fear in the sunshine with barbecue and Miatas

[ 6 ] March 19, 2012

There are two main ways people suggest when they tell you how to overcome fear: gradually expanding your comfort zone by taking baby steps, or leaping outside your comfort zone and letting it spring out to catch up with your new position. Last weekend, I revisited my favorite fear-conquering leap: autocross.

Image by Sappymoosetree on Flickr. Creative Commons License.

Let go and do more: One piece of the puzzle

[ 4 ] March 14, 2012

When you fight against yourself, you’re guaranteed to lose. Here’s one way to stop struggling against yourself and your feelings.

Image by pcullen on Flickr. Creative Commons license.

Finding your freedom in everyday life

[ 10 ] February 13, 2012

Ultimate freedom? For most people, it’s hard enough to achieve a basic level of freedom where we know ourselves and do what we would do. I’ve learned that seeking approval is the opposite of being free.

The new toy successfully de-fluffed, Josie experiences the usual letdown. Caption and image by Dunechaser on Flickr--licensed under Creative Commons

Overcoming Post-Holiday Blargh1

[ 0 ] January 12, 2012

Some people spring into the new year, filled with energy and resolutions, ready to take on the world. I am not one of those people. If you’re not either, here’s what I’ve found that helps.

Image by Paul Chenoweth on Flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Super-Efficiency

[ 2 ] December 28, 2011

There are a couple tricks to get more stuff done in less time, all while maintaining the same level of quality. And while I have used these tricks mainly for my work on the road, all of them can easily be applied by creative workers anywhere, nomadic or not!

Image by richiedogg1981 on Flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons.

You are not a dumbass

[ 8 ] November 30, 2011

Wondering what’s wrong with you? If I learned anything in all the interviews I did for Beyond Fear, it’s that nobody has it all together. Everybody struggles, everybody doubts, nobody knows all the answers.

Image by HeedingtheMuses on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.

Dear media, hands off my gravy before I hurt you

[ 2 ] November 23, 2011

Why is it that everywhere I look, there’s a magazine, newspaper, or website trying to tell me to restrain myself this Thanksgiving? If I sign a waiver conceding that I’ll probably die very soon, fat, ugly, and alone, will they get off my case?

Image by Seoulful Adventures on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.

The perverse tyranny of “have to”

[ 10 ] November 9, 2011

I’ve noticed a funny thing since I’ve been working for myself: Telling myself I have to do something is the surest way to make sure I won’t want to do it.

Burner is answering, "wdydwyd?" (aka "why do you do what you do?") on the playa in 2008. Image by Tony Deifell via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.

What if you just did what you wanted?

[ 8 ] October 28, 2011

Have you ever loved something so much, you let it take over your whole life? It’s a tricky balance: to be really great at something, you need to devote a ton of energy to it. But if you do too much, you burn yourself out. Where do you draw the line?

Image by Rennett Stowe via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.

When to give up

[ 2 ] September 7, 2011

Sometimes you just want to give up. The question is, should you?