How To Avoid Living The "Groundhog Week"

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How To Avoid Living The "Groundhog Week"

I just helped a fellow blogger with a significant project of his. I learned about it on Friday and, based on the tight timeline, I knew that it was this weekend or that it wouldn't get done. So, rather unexpectedly, this past long weekend (Victoria Day weekend in Canada) went from spending time in the garden to spending time at the computer reading and commenting on his significant project.

And it was worth it, because 1. I wanted to do it, knowing I'd find it rewarding and 2. I don't find weekends much different from weekdays (which I realize isn't the norm).

The weekly grind for most goes something like this...

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The Hidden Costs of Convenience

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The Hidden Costs of Convenience

Have you heard or intuited these messages? “Life is hard.” “Things take too long.” “Time is money.” “Others have an easy life, why can’t you?” “You deserve to take it easy.” "Don't worry, someone can do it for you." “There’s an easier way to do this.” “You need help. Here’s the solution.” “This will make you [happier, sexier, cool, successful].”

I bet you have. Probably daily.

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Are Those Golden Handcuffs On Too Tight?

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Are Those Golden Handcuffs On Too Tight?

You are an economic unit. You know your job is to maximize the resources you have at your disposal to lead the best life you can lead. And you are doing exactly that: you have a good job with a good company and you only have 10 more years before you get to retire at age 55 with a good company pension. Sounds pretty great, right? Tons of people would envy your position. You're set! 

So what's the problem?!

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Do I Know Who I Am? Can Anyone Really Answer That Question?

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Do I Know Who I Am? Can Anyone Really Answer That Question?

Reflections from three years living a financially-independent lifestyle.

It’s now been three years since I walked away from my job in corporate Canada. I find it surprising that it feels like it’s been so long and yet still feels so new. 

I initially called the move away from demanding salaried work a financial-independence leap—which it was—but I think that definition missed the point. Living with the means to do what we want—thanks to having a lifestyle that’s in line with our means—is more than just about being able to pay our bills and pay for the activities we want to engage in. For me it’s about being able to reclaim—rediscover even—who I am, only I didn’t know it at the time. 

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Sabbaticals for the Rest of Us - Lessons from My 4-month Leave

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Sabbaticals for the Rest of Us - Lessons from My 4-month Leave

Sabbaticals are traditionally a time of paid leave for academics to travel or work on projects that would not be possible to focus on during a given academic year. The structure of the academic sabbatical is often for these professionals to take such a leave every seventh year*, with both the word and its frequency having roots with the word "sabbath". 

These rejuvenation periods are a unique opportunity to take a step back from the daily grind. Universities understood the benefit for an individual to have a chance to think, discover and experience a different perspective. After all, they employed thinking professionals.

Given our thought economy, doesn't it make sense to expand the use of sabbaticals? 

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Are You Not Entertained?

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Are You Not Entertained?

Is the Hunger Games Series a Caricature of Our World?

I’ve enjoyed watching the The Hunger Games film series. It includes all the usual exciting exploits and special effects that make today’s action and adventure movies entertaining and immersive. Though the package is all it promises to be, it’s the underlying theme of a society that’s lost its values and direction that I find fascinating. 

When we take a moment to consider it, the parallels between it and our current reality are, at best, unsettling.

What does the series and our world have in common?

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The Freedom To Get Real

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The Freedom To Get Real

It started in my late teens. I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me that I didn’t have to follow the rules as scripted. I went to school, then university, worked in my family’s small business and tried to ignore my gut. I enjoyed school and work but, again, that nagging feeling was there. I just kept getting better at suppressing it by becoming an adrenaline junky off hours.

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Do You Have A Minute? Ten Tips To Help Us Reclaim Our Schedule

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Do You Have A Minute? Ten Tips To Help Us Reclaim Our Schedule

Anyone who says that a minute is a minute, no matter how you spend it is dead wrong. What you schedule in your day has a profound impact on how you feel, and in turn, how productive you are. The greater the time constraints we face on a daily basis, the more fragmented and scattered we are. That’s why we need to consider the drivers that affect our schedule.

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