The choices you make now can impact you for years … so choose wisely. I think I was in my late 20’s when someone I looked up to as an authority told me: “You have choices.” At the time, I didn’t want to hear it, because I thought she was hinting at a decision she…
A few years ago, when I learned about Masterpiece Theatre’s program “All Creatures Great and Small” – based on the trilogy written by James Herriot back in the 1970s, I quickly signed up for a monthly subscription to PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) … through my local public television station (KVIE). (I’d read the first book…
Checklists can help you stay on top of updating your content regularly. If you’re like me, you’ve probably been frustrated by clicking a link on a web page or in an article that takes you nowhere (other than a 404 page that lets you know there’s something wrong with the link you just clicked). Making…
In mid-January 2020, I finally replaced my previous Lenovo laptop (a ThinkPad) with a new one – a Lenovo Yoga C740. The Yoga introduced me to Windows 10. (Windows 7 was no longer supported by Microsoft, which was the main reason I upgraded to a new model.) Fast-forward 3 months, when the main way to…
Looking at obstacles from a different angle is often the first step to take. Actually, I don’t think there really is just ONE key to overcoming the obstacles all of us face from time to time. Other than the idea that we can’t give up! But since it takes a lot to keep going in…
When I first started sending out my PREVIOUS email newsletter (The Write Stuff) in 2009, the email marketing platform I chose to use was Constant Contact. I loved the large selection of templates they offered! A month before starting my current newsletter (Get Creative!) in April 2023, I made the decision to – once again…
Writing letters is just one of MANY ways to stay in touch! I got in the habit of writing letters when I was young. I’m not sure how old I was when my mom started sitting us down within a week or two after Christmas, telling us we needed to send thank-you cards to everyone…
It wasn’t until early 2023 that it occurred to me to get a desk lamp for my office. Up until then, whenever I got on a Zoom call, I was at the mercy of the weather … and the amount of light that happened to be streaming into the bedroom that day. (Our bedroom window…
This method helps you see patterns, plan projects, and figure out priorities. It was early 1988 when I first learned about “clustering” – a method that (among other things) helps writers overcome writer’s block. Before you jump to the conclusion that “clustering” isn’t something that would benefit you if you’re not a writer, I want…
I first started appreciating having a calendar with a photo to look at while working as a reporter at a small weekly newspaper. The “office” that the other reporters and myself sat in was more like a hallway between the publisher’s office and the front office – no privacy and very noisy. But above my…