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I’ve cribbed some of my favorite resolutions from other people, and when a thoughtful reader posted that one of her resolutions is to “Clean while I cook,” I immediately decided to adopt that for my own. “Clean while I cook” isn’t just about cooking, of course. It’s about cleaning up after myself along the way, instead of letting clutter and …
In crime-fighting, the “broken windows theory” holds that signs of vandalism and petty crime foster more crime and anti-social behavior; fix problems like broken windows, graffiti, or trash when they’re small, and people will behave better and remain in their neighborhoods. This theory is controversial, but whether or not it’s true in a municipal context, I’ve been trying to apply …
This morning, my older daughter and I went to the post office to apply for her passport. I’d been dreading this trip for days. Every task associated with it filled me with anxiety — but nothing ended up being as hard as I expected. And as we walked out of the post office, I felt a giant surge of energy, …
2011 Happiness Challenge: For those of you following the 2011 Happiness Project Challenge, to make 2011 a happier year — and even if you haven’t officially signed up for the challenge — welcome! This month’s theme is Time. Last week’s resolution was to Re-evaluate your mantras. Did you try that resolution? Did it boost your happiness? This week’s resolution is …
I just got back from a very nice week’s vacation. While I was away, I tried an experiment on myself, which turned out very successfully. I’d been intrigued by studies suggesting that interrupting a pleasant experience with something less pleasant can intensify a person’s overall pleasure. For example, surprisingly, commercials actually make TV-watching more fun. Interrupting a massage heightens the …
