VA Newsday

Our culture celebrates workaholism. We hear stories of people who “burn the mid-night oil” at the office, or about individuals who never take vacations. Working a lot doesn’t mean you deserve a gold star or a raise.

Take action to create the work you want.

For a long time, I focused on starting big projects. And for a long time, I had a hard time finishing any of them. Sometimes I got overwhelmed, other times I just looked at the faraway goal and thought: what comes next? How do I know which step is the right one?

Most people reading this will have a to-do program, or a paper list or text file, listing not only projects and tasks but separate lists for home and work and possibly half a dozen different contexts.

Every few minutes, more communications are being sent your way. Emails, text messages, voice mails, instant messages, twitter messages, facebook posts…and the list goes on. Your human response? You simply try to stay afloat. You peck away at the latest communications at the top of your many inboxes. [...]

Leo doing minimalist work. Photo courtesy of Norman Taruc.

Now that there’s only a few hours left in 2008, check out these 5 inspirational new year blog posts – they are sure to provide motivation and food for thought for your 2009 fresh start… enjoy!

• AFFORMATIONS: Better Than Affirmations?