1. Start the day with an early morning energizing walk. 2. Sleep under the stars. 3. Turn your cell phone off on the evenings and weekends. 4. Find water and sit by it. (It’s that simple.) 5. Dine outside at the local eatery. 6. Walk barefoot in the grass. 7. Send a card or write a letter to a friend (not an email). 8. Go for ice cream after dinner. 9. Invite your colleagues to an impromptu lunch in the grass. 10. Go fishing. …
Archives for June 2007
You Are in Perpetual Beta Mode
The other day, Steve Rubel offered up the concept of life being a perpetual beta. For those of you non-tech nerds out there, "beta" is a concept used in the software industry to label the first version of a program to be released outside the organization or community that develops the software, for the purposes of evaluation and testing. (from Wikipedia) Simply put, if it's in beta mode, it ain't perfect. Life is in perpetual beta. What a great reminder to us all, especially those of us who struggle with the Adultitis-driven tendency to 1) consider ourselves perfect, 2) strive to be …
This Friday…
This Friday, Kim and I will be on a panel at the Citizen Blogging Summit in Milwaukee, hosted at the WTMJ studios. There are three different panels; we'll be talking about...blogging and stuff. We're looking forward to it. It's free to come to the event, so if you're near Milwaukee, check out the details here.In other news, my friend Scott Ginsberg (you may remember reading our interview with him in the Escape Adulthood magazine) is going to be on 20/20 this Friday evening on ABC at 10pm EST. The episode is about people who create their own luck. Lemme tell ya, this guy is living proof that …
How to Mess Up Your Vacation
Grown-ups don't do vacations very well. They try to jam as much into it as inhumanly possible and miss the whole point. They plan too much, expect perfection and relax...not at all. Have you ever returned from vacation feeling more tired than the day you left? Join the club. Yet another thing adults could learn from kids. …
A Time and Place for Everything
Today I had a very ironic experience. Jason and I hosted my parents this weekend. The weather was just gorgeous, so we decided a lunch down at The Pier would be great. It's a restaurant connected to The Edgewater hotel in Madison. The tables are right on the pier of Lake Mendota, Madison's largest lake. It was one of those days when you just soak in everything- the sunshine, the breeze, the conversation, the jumping fish, the ducks, the kayakers and even the families nearby (more on that soon...). As we sat under the blue and white umbrella and decided what we wanted for lunch, my mom …
Happy Father’s Day, Darth Vader
Just think how the Star Wars saga might have turned out if someone had given Darth Vader the book, "The Art of Parenting Twins?" Mark Anderson noticed Amazon.com having a little fun recently with a Father's Day quiz. They're asking visitors who their favorite dad is (besides their own.) The best part is the product recommendations you get based on your choice. …
Pro Choice
I wrote a post last August that continues to get a lot of attention and reader feedback. It's all about the phenomenon of people settling for unrewarding careers and jobs. I listed a bunch of reasons -- I call them excuses -- that people give for this interesting but overwhelmingly common condition. I proposed the idea that no one has to settle for an unrewarding, passionless work life. Not surprisingly, I was accused of being unrealistic and -- gasp -- idealistic! I normally loathe being called idealistic. Depending on the source, I consider it an insult, because normally when someone …
Escape Plan TV #4: Northern California
In this episode of Escape Plan TV, filmed in various locations throughout Northern California, Kim and Jason demonstrate several fun and exciting ways to annihilate the Adultitis in your life. The ideas are all based on the world-famous Escape Plan. So here's what happens in this installment of Escape Plan TV: The duo walks across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, visits the Charles Schulz museum, and stops to say hi to some cows on the way to the Point Reyes lighthouse. Featuring music by Ethan Elkind. …
What Business Are You In?
I spend a lot of time harping on the difference between being childlike and childish (and of course, anyone with a husband knows the difference.) We here are all about being childlike. (We're all good with arranging a few action figures on your desk; being 40 years-old with no job and still living with your mom so you can spend more time building your Lego town...not so much.) My buddy Scott Ginsberg (see our interview with him in our new magazine) has done a fabulous job of breaking it all down. Besides the great work showing the real-world business benefits of being childlike, here's my …
May Photo Contest Winner
Jim and Marilyn Schoberg won this month's Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand Photo Contest (for an unprecedented third time!) The theme was bubbles, and their photo had more than a few. It's a classic, to say the least. This month's theme is "Sand." Why not throw your hat into the ring -- you could win $20 gift certificate to the Lemonade Stand and have your photo featured on the home page! Details for entry here. …