Perhaps instead of a paper airplane, our logo should feature an octopus. Apparently, they are fantastic Escape Artists. My friend Sara, an Escape Artist in her own right, recently shared an article about a daring nighttime escape from a New Zealand Aquarium by an octopus named Inky. After busting through an enclosure, the nimble contortionist appears to have quietly crossed the floor, slithered through a narrow drain hole about six inches in diameter and jumped into the sea. Then he disappeared. Pretty neat story, but I’m interested in Blotchy. Mentioned only once in the article, …
Archives for April 2016
Sara Gast, April 2016 Adultitis Fighter of the Month
An Adultitis Fighter is someone who rallies against rules that don't exist and engages in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. Once a month, we shine a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against a formidable enemy. We selected Sara Gast as this month's Fighter, because she is a tremendous example of how to stage a comeback against Adultitis. By her own admission, it snuck up on her and had a hand in some rough times in her life. …
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What Kids Know About Productivity That You Don’t
Don’t be fooled by their bed heads and their gnat-sized attention spans; kids may seem to be the epitome of UNproductivity, but they can teach us a lot about how to do stuff that matters. plan If you wanna get stuff done, you gotta know what stuff you wanna get done. Simple, right? There are all sorts of strategies and systems for planning, but it's hard to beat a good old fashioned list. I have one big list of things I’d like to get done eventually. At the end of each week, I pull from that to create another list of things I’d like to accomplish next week. And every night before I go …
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First Descents: Helping People Outlive Cancer and Outwit Adultitis
Cancer is just the worst. But what if it was also an opportunity and an invitation to live a life you've only imagined? First Descents provides life-changing outdoor adventures for young adults (age 18-39) who are fighting and surviving cancer. Participants are empowered to climb, paddle and surf beyond their diagnosis, defy their cancer, reclaim their lives and connect with others doing the same. During the First Descents experience, young adult survivors and fighters are empowered through conquering legitimate outdoor challenges to push their limits and face their fears, and by …
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15 Ways to Make Mealtime More Fun
Throughout human history, sharing a meal has been one of the most important ways to bond with one another. In fact, instituting regularly scheduled dinners is one of the most important things a family can do for the health and happiness of their children. Seriously, it's a big deal to kids. But routines do have a nasty habit of becoming...routine. We put together a free Escape Adulthood Guide with some heaping portions of simple, inexpensive ideas for making mealtime more fun and keeping Adultitis out of the kitchen. You can download it here. Enjoy! …
When You Feel Lost, Try This First
One reason I love tinkering so much is because it's the perfect escape hatch for people who are lost or overwhelmed. Maybe you've been climbing the corporate ladder only to recently realize that you're stuck on the wrong one. Maybe you're in a relationship that has devolved into such a toxic stew that you could never imagine it becoming healthy again. Maybe your life has gone in a completely different direction than you hoped it would when you were 18. First, don’t panic. Tinker. Experiment. Take one tiny step, and see where it leads. You may not know all the steps that you …
How Hidden Warriors is Helping in the Fight Against Cancer
I'm so excited about the new t-shirts that have made their way to the Lemonade Stand. The goal was to smack cancer upside the head with a one-two punch. The first jab was to create a fun but inspiring design that gives a bit of hope not just to people diagnosed with cancer, but also for the scientists, doctors, nurses, clinic managers, and caregivers (along with the support system of family and friends) who are in on the fight, too. Because no one fights cancer alone. The second thing we wanted to do was support different cancer-fighting charities who are doing important work. So we're …
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What Retiring Executives Regret Most
Jared is a civil engineer. Many of the head honchos at his firm are nearing retirement. While that fast-tracks his goal of becoming partner, it also threatens the long term health of the firm by leaving a void of knowledge and wisdom that only years of experience can provide. Wisely, Jared has taken it upon himself to interview these individuals before they sail off into the sunset. One of the things he asks them is what they would have done differently, if given the chance. He told me that their answers are one of the following: Take better care of my body. Have more …