Just as not having enough of a clearly defined system can be the quickest path to chaos, having an overly complicated system can similarly derail even the best intentions. I once knew a woman who operated a clothing resale business. To keep track of her ever-growing inventory, she instituted a system wherein every garment received a bag, which was tagged with a code number, which went onto a particular shelf. Now, if hers was a ...

The holiday hosting season is now un-officially officially underway. Dinner parties will be held and tablecloths will be unfurled and guest room closets will be emptied (or pushed to one corner). And lovely, well-meaning guests will show up NOT empty-handed. They'll come bearing candles that their hosts can't stand the smell of, and platters that their hosts wouldn't, and didn't, select for themselves. They'll bring beautifully wrapped bundles of hand soap and lotion, of specialty ...

There are two common hurdles that stand between people and the changes they yearn for in their lives: time and money. That it will take a not insignificant investment of time and money to achieve one's desired results can be a tough pill to swallow. Ours is a culture that prefers shortcuts to hard work and band aid fixes over sustainable solutions. And there is an endless content supply available to us touting and tutorial-izing ...

During a recent conversation with my very best friend, I mentioned that I have a practice of reframing those things which might originally present as problems, hassles, and headaches as gratitude prompts. I say “practice” because a 100% success rate remains a goal--I'm not Gandhi over here, just Annie. There are plenty of times where I neglect to do this, and feel quite content to complain about the lack of water pressure in my shower, ...

Despite my best efforts to allay seasonal anxiety, it's inevitable that people's focus turns towards the holidays, and all things related to them. Speaking of which, I have had not one, not two, but several clients and followers lament to me about the jenky, pitiful state of their gift wrap lately. I believe it, because I see it. And I believe, too, that getting a present wrapped can and ought to be the easiest, most ...