Life Is in the Transitions by Bruce Feiler: Book Overview & Advice

A cartoon depiction of a sad girl reading a book on a couch with plants near her

How can you cope when life throws unexpected changes your way? What are the different types of life changes? Why should you let go of your dream of living a “linear life”? For his book Life Is in the Transitions, Bruce Feiler traveled around the US, interviewing hundreds of people about the ups and downs of their life stories. He argues that although popular wisdom tells you to expect one major midlife crisis, most people actually face dozens of life-changing events. Here’s an overview of Feiler’s book, along with tips for overcoming what life throws at you.

4 Ways to Tap Into Your Creativity (Bruce Feiler)

A woman sitting on a couch who is tapping into her creativity by crocheting a blanket

Why is creativity therapeutic? How can you be more creative? Navigating life changes can be difficult, but in Life Is in the Transitions, Bruce Feiler argues that you can make it easier by approaching it intentionally and proactively. One of the methods he proposes for adapting to life changes is tapping into your creativity. Continue reading to learn how you can become more creative.

Your Annual Goal: 4 Steps to Reaching It One Day at a Time

a man sitting at a desk, drinking coffee, and writing in a planner illustrates setting and achieving an annual goal

Do you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, never quite reaching your goals? Where do you want your life to be a year from now? In Buy Back Your Time, Dan Martell offers a practical approach that can help you set and achieve an annual goal. He outlines a step-by-step process to clarify your vision, create an actionable plan, and align your goals with reality. Read on to learn how to make this next year your most successful yet.

Wired to Create by Gregoire and Kaufman: Book Overview

A young woman wearing overalls in an art studio reading a book

How is creativity defined? What are the most common creative characteristics? What can you do to boost your creativity? According to Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire in Wired to Create, creativity isn’t a characteristic itself, but rather the effect of a collection of different characteristics. By encompassing the 10 characteristics, you can maximize your creative potential. Keep reading to learn what the 10 characteristics are in our overview of Wired to Create.

The Top 10 Characteristics of Creative People

A person jumping out of a plane to go skydiving, displaying a creative characteristic

What are the most common characteristics of creative people? Is there truth to the lonely artist trope? Why should creatives try new experiences? In their book Wired to Create, Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire say that creatives possess 10 characteristics that encompass these traits and result in their heightened creativity. By embracing these characteristics, you too can maximize your creative potential. Continue reading to learn about each characteristic.

Creative Resilience: How Creatives Turn Adversity Into Art

A sad man with his head in his hands in an art studio, displaying creative resilience

What is creative resilience? Is the trope of the tortured artist real? Why is growth after trauma so important? We’ve all heard of the “tortured artist” trope, but as it turns out, there’s some truth to the phrase. According to Wired to Create, an important characteristic of creatives is the ability to turn their trauma into art. Continue reading to learn how suffering can be meaningful.

What Is the Real Meaning of Procrastination?

A woman working at a computer with emotions in thought bubbles, representing the real meaning of procrastination

What’s the real meaning of procrastination? What are some common misconceptions about procrastination? In Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, Timothy A. Pychyl explains what procrastination is and what procrastination isn’t. More specifically, he addresses the idea that we procrastinate because we’re bad at managing our time. Keep reading to learn why procrastination originates from unregulated emotions, not bad time management.

Procrastination and Time Management: Why We Put Things Off

A man ignoring his chores with a clock behind him, representing the correlation between procrastination and time management

How are procrastination and time management related? Why do people underestimate how long it takes to complete a task? One reason why we procrastinate is that we have trouble with planning. Figuring out how to accomplish everything on your to-do list requires planning, but most of us aren’t very good at these kinds of plans. Learn how bad planning and poor time management puts you on a direct path to procrastination.

Procrastination & Emotional Regulation: The Unexpected Link

A stressed person ignoring work and experiencing the connection between procrastination and emotional regulation.

How do your emotions cause you to procrastinate? What happens when you avoid negative emotions, rather than confront them? Timothy A. Pychyl says that procrastination results from a failure of the cognitive capacity psychologists call emotion regulation. This is the ability to manage your emotions, attention, and behavior so you can work toward your goals or act according to your values. Continue reading to learn why procrastination and emotional regulation are more commonly related than you might think.