Why Do We Procrastinate And How Can We Beat The Urge?

Ever find yourself eagerly logging your expenses, or clearing the furthest reaches of your inbox while contemplating whether you’ll ever find the will to finish that report, crunch those numbers or fix that problem? You’re not alone. Procrastination, which often means doing low-value tasks to avoid difficult, more important ones–or else doing things we enjoy rather than things we don’t–is all too common. One theory is that it’s hyperbolic discounting in action: the tendency to choose smaller rewards now over larger rewards later. This concept is normally applied to economics (do you want $10 today or $50 in five months’ time), but it applies here too because, by replacing important tasks with easy admin, we’re getting a really bad value exchange in return for a brief burst of satisfaction. And for entrepreneurs, who ought to be solely focused on the jobs that are important and urgent, it’s a false efficiency. …

Why Do We Procrastinate And How Can We Beat The Urge? Read More »

What Is Resilience?

Resilience, the ability to adapt, tolerate stress, and bounce from failure and adversity, is an invaluable inner strength and a crucial determinant of ultimate success. The strength of resilience can transform inevitable life struggles into opportunities for growth. Even though this strength can be honed throughout adulthood, intentionally cultivating resilience from a young age elevates children’s moods, and protects them from adversity by increasing their stress tolerance and reframing how they view obstacles. Emotion regulation, the ability to identify feelings and manage them appropriately, is the first step in building resilience. Switching schools and having difficulty making friends can affect some children so much that it rocks their whole family’s lives. Without proper instruction, young children cannot determine whether a situation calls for a big or small emotion. curaJOY’s evidence-based training programs instruct your child on the life skills and emotional intelligence needed to succeed beyond the classroom.

How Pursuing a Quest Can Bring Purpose to Your Life

In 2002, I walked into a cafe, laptop in hand, to begin a grand adventure. My adventure did not involve swords, dragons, or golden cups; it didn’t require me to hike the Appalachian trail or steer a boat solo across the world. All I had to do was sip a cappuccino and tap away at my keyboard. After years of detour as a corporate lawyer, I was finally allowing myself to reach that mythical state of being I’d dreamed of since age four: becoming “a writer.” Believe me when I tell you that I had no idea I would ever publish a best-selling book. My goal was simply to publish something— anything —by age seventy-five. That took the pressure off and put me in a state of near constant flow, and occasional bliss. I wrote a play, a memoir, poetry, and half a novel. After three years, I started writing …

How Pursuing a Quest Can Bring Purpose to Your Life Read More »

Why ‘Social and Emotional Learning’ Is So Important for Kids Right Now

“Emotional intelligence” and “social and emotional learning” are terms parents may hear bandied about by teachers and education leaders. And as kids throughout the country muddle through schooling during a pandemic, honing these skills is especially important, experts say. But if you only have a vague idea of what emotional intelligence (EI) and social and emotional learning (SEL) mean and why they matter, you’re not alone. Put simply, EI is the ability to identify and manage your emotions and the emotions of others. SEL refers to a process in which children acquire emotional intelligence, develop empathy for others, and learn problem-solving skills. Before the pandemic, SEL was gaining traction in schools, especially as research has shown that students who manage their emotions perform better academically and have fewer disciplinary issues. Now, as COVID-19 continues and many schools are employing all or partially remote formats, the philosophies associated with SEL are …

Why ‘Social and Emotional Learning’ Is So Important for Kids Right Now Read More »

self

{{trans('Upload video')}}