With all the love we’ve been dishing out lately for Apple/Steve Jobs/Mac I need to take a moment to give a big ups to the fine folks at.. GASP - Microsoft!  No, really.

I’m in the final stages of completing my first 4HWW muse (it’s an eBook).  Up until two days ago, I’d been writing and […]

Every morning as I’m getting out of bed, I see the sun slowly rising, shining its amber hued rays into my window.  I make my bed, put on my bathrobe, and head to my office area.  Before the instant message windows fly open or the email alerts ring, I get to work.  And it’s the […]

Being rather new to the self improvement / personal productivity realm, I’m quickly recognizing some of my limitations. A good example is with regards to Greg’s recent piece on keeping a to-do list of needs & wants.
This is an excellent technique for defining differences between these two equally important elements of life.
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My problem is […]

Back in December, UM fan and friend Jess wrote a great review of online telephone number-juggler Grand Central.  I was hesitant at first, but finally set myself up.
(There is a short wait to get a number, as they’re in ‘beta’.  I think it took about a week to receive mine). 
Being that they haven’t yet integrated […]

For the last two weeks I’ve been talking about getting what you really want by resisting urges and collecting desires.  Today I’m going to share the todo list that I’ve been using to make sure the necessities get taken care of as well.  Instead of creating a simple todo list, I have a file that […]

At my very first job I remember my boss advising me that I would be wise to learn how to do more than one thing at a time.  This advise, like many other ideas passed down upon my youthful ears, I absorbed without question.  Now, I do the opposite, and I get more done.  With […]

Some days my time slips away from me as I let my wandering mind lead me from one activity to the next.  Sitting idly in front of the computer or lazing in front of the TV, an urge comes and I follow it to the kitchen for a snack.  Later in the evening when pondering […]

One of the best things about upgrading to a Mac (hopefully within a month or so!) will be the seamless upgrade of iTunes when new versions are released.  There have been SEVERAL window’s iTunes updates that have practically crashed my computer, given me general heart failure, and sent me scrambling to roll back.  This sometimes […]

With just a few days left in New Orleans, my temporary land lord moved us out from one house to another just down the block.  The quick uprooting and added stress started me thinking on the basic human needs and the consequences of not maintaining them.  This then brought up memories of learning about Maslow’s […]

Knowing that the majority of our readers pull paychecks from some sort of IT related work, I’m curious: are you primarily working from home / remote or at the office? 
The future of all tech work is so obviously in the comfort of a remote work arrangement.  The benefits on both sides (employee: comfort, no commute, […]

I used to be a snooze fiend. Again and again I’d hit the pause button on my alarm, sometimes tacking on 45 minutes to my nightly sleep. Two things have rescued me from this unproductive habit; first, a return to using my beloved Axbo Sleep Phase Alarm Clock and second, implementing the “15 […]

For a while I had a friend in my life who was a nutritionist. I often quizzed her on healthy food choices and inquired about her interactions with her clients. One thing she told me surprised me and has stayed with me since. It went something like this.
“Greg, the people who come […]

Earlier this year I started getting up at 6:30am.  I gave this pattern a 30-day trial and at the end found the behavior added value to my life.  I thought it would be a good idea to keep trying different habits, one a month, for the rest of the year.  At the end of the […]

The hard thing about altering behavioral patterns is that the mind adheres to a consistent daily sequence.  When most everything stays the same, the normal system resists when just a few patterns change.  It’s slow hard work that most recommend you need many repeated days before change crystallizes.  However, if everything changes then the resistance […]

I’ll readily ask a friend to grab a drink, meet some girls, or go out for a weekend in Vegas.  However, until recently,  I was hesitant to ask if they wanted to join me in a goal.  Since I’ve done this though, I’m not looking back.
It started simple enough with a friend of mine telling […]

For the past week I’ve been keeping a video diary. Every morning I turn on my computer, open my webcam software, and record about 2 minutes of myself entailing my plans for the day and reflect upon yesterdays experiences. It’s been helpful in identifying patterns in my life that need improvement, but the […]

For the past week I’ve been head in to a new diet and exercise regime.  Part of the program is to take one day off a week to eat whatever I want.  After enjoying a deliciously large slice of new york style pizza, I started thinking about the falls I usually take when making changes […]

Last week I got an email from a good friend listing his five strengths and what they meant.
Hey guys, I want to pass along something I found reading psychology research that’s really cool.
It’s an online assessment that gives your top 5 personality strengths along with suggestions of how to use them better. It’s backed and […]

Today I am introducing a new feature here on Urban Monarch, a column on being productive and getting what you want out of life. Being someone who constantly manages many projects (like what you’re reading right now), self employment, lengthy vacations, and a relentless social life, organization is at the core of my every […]