“Work done by other people sounds easy. How hard can it be to take care of a newborn who sleeps 20 hours a day? How hard can it be to keep track of your billable hours? To travel for one night for business? To get a 4-year-old ready for school? To return a few phone calls? To load the dishwasher? To fill out some forms?”
“Remember that although the distinction can be difficult to draw, loneliness and solitude are different.”
“The more I examine the issue of clutter, the more effort I put into combating it, because it really does act as a weight.”
“One major challenge within happiness is loneliness. The more I've learned about happiness, the more I've come to believe that loneliness is a terrible, common, and important obstacle to consider.”
“Getting paperwork under control makes me feel more in control of my life generally.”
“Give warm greetings and farewells. I was surprised by how much this resolution changed the atmosphere of my home.”
“When we don't get any treats, we feel depleted, resentful, and angry, and we feel justified in self-indulgence. We start to crave comfort - and grab that comfort wherever we can, even if it means breaking good habits.”
“I get such a buzz out of cleaning closets.”
“Putting myself into categories is fun, and I think it also gives me insight into my own nature. When I see myself more clearly, I can more easily see ways that I might do things differently, to make myself happier. Categories can be unhelpful, however, when they become too all-defining, or when they become an excuse.”
“Embrace good smells. No cost, no calories, no energy, no time - a quick hit of pleasure.”