Thursday Thoughts: Theme Song

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To read a bit about my adventure and gain some focus for yours, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, contact Dawn to arrange for a live book release cabaret with your organization in August, 2012.

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Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Thursday Thoughts from Laura Ingalls Wilder

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To read a bit about my adventure and gain some focus for yours, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, contact Dawn to arrange for a live book release cabaret with your organization in August, 2012.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Tuesday Travel Tip: Do Things in Batches

{Photo found (where else?) via Pinterest}

When you bake, you generally don't make just one cookie, brownie or cupcake. You make a batch. Why? Well, the obvious reason is that you'll want more than one cookie, plus a few to share. Another reason is economy of action. If you're going to gather the supplies, mix, bake, and decorate one, you may as well do a bunch of them. Voila! A batch.

This concept translates easily into other foods. I know many people who cook their main dishes once a month, freeze them, and then heat as needed.

What about other tasks? I have found a great freedom in doing other things in batches, especially things related to work. Here are some examples of things that go well in batches:

• Answer or delete emails in a batch instead of taking attention away from what I'm doing the moment the email comes in.
• Write blog posts, eCourses, presentations and other creative outputs all at once while I am in a thoughtful zone. 
• Read complicated or deep publications without interruption.

I'm sure you have examples in your own life. When we attempt to move quickly from one type of task to another, we spend too much time reorienting ourselves and getting back in the flow of it. By doing things all at once, we have a greater ability to work ahead, be strategic, and be more efficient with our tasks.

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To read a curated collection of posts from this blog, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase!

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Monday Musing: Preparing for a Big Transition

{Photo credit: schatzskindergarten.blogspot.com}

A friend of mine brought her 5-year-old to kindergarten round up, and then posted this status on Facebook:

Jake's comments from Kindergarten Round-up this morning: "I LOVE this school. When are you going to leave so I can learn?" "I really like my best friend I met. I don't know his name, but he's my best friend." "They gave me a book! We better read it tonight 'cause I gotta do my homework." Whew, I think he'll handle the transition well!

This 5-year-old instinctively knows how to embrace the next big stage of his life.

1. "I LOVE this school." Embraced the institution. If you have to go there every day anyway, why not love it?
2. "When are you going to leave ..." We often must have a temporary separation from our loved ones in order to enter new situations alone to join others who share our role or life stage. 
3. " ... so I can learn?" We have a certain task to do, and we must be clear on what that is.
4. "I really like my best friend I met. I don't know his name, but he's my best friend." Make a friend to share the experience. Study after study shows that people who have a best friend at work are more likely to stay in the position. This probably applies to any new situation.
5. "They gave me a book!" Whatever they offer, be open and accept the gift.
6. "We better read it tonight 'cause I gotta do my homework." Be prepared for your new experience and follow through on your commitment.

Good luck with kindergarten, Jake! Let us know when you learn your best friend's name.

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To read a curated collection of posts from this blog, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase!

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Thursday Thoughts: Dear Younger Me

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To read how I have gotten better with age and created a life of purpose and passion, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase!

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

Tuesday Travel Tip: The Garbage Bin

{My newest bag}

Every time I get a new bag, I designate a garbage bin within the bag. This is where I stuff wrappers, Kleenex and anything else that I will want to throw away as I am on the go. It is not always convenient to throw something small away while I am on the go, and littering is certainly not an option, so I stuff it into my garbage bin within my bag. This keeps the garbage away from my other, non-garbage things. Also, by designating the garbage bin, when it is empty I don't put something else important in there, running the risk of getting it covered in crumbs.

I like to give everything a designated space, even the things that I intend to throw away.

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To read a curated collection of posts from this blog plus the story of how I became an Urban Nomad, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret in New York City tonight, May 8, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization in August, 2012.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.

A Life of Purpose and Passion: Misconception #5

{Photo found via Pinterest}

I am doing a series on the top five misconceptions about a life of purpose and passion. You can see the previous posts here.

Misconception #5: Passion is for other people.

We all love passion - in other people. We love the story of the local hero or the teacher who made a difference. We marvel at the superior athlete or artist. We watch movies for that moment when the character truly commits to a person or idea and goes after what they want.

We just think passion is for other people. We tell ourselves, "I'm too old/young/short/tall/fat/thin/smart/unsmart/fill-in-the-blank." Worse yet, we never even consider a life of purpose and passion for ourselves, passively watching others lives their lives and just letting things happen to us however they may.

As it says on the bottom of every page of my website,

"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." - Frederick Buechner

Passion can be a positive, selfless way of life for people of all ages, sizes, types and personalities.

What the world needs is you, living out your purpose and passion.

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To read more about purpose and passion, check out my new book, "Urban Nomad USA: Travel Sized Life Coaching for Journeys of All Sorts" now available for purchase! Better yet, get a signed copy at the book release cabaret in New York City tomorrow, May 8, or contact Dawn to do the cabaret with your organization this fall.

Don't miss another blog post! Sign up on my website to have them delivered by email or become a fan of Urban Nomad on Facebook to see them in your news feed.

Do you know an intelligent, creative, spiritually-minded person who might be interested in this blog post? Please forward it in its entirety, compliments of Dawn Trautman, Urban Nomad. Copyright, 2012.