The Smart Plan

31/05/2021

One of the best articles I've read about dealing with failure and building confidence.

Have a great week friends!

Mark Manson explains how to break free from the ‘confidence conundrum’

27/04/2021

The great Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, wrote: “Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquility. Ask yourself at every moment, ‘Is this necessary?’”
Especially during the pandemic we all had to change our old routines and come up with new ones.
Whatever is included in your daily plan, do you question it? Are there things that take mental or emotional space without giving you something back? Do you know what's important and what seems urgent but isn't?

23/04/2021

Hello friends,
I struggle each time I talk with men about feminism and womxn's rights. Here are some thoughts I wrote down and I'd like to share them with you.
Tell me how do you handle discussions with men each time the opportunity rises to talk about these issues?

Every 8th of March, we celebrate the International Women’s Day and all the social media feeds and lifestyle platforms are full with feminist articles aiming to empower women. To show the world that women are able to fill leadership roles, to found successful startups, to raise awareness through th...

22/04/2021

That thing you know you need to do, but are postponing?
✨ Start your day with it✨
It's the ultimate act of productivity.

21/04/2021

"We’re supposed to feel like we should do more and do more and compete and do the best and win. If you’re lucky enough to be like, “Okay, so I don’t have to do that,” then also try to be like, “What’s going to fill my heart? What’s going to really actually give me the opportunity to ask my deepest questions?”

Poet and professor Ross Gay discusses the connection between writing and rollerskating, his past life as an aspiring professional football player, pursuing playfulness over professionalism, and not taking yourself too seriously.

31/03/2021

Reminder ✨Your current job title doesn't define who you are✨
You are who you are wherever you go, whatever you do.

26/03/2021

The more the air smells like Spring, the closer I get to a Greek summer state of mind🌟🇬🇷
A couple of months ago in the midst of the grey German winter I decided to plan a trip to Greece.
I can't wait to swim in the sea and smell the salty air, to reunite with friends and family, to taste cold watermelon in a hot summer day🍉
Although planning anything during the pandemic feels like a long shot, making some specific arrangements to take a conscious break in the future can be super powerful for your productivity and your well being in the present moment.
A 2014 Cornell University study delved into how the anticipation of an experience like travelling, can increase a person’s happiness substantially (check the link in Bio to read the study).
In the comments below tell me if you have vacation plans, and how you feel about it🌊

13/03/2021

In Berlin they're cutting people some slack with the pandemic measures! No one knows if this the right thing to do, or how long it'll last.
What I know thought is that I'll finally have more time to catch up on my reading 📖
Τhis pile is what I'm up to. A mix of books about interactive design, problem solving, coaching, parenting and a crime novel to top them all! Diverse and multilingual, this is my current reading pile📚
What are you reading at the moment? Do you prefer reading one book at a time or a mix of genres?

11/03/2021

Mid-week mantra: as you start to walk on the way, the way appears✨
Tag at least two friends 👯‍♀️ who could use this reminder!

07/03/2021

✨Everyday is a new opportunity to restart your life✨

What have you been putting off?

04/03/2021

I have been juggling a lot lately. Work stress, all types of chores and pending projects that need to get done, a lot of parenting and relationship tending. This is my life right now and I’m quite certain it reminds you of something. There are obviously variations but the struggle in this pandemic situation is pretty consistent among us.
I know also that this 2nd round of lockdown is so much harder to endure. A year ago, when the first lockdown started in Berlin, I accepted stoically the so called new norm. The reality of having less time led to slowing down and stopping working so much. I kept telling myself that this is it right now, I can’t control the situation. Hey, I might as well make the best of it! And I guess I did for a while.
To be honest I wrote a couple of texts I wasn’t happy with and it felt like too much work, too much energy, to go back at it and try more. I kept repeating the same phrase, “I don’t feel like it”. With all this trauma, all this injustice going on, it only seemed fair to stop pushing myself and let go.
This internal voice, you know which one, the disempowering one, kept telling me that I deserve a break. With so much external pressure and all this collective sadness and grief going on, I should just chill and take it slow.
Luckily somewhere between Lisa Eldridge and suki cat I stumbled upon Seth Godin and his new book, The Practise. And this amazing guy said something that really resonated with me:
✨Creativity in an action not a feeling. Your work is too important to be left to how you feel today.✨
This was such a powerful reminder. It inspired me so much and helped me snap out of this situation and find the proper words to describe what’s been going on. I gave up and I thought I had a good reason for that. The pandemic is undoubtedly a rough, challenging situation. And it's a universally understood excuse.
Click the link in my bio to read more about the tips and tricks that make wonders to your motivation, even with so good excuses :)

📷

22/02/2021

Great things happen because you were at the right place at the right time, but how often does it really work this way?
If you think about the amazing accomplishments in your life, you’ll probably remember the passion in your heart, the clarity in your mind, and the trust you felt in your gut that even when things didn’t go exactly how you expected, you gotta keep on going💪🎯
So start this week by planning your dream and working towards the first milestone. You don’t need to have everything figured out. All you need is to focus on that first step and do the work, work, work, work✨