Stacy’s Book Notes

Publications Articles Research

  • The Great Money Reset Begins with Small Steps

    Almost always you can find intermediate options that might be appropriate…consider incremental steps you might take toward achieving your dreams as you envision future scenarios. Jill Schlesinger Any reset begins with small steps. When someone promises big changes, it’s natural to get skeptical. While life is prone to major disruptions, instigating them or making big

    Knitted pink hat next to financial book

  • A Story-Worthy Habit: An easy way to assess your life

    At the end of every day, [I] ask myself one simple question: If I had to tell a story from today–a five-minute story on-stage about something that took place over the course of this day–what would that be? Matthew Dicks Matthew Dicks has won the Moth Story SLAM championship 36 times. In his book Storyworthy:

    Pink knitting project alongside Storyworthy book.

  • How to get lucky in creativity…or in life

    Generosity is luck going in the opposite direction…inviting yourself into a community of good fortune. Whenever I feel I’m working in a groove…I am being the benefactor [not] the beneficiary. Twyla Tharp People have suggested that I read The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life. I had resisted because I thought, “I

    Purple knitting project beside 'The Creative Habit' book.

  • The happiness skill: How to develop your most neglected ability

    Achieving durable happiness as a way of being is a skill. It requires sustained effort in training the mind and developing a set of human qualities, such as inner peace, mindfulness, and altruistic love. Matthieu Ricard Learning that about the happiness skill was life changing for me. Before reading the book Happiness: A Guide to Developing

    Red knitted hat next to a book on happiness.

  • How creative women can overcome toxic feedback to create more

    We shy away from feedback… because we assign it with the power of a mandate or a judgment… It is simply a resource to help you create. Joni B. Cole It took me too long to learn that we need positive feedback to create more, and that “brutal honestly” rarely helps us move forward when

    Book on writing with red yarn and knitting needles.

  • Don’t take my design advice: Learn the rules to avoid breaking them

    You must know what the rule is before you can break it. Robin Williams Don’t take my design advice. I’m not going to offer any except to maybe check out this book. It helped me understand the rules I was breaking. Sometimes having the words to describe what you’re doing (or not doing) can help

    Pink flowers beside a design book on table.

  • Understanding Scarcity: Why Simply Having More Time is Not Enough

    To be free from a scarcity trap, it is not enough to have more resources… It is as important to have enough slack… for handling the big shocks that may come one’s way at any moment. Sendhil Mullainathan & Eldar Shafir Most people that stress comes from being time-poor, but merely having more time is

    Book on scarcity beside knitted project in progress.

  • 3 Life Areas Where a Growth Mindset Can Help Smart Women Reach Higher Potential

    Many females have a problem…with other people’s opinions… They trust them too much. This vulnerability afflicts many of the most able, high-achieving females. Carol Dweck I am a huge fan of many wonderful social scientists. As a parent and as a life coach, I use the research Carol Dweck nearly every day. She is the

    Mindset book on colorful knitted background

  • Same old rules: What still matters for kids and adults despite tech changes

    All of us, kids and adults alike, have a fundamental need for regular breaks from the Ping Pong-like distractions of digital stimuli… Our ideas and imaginations begin to flow as we experience true, uninterrupted downtime from our digital lives. James P. Steyer While kids may no longer be on Facebook, and state legislatures across the

    Book and knitting supplies on a wooden table.

  • 7 Proven Ways for Smart Women to Leverage Small Progress for Blockbuster Growth

    Making headway on meaningful work brightens inner work life and boosts long-term performance… leads to a sense of accomplishment and self-worth… [can] feed the motivation, the deep engagement, that is crucial ongoing blockbuster performance. Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer Instead of looking for passion or seeking happiness, you’re better off trying to leverage small progress

    Book cover of The Progress Principle by Amabile and Kramer.

  • 2 Types of Unhealthy Boundaries that Hold Smart and Caring Women back

    Rigid boundaries involve building walls to keep others out as a way to keep yourself safe… This typically comes from a fear of vulnerability or a history of being taken advantage of. Nedra Glover Tawwab You’re likely to be familiar with one of two unhealthy boundaries. But are you familiar with both? Nedra Glover Tawwab

    Knitting project beside a self-help book

  • Careful what you wish for: 2 crucial mistakes we make when chasing desires

    When people deny that they are affected by what other people around them want, they are most susceptible to getting drawn into an unhealthy cycle of desire that they don’t even know to resist. Luke Burgis Stacy highlights key takeaways on how to avoid chasing desires that limit us from Luke Burgis’s book Wanting. I

    Book 'Wanting' beside a knitted project.
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