Dave Caolo

Charming, feel-good videos. Love it.

I dislike coffee but I’d order some just to handle one of these cups. Beautiful. By Mint.

[Via TheDieline]

Triple birthday score. Love it.

[Via Coudal]

The Newton was not the original Apple tablet. The original PDA, yes. Apple’s original tablet was produced in 1979.

A lovely collection of tidy, minimal websites. Love it.

[Via Swiss Miss]

My God, I’m one of those sappy tools.

It’s no secret that my family has been going through a tough time lately. One of the many by-products is Olympic-class stress levels. A couple of weeks ago I asked the hive mind for recommendations on stress reduction. I got lots of great answers but one stood out for me: Write down what you’re grateful for every day.

I know what you’re thinking: Why don’t you just hug a tree, wear a crystal, buy a copy of The Secret, drink soy milk, listen to George Winston and annoy every right-minded person in your life?

I thought the same thing.

Yet I grabbed one of my little notebooks and listed three things I’m glad to have:

1. Happy, healthy kids
2. A supportive, patient wife (more like a saint, actually. I’m VERY difficult to live with)
3. A clean, cozy, well-lit house

Obvious choices, but good ones. It felt kind of silly but after 2 weeks I’m totally into it. Again, I reject new-agey mumbo-jumbo. What’s at work here is the simple act of focusing on the good. No, the external situation hasn’t changed, but when you’re down in the foxhole all day dodging bullets and shrapnel, you get used to it. You revel in the low. You succumb to the inertia (a body at rest tends to stay at rest).

The battle still rages but at least the sky is blue and the sun is warm. And this, just like all the of the other shit sandwiches life has served you, will pass.

Gale Sayers is a pro football hall of fame inductee and my go-to source of motivation.

Watch the highlight reel above. He’s got an almost supernatural grace. Time and again he absolutely should have been tackled to the ground, only to run another 40 yards. He disappears into a crowd of players and emerges, sprinting, from the mess. His speed is super-human.

It’s his elegance that stuns me. Gale weaves in and out of defenders and linemen as if his brain is five steps ahead of his body. There’s no time for calculation, he just reacts. It’s incredible. At the 2:04 mark, he actually comes to a full stop behind the line and then runs 60 yards for a touchdown.

It doesn’t matter if you dislike football. There’s a power in watching someone truly excel at something. When I watch this footage of Gale, I want to write better, work harder, attack the day’s to-dos, make my kids feel special. In fact, I watch it several times per week.

Hats off to Gale. You were the best ever.

This is working spectacularly well, and I’m not even Ben Franklin. As you can see, I only missed one day this week. All of those black X’s are encouraging.

I added a “Notes” page for each month, where I list things that have helped achieve the goal, like pleasant music, preferred walking trails, etc.

I’ve noticed that it’s tempting to begin adding others right away. I found myself driving past the yoga place this week (that’s March’s goal). However, I know that sticking to one goal per month is crucial. Staring a second goal before the first one is achieved — and failing — would undermine the whole process. Slow and steady wins the race.

More on my 2010 goals here.

Every January I hand myself a list of unachievable goals. “Resolutions,” some call them. “Lose 20 pounds!” “Earn $100,000!” “Receive praise from [high profile blogger]!” Holy cow achieved!

Those goals, while admirable, are too huge. Not too huge to be unattainable, but they’ll require a running start.

This year, I’m taking a different approach. I’ve created one small goal to achieve each month. In January, it’s walk 30 minutes per day. In February, it’s meditate every day. As the year progresses, the previous month’s goal is carried over. So, in February I’ll be walking 30 minutes and meditating daily. As I’m enthused by the success of achieving the smaller goals, I’ll up the ante in the summer and fall by adding larger ones.

By December, I’ll have added 12 new positive habits to my life. That sounds pretty good to me.

January: Walk 30 minutes per day
February: Meditate daily (plus previous)
March: Practice yoga 1x per week (plus previous)
April: TBD
May: TBD
June: TBD
July: TBD
August: TBD
September: TBD
October: TBD
November: TBD
December: TBD

More on my 2010 goals here.