Chris Loper has been writing about self-improvement and helping busy adults with habit formation since 2017. He also writes an education blog for parents and students for Northwest Educational Services. Along with Greg Smith, Chris is the cocreator of Parenting for Academic Success, a series of transformative classes that create empowered parents, confident students, and harmonious families. His most recent endeavor combines his academic and habit-formation expertise to help students thrive in college. Visit SmartCollegeHabits.com to learn more. In 2021, Chris published a humorous memoir titled Wood Floats and Other Brilliant Observations, a book that blends crazy stories with practical life lessons. He lives in Issaquah, WA where he is the owner of South Cove Tutoring.
There will be times in your life when it feels like you’re slipping backward faster than you’re moving forward: You fix the leaky bathroom sink, but then the water heater breaks and the check engine light goes on in your car. You get a raise, but inflation and unexpected expenses leave you worse off than you were before. You work hard to recover from shoulder surgery, but then you tear… Read More »One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
The following was inspired by this Heroic +1 from Brian Johnson. How to be Grateful for the Annoyances of Family Think of something annoying that a member of your household does. Maybe it’s leaving a mess on the counter. Maybe it’s not picking up their toys. Maybe it’s tracking kitty litter in the hallway. Now imagine that annoying thing has disappeared. Not because they stopped doing the thing, but because… Read More »How to Turn Annoyance into Gratitude
People That coworker you don’t like? Think of something good about them – a strength, an admirable trait, a positive behavior. Surely there’s something. Do this to remind yourself that absolutist thinking is flawed. Also do it to reduce your dislike of that person. Absolutely disliking them makes you unhappy and makes your relationship with them unproductive. Every interaction you have with them will be better if you can remember… Read More »Don’t Think in Absolutes
For many years, I have followed what’s known as a “slow-carb” diet. My meals contain a mix of protein, fiber, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. (A fancier name for this strategy is following a “low glycemic” diet.) What’s the point of a slow-carb diet? Eating this way prevents the carbohydrates I eat from digesting too quickly. As a result, the fuel they provide enters my bloodstream at a slow, steady… Read More »Preventing Sugar Crashes with a Slow Carb Diet