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Chris Loper

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.

The Power of Disruption to Change Habits

“Chris, where are your bowls?” “They must be here somewhere. I’m sure I packed them.” “I can’t find your mugs either.” (thorough searching) Crap. I forgot to unload the dishwasher. My partner and I just moved into a new place, and I, quite brilliantly, forgot to pack up the clean dishes from the dishwasher at my old place. Luckily, it’s only 40 minutes away, and my landlord was kind enough… Read More »The Power of Disruption to Change Habits

Doing Work That Matters

“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” –Albert Einstein1 We live in a culture that prizes fame and fortune over contribution and service, so it’s understandable that many people are driven to achieve conventional success. I too am driven, in part, by the desire for money and status. But while wealth and prestige do provide a certain sort of pleasure, they do not… Read More »Doing Work That Matters

Don’t Shake the Snow Globe

Imagine that it’s almost bedtime. Your workday is done. You’re winding down. You’re getting sleepy. But then, you think, I’ll just check email one more time. Or you think, I’ll just take one more look at the news. It’s so tempting. It doesn’t seem like a big deal. It’ll only take a minute, you think. And maybe it does only take a minute. But then, your mind, which was all… Read More »Don’t Shake the Snow Globe

10 Essential Principles and Practices of Stoicism

Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor and practicing Stoic The Stoics of ancient Rome were a diverse group. On one end of the spectrum, there were people of great wealth and power, like emperor Marcus Aurelius, pictured above. On the other end of the spectrum, there was Epictetus, a crippled former slave. People from all walks of life found value in the philosophy of Stoicism. The Stoics were not ivory-tower philosophers. They… Read More »10 Essential Principles and Practices of Stoicism

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For over a decade, I’ve been focused on one question: How do we actually become better, in ways that last?

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