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.
If you’re a grown-up with his or her life in order, you’re probably really good at getting your have-to’s done. You know, the things you actually have to do in order to maintain a job and a home: getting to work on time, paying the bills, buying groceries, etc. You probably also have in your mind a few things you think you should* do that you’re not doing very often,… Read More »Shoulds Before Have-To’s
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time with my nephew Max. He’s two. Max is an energetic, playful child who, like all two-year-olds, has very little self-awareness. Most notably, he seems to have no awareness of when he is tired. Luckily, his parents can tell. When Max starts to get tired, he becomes increasingly prone to frustration, crying, and general crankiness. In response, my brother and his wife impose… Read More »What We Can Learn About Rest From Toddlers
Self-improvement is driven by behavioral change: quitting bad habits, starting good habits, or simply doing more of what works (thank you James Clear). And if behavioral change is going to stick, then your new ways of acting will need to become ingrained deeply into your sense of self. You’ll need to change your identity. But how do you change your sense of self? The answer is spaced repetition. Spaced repetition… Read More »How To Make Change Stick
Every morning, I get up way earlier than I need to and practice a self-care routine. I’m going to describe each piece of my morning routine and explain why I do it, but there are some things you should know first. I developed this routine gradually, one piece at a time, over the last three years. You probably shouldn’t try to jump into such a rigorous and lengthy morning routine… Read More »Self-Care Morning Routine: The Real Breakfast of Champions