Picture a busy city road in the middle of the day. One afternoon, Police Officer A stands in plain view of drivers passing by. Their very presence causes the drivers to slow down, as we all tend to do when we see a police officer. On another very similar afternoon, Police Officer B stands around …
Author Archives: Donal_IRL
Getting Schooled in Happiness
Last year I was introduced to The Science of Well-Being, a free course offered online by Yale University. For ten weeks, you attend short lectures and complete mini-assignments to learn scientifically-backed methods on how to live a happier life. I’ve written this post essentially to type out my notes from the course, solidify what I …
How I Motivated Myself To Get Fit
What this post isn’t: a promise that if you do what I did, you’ll achieve all of your fitness goals. What this post is: me sharing my story of how I made fitness a part of my life, instead of just something I desired but only sporadically took action on. I’ve cared about my image for over …
Why My Online Store Failed
In April of 2015 when I was feeling particularly entrepreneurial, I launched an online store as a side project. In April of 2016, I shut down the store. I invested a significant amount of time and money into this project that I count as a failure. Here, I’ll look back on what happened. Even if …
Don’t Wait For Retirement
You spend your prime years on earth confined to your career, and your subprime years free to enjoy yourself. I say don’t wait.
Job Hunting in the Digital Age
For the first time in almost six years, I found myself unemployed. Though this was a self-imposed situation, being jobless opened my eyes to what it really takes to find work, and I realized the effect the job hunt has on people.
23 Unmissable Experiences In Latin America
If you ever find yourself in the vast and varied lands of Latin America, these are the invaluable experiences I recommend you consider.
Why I Took A Professional Sabbatical
I was embarrassed to tell my parents that I was moving on after five years of working for one company. Both my parents spent decades in the same jobs and would never dream of…
How To Create a More Positive Community Environment Online
As community managers, we facilitate the interactions people have online. How can we make sure that our little corner of the internet remains a place of kindness, optimism and productive conversation?
Cuba on a Budget… It Can Be Done!
Now is the time to visit Cuba, before the arrival of U.S. tourist dollars that will undoubtedly lead to a new era of Cuban prosperity and a degradation of Cuba’s austere charm.
10 Skills You Learn While Traveling The World
Many people see travel as the opposite of work, but there are many unexpected benefits that can help you in your career. Here’s how long-term travel can level-up your life!
How Meal Prep Leveled Up My Life
When I talk about meal prep, I can’t help but sound like an infomercial: “What if I told you that you could save hundreds of dollars every month…
10 Reasons Why A Community Manager Is Essential To Your Business
A company would not be a company if it weren’t for the customers or users, right? If a group of people are so important that your company would fail without them, then it makes sense to guard that group of people with your life—or at the very least with a community manager. Here’s why
Reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
A summary/reaction to one of the most popular books in personal development of the past 30 years: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.
Travel Won’t Help You Find Yourself, Only Escape Yourself
A commonly held belief about travel, particularly extended travel, is that you’re going to see the world and “find yourself” in the process…
I Have 319 Possessions… And That’s Too Much
I recently took a break from regular life. After five-and-a-half-years of living in New York City, working at a small technology company and never taking a vacation longer than a week at a time, I suddenly started craving new experiences.
Hello world!
Welcome to my journal where I flex my writing muscles with a new post on the first of every month. Stay tuned for articles about online communities, personal essays and other interests and projects I’m working on. Thanks for being here! -Donal