Daydreaming is effective thinking

My husband called it "zoning out" when we first met. That was before I learned how to hide the faraway look in my eye I got when I was daydreaming. But research now shows that daydreaming is the brain "in overdrive" and it's critical to creativity because it allows the brain to make connections it doesn't otherwise make. So go ahead and daydream. And if anyone tells you to get back to work, tell them your brain is in overdrive--and you're leaving them in the dust. Looking for other ways to be a better thinker? Read the rest of the piece, not just #9.

The REAL cost of meetings

Gotta love this "meeting miser" app, which calculates how much money each meeting costs the company. Good goods for companies who have a predilection for meeting instead of deciding.

87% like the tech tether

I used to be ambivalent about technology. I liked being able to work any time wherever I happened to be but worried that it would turn into working all the time, everywhere. I'm over it, though, and it seems that most of the rest of the workers around the world are, too. In a new survey, 87% of respondents said the ability to work any time and in any location improves their work/life balance, even though 35% say that technology contributes to working longer hours.

The boundary between work and home and all other aspects of life continues to blur. And if you doubt it, just follow a 20-something around for a day and watch how she toggles between the various areas of her life.

Mid-summer report card

A big part of this mashup life is parenting, and I had some definite ideas about my kids' personal growth over the summer. I put a few practices in place and here's how they're going so far.

Chore of the day: Each child now expects and accepts a chore of the day with minimal complaining. The house gets cleaned and they learn how to clean toilets--a useful life skill! Grade: A-

Meal of the week: I managed to have a child cook a meal once a week for the first two weeks. Then it fell apart. Still, if push came to shove, my son could survive on the one dish he made--spaghetti--and my daughter on the salmon with maple butter she made. Grade: C-.

Access to what makes them thrive, e.g., friends, favorite activities, tutoring: I think I've done a pretty good job of this, on average. I wonder if my kids would have a different answer, though. Grade: B.

Opportunities for increased responsibility/accountability: Happily, this came about naturally through things like kid- and pet-sitting jobs. Grade: A- but mostly because of our community of friends and not because of any effort on my part, other than the emotional effort of letting go and letting them learn life's lessons in whatever way they need to. So far, so good.