I’m writing this on July 4, 2019, Independence Day in the US. We celebrate in wonderful ways if you grew up here. I suspect if you’re looking in from the outside, our celebrations seem a little strange. What we celebrate is—in my opinion—the most outrageous and courageous experiment in self-government across the planet. it started […]
When Are Your “Truths” Not Self-Evident? Read More »
I like some rules, such as the rules around driving. I like to know that people will stop at stop signs and for red lights. I like to know the other drivers will go on green. Driving rules help everyone coordinate their actions. Rules around driving are simple and straightforward. They work. (Even in Massachusetts.)
Do We Need Rules, Agreements, or Guideposts? Read More »
There’s a lot in my life I can control. I can control what I eat, and often when I eat it. I can control when I go to bed at night, even if I can’t control my occasional insomnia. I can control what I choose to do with my time: which projects to start and
How Much or Little Can You Control? Read More »
Several of my clients have told me they want to help people be happy. They measure—well, they attempt to—each individual’s happiness. I have not found measuring happiness all that helpful. For me, happiness is an outcome, a result, of satisfaction. Satisfaction with my choices, satisfaction in finishing, satisfaction with my results. I wonder about happiness
Is Happiness Your Goal? Read More »
Too often, I hear the word “just” when modifying a feeling. “Can’t you just shake it off?” Or, “Can’t you just move on?” Or, “Can you just go along with what I want?” Every single one of those “justs” are about ignoring what the other person feels. If you’re on the receiving end of these
Can You “Just” Anything? Read More »
A friend attempted to offer me a compliment the other day. She didn’t mean to. She said, “You’re a natural writer. It comes so easy to you.” I said, “Thank you for thinking so. That means I’m writing well. But I have worked for 20 years to become a ‘natural’ writer.” She meant well. But,
What Are You “Natural” At? Read More »
I participated in a breakfast meeting yesterday, called “What is the Future of Work?” We had great discussions and I had more questions. Technology advances help us change and (often) work better. In particular, I was thinking about automation and the changing cost of friction for work especially compared to my early work choices. Depositing
What Could Be the Future of Work? Read More »
One of my clients had been quite successful in a particular role. She’d decided it was time to look for a new job doing the same thing. She wanted my opinion about several organizations. Instead of offering her an opinion on the organizations, I asked this question, “Do you want to do the same thing
Does Your Current Success Define Your Choices? Read More »
Perseverance, the idea of grit, fascinates me. Every time I finish a (damn*) book, I experience relief and happiness. Relief that it is finally over—that’s the “damn” part. Happiness because I finished. Read that word, finish, in neon-blinking capital letters with fireworks. That’s how it feels to me. Damn*: Finishing a book is a slog
How Do You Build Grit? Read More »
Many people use the terms adaptable and resilience interchangeably. However, they mean different things and we live and use them differently. When we are adaptable, we see that reality has changed. We don’t deny that reality. Because we admit that we have a new reality, we can find new approaches to manage our responses to
What’s the Difference Between Resilience and Adaptability? Read More »