In general, I’m willing to extend a fair amount of trust to other people. For example, when driving, I trust other drivers to stay in their lane. However, when drivers swerve all over the road, I stop extending that trust in an instant—those drivers broke trust with me. That’s because they broke the social contract
How Can We Clarify the Social Contract, Trust, and Betrayal? Read More »
Many people tell me they want to write more often, But they have trouble building and maintaining a consistent writing habit. One person said, “I want some of your magic dust.” A consistent writing habit does not require magic dust. However, it does require a writing habit, and possibly a streak. Too few people know
How Can We Make it Easy to Maintain Our Streaks or Habits? Read More »
Salespeople have an infamous mantra, “Always be closing.” That phrase has several meanings: Close the sale for the salesperson. Close the options for the buyer, so they don’t continue to look for alternatives. High-integrity sales work well for both the buyer and the salesperson. But notice that there’s no adaptability there. The situation closes. Instead
Three Secrets to Make “Always Be Changing” Our Personal Focus Read More »
I would love to tell you I only succeed. Not a chance. I “fail” more often than I want. That’s because I experiment a lot. However, my experiments don’t line up in neat little test tubes like this image. Too often, I let an experiment run for too long. That’s when I have to dig
How Do We Dig Ourselves Out of Failure and Find Some Success? Read More »
I had a big business surprise from one of my book distribution partners earlier this week. That upended all my careful plans. Since I’d been away from my office, this was my week to “catch up.” Ha! Foiled again. By definition, surprises are things we cannot anticipate. And this one was a doozy. While I
How Do You Manage Surprises? Read More »
As a society, we reward grit, that ability to persevere. We tell ourselves, “One more minute/hour/day, and then we’ll get what we want.” I also value perseverance. That grit helps me not just for my walking and workouts, but for my writing and other product development goals. Perseverance is how I accomplish “everything” I want.
When Is It Time to Pivot Instead of Persevere to Accomplish What You Want? Read More »
Back when I was in school, my teachers suggested I was capable of much more. I didn’t live up to their expectations. Now, some people tell me my vertigo is the kind of challenge that fits into the category of: “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Or, they say, “God doesn’t give us more than
Whose Expectations Do You Choose to Satisfy and When? Read More »
Too many of my friends and colleagues worry about their place in the world. Some of them were recently laid off. Others, mostly the self-employed, have trouble getting clients or selling their products. These people have this in common: they are no longer sure that anyone values their work. That unsureness causes many of these
Which Kind of Value Do You Offer When—And to Whom? Read More »
A few months ago, in October 2023, I noticed a strange pimple on my nose that bled after I washed and dried my face. I checked with my doctor who said to see a dermatologist. I didn’t panic, but I made an appointment as soon as I could. (An urgent reaction.) The diagnosis was squamous cell skin cancer.
How Can We Combine Our Feelings of Urgency and Calm to Be Most Effective? Read More »
It’s that time of year again—resolution time. I have never succeeded with resolutions, so I abandoned them years ago. I like what Daniel does with words for the year. (See his newsletter, Reconcile, for his first word of 2024 and how he adopted this practice.) However, while I write a lot, three words don’t quite
How Do You Choose to Measure Success? Read More »