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 »
It’s the resolution time of year again. Too many people will make resolutions and not accomplish those resolutions. I also see the same thing in my consulting and teaching practice. Managers don’t finish their work. Team’s don’t finish their work. Writers don’t finish their projects. Here are several common reasons: the work is undefined; the
How Often Do You Finish? Read More »
Back in the ’90s, people started to talk about “sustainable pace.” We work to the best of our abilities during the day. We’re done and pleasantly tired at the end of the day. We could maintain this pace for weeks and months at a time. Maybe even years. (The very first agile books and the
What Is Your Sustainable Pace? Read More »
I travel a lot. I’ve noticed a trend in hotel rooms that irritate me: a very-high bed and very-low toilet—a design inconsistency. This past week, I stayed in a slightly too-high bed, a reasonable-height toilet, but the shower head was mounted at least 8 feet off the ground. When I extended my arm, I didn’t
Which Inconsistencies Do You Notice? Read More »
My town is busy planning and discussing and planning and discussing (yes, continue for several more recursions) the plans for the new high school. We need a new high school for many reasons. A lot of it is the physical plant, the physical resources. (See where the high school stands.) Note that the Resources and
What Are You Sentimental About? Read More »
I was at a writing workshop last week. It was a fiction workshop, where I am still learning my craft. I still learn my non-fiction craft. However, my learning curve has flattened—I understand my writing voice and I find non-fiction easier to write for now. I am not as good at writing fiction yet. I
When Do You Suffer from Comparison-itis? Read More »
I was talking with my father recently about my writing workshops. I’m finishing the last touches on the first one and hope to finally make it available for registration any day now. (Famous last words.) I explained that even though people signed up for the workshops knowing they would do 15-30 minutes a day of
When Do You Suffer from FEAR? Read More »
I was walking briskly with a client between buildings on the campus. He told me he’d lost five pounds will all the running around he did all day. He said, “I never feel as if I accomplish anything. I want to be successful!” (He might have said I need to be successful. I no longer remember.)
What Does Success Mean to You? Read More »
I see people optimize for speed, on the highway, in their projects, and often in their personal lives. I wonder if speed, quickness, is everything these people actually want. On the highway, I’ve seen (and I bet you have, too) the person weave in and out of traffic, finding the “right” lane and creating little
When Should You Optimize for Speed? Read More »
I was in Prague last week (Agile Prague and a client). One of the nice folks at the client explained that beer in Prague Is inexpensive. For years, in The Czech Republic, the beer is less expensive than water or a soft drink. (There is now a law that says the bars and restaurants have
What’s Your (Beer) Emergency? Read More »