What Are You “Natural” At?
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…
Read moreHow Do You Build Grit?
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…
Read moreWhen is the Right Time?
In Massachusetts, we get our cars inspected every year, on the anniversary of the month of the car’s first inspection. I’m lucky enough to have to inspect my car in…
Read moreWhat Makes You Remarkable?
I want to be remarkable, worthy of attention, in some ways—in my writing, speaking, and consulting. I would prefer to not be remarkable for my physical appearance. Yet, I am.…
Read moreIs This Problem Deterministic or Non-Deterministic?
We solve many problems over the course of a day, week, month, year. Some problems are difficult because the problem is difficult to solve. Some of my book projects are…
Read moreWhen Do You Suffer from Comparison-itis?
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…
Read moreTip 6: Practice Asking for Help
What Do You Need to Unlearn?
I read Jerry Weinberg’s Advice to New Graduates and thought I would ask this question about unlearning. I had to unlearn many things when I started to work. Here are some…
Read moreWhen Do You Go Meta?
I’m working with clients on their agile transformations. I’m working on that book project I alluded to several weeks ago. These efforts have at least this in common: We need to work…
Read moreWhat Does Success in Learning Look Like to You?
I’ve been taking online and in-person workshops for several years now. I took a week-long in-person writing workshop last year and learned a ton. We had writing and technique assignments.…
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