This is Johanna Rothman’s October 2026 Create an Adaptable Life newsletter. The unsubscribe link is at the bottom. There are plenty of problems I wish I could just solve. Some are professional. I can’t solve them alone unless a client hires me to collaborate with them. Even then, sometimes the client says, “You have to
How Can We Build Enough Power to Solve This Problem? Read More »
I love learning about tools and how to use them. Here are some of the tools I use often: Manual tools I use in the kitchen. Electronic tools for my work, such as visualizing the flow of work, systems thinking models, as well as the tools I use to write and publish. Thinking tools, such
How Can You Know the Right Tool to Use for Your Current Problem? Read More »
I look forward to fall every year. First, it’s apple season, with terrific, crunchy, and tart apples. Second, it’s the High Holy Days. I use the holidays to reflect on my life over the past year. Then, I can plan a little for the kind of person I want to be for next year. The
How Much (or How Little) Can We Do to Repair the World? Read More »
This is Johanna Rothman’s September 2026 Create an Adaptable Life Newsletter. The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. When I first learned to program computers, I was not very good. I had to practice organizing my thoughts, thinking through the problem(s) to solve, and using the computer language to actually solve those
How Can We Enjoy the Necessary Practice to Master Valuable New Skills? Read More »
I’ve been using Edgar Schein’s definition of corporate culture for years. (Ever since Esther explained it to me.) Schein rolled around artifacts and several other ideas, but Esther clarified them for me. Culture is: What people can discuss How people treat each other And in organizations, what the organization rewards. All this means we can
What Are You Willing to Do to Create the Culture You Want? Read More »
While I manage my alcoholic intake because of my vertigo, there is nothing like a great beer at just the right time. On vacation, or on a hot summer day, especially after something active. Right now, there are World Cup games all over the world, with several here, in Boston. And what happened in Boston?
How Could Anyone Run Out of Beer? (A Note on the World Cup and Culture) Read More »
This is Johanna Rothman’s June 2026 Create an Adaptable Life Newsletter. The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. We have no end of problems to solve or manage these days. Some problems are “today” problems, where we have an immediate need to solve that problem. In the Eisenhower Matrix above, that’s the
How Can We Assess Risks to Solve Both Today’s and Tomorrow’s Problems? Read More »
I’m questioning everything about my business. Not just my writing, but what I want to offer and to whom. (I do this on a regular basis because I don’t want to become bored with what I offer.) That means I’m going to start something new. Often, I don’t quite know how to start that thing.
Which Practices Help You Avoid Starting Paralysis to Try Something New? Read More »
Once I learned to read independently, I read everything in sight. Cereal boxes at the breakfast table, books, anything with writing on it. And yes, I was the kid who used a flashlight under the covers to read after my parents thought it was bedtime. At the time, I thought reading was a guilty pleasure.
How Can Reading Help You Think, Live, and Solve Problems Better? Read More »
When you think about where to invest your money or time, what do you consider? Winning? Losing? Maybe reducing the chances of losing too much? Many of us do not want to lose, a classic case of loss aversion. Yet, that is not the same as playing or choosing to win. I’m not suggesting that
How Can We Play to Win, Not Just Manage Possible Losses? Read More »