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 »
This is Johanna Rothman’s September 2025 Create an Adaptable Life Newsletter. The unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this email. Do you like uncertainty? I don’t, and I’m not alone. That’s because uncertainty feels as if it’s an unmanageable risk. We even have sayings such as, “Don’t rock the boat,” to explain why we
How Would You Act if You Optimized for Uncertainty to Gain More Resilience? Read More »
This is Johanna Rothman’s February 2025 Create an Adaptable Life Newsletter. The unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this email. A reader asked when I choose to manage risks with contingency planning. I had to think about the question because I’m often aware of various risks. In my life and projects, I often make
When Do You Choose to Move From Risk Awareness to Contingency Planning? Read More »
This is Johanna Rothman’s January 2025 Create an Adaptable Life Newsletter. The unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this email. In general, I like structure in much of my life. I eat the same (or very similar) breakfasts and lunches every day. I extend that structure to my clothing. If you watch my YouTube
How Do Rules or Structure Help You Decide Which Decisions to Make? Read More »
I’m slightly obsessed with making the most of my days. I have grand ambitions and goals that each require enough time to fulfill. Mine include books to write, places to go, and interesting people to work with. While I have no family “goals,” I want to spend enough time with them that they enjoy me—and
How Can We Know When the Direct Path will Take Longer and Be Less Effective? Read More »
We moved into this house ten years ago, so Things Are Breaking. Our garage door sounded sick a couple of months ago, but I’ve learned to wait until the spring breaks before fixing it. The Last Responsible Moment for fixing occurs after the spring breaks. (Very few garage door people will replace the spring before
When Do We Realize the Last Responsible Moment Whooshed By? Read More »
I practice my writing by writing a lot. (I also read a lot about writing, but no one becomes a better writer by reading. Writers become better by writing.) In addition, I take classes to stretch my skills. That means I’m not going to “succeed” or write something “perfect” all the time. But I do
When Do You Choose Between Getting Something “Perfect” vs. Finishing It? 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 »
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 »