As I’ve processed the deaths of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry (fixed the bad reference) this week, I realized that I used the examples of their creativity and output as inspiration for my career. Not because I could ever “compete” with them and their careers, but to use their careers as inspiration for my own. […]
How Can You Tell the Difference Between Inspiration and Competition? Read More »
This is Johanna Rothman’s August 2026 Create an Adaptable Life Newsletter. The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. I hear a lot about work/life balance. I don’t buy that. While we spend time at work, we only get one life. And my theory of life is to live it with as much
What Would You Keep, Change, or Remove to Make Your Best Possible Life? Read More »
As I’ve challenged myself physically, I noticed I’m talking out loud, coaching myself. My most frequent word is “Okay.” Okay is short for: “Okay, you finished that piece. Now, it’s time for the next step so you can accomplish this entire thing.” I try to keep my self-talk positive because I want to reinforce finishing
How Do You Use Your Self-Talk to Finish Something You Want to Accomplish? Read More »
Long ago, a manager told me that I needed to socialize the changes I wanted to make. She recommended I meet with people before the decision meeting. That seemed like a waste of time to me. Why should I meet with people in advance? Couldn’t I just explain what I wanted, we would discuss, and
How Do We Find Our Support System for the Changes We Want to Make in the World? 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 »
I recently learned about three kinds of fun on a scale: Type 1 Fun, where the thing you do, this current experience, is fun right now. Type 2 Fun, where you thought this thing would be fun, but you get frustrated and possibly miserable as you go through it. Only in retrospect, when you see
How Can More Type 2 Fun Offer You More Resilience? Read More »
I feel as if I’m living the Satir Change model. I’ve had “Monday” every day this week. My computer keeps rebooting itself (sigh). My website hosting provider had a snafu, so my website needed some changes. Then, this morning, I screwed things up with my (other) site. (It’s all fixed now.) My car died on
How Can More Adaptable Thinking Create More Success for You? Read More »
Warning: This is not my normal question of the week. This post is all about swearing. And I will link to NSFW media. Proceed at your own risk. Now, for the good stuff—swearing. I have rules about swearing: never in front of a microphone and preferably in private when I’m alone. I do have an
At Least Three Ways Swearing Is Actually Good For You 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 »
I was working on visualizations of cycle time for my other blog (how long each item of work takes over time). That’s when I realized I needed to create a conditional formula in my spreadsheet. Conditional formulas are if statements. With my software background, I think in if statements. (If then, else other.) So, I
What Makes You Feel Smart and What Makes You Feel Less Smart? Read More »