So many times we look for perfection—in our projects, in our homes, and in our personal lives. What’s so good about perfection? I see people try for perfection in any number of ways. We added this bathroom in our old house. When the tile guy asked me where I wanted the soap dish, I said, […]
I’ve been in a couple of Fitbit challenges to see who can walk “most” in a work-week. I’ve enjoyed them and have pushed myself a little each week, to see if I can do just a little bit more every day. One of the problems I have is that by Friday, I’m tired. I’ve been
How Do You Persist? Read More »
I want to improve at many things: my exercise, my writing, my teaching, just to name three. When I reflect back on my progress—or lack thereof—I ask myself if I’m doing my part. Wanting is not enough. I have to do my part. Sometimes, my part is to show up and do the work. (See
Are You Doing Your Part? Read More »
I’ve been working on several things these weeks, slowly moving them to done. I have workshops for Agile 2016, books in progress, monthly columns, and my non-fiction writing. As I reviewed previous workshop designs, I realized I’m a lot better at designing workshops than I was, say, ten years ago. Since I’m in a huge
How Are You Better or Worse? Read More »
Given that I’ve published so much, I meet people who say, “I want to write. But, I need to wait for a good time to write.” Or, they say they need an outline or permission from someone—a boss or a spouse. I can be pretty sure about one thing: these people will never write anything. The
What Are You Waiting For? Read More »
In the agile community, we have a saying, “Fail fast.” It means we are supposed to feel safe to fail, and that we want to fail fast so we can use that learning to iterate on the requirements. We have opportunities to improve. I like the idea that it’s safe to fail. No one berates
Are You Failing Fast or Learning Early? Read More »
I recently got a FitBit Zip. I got the small one that fits in your pocket and tracks steps. It supposedly counts calories, too, but I’m not using the calorie part. I have transparent data now. I am astonished at how quickly I have changed my behavior. I knew I was barely moving. I knew
How Often Do You Look for Feedback? Read More »
I set an appointment with a potential client to discuss their situation. I said in my email, “I’m looking forward to our discussion.” I look forward to discussing people’s challenges. I look forward to my workouts. I look forward to my talks, workshops, and writing. The real question is why do I look forward to all
What Do You Look Forward To? Read More »
I feel lucky much of the time. I’m not like Mark, who can find the best parking spot anywhere, anytime. I’m convinced he has the parking gods on his side, and they wait for him to drive somewhere and park. I don’t have the parking gods on my side. I have a handicapped placard :-)
Can You Make Your Own Luck? Read More »
A few weeks ago, I was at a writer’s workshop. One of the writers wore t-shirt that said, “I’m a romance writer. What’s your superpower?” That got me thinking. Each of us has a superpower. Do you know what your superpower is? In that workshop, a number of writers had the romance writer superpower. Some
What’s Your Superpower? Read More »