Build Your Success With an Attitude of Gratitude and Acknowledgement

What would happen if you paused to take a look at some things that you and your team are doing well? Most of us are in the habit of focusing on weaknesses rather than strengths. It’s easier to beat ourselves up for all the things still on our to-do lists than it is to celebrate the things we have completed. It is human nature to dwell on the project that did not go well or to keep replaying in our minds a flub we made somewhere, even if it was small and insignificant. Sometimes this is helpful. Because studying our … Read more

Recommended Reading (and video, podcasts) – January 2018

I’ve come across a lot of great stuff to start the new year. By constantly learning new ideas and pushing our boundaries of understanding, we grow. And all of that helps us in our practical day to day lives, to meet our challenges more directly and deliberately than if we just muddle through. All that learning is a great shortcut for how to stay motivated at work. It’s great to be able to learn so much from so many just by dedicating a little time and energy to learning. Here are some books, articles, videos and podcasts you might find … Read more

Recommended Reading and Stuff – December 2017

recommended reading december 2017

Here is some great material for your year end wind-down and new year wind-up. I’m recommending a couple of good fiction books – the kind that get you thinking. Also, a nonfiction book to do the same. There are some other goodies in here too. I’m hoping that you have some time to relax and recuperate toward the end of the year. These may help you find an escape. And also to plan your re-entry for a grand and prosperous new year. Here goes… Books Ready Player One: A Novel. I hadn’t heard of this one until the dust kicked up … Read more

Recommended Reading and Stuff – November 2017

Last month’s post of recommendations was very popular. So I thought I’d share some more ideas this month. It’s important that we keep learning. Keep taking in new information. Keep considering new ideas. It’s crucial that we keep thinking. Following are some things I found particularly thought-provoking, insightful, and fun. Books Bitcoin for the Befuddled was a great exploration of this new, potentially game-changing technology. I found this book a great way to get a handle on the fundamentals of the cryptocurrency. I loved learning about the underlying technology, blockchain, and how it works. The implications could be tremendous–and don’t … Read more

Why learning the details is more important than you might think

details

Details can be boring. But boring through the details can be one of the most powerful ways to enable you to be a more effective leader. I’m amazed by the amount of specific things I learned twenty years ago that inform my ability to lead and manage today. As a young pup, I dug into the details with enthusiasm. I wanted to thoroughly test how concepts worked in the real world. I wanted to earn credentials. I worked to gain mastery, at least in some areas. Dividends are still being paid in those areas where I went deep long ago. … Read more

A Simple and Highly Effective Way to Learn Just About Any New Skill

Genuinely Speaking

We have lots of ways to learn things these days, but one of the best and most effective ways might still be group learning at a live event. I learn a lot when I go to a new place to learn new stuff with new people. Mixing things up this way is fun, energizing, and educational. It can be a power boost to learning. I went to a workshop to improve my public speaking skills this past weekend. The room was packed with eager learners at 8AM on a Saturday morning. That’s energizing. The content of the day-long program was … Read more

A Quick Rundown of My Posts from 2016

The year goes by quickly. I’m sure you are seeing that now as you reflect on 2016 and prepare for 2017. I took a little walk down the memory lane of this blog. It was fun to look at all the posts, and I thought I’d share them here in a simple list because some of these may be helpful as you head into the new year. See below for titles, links, and comments on each one. Have a great new year! The Game-Changing (and Simple) Secret to Your Best Year Ever – How you can open up more possibilities for yourself! … Read more

You May Be Taking Your Job Too Seriously (And Your Work Not Seriously Enough)

Your Job and Your Work

Imagine looking back on your career. What do you see? Perhaps you stayed at one place for a long time. Or maybe you moved around. Thinking about getting to the end and looking back can help gain some perspective. And it may help you to notice something as you snap back to your present situation. There are probably things you spend way too much energy on. Things that just don’t matter so much in the long run. You might be taking these things very seriously. They may really aggravate you. So you put some energy into resolving them. Or at … Read more

Quitting Your Way Ahead

A Fresh Start

Can you imagine quitting your job right now? Today. No more wondering if you’re on the right path or what might change just around the corner. Walk out the door to an open horizon. That would open up a lot of possibilities. Right? Sure, it sounds scary too. Because there is lots of risk in upending your main source of income. Which may also be your main source of identity. (What’s the first question most people ask you when you meet…”what do you do?” .. “where do you work?”) You may not be financially secure enough to do this right … Read more