Our perception of time changes constantly. It’s running out. It’s dragging. We’ve got too much time on our hands or not enough hours in the day. We want someone or something to just hurry up so that we can move along. We want time to slow down so that we can finally catch up. Whatever our ambivalence toward time, we always seem to want more of it. Read more
In the last issue, I told the story of the red cardinal bird who visits my friend. I offered the metaphor of “flying into the window” to represent the behaviors that hamper your effectiveness. I stated that the important thing is to get yourself to try something new. In order to do that, you’ve got to “bang on the window” in the moment you recognize that you’re caught up in the old habit and flying that familiar pattern. It’s the awareness and the ability to catch yourself in the moment that’s key. So how do you do that? Read more
A red cardinal has become a frequent visitor this winter at my friend Jackie Johnson’s home in Connecticut. She first spotted him flying repeatedly into her front window, which was quite understandable since the window offers a clear view straight through her house and out another window. Add to this the blinding combination of bright winter sun and voluminous amounts of snow on the ground. Jackie banged on the glass and scared it away, feeling that it was “the kind thing to do.” To her dismay, a few days later she discovered the cardinal flying into the window again – and repeatedly so. Wouldn’t this little fellow learn? Read more
Did you catch any of Jay Leno’s finale week on The Tonight Show? I’m typically fast asleep by late-night television time, but in a sentimental move, I set my DVR to record Jay’s last few shows. His celebrity lineup included Matthew McConaughey who returned for a 16th appearance. McConaughey recalled the advice Jay had given him years earlier to calm his nerves before walking on stage. It was this: Just want to be here. According to McConaughey, it was advice that stuck and applied to many life situations, not just performing.¹ Read more
We were seated next to each other at a dinner party for mutual friends who were about to move cross-country. Val, an executive for a large non-profit organization, asked me a question I’m often asked: How did you make the change? She was familiar with coaching since she and several of her colleagues had worked with an executive coach over the course of their careers. Val wanted to know more about the kind of coaching I do and how I transitioned to the field from my prior work. She stated that for a while now, she has been entertaining the idea of becoming a coach and then she added what stops her: But I don’t know anything about it. Read more
Whichever words you use — goals, habits, intentions, or even those infamous resolutions — it all comes down to the stuff you want to work on, achieve, and improve. As I select my areas of focus for the year and the projects I’ll declare priorities this winter, there’s always that tidal wave feeling that tries to convince me they’re all important and should have been done yesterday. I allow that feeling with a familiar nod of oh-yes-there-it-is. It’s a natural part of the process of periodically taking stock and Planning with Perspective, as I’ve come to name it. Read more