Flying Into Windows 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 […]
The Red Cardinal 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 […]
Advice that Stuck 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 […]
But You Don’t Know Anything About It 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 […]
Structure + Compassion 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 […]
Naming It Eleven years ago, in a conversation with my coach, we debriefed the eventful year that was about to conclude. It had been one of the changes beginning with leaving my corporate career to start my coaching business, and then planning a wedding and getting married. As we looked back at the year and […]
First, Go Wide Today I’d like to share one of my techniques for managing overwhelm. You can use this on any given day as well as for long-range planning. Applying the metaphor of a movie camera, it goes like this: When multiple or conflicting priorities make it hard to know where to start, first, go for the […]
Barely Getting By Remember your first job, first apartment, and living paycheck to paycheck? In the beginning, just being able to make rent and survive in the real world feels like enough — and it is, until you learn that there is something more beyond merely surviving.
What Started as Panic Here’s how my Monday morning started last week. I walked upstairs to my office and when there was no computer in sight, the feeling in the pit of my stomach told me what must have happened. That Sunday while on my way into the grocery store, I brought my laptop with […]
Watch Your Language The other day I was helping my client Debbie¹ update her resume. The financial services company she works for is going through layoffs, and Debbie is in job search mode. Her long-term goal is to get into healthcare technology, and she is enrolled in a certification program. As we considered her audience […]