December is both a wonderful and stressful month in one. At work, there is that last push to produce before the year ends and the same is true at home, where we scurry around in holiday activity. So that you don’t fall victim to a race-to-the-finish-line mentality where everything goes by in a blur, here […]
Everyone Has a Story I love to watch movies based on true stories, interviews on the Biography channel, and performers talking to James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio. I think it’s fascinating how lives evolve and how one pivotal decision —or one decision made repeatedly— impacts a person’s destiny. I’m especially intrigued by their challenges, failures, espoused […]
Should, Should, Should I should clear up that mess. I should make that call. I should get moving on that. What I really should do is… Yikes, that list is endless! And while, yes, sure, we all should do a lot of things, the problem is that when you overuse the word “should”, all it does […]
Talk About Food I knew I would like Julie and Julia, the movie about blog author Julie Powell and adored chef Julia Child, because: a) it was about food, b) it was a glorious example of following your passion no matter how late you get started, c) it was about food…oh, I mentioned that already, and […]
What Then? Have you ever wrestled with what to do about a certain situation only to arrive at a solution that was clearly making itself known to you, repeatedly over time?
What Does Your Little Man Say? There’s an episode on Seinfeld where George can’t decide what to do about his girlfriend. Kramer tries to help by asking, “Now what does the little man inside you say?” Even more agitated, George retorts: “My little man’s an idiot!” Poor George. He couldn’t hear it. There was too much noise in his […]
Another Lesson from Pavarotti The recent article What You and Pavarotti Have in Common must have touched a chord, as I received a very enthusiastic response. Many of you commented on one of the quotations included after the article: “People think I’m disciplined. It is not discipline. It is devotion. There is a great difference.” — Luciano Pavarotti
A Strategy for Approaching Your Goals This summer, I’ve witnessed several clients make tremendous progress using a strategy I developed for myself and shared with you a few years ago. I decided to rerun the issue today with a few enhancements.
Wired For Distraction A news headline on your computer screen. Your own thoughts. The buzz of your cell phone. In today’s world, we are bombarded and if you are prone to distraction by nature, learning how to manage this is critical. First, though, acknowledge the upside of how you are wired¹. When I suggested this […]
Take it from Tony My father, Tony, now 86, was an IBM salesman during the 1950’s-1980’s. In the early days of his career¹ he’d cart an IBM Selectric typewriter all over Manhattan. A tip he learned from cold calling and would later share with rookie salesmen was: “Don’t psychoanalyze the door.” Even when approaching small or obscure […]