Posts

How Could It Go Right?

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Don’t Stop There

It’s been said that people who anticipate obstacles when attempting goals are more successful because they are ready to meet those issues if and when they arise. If you want to eat better and your sweet tooth typically kicks in while watching TV, your preemptive strike might be to have fresh fruit cut up and ready to grab in the fridge. Makes sense, right? Yet there’s a critical distinction to be made: Planning for obstacles can be helpful, but surrendering to them before they even happen? Not so helpful. Read more

Move the Monkey

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What a Relief!

Do you have something you’ve been dying to get off your list of things to do but just can’t seem to get around to it? Well I had one of those that was hanging around for over a year (actually more, but I prefer not to think of how long). It was something important but I just couldn’t seem to move it up the list. Other things always seemed to take priority. “Enough!” said I, one day. I declared it a project and committed to my advisory team that I would get it done within a certain time frame. I told them it was a monkey on my back and I was tired of carrying him around. Read more

The Road Less Tedious

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After the last issue, Tackling A Tough Job?, several of you emailed me to say that the “I am willing” approach is helping you see your challenges in a better light. Today, I offer you a few more thoughts on approaching “big jobs” including a reminder to use music as part of your motivational routine. Read more

Ease Into It

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Eight Minutes is a Start

Paula, a seasoned executive who puts her all into her job, recently hired me to help carve out her next career move. She’s sensing something new on the horizon but is pretty worn out from the constant surge of adrenaline that spikes over the course of her 13-hour-plus workdays. Even before her next career direction emerges, one top priority is abundantly clear: taking better care of her health. Paula would like to return to her yoga practice, but she is concerned about how she’ll find the time and has had difficulties with being able to settle down. Read more

If You Really Wanted To…

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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 is produce a heaviness that is anything but motivating. It makes you feel like you’re already behind. Read more

Devoted, Not Disciplined

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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 Read more

Leap + Steady-As-You-Go

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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. Read more

Don’t Psychoanalyze the Door

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Take it from Tony

photo of person opening a doorMy 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 companies, there might be more opportunity behind the door than expected. Read more

See Yourself As The Expert

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What a Turn of Phrase Can Do

Nine years ago I was sitting in a conference room with my colleague, Joan. We were girding up to tackle the task of creating a brand new graphic exhibit for the company’s corporate briefing center of which I was the director. This job, one of many within a larger project, felt particularly daunting. Even though we had traversed this territory successfully before, this time was different. We felt the pressure of wanting to make it bigger and better and were concerned about communicating the exact right message. And once again, the deadline loomed. We had allowed our creativity to be squelched and were procrastinating with the best of them. Read more

What Would Thrill You?

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Avoiding Discomfort Only Gets You So Far

It was during a “Take 10” coaching sampler at Spa Lamar here in Scottsdale. I had asked Marissa one of my favorite questions: “What are you craving?” I listened intently as she sat in her spa robe and described what she liked about her current job and also what bored her to no end. Then, mid-sentence, her tone of voice and whole demeanor changed. “Well, you know what would thrill me?” I was all ears. In just ten minutes Marissa had gone from considering what the next most practical career move would be to entertaining greater possibility. Read more