When I think about our personal brands, I think about an umbrella. The mission, vision, and summary of who we are. Yesterday, during a search, I saw an article title that intrigued me: “Credit Card: Can you build a personal brand with it?” There were 6 suggestions....
Life is full of opposites and tensions. We are pulled in multiple directions and working through tradeoffs. One tension that often arises is the idea of putting ourselves first. We care about our family. Our friends. Co-workers. Neighbors. The list continues. We want...
I heard a podcast from Self-Improvement Daily that struck a chord. The title of the episode was “Look Before You Jump”. Before volunteering, leaving/taking a job, starting a hobby, and more. The three points Brian made were: Be thoughtful about what you commit to...
As adults, we sometimes forget to play. Life is serious and full of responsibility. However, playing can help all of us find joy and relieve stress. The National Institute for Play has a free, 10-minute quiz to help you discover which of 6 play types you are. The...
Seth Godin had a short post on his blog that succinctly made a point: “It's easy to announce that we don't have time for a new skill or a generous act. But the truth is we probably could find the time. What we don't have is energy or motivation. Find that and you'll...
In 2019, I picked the word joyful for my word of the year. I wanted to remind myself of the people, places, and activities that brought me joy. This was an enlightening year of discovery. Recently, after taking the Values Bridge, a connection was made. The results...
Back in 2008, Sonja Lyubomirsky, wrote The How of Happiness. The book outlined 3 factors that have an impact on our personal happiness: Genetic Makeup: A significant portion of our long-term happiness, around 50% according to the research, is determined by our...
Project managers have a saying: Fast, good, cheap — pick two. It’s a reminder that in any project, you can rarely have all three at once. If you want something fast and good, it won’t be cheap. If you want it good and cheap, it won’t be fast. And so on. Lately, I’ve...
Gallup research indicates that followers need four things from leaders: Trust, Compassion, Stability, and Hope. “When leaders meet these needs, it can lead to less suffering and better wellbeing.” - Gallup They broke the four categories down into these dimensions:...
When I was young, I heard the phrase “bright eyed and bushy tailed” a lot. It was the way my family noted that you were full of energy. Cheerful and ready to go. The origin of the quote is believed to be from the image of a squirrel. With its bright eyes and...
Control is an interesting word. It implies strength and empowerment. And can also imply being overbearing. The definition is “To exercise restraining or directing influence over. To regulate. To reduce the incidence or severity.” My Perspective We all want some level...
Life lessons are the nuggets of wisdom we gather throughout the journey of our lives. An enduring insight gained from our experiences. While these moments can occur anytime, they are often associated with major transitions in life. The moments that are emotional,...
This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about my daily writing habit. I spend the first 30 minutes of my day (every day) writing about professional development and/or marketing, brainstorming ideas, or digging into frameworks that have been forming in my mind. Some of the...
When we enter a room, our energy enters first. People can tell our mood. From our body movements. The first words we speak. Or don’t speak. Our mood can set the tone for their mood. They may mirror our energy and emotion. They may come in strong with the opposite...
A follow-up to: Our Me-Suite: The C-Suite Inside Us If you read last week’s post, you’ve already met your Me-Suite. The internal executives that help you lead your life with intention. But what happens when you’re learning something new? When you’re trying a new tool,...
We’ve all taken time to figure someone out. How they prefer to work. What motivates them. What shuts them down. And we’ve all had moments where we wished people just came with instructions. Turns out, they can. A Personal User Manual is a simple, one-page guide to...
Ever feel off, but can’t quite explain why? You might be trying to name an emotion when you’re experiencing a shift in your state of mind. Or vice versa. Here’s a simple way to understand the difference: Emotions are the Actors. They come on stage, perform their...
Both stuck and stagnant imply that we aren’t moving. We lack progress and momentum. This can happen in any part of our lives at any time. Stuck often implies that there is an obstacle in the way. Preventing our movement. Stagnant implies a longer and more pervasive...
Previously, I posted about the first phase of becoming a Me-EO. This first phase was all about becoming SAVVY about ourselves and our future vision. The second phase of a Me-EO life involves moving from vision to action. The acronym for this phase is GROWTH. I chose...
Sometimes a book finds you because of its subtitle. I selected The Art of Pacing: A Guide to Balancing Short-Term Demands with Long-Term Thriving by Elizabeth Svoboda because it spoke directly to a question I've been exploring in my own writing: How do we manage...
We all know how an org chart works. A clear hierarchy. Defined roles. A leadership team that works together to keep the business running. But when it comes to our personal lives and careers, we forget: We are the business. Every day, we hold a whole executive team...