The title of this post may cause many to stop reading. We are in a period of overwhelm. The word productive automatically generates thoughts of “do more”. However, the definition of productivity is to maximize output. This could involve solutions that shift inputs to...
Yesterday, the blog focused on a career bucket list. Our lists were likely full of all kinds of dreams. Creating an innovative approach to your work. Taking on a special project. Speaking at a prominent event. Achieving a promotion. Better work life integration....
We tend to “reflect” at the end of the year, the end of a big project, or another milestone. What if we made reflection a more regular practice – monthly, weekly, daily? What questions would we ask? My Story For the last 10 years, I’ve had a practice of...
For years, the corporate ladder has been used to describe the climb of an individual’s career. You move from independent worker to supervisor of a small team, to managing larger teams, and finally reaching the “top” of your organization or your area of...
There was a concept from the book That Will Never Work by Mark Randolph the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix. He incorporated a process in business that he called “scraping the barnacles off the hull. Background For those who aren’t familiar, barnacles are marine...
Yesterday, we covered the shift in language to change things you want to do from verbs to nouns. Instead of “I want to run more” you say, “I am a runner”. The subtle change is to shift your identity into that of a runner which will increase the likelihood that...
In my post on Saturday, I highlighted a Daily Boost Podcast titled How Bad Do You Want to Live Your Dreams. During this podcast, the host challenges us to think about the things we want in life. Below is the quote that really struck me: “You will always do what you...
When we think about our careers, we often don’t look beyond the next role or promotion we hope to achieve. Exploration of opportunities involves looking at the roles of others in your company or occasionally pursuing LinkedIn to see what interesting roles may be...
We all have goals. Become a writer. Lose weight. Get a promotion. Be more organized. Improve a relationship with a co-worker. The list is endless. Most goals we set are within reach. Yet, we struggle to make them happen. Why do we self-sabotage...
I’ve spent a lot of time struggling with the fact that personal development tends to fall into the category of “self-help”. Today, I did some research, dug under the surface, and came to some conclusions about the genre. Rooted in HELP The source of my challenge with...
As January winds down, our resolutions may be starting to fade away as the year ramps into full swing. This is the perfect time to double down on a dream and turn it into a plan. Our dreams live in our heads. The things we want to do “someday”. Making the dream...
This morning I listened to a podcast by Laura Vanderkam titled “Plant Seeds to Enjoy the Harvest”. The concept was that you need to intentionally plant seeds so that things have an opportunity for a harvest in the future. I think this is an interesting concept...
January is a time of setting goals, hopes, and aspirations for the year ahead. The dreaming part is exciting and fun. The doing part is where the fun can start to plummet. One of the best ways to improve your chances of meeting your goals is to increase...
There are many people who set New Year’s resolutions and we hear that most abandon them by mid-February at the latest. I wonder what’s the point of setting a resolution if you are going to give up 40 days into the 365? For those who do make resolutions, an...
Life is full of moments when we say, "when this happens, I will (fill in the blank)". We wait for many reasons: When I get my first job. When I retire. When work is a bit less busy. When the kids go to college. When I move out of my parents’ house. When I get...
This phrase came into being about a year ago in conversation with members of The Carbon Almanac community. We were talking about the tendency to postpone or avoid projects that are large, daunting, and don’t have a clear solution. The idea was that if you just did...
When we think about the year ahead, many of the intentions we set focus on things in our lives that we want to improve in some way. We may want to exercise more, improve relationships, or stop a bad habit. The tendency is to make the resolutions around...
Much is written this time of year about setting goals and changing habits. The focus is striving toward something that will make your life “better”. I am an advocate of personal development and join in the annual quest to embrace the year ahead. In fact, yesterday, I...
As 2022 comes to a close, you may be asking yourself, "why should I do a year end review?". Even for those who spend time each year reflecting, sometimes it can be difficult at the end of the year to find the time and space to think about the year gone by. While I can...
Each year, I select a word to guide my ambitions and goals for the year ahead. December is a great time to reflect on what has been accomplished and evaluate how the word guided my year. I consider the impact that it had and start to set the foundation for the next...
Photo Credit - Lori Sullivan The New Year often brings with it resolutions. Webster's defines a resolution as "a firm decision to do or not to do something." And, many studies indicate that most of us will quit the resolution before the end of January. So, with the...