I was talking to a colleague of mine yesterday, who is about to turn 50. He was regretful about the fact that he grew up too fast. He said that when he was a kid, all he wanted to do was get older, so he could do all of the things that that adults were… Read More »Youth, the Secret of Life, and Other Alchemy
credit: Pok Rie There is a difference between having an opinion, voicing that opinion, and acting on that opinion.Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But opinions should be handled with care. We must understand that an opinion merely possessed is easy to remedy — you can change your mind. But an opinion voiced or acted upon is much… Read More »A Few Useful Things I’ve Learned — No Fancy Title
Something simple to help wade through some terrible times I’ve been in the business world for nearly 10 years now. Not enough to call myself a vet, but enough to have been in various kinds of interactions with a sizable cross-section of people. In that time, I have heard a lot of talk about ethics, integrity,… Read More »Ethical Business Conduct for the Rest of Us
credit: SplitShire To this day, I still see job descriptions that list “multitasking” as a preferred or required skill. It boggles my mind. Aren’t we past that? Don’t we know better by now? Isn’t asking for multitasking as a skill for today’s jobs a bit like asking for a knowledge of bloodletting as a skill… Read More »The Benefit of Single-tasking and how to Get Yourself to Do It
credit: David Gubler On Strategy and Rebellion A big initiative comes down in an email proclamation from the VP of my company. He needs a report on this, that, and the other by the end of the week. Everyone immediately fires off their emails detailing what we need to do, and when. My already crowded inbox… Read More »Trains, Cars, and Bicycles
Here’ a quick exercise. Think of the most productive person you know. Now answer the following question: are they doing a lot of stuff, or getting a lot of stuff done? Yes, you read the question correctly. It may seem like I’m being redundant — asking the same thing twice. But I’m not. You see, there is… Read More »Leverage the Difference Between “Doing” and “Getting Done”
credit: Chad Miller On becoming more restrained, and thinking more clearly in the face of adversity I was at the local doughnut shop the other day. At the early hour I was there, it is a favorite hangout for retirees. They get a doughnut, some coffee, and they sit at one of the dozen tables in… Read More »Hanlon’s Razor: How to Avoid Common Missteps in Judgment
credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports Why the NCAA Basketball Tournament is My Favorite Event of the Year It is officially my favorite time of the year: March Madness — the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Ever since I was a young boy of single-digit age, I have loved March Madness. It is everything that makes sports great, all in one… Read More »A March Madness Manifesto
credit: Piamen Agov How to Be More Thankful by Default, and Reap the Benefits There is all sorts of evidence to support the claim the gratitude is good for us. Those who practice gratitude tend to be both mentally and physically more healthy. They tend to be happier. The list goes on. In short, having that attitude… Read More »How to Cultivate an Effective Gratitude Habit
credit: USAF How to Hone Your Mental Engines to Make Better Decisions Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure. – Confucius Preparation is key for doing well at whatever it is you’re trying to do. It’s why athletes practice, actors rehearse, and writers read. The reason preparation is… Read More »The OODA Loop: A Tool for Better Decision-Making
