Reader do you ever get that sinking, heavy, fluttery feeling in your stomach? It's July 13th, my oldest daughter's 16th birthday. She just passed her written drivers test and now we are headed to Florida with her former gymnastics coach and my good friend, Rebecca. Tomorrow morning we must be at the New College in Sarasota by 1PM to drop my daughter at her two week Duke Tip marine biology program. We stop in Atlanta for some fun, then continue to the Georgia/Florida border to spend the night....
24 days ago • 3 min read
Reader, procrastinating is the sneaky play of your avoider. Your avoider uses a variety of stories to trick you into inaction: I don't want to do that thing It can wait till later Maybe somebody else will take will take care of it I'm not ready yet I can't do it well enough so I might as well not try And although there's truth in each story, it's only a half truth. The other half of the story is: If I get this done now I will get it off of my mind The sooner this is done the sooner I can...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Reader, if you want to grow do this... I used to teach gymnastics. I would watch girls work so hard to learn a new skill only to have their overall performance decline at the meet despite nailing the new skill. In sports this is known as the a temporary dip. I told them the one and only sports psychology truth I knew: the dip is expected; perseverance is the key. Now I find myself in that same situation. I started playing pickleball in March and I am just starting to feel like I can hold my...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Reader, steal this and avoid the dreaded PIP. To protect their anonymity I'm going to call this client Acme Incorporated. They had an attendance problem that was quickly becoming a turnover problem. Workers were consistently arriving late or calling out at the last minute, which resulted in internal chaos as remaining staff scrambled to deliver services to the on-site clients each day. Every day felt like the team was short staffed creating extra stress for managers, workers, and clients....
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Reader, last week I hit a mental low. One of my closest friends packed up her life and moved 15 hours away. Even though I know we will remain friends, I am feeling deeply sad to lose the spontaneous hangout in person opportunities. Her presence got me through one of the toughest times I have faced. She matters to me. So in this state of sadness, Miranda (my inner critic) decides it's the perfect time to call me out as completely inadequate, pointing to my failure to be further in my business...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Reader, I have a treat for you. Meet Beatrice. My daughter just sent me this picture, and it got me thinking that Bea has a lot in common with us. Reader, how would you describe her vibe? I see trust, love, curiosity, and readiness. She is a fun-loving kitten, about 12 weeks old, and needs the same things we do. Psychological safety: Bea is up for pets from anyone. She trusts that humans will be caring and fun playmates and quickly makes friends with new people. She smartly sheaths her front...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, I've been stricken with vacay brain. My eyes pop open. Dawn is breaking. I grab my phone to see 6:00 a.m. on the dot. I pause to take stock following my 36-hour round trip to St. Louis by car. Do I need more sleep? Am I ready to start my day? I feel good, and walking with my dogs at the park sounds invigorating. My feet hit the floor and I start my day thinking about all the productive work I am going to accomplish. I walk the dogs, grab a light bite, make my morning posts on social...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Reader, this gets a little personal. Over the winter, I started playing pickleball. I love it! I'm having so much fun. Summer is now officially here with a daily heat index topping 100 this past week. In past years, I have avoided being outside in such dreadful heat. This year, I'm taking two or more showers a day to cool off and wash away the sweat. Yes, I'm a prolific sweater. One of those people who always looks like they just ran a marathon after any exertion in the sun. I could choose to...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, last week I got to do what I love twice! I delivered talks at two conferences — one in Texas and one in Louisville. I know that interactive learning is the best, so my presentations include some type of "pair and share" element whenever possible. In Texas, I invited the participants to reflect on their happiest and least happy job experiences, then share the stories with their partners. Here was the punchline from the debrief: Was the experience you shared about compensation, tasks,...
3 months ago • 2 min read