Starting big projects can be overwhelming: too many moving parts, too much complexity. Just amassing the focus and energy to get started can be immobilizing, let alone maintaining that drive for the long haul. Two undersold secrets to success can save us in these situations. First, the power of The Grind. Second, the principle that…
Passion is a plant We maintain a cultural mysticism around passion and its meaning in our work. We are told to hunt for it, to follow it. Our work and hobbies should all be built around it. But is that the blueprint for life? Do we just endlessly search for an impulse, cultivating a mood? …
The myth of autopilot If there is one rule that I’ve had to relearn more than I’d like, it’s that there’s no such thing as autopilot. There’s no system or process on earth so well designed that it does not require some level of upkeep. The temptation for autopilot is clear; we want to believe…
Driving home last week, I realized I was living with about as much work-related stress as I could imagine. What’s worse, I was starting to bring these stresses past the threshold of my home, leaving a negative impact on my family. But how could this be? I’ve literally taught stress management; I exercise, eat well,…
Tips you may have discovered to increase your focus and productivity, before learning about the Life Hack Fallacy: Set a timer before performing your task. Work for 20 minutes and then give yourself a reward, like spending a few minutes [*cough* half an hour *cough cough*] on social media. Hide your phone in a lock-box…
A typical freight car attached to a locomotive weighs 130 tons when fully loaded. Such a locomotive may also be pulling well over 100 cars, totaling 13,000 tons of pull weight (not counting the weight of the locomotive itself). Now, moving one ton along the track requires about eight pounds of forward force. That means…
How do we show people we care about them? Is it because we remembered to text them on their birthday? Or because we bought them an expensive Christmas present? Maybe we’re imagining something more ‘Hallmark’, that we’re their family and, “they just know, you know?” Are these really enough to constitute the foundation for…
Let’s imagine a promotion parable… An employee is identified as faster and smarter than most of their peers. Management decides to promote them to team leader; their role evolves. Because this employee already knows how this team functions, they also excel in this role, producing results and success amidst the environmental stresses to which they…
Most millenials were sold the idea that dreams are ninety nine percent nurture and one percent nature. But it’s self-evident that not everyone can be LeBron James; on the basketball court it does matter that you’re five-foot-eight. The poster on the wall and the pep talks just don’t carry us far enough. At some point you…
Managing unpleasant tasks is exhausting Our days usually involve managing unpleasant tasks. And in an overly-edited world, where social media users can crop out sadness like plastic surgery, we might even begin to pity ourselves for the burden of these tasks. Why do I have to clean the house this weekend instead of going skiing…
Especially when times are tough, many of us have an inherent inclination to focus on the negative. As soon as things go south, we are primed for self-righteous disappointment. And it feels good to vent our disappointment, to show our contempt. It feels like we’re underscoring our high standards and implying we would have seen…
Even for the things we love, the things that aren’t work, we need a schedule! And perhaps even more than work, they deserve to have protected time within our day (the core value of a schedule). Isn’t reading important enough to our mental upkeep and development to be owed time each day? Or exercise, or…
Feedback is risky business There is one inviolable rule of feedback: make it safe. We can author the most poignant messages, the most pithy and incisive review, but they will all miss their mark if the individual doesn’t feel like their future is safe when they’re hearing it. This feeling cannot be ‘sold’ by the…
Interviewing is a skill Our administrative team interviews about fifty people each year. While we do find several polished applicants, we find even more who make common interview mistakes. Unfortunately, it only takes about 90 seconds to identify people in the latter group. Making the most out of an interview means delivering a clear message…