General

The most important decision you’ll make in your life. Don’t think it will impact your professional success? Oh, believe me, it will. It seems like there are many, many important life decisions. But, the reality is that some that feel important in the moment don’t really matter that much in the big scheme of things.…

The world is changing rapidly.  I know we always say that. But, wow, just look at what happened in the last 2 years.  Who could have predicted how quickly work would change in 2020-2021? And, we’re not returning to the way things were before.  Advances in AI,  robotics, self-driving vehicles, remote work, and more could…

Today’s Morning Thought: Pain vs Discomfort Using weightlifting as an analogy here… Soreness is normal. Discomfort brings growth. Pain isn’t normal, though. Pain usually means damage. Injury. The same is true for personal and professional growth. You need to be uncomfortable. Growth isn’t easy. If you want to develop, improve, and advance, don’t seek the…

Always have a backup plan. Actually, I think you should have multiple backup plans. A few years ago, I wrote about my strategy of having Plans A-D. Plan A is your current career plan. This is where you think that your current job is taking you. Plan B should be your strategy for a career…

We spend too much of our time being consumers. Reading news, watching Netflix, scrolling social media streams. To counteract that hyper-consumption, create something every day. The act of making something fuels your creative side. It makes you more creative and innovative. Consumption does not. Create something — anything —and bring it into this world. Write…

What does the end of summer mean for you? How do you feel about it? Not very long ago, I felt like the summer was just beginning. We were making plans for some trips.  Well, those didn’t happen. And here we are at the end of the summer.  So, I guess I’m feeling a sense…

I just rewatched Adam Grant’s TED talk on being a giver or taker.  So, which one are you?  Do you tend to give and help others? Or, do you tend to take and ask others for help all of the time? Everyone likes to say that they are a giver. But, please, let’s not kid…

One way to refresh your network is to express gratitude. Thank people for how they’ve improved your life. You can go back several years! For example, I thanked a manager from more than 20 years ago. I also thank people who send me referrals. I did that recently and the person wanted to know more…

When was the last time you reached out to people in your broader network?  Not your family, close friends, or daily coworkers. I’m talking about something called “weak ties.”

What have you learned from working at home for the past year or more? Ok, we’ve been doing this work-from-home thing since early 2020. It was rough at first for many. Most people thought it would be temporary. But, it’s not. I’m not going to get into the argument of whether this will be permanent…