Work Life

Why You Procrastinate and What to Do About It

Most people think that procrastination is a result of poor time management and laziness. While it can be that, a feature on The New York Times explains that a person's inability to manage their negative feelings about a task can also cause procrastination. These feelings are rooted in the inherently unpleasant task itself, such as paying bills, or deeper emotions related to the task, like self-doubt from writing a project proposal. Small tasks also…

How is your life like your favorite painting? How is it different?

I have been thinking a lot about the creative process lately and how in the day-to-day rush to get things accomplished, we separate our creativity from the way we live our lives. Maybe that works if we are going for robot-like productivity. But it's terrible for our deepest, truest selves.

That's because we are all wired for creativity. And when we leave that out, we are leaving out a big part of who we are. We are leaving out …

One of the best things about my work is that as my clients evolve, so do I. And that can sometimes be humbling. 

One of the things I talk about is celebrating our wins. It’s so important to do this AND... it’s something I’m still working on for myself. 

I will accomplish something that others would see as impressive and then notice the voice in my head that says, “Yeah, well… it is what it is. No big deal…Let’s move on to the next thing.” 

And that’s a trap because when we accomplish somethin…

“Nothing Is As It seems,” to take a riff off of an old Pearl Jam song. 

It’s easy to look around and see people looking like rockstars on social media, perfectly put together on LinkedIn or like they have got it all figured out on Zoom.

But what we see on the surface can be misleading, and without really knowing the world beneath it, we can make up all kinds of stories.

This can be a huge disservice to our careers because without even realizing it, we can create separation between ourselves a…

Have you ever had one of those moments where you looked around your life and realized the technicolor sense of aliveness you once knew now seems drab, gray, and monotone?

It is not time to panic. No one spends their entire lives in a state of perma-bliss. But it also doesn’t mean that we have to just wait and hope that some unicorn driving a magic bus will one day show up and offer us a ride.

The reality is that sometimes we get stuck behind windows, in offices, at desks, and on screens. Most …

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." – Stephen Covey

When people think of freedom, they will often think of a spacious green pasture, a sailboat on a vast ocean, or someone at the peak of a mountain over an enormous expanse. In fact, go to any stock photo website, type in “freedom,” and that is pretty much what you’ll see.

But there’s a paradox here because while those images may represent freedom, it’s not what gets you there. In many ways, …

"Bravery is about going within and seeing where you are holding yourself back… and letting go."

I went into my archives and pulled out this gem of a podcast episode to share with you. Ed Evarts is a good friend and mentor whose podcast, Be Brave at Work, is truly incredible. Ed is the author of two excellent books, Raise Your Visibility & Value and Drive Your Career. We had a powerful conversation about being brave at work and building your bravery muscle so that you can get stronger and strong…

"Your story helps you to uncover your purpose. Connect with your past to move yourself forward." 

I recently had the pleasure of being featured on The School of Purpose Podcast hosted by Bradley Wright, Ph.D. Brad and I had a deep conversation about purpose. What made it especially meaningful was that we come from very different backgrounds and our conversation was a warm convergence of what purpose can mean to people. We covered a lot of ground but, here are the key areas:

• Unearthing th…

Would you like to know one of the fastest ways to create what you want? It is really simple, and it is all based on the power of your own words. Most people don’t realize how much their words create reality. Even the classic magician’s saying, “Abracadabra,” which is originally ancient Aramaic and is actually pronounced “Abrah-hadrabrah,” really means... “As I speak, so I create.”

Well, that’s how a Manifesto works. In fact, I’ve been using a manifesto for the last few months, and it’s been a g…

I want to take a moment to point out a very human phenomenon that really pisses me off. I coach leaders. People who have the potential to create a legacy of positive impact on the planet. People who could be giants if they truly wanted. I see people filling their time with the day-to-day "things" they need to handle, but there will never be an end to all the things we can find to put on our list. This is what I refer to as the "To-Do List" Phenomenon.

There's a list that is far more important t…