On risk

Risk frightens some people. It paralyzes others. Risk has stopped many people from doing incredible things.

Risk has also failed to prevent others from wholeheartedly chasing their dreams.

It might be worth asking whether risk is your fear dressed in disguise.

If risk wasn’t an issue, would your decisions change?

Why you should quit

Before traveling to Nepal, I did some major quitting: I quit my job, quit a relationship, quit where I was living, and quit some hard held beliefs about the way life should be lived. At the time, I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. The pieces were there, but the puzzle wasn’t coming together.

After taking time to revisit my go-to list of dreams (I suggest…

Good morning

Now get to work.

Real work.

It’s a new day. Yesterday’s failures aren’t so important. Tomorrow is still sleeping.

WAKE UP.

Work that matters isn’t going to come to you.

They may never call.

Your project might not be accepted.

He isn’t going to change his mind.

Make a list of what you want to accomplish — the things that really, truly matter. Outline the steps you need to take to move closer to those dreams, no matter how small. Focus…

Honoring the pivot

A pivot can be one of the most powerful moves on the basketball court. Performed correctly, one step can leave an opponent grasping at air, move a player out of a sticky situation, and provide a better perspective of the game.

The move is also recognized as a strategy for entrepreneurs, transforming a borderline idea into a championed achievement (think PayPal, Instagram, Groupon, More...

Should you be doing that? 6 questions to ask

1. Is this stealing my time?
2. Is my attention being diverted from what I actually need to be doing?
3. Is meaningful communication being traded for superficial connection?
4. Am I distracted?
5. Am I using this to procrastinate?
6. Am I on ____ ?

Many activities we participate in happen automatically, impulsively, without much thought. Take stock of your day and observe areas that suck up your time. Tomorrow, make it your mission to…

Read this when you actually want to get it done.

Writer’s block. It happens to the best of us. Procrastination, exhaustion, complaining, and straight up avoidance isn’t unique to you, either. When you’ve had enough wallowing and decide it’s time to actually get things done, here are 10 steps to lead you onto the path of production.

And yes, I followed my own advice to write this post (see image).

1. Get off Facebook.
2. Step away…
   More...

In 5 years…

I see this again and again with my clients. I’ve even done it myself.

We have so many choices, so many options, it’s difficult to settle on long-term decisions and commit. Paralyzed with indecision and uncertainty, we get in our own way and waver from one idea to the next. A helpful exercise:

Envision the person you’d like to become.

Think about your work life.

Your home.

Where you’d like to live.

Who you’re spending…

Tipping the scale

The first is always the scariest, most anxiety provoking, most intimidating. Getting beyond that initial hump becomes a matter of mettle and courage as you muster the courage you need to leap over fear.

Can you build a framework that sets you up so that if you don’t do x-y-z, you can recognize that fear has won? Fix your gaze, define your goal, and work…

When “some” is better than “done”

It’s tempting to delay beginnings. Starting a project carries a certain amount of anxiety and trepidation. Eventually this emotional upheaval is conquered, and a new relationship forms — a protective, cautious, calculating awareness of your dream. Your time, energy, passion, love, and sacrifice have been invested into this work, and your pride is as stake. Suddenly, progress is never just right, the piece is never perfect; it lies unfinished.

It’s…

Are you afraid to fail (and talk about it)?

At a recent curated dinner, I asked leaders from a variety of industries to discuss a topic that doesn’t often enter first conversations: failure.

The most successful among us have failed, yet it is a subject riddled with anxiety and fear. We are afraid to be called out as a fraud, so we avoid talking about moments of doubt and insecurity. It is, in fact, the ability to…