LATEST BLOG POSTS

I woke up, ate a light breakfast, oiled the chain, set the machine for intervals of just over 1/8th a marathon, and rowed. About three and a half hours later I finished my second rowing marathon. My results: I rowed my first rowing marathon two years ago. Someone pointed out my rest periods then of 2 minutes were too long (I forget the reason, something about the body switching modes).[…] Keep reading →

Longtime listeners and readers of my books and podcast know I draw the analogy to learning and mastering a skill to learning to play piano or a sport. You start by playing scales or practicing groundstrokes. Likewise with leadership or taking initiative, acting entrepreneurially, both performance arts you can master. Also acting in stewardship. People don’t get that learning to cook without producing tons of garbage took training from when[…] Keep reading →

Readers have given me positive feedback on my appearance on the politically conservative, Trump-supporting media outlet Magamedia. I value interacting with people with diverse views. The other day, I participated in a panel there prompted by a Congressional candidate from California facing criticism for posting an artwork representing the experience of black men. We examined the situation from a range of perspectives. I’d love your thoughts, whether you agree with[…] Keep reading →

All the “experts” have some study for how long it takes for a habit to stick. Here are a bunch of articles from searching “how long to start a habit” not worth reading that give the common answers: How Long Does It Take for a New Behavior to Become Automatic? begins: “According to a 2009 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes 18 to 254 days[…] Keep reading →

I learned of John’s work through his statement at Macmillan’s Sustainability page while researching Ray Anderson: In 2009, after reading Ray Anderson’s “Confessions of a Radical Industrialist,” I decided it was Macmillan’s responsibility to lessen our impact on the earth, and in particular, to lower our carbon emissions. We created a senior position in the company and spent well over a year measuring our carbon footprint. We then set ourselves[…] Keep reading →

My books and courses get stellar reviews because they teach how to lead and take initiative effectively—not through lecture but through practicing the basics and advancing as we improve, sometimes to mastery. We learn all performance-based fields that way—sports, dance, music, military, and so on. I approached coaching acting sustainably similarly. It hit me the other day that some things we don’t need structured learning for—things we love without any[…] Keep reading →

I posted on handling what people call pandemic fatigue to Thrive Global today: Pandemic Fatigue? How to Achieve Pandemic Thriving. Here’s the text of the article: When I learned I would be locked down indefinitely, knowing we were all heading into unknown territory, I looked for role models. Who had handled such a situation successfully? Nelson Mandela had been locked down for twenty-seven years, most of that time on a[…] Keep reading →