[This post is part of a series on my daily exercise and starting and keeping challenging habits. If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] Today’s post combines a few key things that result from and help create a great life. Having good friends who challenge you Sharing your passions Exercising[…] Keep reading →

How do you feel right now? I suspect you read this page when you’re calm, maybe even relaxed. Now think about a few times you’ve been stressed. Think of how much you worried about the consequences of some worst-case scenario — how it could ruin your life, destroy some relationship, undermine something important to you. Did you yell at anyone? Lose your temper? Lose control in some other way? Everybody[…] Keep reading →

[This post is part of a series on Communication Skills Exercises for Business and Life. If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] I’ve written a bunch of times on the exercise I made up to avoid using judgmental words, particularly good, bad, right, wrong, and evil, but also balanced, better,[…] Keep reading →

My series on beliefs got me more page views and emails from readers than average. Did it get you to examine your beliefs? Did you do the exercise that started it for me? It costs nothing and takes only a few minutes. I ask not just because I’m curious, I ask for a reason we could all benefit from. As much as I like how my beliefs work for me,[…] Keep reading →

[Today’s post is an alternative introduction to my series on beliefs and how to change them. It gives a different, more team-oriented approach.] A major tool of leadership is setting the common beliefs and models of your team. Some examples: The head of a corporation may decide that the company’s highest priority is product quality when it used to be customer service. Or may decide it is a consumer electronics[…] Keep reading →

[This post is part of a series on “Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours.” If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] The great business guru Peter Drucker illustrated how different people find different value and meaning from their work (and lives) through the parable of the three[…] Keep reading →

[This post is part of a series on people who succeed despite adversity. If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] Do you ever feel like things are stacked against you? Consider how many people succeeded despite the odds. Ask yourself which helps more — having advantages or learning to overcome[…] Keep reading →