The Oatmeal Habit – How to Form Habits that Stick to your Ribs
When I adopted my oatmeal habit, I had no idea I was unlocking a powerful way to form good habits that last. Here’s what I discovered, and how you can put it to work.
Running in the Rain: What to Think About When You Think About Quitting
Running in the rain: It’s something I don’t want to do, yet very much need to. Here’s how I got myself out the door, and how to get yourself to do things you don’t want to do, too.
Hyperbolic Discounting and 7 Ways to Prevent Self-Sabotage
Hyperbolic discounting isn’t some crazy sales technique, but it CAN keep us from achieving our goals; here’s how to recognize when it’s happening, and seven ways to prevent our tendency to self-sabotage.
Leadership Exercises: 7 Ways to Build Your Influencing Muscles
Are there any leadership exercises I can do? Someone asked this question recently, and I thought it was a good one. Learning leadership is tricky business. It’s not like practicing musical scales or pumping iron at the gym. But I do think there are exercises we can do to become more effective leaders. Whether we […]
Comfortably Uncomfortable: 7 Ways Seeking Discomfort Makes You Better
“How can seeking discomfort be a good thing for leaders?” Hey, I’m here at a local park in Minnesota, getting ready to do my weekly tempo run. Believe it or not, I think that there is a very close parallel between learning to run fast and becoming a better leader, and it has to do […]
Master the Habit Cycle and Achieve Your Goals
What if you could turn making good choices into a habit? It’s easy to set a goal. It’s much harder to actually achieve it. Part of the problem is that to make progress, every day you have to choose to put in the effort. If you don’t make that choice, failure is just around the […]
8 Gratitude Practices to Improve Your Sleep, Smarts, and Sanity
Two old friends met each other on the street one day. One looked forlorn, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What has the world done to you, my old friend?” The sad fellow said, “Let me tell you: three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars.” “That’s a […]
Walking with Equanimity: What to do When the Rain Comes
One rainy morning recently I received a wordless lesson in equanimity when a few long-distance backpackers showed me what it looks like to handle a challenge with composure. Here’s how they turned a negative into a positive and how you can do the same with the rain that falls in your life.