Work & Life
These articles address organization, productivity, career path and other work-related topics.
Being Generous Drives Business Success (Unless You’re a Woman)
Over the years, books like Adam Grant’s Give and Take have popularized the idea that you can get ahead in business by putting other people first. According to this wisdom, rather than looking out for Number One all the time, success-seekers should give their time and attention to others while expecting nothing in return. This is considered one of the greatest open secrets of effective networking. The problem is, women have been doing that for …
Your Life Purpose Might Have Nothing to Do With Service
This post was inspired by this recent video from Marie Forleo, whom I appreciate and admire. It touches on the concepts of life purpose, service, and meaning. A fan had written to Marie to ask how she could make sure her personal fulfillment didn’t decrease when she left her service profession and switched to art. The fan was worried that her sense of meaning and purpose might suffer now that she was no longer serving others. Now, Marie routinely offers some of …
A Simple Strategy to Make Every Day Productive
If you’re like me, you have some days when you’re the queen of your life and get forty-three things done before lunch … and others where changing out of your pajamas is the day’s biggest achievement. This is one of the many reasons I love listening to business-oriented podcasts. You can pick up gems of wisdom and inspiration — and yea, even practical tips for productivity — from successful business people, even if they operate …
How to Stop Procrastinating (Or Not)
It’s ironic that it’s taken me so long to share this post with you, but hey, we therapists are only human. Scratch the surface of someone who writes about procrastination and you’ll find a procrastinator underneath. Okay, so now that I’ve outed myself as a some-time procrastinator, I’d like to share a recent post with you from my PsychologyToday.com blog. You’ll notice I came up with 6 practical tips for overcoming procrastination. If there were …
Try This New Spin on Goal-Setting
Recently I listened to an interview with Chalene Johnson, who introduced me to a new idea for goal-setting. At first I was skeptical, but when I actually went through Chalene’s steps, it worked! Here’s what she suggested: 1. Set 10 goals. WHAT? TEN goals? That’s too many, isn’t it? Trust Chalene. Write down 10 goals across a wide range of areas of your life. Here are the areas Chalene suggests for your goals: Educational (a …
Introverts: 4 Survival Tips for Networking Events
What do you think of when you hear the words, “networking event”? For introverts, networking often calls to mind standing in a roomful of strangers, trying to balance a drink and a miniature paper plate with 3 grapes, a square of cheese and two crackers on it while pretending to enjoy yourself and secretly wondering how soon you can go home. For some, it may even call to mind an early experience at the dentist. …
How Organized Are You?
An organizationally talented friend was helping me organize the nightstand beside my bed. “What’s this?” she asked, pulling a melon-sized object in a soft case from the drawer. “It’s a blood pressure monitor,” I told her. “How often do you use it?” “Maybe once a year,” I guessed. I’d bought it a few years earlier at a steep discount even though I didn’t need one, thinking ‘Hey, great deal on a blood pressure monitor!’ “Why …
Visualize Your Goals with a Vision Board
Do you have a vision for what you want your life to look like? There are two sayings that mirror each other, both of which are true: “You’ll believe it when you see it,” and “You’ll see it when you believe it.” In other words, it’s easier to realize a goal that you truly believe in, and THAT’S easier when you can picture it in your mind’s eye. But what if you’re mind’s eye needs …
What’s Behind the Fear of Failure?
Fear of failure may be common, but its roots don’t always look the same in every case. In a room full of people who identify as being afraid of failure, you’ll get to a roomful of different fears if you scratch the surface. If you suffer with a fear of failure that holds you back, get a handle on what’s really going on. Check out my recent post on the topic: Fear of Failure? | …
Don’t Speak Up, Speak In
If you’re in a workplace that’s sucking the life out of you, making you furious or otherwise driving you nuts, you might NOT want to speak up about it. People who speak up about what’s wrong at work are often labeled negative. If you have feelings about what’s going on in the workplace but you don’t want to make waves, telling yourself what’s up can calm you down. Be Your Own Confidant You may have …
The Secret Cost of Pursuing Your Dreams
If you have a dream and you try to make it a reality, you might fail. Then you won’t have your dream anymore. This is the hidden cost of pursuing your dreams. It’s not just the risk of failure that’s off-putting, it’s the loss of potential success. I’ve found this to be a common reason why people with goals don’t move toward them. If you have a dream, and you don’t pursue it, you can …
Multitasking vs. Unitasking: No Contest
Whenever the topic of multitasking is raised, so are my antennae. I’m tragically aware of my inability to “unitask,” and like Pinnochio who wanted to be a real boy, I long to be something I’m not. In my case, I want to be present. Focused. I want to be able to do just one thing at a time, and I’ll tell you why… Oh, there’s a YouTube video on how to peel garlic in 10 …