Staying in “the comfort zone” can kill relationships, careers and businesses. Because a comfort zone is really just another way of describing stagnation, boredom and plateauing. Perhaps the most confounding part of this is that it’s often due to having enough. Enough customers. Enough money. Enough stuff. The pleasure in our lives slightly outweighs the …
Author: John Stevenson
How about now? The advantage of doing things sooner rather than later
The hardest step in a project is often the first step. And the first step is also the most important step. There are plenty of catchy sayings to encourage us towards these important first steps: Well begun is half done. Don’t get it perfect, get it going. The secret of getting ahead is getting started. …
Burnout: how to identify it and fix it
Burnout is a common malaise right now. Isolation, all-day Zoom meetings, and anxiety about the future of our country and world are weighing on all of us. If you’re feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or underappreciated, you may be in the fog of burnout. The causes of burnout, and their potential remedies, though, are a bit harder …
The fundamental of being kind and useful never go out of style
I know the complex problems of today cannot be fixed with a few words. And simple refrains won’t open hardened hearts, soothe real pain and suffering, or fix injustices overnight. But we can remind ourselves of the fundamentals of human decency. Because the fundamentals – of anything – never lose value and never go out of …
Communicating is the most important skill to test when hiring
“I would have written you a shorter letter if I had more time” is the modern-day translation of a quote from 17th century mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It captures perfectly two of the most important disciplines of writing: precision and brevity. Rambling, muddled, and lengthy writing is painful to read. It’s frustrating and confusing. It …
Everything is figureoutable
Ever feel stuck and scared? Having trouble getting started? Not sure what to do next? All pretty normal and natural feelings, especially now during a global pandemic, but the key is to shake those feelings fast. Marie Forleo is the author of Everything is Figureoutable. She writes and speaks about a variety of leadership, entrepreneurship, and …
And: the power of thinking in combinations and win-win
It was F. Scott Fitzgerald who said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” This is exactly what the best leaders – and their organizations – are able to do. And it is the …
Ambitions: How to lean in if you’re already all in
All moms are working moms. Period. Whether they’re working inside the home or outside the home, they’re working. Hard. It’s dawn to dusk, and then some. It’s changing gears constantly, from household tasks, to professional responsibilities, to emotional maintenance. A few years ago I gave Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In” to my wife, Sarah Jane, thinking she …
Momentum powers motivation: how to cultivate it
Being stuck is the worst. No one likes to be part of an endless project with no goal line in sight. It’s a sure path to burnout, and a waste of time, money, energy and emotion. Momentum, on the other hand, motivates. It drives you. It excites you. Progress, forward motion – quick wins – …
Trust
Without trust, nothing in society would work. We go out in public among strangers because we trust we won’t be attacked. We give a loan, not because of a promissory note, but because we trust the person to repay it based on their word (and past behavior.) We travel in planes because we trust pilots …