Tag: Motivation
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Risk Amplification, It’s all in your mind.
The post emphasizes the importance of re-evaluating how we perceive risk and opportunity. Jeff Bezos’ insight urges us to overestimate opportunities and underestimate risks while planning goals. I share a few personal experiences that highlight the value of taking risks and learning from failures, advocating for bold action in 2026.
When Plans Don’t Matter: The Ultimate Constraint is Time
It’s a great feeling when things go as planned, isn’t it? The perfect roadmap, the seamless execution, the predictable outcome. The satisfaction of hitting the bullseye. And when things don’t go as planned? Well, it’s just not a bullseye. But what if none of it actually matters? See, a plan is only an idea of…
The Unruly Seas: Finding Strength When the Forecast Changes
Strength lies not in stopping external challenges, like storms at sea, but in mastering our response to them. A seasoned sailor illustrates this: despite meticulous planning, unforeseen chaos arises. The key is to focus on what can be controlled—our mindset, decisions, and actions—finding calm amid turmoil.
Moving Beyond Your Mistakes and Shortcomings
Sailing the oceans gives a certain perspective. It also provides way too much time to contemplate things, so I end up writing blog posts like this one (and this one about learning to live in flux), LOL. When you’re out on the ocean, you constantly have an unobstructed view of the horizon both in front…
The Good and Bad of Ruts
Everything we know about learning suggests that there’s a cadence between routine incremental knowledge refinement and the breakout of new conceptual awareness. Knowledge Refinement. So when you’re at work and you feel like you’re in a rut, consider whether you’re at the maximum of your growth or whether you’re just emotionally bored. The daily routine…
No One Can Help You
In yesterday’s post we looked at the quote that tied willingness to learn to helplessness. Essentially, without the will to learn, no one can help you. It sounds logical. You know the old saying, you can lead a horse to water… But it’s only half true. Yes, if you’re delivering a mandated curriculum in a…
If you are not willing…
If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you’re determined to learn no one can stop you. ??? I’m not sure who said this originally. Often it’s attributed to Zig Ziglar but can’t verify it. Either way, it’s true. Determination is more valuable than curriculum. Determination is more valuable than…
When Things Are Tough, Just Know
When things are tough, just know you’re able to read this blog post, which means it’s not over yet. Hang in there. You’ll do great. Everything’s going to work out. ____________ And if you feel like it’s beyond tough, like it’s the end of the road, it’s okay to step back and dream again.
For Those Who Dig Deeper
You find time to meet with one more person. You find the energy to write one more blog post. You do the things that fall outside of the calendar because those extra minutes are may be small now, but you know they compound. And it’s the compounding of your efforts that make the difference 6…
Plans and Execution
All plans start with great ideas. The challenge of great ideas lies not in their ideation but in their execution. So then there is always that moment when plans come colliding into reality, and their only value lies in the execution. Here’s an updated list of posts, to help you with execution.
How to Feed Fear
Not because you want to do it, but because you need to avoid inadvertently doing so. Look, every monster needs to eat. Just don’t be the one who feeds it. Fear is no different. Fear can be fed. It can also be starved. But what feeds fear? It’s not facts. It’s certainly not self-doubt. And…
When You Know The Impact…
You might just try a little harder. In 2007, researchers published a study of the work patterns of hotel maids. They were interested in seeing the amount of exercise involved in their jobs. When asked, “Do you exercise?” most maids responded, “No.” Hotel maids do not typically consider their job to be a form of…
Drop the Grenade, Grab the Spotlight
It’s not completely untrue, but there is something not quite excellent about feedback. It’s almost like feedback is about focusing on flaws in order to improve.
No Criticism? Tread carefully…
When there’s no criticism, is your work really having an impact? Be wary of the calm before the storm.
Fear, Criticism, and the Real Monster
In a conversation about risk-taking, creativity, and failure, the question was asked, “Risk-takers have to be comfortable with failure as a potential consequence. How do leaders ‘get comfortable’ with failure?” I’d argue failure isn’t real. It’s criticism that’s real. That’s what we really fear. We all know failure is about learning and reiterating. Failure is…
And?
AND It’s a powerful word. It only has three letters. It’s used all the time. It’s rarely allowed to flex its muscles. It’s usually employed in lists, in a series such as this, and when combining two independent clauses. But its real strength happens in it’s rarest of usages: as an embrace. For example, “I…
Networks, What’s the Value?
There’s a theory that predicts the value of a network. In the 20th century, Bob Metcalf invented the technology to connect computers. He created the original network. Metcalf’s law estimates the value of a network as the square of the number of components. According to Metcalf’s law, a network of 4 computers is significantly less…
Quotes to Steal
Sometimes the best thoughts are inspired by others. Sometimes they’re straight up stolen. I plan to give the stolen ones to you today. “8 easy ways to positively impact culture: 1). Greet people 2). Say please and thank you 3). Don’t micromanage 4). Share credit 5). Own failure 6). Be humble 7). Always be…
Why You Climb
This year there will be challenges, obstacles, and walls – mountains to climb. You have, and will have, wildly important goals – big, hairy, audacious goals. And they will not be easy to reach. They are a far-stretch for you, at times, seemingly impossible. You chose them. You chose the climb. That’s why you are…
Time to Stop, Time to Start
It’s time. Time to stop viewing resources with limitations. Time to stop leading from email and communicating via the telephone game. Time to stop treating your staff as if they are in the way of learning. Time to stop treating yourself as if you’re on a treadmill that’s designed to chase brush fires. Time to…
The Shutdown Value of Criticism
I spoke recently to a few friends about their coaches from when they played sports (softball, basketball, and football). Unanimously they stated that they ran faster, jumped higher, worked out longer and tried harder every time they received praise from their coach.
When Scores Don’t Matter
I was in the playroom with my daughter this weekend, and we were painting. I’m just saying, but we were doing it legit – canvases, paints, palettes, big brushes, easels, music. The paintings dried on Saturday, and we went back for another layer on Sunday. It was pure delight. Also, there was no way to…
What Motivates Your Students?
Picture a cartoon character standing under a cloud, hands raised, yelling, “All mine! It’s all mine!” as gold coins fall from the low hanging cloud. Picture an employee whose annual appraisal is due and has learned to fear the meeting because of the score. That dreaded score is a valuation of the employee. It’s not…