Henry Ford once said he didn’t want executives who had to work all the time. He insisted that those who were always in a flurry of activity at their desks were not being the most productive. He wanted people who would clear their desks, prop their feet up and dream some fresh dreams. His philosophy…
In the Escaping Shawshank experience we all went into prison cells – to think about what is holding us back. Many of us tapped into memories of “failing” at something and how we are allowing the feelings associated with that to hold us back from attempting anything new. It reminded me of the old 1998 movie,You’ve Got Mail…
I just returned from our Escaping Shawshank event in Columbus, Ohio. And there I was reminded of the profound effect of others in our lives – good and bad. With the growth of the entrepreneurial model I see lots of people who think they have to “make it on their own.” Nothing could be farther…
It’s really not difficult to determine a person’s point of reference. No, I really didn’t make that up. As usual, the rich life stories I hear in working with people in transition offer enough real anecdotes that I don’t have to be very creative in finding phrases that colorfully describe real situations. In anticipation of…
I hear the most interesting statements from people who are describing their lives. Recently a 36-yr-old MBA in an executive position in an exciting industry shared this concern in her coaching profile: “I have a vague sense that my life is too small.” Living large does not necessarily mean a bigger salary, house, cars or…
Here’s a question from a reader – an accountant. (We’ll call her Angela) “I’m at a job that I hate mainly because I feel like every day I’m set up to fail. There’s no job satisfaction. I go to work and try my best but the bosses and organization demand excellence in everything that we…
Two weeks ago my podcast theme was Stay Away From Negative Friends. I talked about my 3-hour rule where I’ll spend 3 hours a year with negative friends but certainly not 3 days or 3 weeks on a vacation. Well, I knew there was the elephant in the room and didn’t address it fully. I…
Joanne and I toured the Maritime Museum of San Diego last week. One of the vessels displayed there is a Russian B-39 Submarine. I was awestruck at the complexity of the valves, gauges and controls. I imagined a young sailor confronted with the choices available, and having to make rapid decisions under extreme pressure. (This is…
This is a guest post by Joanne Miller. She is my wife and affectionately known as Queen Mother in the 48Days community. She writes, serves the needs of others and spends time with her grandchildren. She doesn’t use Twitter or Facebook but has more connections than anyone I know. If you’d like to guest post on…
We are still enjoying the holidays with friends and family and on Sunday took my brother and his wife to Leiper’s Fork, TN. This is a tiny community near our house that’s home to some of the biggest names in country music and is known for its artistic and down-home feel. We ate lunch at…