What your life has revealed
Here is a simple set of questions to help explore your values. Looking back on your life: Take a few minutes to reflect on these questions. Then consider:
The other side of fear
The things we fear in business and life are usually illusory. The fear is real, regardless. Accept that your brain and body are responding this way. (Radical self-compassion.) Just don’t give into it without questioning it. You really should be afraid of the lion. You needn’t be afraid of putting your work out into the … Read more
I’m at home all day, so why is it so hard to meditate?
You’d think being forced to stay home is the ideal time to develop a deep, consistent mindfulness practice. It’s good for well-being, and it’s good for focus at work, with clients and while working from home. So why do I *not* meditate? Why do I keep putting it off? When I stop and pay attention … Read more
Do bad work first so you can do great work
If you know what you want to do, but you feel stuck and are not getting started, this post is for you. Perfectionism is the action killer. Do something badly a first time, then do it the second time, and a third, and you’ll be far ahead of where you are now. So far ahead … Read more
Escaping unplanned Netflix binges
What regrets will you have on your deathbed? It almost certainly won’t be “I wish I’d caught the last two seasons of Brooklyn 99!” If you have goals that don’t involve sitting on the couch watching endless television and films, limiting your Netflix time is important. This post has a bunch of obvious suggestions like … Read more
A message to you, the reader
I hadn’t heard back from a client in several weeks, so I sent another message. When they responded a short while later, they let me know that my messages had been encouraging and helpful in a busy time. And I got to thinking that many of you, the readers of this blog, are in similar … Read more
A little bit of clarity
I have spent much of my life with a sense of having so much to do, so much that I want to do, but little sense of what to do next. And this is fundamental. Dreams, plans and todo lists are only effective when they direct our actual actions at a specific point in time. To … Read more
Effective study methods
Here’s a video I made a while back about learning, which is a passion for me. (Now, I’m more skilled in study technique than in making videos, so please excuse the video quality, and send me constructive feedback!) I talk about the value of self-testing, of increasing the challenge to the right level, and weird … Read more
Procrastination is about emotions, not time
When we ask ourselves why we procrastinate, a couple of reasons come easily to mind: That we are lazy, and that we suck at time management. The first is actively unhelpful. The time management explanation is also a distraction. Time management skills are important, don’t get me wrong. Planning, timeboxing, project tracking and to-do lists … Read more
The trap of doing more and the value of starting small
You develop a good habit of meditating for 3 minutes a day. Moving up to 5 minutes a day, you start to feel like there is a benefit from it. Reducing anxiety, improving focus, this is really worth the time! So you decide, “I’m going to do 15 minutes every day.” And maybe that will … Read more
When fear of starting is a paper-thin wall
In the context of discussing procrastination and the pain of starting, a commenter writes: Fear is a wall 1000 miles wide and a mile high, but only tissue paper thin. A la Harry Potter running through the brick wall to the train station. – (source) This is a helpful frame. Anything that helps me get … Read more
I do it too (and it’s okay)
People sometimes ask me whether I got into anti-procrastination coaching because I’m a super-effective and productive person who could help other people be like me, or because I had problems with procrastination myself. Let me assure you, I am not the pinnacle of productive, focused work. I chose this path because I had massive problems … Read more
Procrastination self-prescription (that works for me every time)
I have work to do, but constant low-grade pain from a shoulder strain is killing my concentration and will to work these last 24 hours. I’ve distracted myself with social media and I’m letting people down because of it. If only I knew an anti-procrastination coach. Oh, wait! Okay, here’s my self-prescription: 5 minutes of … Read more
Time flowing like a hundred yachts
These words always caught my attention: So Time, the wave, enfolds me in its bed, Or Time, the bony knife, it runs me through. I saw them frequently beginning in my first year at university, 1989, while hurrying between lectures. Two lines of verse spray-painted on the rear of the University of Sydney’s chemistry building. … Read more
Before they ever met you
The person who treated you hurtfully, who judged you, who disappointed you… Their responses to you were set in motion long before they ever met you. This is not about you. You? Now? Your influence and power lie in stopping for a moment and choosing your response. Note: This is not analytic philosophy or epistemology. … Read more
Return to the desired behavior without judgment
Perfectly expressed: Getting organized (or establishing new habits) is like following your breath when learning to meditate. We are taught that, when you notice your mind wandering off and straying from the intention of following the breath, you simply notice having done so, without judgment, and return to following your breath. What if we could … Read more
Want to make a real difference? Here are 3 ways.
A common theme for many of my clients is wanting to make a positive difference in the world, and being held back by a lack of focus or procrastination. So we’re going on a slight tangent here: If you want to make difference through earning and giving (a perfectly valid way to do good), here are some … Read more
Investing time and energy for friendship
Many times in my life I’ve felt disconnected, lacking the friendships I desire. At a distance from old friends, geographically and emotionally. It hasn’t been simply bad luck, or dastardly actions by others. (And if I focused on those things, what could I do about them? Very little.) Speaking for myself, disconnection has followed from my neglecting … Read more
Spend energy to create energy
Spending energy creates energy. A short run and I’m more alert. A slightly harder run and (once I recover) I have energy for days. I take a push-up break from the computer instead of a cookie break, and I feel more energised. And the same seems to apply to most of us. Physics still applies: … Read more
My routines are my strength
My routines are my strength. But they are not strong enough. My boundaries are my protection. But if they are poorly established and defended, they do not protect me. I want to be calm, energetic and focused. To achieve that, I must do the things that help me be calm, energetic and focused. Make things … Read more