The Zen Buddhists talk about beginner’s mind. Maybe you’ve heard it as ‘child mind.’ It sounds enlightened, to come at this with a clean slate, to adopt a beginner’s mindset in order to gain new insight. Cool. But what about being … an amateur? Oh god, we hate that. Please! We’re professionals! We’ve been doing…
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Making it up as you go
READ MORE: Making it up as you goAfter I got laid off, I decided not to get another job. I just…didn’t want one. Simple as that. I decided to work on my own, from my couch. As a natural introvert, I was in heaven. And yet—it became clear I had to get out of the house. So I signed up for an…
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“What. Just. Happened.” (How these financial advisors discovered brand stories)
READ MORE: “What. Just. Happened.” (How these financial advisors discovered brand stories)When 20 of the nation’s top advisors walked into the room that morning, they probably thought we were about to debate the merits of logos and taglines. Nope. I told them to take out a pen, and I gave them a prompt: Write about a time when you realized that what you’d always thought was…
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One thing I’m NOT doing in 2020
READ MORE: One thing I’m NOT doing in 2020Like you, I’ve made some sacrifices to the New Year gods—more vegetables, a month without booze. But one of the most important resolutions I’ve made for 2020 this: To stop selling shit on Craigslist. Why? Why’s that so bad? It’s not bad, inherently. Longtime users of this stripped down, early-aughts online garage sale love that…
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A holiday movie with a hidden message about career
READ MORE: A holiday movie with a hidden message about careerI just watched the new animated Netflix movie Klaus with some friends the other night, and if it’s not in your holiday movie queue, it should be. Not just because it’s cute and well done. But because there’s a hidden and profound message for those of us in a line of work we never imagined we’d…
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Calling things “hard” is easy
READ MORE: Calling things “hard” is easyAfter years of working on a book, I’m finally shopping around a proposal. And while I’m only a few weeks into this first leg of the publishing journey, I can tell you already it is not for the faint of heart. Of course, I went into this expecting an even blend of rejection and radio…
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You’re a lot like Orpheus
READ MORE: You’re a lot like OrpheusHave you seen Hadestown? The award winning Broadway show is a brilliant, modern retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. (And yes, it will blow you away.) Here’s the quick and dirty: Orpheus and Eurydice fall in love. Orpheus has been working on his masterpiece, an epic song that will change the world.…
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Here’s what you’re doing right (says almost no one)
READ MORE: Here’s what you’re doing right (says almost no one)When’s the last time someone pointed out what you were doing right? Not just “good job.” I mean, specifically and in detail something you did really, really well. Ok. And when’s the last time someone pointed out an error you made, or a change you might consider, or ways to improve what you’ve done? Probably…
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What you did well
READ MORE: What you did wellWhen’s the last time someone pointed out what you were doing right? Not just “good job.” I mean, specifically and in detail something you did really, really well. Ok. And when’s the last time someone pointed out an error you made, or a change you might consider, or ways to improve what you’ve done? Probably…
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When’s the last time someone REALLY listened to you?
READ MORE: When’s the last time someone REALLY listened to you?When’s the last time someone listened to you. I mean, really listened. Like, you could tell they were right there with you. It’s rare, to have someone’s attention like that. Even right now, I only have a share of your attention. And I’m holding on to it for dear life. Why? Because someone’s talking over your shoulder, your texts are…