“Every now and then, a pressing deadline can concentrate the mind and produce a fully-realized idea, ready for airplay. But most of the time, it’s a long and winding road.” — Steven Jonson — Key insight from Steven Johnson’s Learning from Get Back: while time pressure and constraints can fuel creativity, the unfolding of ideas over longer cycles is also a significant pattern for…

If searching for the smartest next move is keeping you stuck, focus on your most courageous next step instead. It’s hard to outsmart a problem that’s needing more heart. There’s no shortage of smart people in this world; there’s a shortage of courageous people. Think of all the smart people…

While it may seem like working on several projects in parallel is a good way to keep things going, we’re often better off to move fewer projects further than juggling more for longer. My neighbor came to the above realization on his own as I was giving him a quick…

A lot of people struggle not because they can’t imagine how what they’re struggling with could be easy, but because they’re uncomfortable with it being easy. So I ask: what’s wrong with something being easy? (Notice your own honest reaction to the question.) Every day, I invite my clients and…

A client of mine is going through a catalytic shift in her career where she’s bringing on someone to manage her current business while she’s moving on to manage someone else’s business. …

Most collaborative projects start out simple enough but somehow can end up getting slipperier and more chaotic as time goes on. Here are 3 things that you can keep in mind when dealing with a project that gets as slippery as a Crisco watermelon. One of the traditions of the…

All too often, we make ourselves fit available options rather than making options fit us. It’s true of job-searching, partner-seeking, or life-building. I believe that we are better served when we flip that and make the options fit us. Too many of us are trying to figure out how to…

When you’re working on-site or in the office, there are lots of cues and norms about when it’s time to go home. Without those cues and norms, WFH workers are struggling to stop working. Leaders, it’s on you to nudge your WFH teammates to “go home.” One of the underrated…