Do you control what controls you?

During our summer camping trips, Nicole and I played a lot of Gin. We were pretty evenly matched, but each of us would find ourselves on a hot or cold streak from time to time. During a particularly chilly series of hands I found myself being playfully derided by my wife, which led me to a profound and liberating realization: … Read More

You don’t know what you don’t know

Once upon a time my daughter developed a rash that kept getting worse. After a few days it started bleeding and my mind wandered to some dark places. Will it leave scars? Is it contagious? Is it some sort of flesh-eating bacteria?  My overactive imagination wasn’t doing me any favors. Anxious and afraid, we took her to the doctor. After … Read More

Adaptation IS the work

Only a tiny percentage of projects are going to work exactly as you expect. Here’s the weird part: most people know this, like in their bones they know it, and yet they are still surprised and frustrated when the unexpected shows up. That’s kind of like being flabbergasted that the sun came up AGAIN today or that small children will … Read More

This is why the money doesn’t make you happy

Here’s an overwhelmingly unpopular opinion: I don’t believe that anyone really wants money. They want what money can do for them. Money is a tool, and in the same way that no one really wants a pile of hammers, piling up money for sport isn’t really gratifying. You don’t really want to be rich… You really want to demonstrate your … Read More

What else don’t you know?

I recently came across a video in which a man is expressing wholesale amazement to his wife that the trackpad on his laptop allows him to SCROLL up and down if uses two fingers. He can’t believe that, per his wife, it’s a feature that has existed on every laptop he’s ever owned. The video wraps with him, still in … Read More

Someone loves to do the thing you hate

When asked what they love most about their businesses, most of my new clients struggle to nail it down with clarity or specificity. But they all know EXACTLY what they hate about it. They are so clear about the thing(s) that vexes them, and that clarity creates a problem most of them can’t even see. Their overwhelming disdain for managing … Read More

The overwhelm is temporary

Nicole and I were in line at an ice cream shop last week and overheard one of the young workers chatting with another while they were working. “I’m nervous about my driver’s test next week,” she confided. It’s been about 150 years since I took my driver’s test and it reminded me that the things which feel overwhelming today rarely … Read More

Three things to consider before you say YES

My wife and I have vastly different work experiences. She drives 20-minutes to her office where she runs HR at our hospital. I walk across the driveway to my office where I support small business owners over the phone. She spends most of her days in executive meetings. I spend most of my days working on my businesses, creating content, … Read More

This simple habit will change your life

I recently caught a clip from an interview with Kristen Bell in which she was asked about her husband, Dax Shepard.  She was recounting her first encounter with him and, after more than a decade of marriage, was absolutely hyping him up for being so much deeper and thoughtful than most people assume him to be. I immediately sent the … Read More

Are you addicted to the struggle?

Nicole and I have been having a blast adventuring around Alaska in our small, new-to-us camper this summer. Our very first outing was on May 10th and in spite of months of watching YouTube videos to ensure we towed safely and set everything up correctly, things were a little clumsy and time-consuming. Each of the subsequent trips have worked more … Read More

3 ways to adapt quickly

You are going to make plans and then some unexpected twist is going to break those plans. In spite of all of your thoughtful consideration, something you couldn’t possibly see coming will tap you on the shoulder and force you to rework things at the 11th hour It’s inevitable. Here are 3 ways to adapt quickly when plans change. Grieve … Read More

4 lies to stop telling yourself

I have worked with so many small business owners across the years and these are 4 lies they consistently tell themselves. Do any of these sound familiar to you? It will be faster if I do it myself Maybe, but this argument falls apart if you ever have to repeat the task. This is a great example of short-term thinking … Read More

How limiting your options gives you freedom

Everything in my closet matches every other thing in my closet. What can I say? I love navy blue. Each morning when I scan my closet for something to wear I get to skip the part where I have to decide if these pants go with that shirt. Anything goes with everything. In a world where we spend our days … Read More

I feel like this is all made up

Once upon a time, Nicole and I were discussing a frustrating interaction she had with a colleague. The details are wholly unimportant because the conversation ended with us deciding that about 50% of the “facts” that were informing how she felt about this interaction were actually assumptions or projections. I offer this up to you because Nicole isn’t alone in … Read More

Being more disciplined IS NOT the only answer

Here’s one way to get more of what you want, even if you don’t want to do the work required to get what you want: become so disciplined that you do the work in spite of how you feel and in spite of your environment and in spite of the pain you experience.  If you believe this is the ONLY … Read More