­

A Plan for Success Comes from New Year’s Revelation

As always, I spent some time thinking about what my New Year’s Resolution/s would be this year. Part of this process was reviewing my resolutions from the last few years – which is easy for me to do since I devote a column every year to the subject. It’s become a stroll down Memory Lane for me, as well as a good analytical tool. I can see which resolutions became habits and routines that I still follow today, as well as ones that I’m still [...]

By |December 31st, 2015|Accountability, Achieving Dreams and Goals, Columns, Faith, Health and Well-being, Holidays, Organizing, Success, Values|Comments Off on A Plan for Success Comes from New Year’s Revelation

Speaking of dreams, a familiar one returns

It happened again. I taught a class one evening this week, and it was a presentation I’ve been preparing for and looking forward to for quite a while. But two nights before the program, I had a dream in which the class was about to begin, and I suddenly realized that I didn’t have any of my notes or materials with me. In a moment of panic, I briefly considered driving home and returning with everything I needed, but I didn’t have enough time to [...]

By |December 11th, 2015|Accountability, Coaching, Columns, Professional Speaking, Writing|Comments Off on Speaking of dreams, a familiar one returns

The choice is yours – this winter and always

“Choose. It’s all up to you, so choose.” That was the bottom line to a conversation I had with a friend recently. The conversation was a seasonal one, and a typical one. It had to do with the coming of winter – the snow, the cold, the wind, and the darkness that comes earlier and earlier every day. Plus the crowded stores, the rush and crush of the holiday season, and the endless messages, everywhere you turn, to buy, buy, buy. I reminded my friend [...]

By |December 4th, 2015|Accountability, Columns, Holidays|Comments Off on The choice is yours – this winter and always

It’s time for the first report card

“Be careful what you wish for.” I was surprised to discover how relevant this old adage was to me in relation to something I started recently and wrote about a few weeks ago – my intention to start running my life as if I were back in school. I’m now treating the projects and activities I am currently involved in as classes and homework assignments. The revelation that came as I started incorporating this plan into my life was that in many ways, I’ve been [...]

By |September 25th, 2015|Accountability, Achieving Dreams and Goals, Columns, Organizing, Quotes and Sayings, Success, Toastmasters|Comments Off on It’s time for the first report card

Going back to school for an advanced degree in life

I’ve decided to go back to school. Not for a Masters or Doctorate degree, and not by attending classes along with other students, or by taking classes online and working independently. Instead, I’m designing and following my own curriculum. The reason I’m doing this is that it occurred to me recently that there are a number of activities and events I’m involved in – both personal and professional – that I am having trouble accomplishing for various reasons. My big revelation was that many of [...]

By |September 4th, 2015|Accountability, Achieving Dreams and Goals, Columns, Organizing, Success|Comments Off on Going back to school for an advanced degree in life

A five-day change highlights everyday success

I had a medical procedure done this week, one of those “preventive maintenance” tests that should be done every so often – in this case, every ten years – once we reach a certain age. Preparing for it required following a low-fiber diet for five days. I could eat plenty of white bread, rice, and potatoes, but no whole wheat products or high-fiber cereals. Canned fruits and cooked vegetables were okay, but fresh fruits and raw vegetables were not. This was very unsettling to me. [...]

By |March 27th, 2015|Accountability, Columns, Health and Well-being, Success|Comments Off on A five-day change highlights everyday success

“Three things” can help us get a lot done

Three things. There seems to be something magical about three things – at least when it comes to getting things done. Like many people, I make daily To-Do lists, and I have a love/hate relationship with them. They help me plan and organize my day, but they often seem like an albatross around my neck, weighing me down with too much to do, not enough time to do it, and the guilt and frustration of not getting everything on my list done by the end [...]

By |March 20th, 2015|Accountability, Achieving Dreams and Goals, Coaching, Columns, Success|Comments Off on “Three things” can help us get a lot done

Insights from enemies and friends

“The best way to defeat my enemy is to make him my friend.” Abraham Lincoln said that, and it’s become relevant in my life in a subtle but powerful way. Not that I have any enemies that I’m aware of. But there are people with whom I’ve had arguments, disagreements, and differences of opinion that occasionally got – or threatened to get – rather heated. Not to the point of violence, but to the point of anger, hurt feelings, grudges, or even the end of [...]

By |March 13th, 2015|Accountability, Columns, Faith, Quotes and Sayings|Comments Off on Insights from enemies and friends

It may not be easy, but it’s always worth it

“If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.” That was the standard reply I always heard from a friend of mine whenever one of us – or anyone we knew, for that matter – was dealing with a really difficult problem or an especially challenging issue, in business or in life. And it was a good reminder, not only that it takes hard work, discipline, and perseverance to reach our goals, but that the result will be worth the effort when we get there. [...]

By |February 20th, 2015|Accountability, Columns, Faith|Comments Off on It may not be easy, but it’s always worth it

Success comes when we keep moving

One of the things I find most rewarding and gratifying about writing is when someone tells me that something I’ve written has helped them or inspired them or changed their life in some way. It’s also rewarding when something I write leads to a discovery of my own that helps me or inspires me or changes my life in some way. It happened again a few days ago, as I was journaling about different projects I’m working on that seem to be going nowhere at [...]

By |January 30th, 2015|Accountability, Achieving Dreams and Goals, Coaching, Columns, Success|Comments Off on Success comes when we keep moving