NEWSLETTER

Autopilot Might Work for Cars, But Not for Your Life As the year winds down and the new one looms on the horizon, many of us take this opportunity to reflect. But reflection alone isn’t enough. Without a plan, without intention, without action, those thoughts and dreams tend evaporate the moment January turns to February. That’s where life by design comes in. Unlike the usual scramble to set resolutions or vague goals that fade within weeks, designing your life is about making intentional,…

Reflect, Refocus, and Reach: How to Set Goals That Matter This past week, I did something I do two or three times per year: I took a day off work, not to run errands or catch up on chores, but to simply reflect. As the year winds down, it’s easy to get swept up in the hustle of the holidays and the scramble to finish what’s left undone. But I wanted to pause, take a breath, and really think about my year. What worked? What didn’t? Where did I grow, and where do I feel stuck? It wasn’t just…

Career Curveballs? Here’s How To Hit Them Out Of The Park Once upon a time, the path to career success was as predictable as the sunrise. You went to school, got a high-quality education in a specific field, and then secured a job where that knowledge was your golden ticket to a long, stable career. Information was scarce, but with it came an abundance of certainty. Your degree was not just a piece of paper; it was a map to a career journey with well-defined checkpoints. But here we are, in a…

Career Curveballs? Here’s How To Hit Them Out Of The Park Once upon a time, the path to career success was as predictable as the sunrise. You went to school, got a high-quality education in a specific field, and then secured a job where that knowledge was your golden ticket to a long, stable career. Information was scarce, but with it came an abundance of certainty. Your degree was not just a piece of paper; it was a map to a career journey with well-defined checkpoints. But here we are, in a…

Why You Should Embarrass Yourself More Often Yet another great article by a literal rocket scientist, Ozan Varol. In this article, Ozan talks about the difficulty involved in getting a new project (like a rocket!) off the ground. Any time that you are trying to do something new, something outside your domain of established expertise, something that is forcing you to stretch and grow; it is going to feel slow. For people that are accustomed to being high-performers, having to go slow is hard….

The Identity Crisis of Work: How to Thrive in Uncertain Times The world of work is in a full-blown identity crisis. AI is disrupting everything, the economy’s in flux, and institutions we’ve relied on for decades are crumbling. Sure, it’s chaotic. But panic or sitting idle won’t cut it. These are exciting and uncertain times, but it also means a wealth of opportunity for those willing to embrace the uncertainty and change. We’re naturally built to evolve—to adapt slowly over time to meet…

The 3 Hardest Words To Say (and Why They’re So Powerful) We’ve all heard the saying, “Knowledge is power.” But in my experience, there’s even more power in three other small words that many people struggle to say: “I don’t know.” Why is admitting this so difficult? For one, our egos get in the way. We’re conditioned to believe that our worth is tied to how much we know, how capable we appear, or how valuable we are to others. While expertise has its place, the ego often whispers, “You’ll look…

Forget The Election Noise—It’s Time To Focus On Your Future The madness of the American election cycle is finally behind us, and honestly, I feel lighter. While politics has its place, there’s only so much we can take before it chips away at our focus and energy. I’d rather put that energy toward something that matters—like helping you build a life and career that feels genuinely good. I rarely wade into politics—it’s a divisive space. I’d rather focus on what brings us together than on what…

Feeling Surrounded By Negativity? Here’s Why (you might not like the answer!) If you’re feeling like the world is unfair, you’ll find no shortage of things to confirm it. Life will present plenty of evidence that matches the way you feel. This idea aligns with the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, or frequency illusion—a cognitive bias that makes something you recently noticed or learned about seem to appear everywhere. When you focus on something, like a particular model of a red car, it seems like…

Extinguish Burnout: 10 Proven Strategies For Keeping You Sane The state of the Western world’s workforce is in utter disarray. With so many trying to survive — yet struggling — in jobs that make them miserable, mental health issues are sprouting up like weeds. The situation is not sustainable for either employees or employers. In order to be effective in their work, people need to have a general sense of well-being and safety in the workplace. They need a stable foundation from which to work….

Your Job Title Doesn’t Matter. Who You’re Becoming Does. You need to figure out what you want out of work, other than a paycheck. For many, work is a central part of their identity. It’s ingrained in our culture. When you meet someone new, your job title is often the first thing you share. This feels normal—after all, it’s a social norm in much of the Western world. But this is dangerous. Your job isn’t meant to be your entire personality—at least not if you’re striving for an interesting and…

Manage Your Mojo, Not Your Time. Ever struggled with completing tasks despite knowing they’re essential? Or felt disappointed with your work, thinking it took too long for produced and wasn’t at the quality you’d have liked it to be? I know I have! So you’re not alone. Don’t blame yourself for being “lazy”; motivation, focus, and attention are scarce resources. It’s not just about time and task management; it’s about managing your energy. Why Managing Energy is Crucial For knowledge workers,…

Leading by Example: The Power of Prioritizing Self-Care I recently took some time off because I wasn’t feeling well. While I was laying in bed resting, rather than feeling like I could relax and recharge, I felt guilty. I knew how much work was in the hopper and I felt I was letting the team down by not being there to shoulder my portion of the load. I wondered why I felt that way. After all, I talk so much about intentionally designing a life and career that you can love, and here I was,…

I Gotta Be Straight With You: Last Week Was Rough Sometimes I need to remind myself of the messages I consistently deliver to everyone else: I need to take my own advice. As much as I love helping others design a working life that feels fulfilling, last week was a stark reminder that knowing this stuff isn’t enough—you need to live it. Last week, I fell completely off track. I gotta be straight with you—it wasn’t pretty. I felt swamped with work, overwhelmed by everything that was piling up….

Want to Be Happier? Stop Doing What You Enjoy Here’s a counter-intuitive idea that might blow your mind: the reason you’re as happy as you could be is that you’re spending too much time doing what you enjoy. Let me explain. I read an insightful article by Darius Foroux, titled Three Habits to Stay Healthy in a Hectic World, and one particular habit he mentioned stood out to me: “doing things when you don’t feel like them.” This struck a chord with me for a couple of reasons. Not only do I…

Desperation Can Derail You: How To Avoid Making Rash Career Decisions don’t make decisions that will do this to your career! Have you ever been so miserable in your job that you’d take almost anything just to escape? You’re not alone—I’ve been there myself. When work drains you, it’s easy to jump at the first opportunity, but that’s when you need to be cautious. Desperate times don’t call for desperate measures—not in your career. Decisions made in desperation often lead to regret, pushing…

In A Noisy World, Your Brand Is Your Voice The resumé is dead. (Good riddance!) What will help you land a new job or get promoted isn’t what you’ve got listed on your resumé, but what your personal brand is (even as an employee). While it’s true that many organizations still use resumés as a screening tool, many make hiring decisions based on past projects you’ve delivered on and how aligned your brand is with the work they need to be done. The world of work has drastically changed, in ways…

How Routines Can Become Ruts – And Destroy Your Success Want to know what’s keeping you stuck in the status quo? Your routines. Wait, what? I know, like so many other people, I’ve written repeatedly about the necessity of having the right habits and routines to make progress on challenging goals. But these habits and routines can also hold you back if you’re not careful. Let’s explore this idea… The Dark Side of Routines and Habits You’re undoubtedly aware of the importance of routines,…

Ambition Vs Realism: How To Find Your Productive Sweet Spot I was getting upset with myself over the past couple of months. Let me explain why, and what I did to fix it. I think it may be useful for you as well. But first, a small aside about ‘systems’. Systems really matter. As James Clear writes in his brilliant book Atomic Habits, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” I agree whole-heartedly with that philosophy. My memory is terrible. I am…

How To Shift Your Success From Possible To Inevitable Are you happy at work? Or does your hard-earned career “success” feel more like a punishment than a reward? You’ve climbed the corporate ladder, achieved your goals, but now you’re left wondering—why does it feel like something’s missing? You can’t help but wonder if there’s more out there for you, something more fulfilling and exciting. If this resonates with you, know that you’re not alone. I’ve spoken with countless professionals who’ve…

The Professional’s Commitment: Delivering Consistently Despite the Struggle Confession time. 👀👀 I almost didn’t write this newsletter this week. In fact, I put it off until the last moment, and was feeling a twinge of guilt because I want to ensure that I’m always adding value for you, that I’m providing you something that at least some of you will find helpful. It was a busy week, filled with all the usual demands—work, chores, taxes, appointments, meetings, and commitments to others. So it…

Why You’re Chained To Your Work (and What To Do About It) You may already know that fear is one of the primary reasons you continue to work at a job you don’t like. But you’re probably incorrect about exactly what you’re afraid of. You likely think you’re staying in that job out of a fear of the unknown, which is what most people believe. There is probably some truth to that idea, which is why it resonates. But I will bet that there’s a deeper fear that’s the real culprit. What makes me so…

Pura Vida: How Applying Costa Rican Wisdom Makes For An Amazing Life photo taken by the author I recently returned from an enriching vacation in Costa Rica with my family. Our experiences reminded me of the quote, “Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.” This sentiment resonated deeply as we immersed ourselves in the culture and natural beauty of Costa Rica. The incredible experiences we shared reinforced some valuable lessons I already knew but often struggle to…

How Reframing Negative Emotions Allows You To Live A Better Life Living a good life isn’t just about finding joy and pleasure. You devote so much of your time and energy to seeking joy and pleasure. Which is normal. After all, who doesn’t want to have more of that in their lives? But there’s no such thing as a life filled with nothing but joy and pleasure. Without the “downs” of life, there can be no “ups”. No one wants to experience sadness, grief, pain, or boredom. But the catch is, you…