NEWSLETTER

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…

How You’re Shaping Your Identity – Without Being Aware of It The article “The Perils of Audience Capture” opens with the fascinating – and disturbing – story of the transformation of Nicholas Perry into “Nikocado Avocado”. You may wonder why I am sharing this article with you, as at first blush it doesn’t seem to be related to the world of how to work and live well, which is my usual area of focus. You might think that the idea of a “captive audience” has nothing to do with you. But, I think…

How to Kick Procrastination in the A$% Procrastination is something that is universal; we are all guilty of doing it sometimes. It is part of our nature. Learning to deal effectively with your tendency to procrastinate is a super-power, as you’ll produce higher-quality work – and feel better about it – when you aren’t constantly working under pressure to get something done because you’ve delayed starting for too long. The article How to Stop Procrastinating by psychologist and author Alice…

The Art Of The Level Up: Unlearning Who You Are You don’t need to learn more to be successful. Instead, you need to unlearn the things that are holding you back. As someone who deeply values continuous learning, this statement challenges my thinking. I’m always seeking new knowledge to deepen my understanding. However, sometimes you’ll find success by removing obstacles blocking your advancement. In a rapidly changing world, continuous learning is a necessity. To navigate today’s choppy…

Quiet Maverick: How To Secretly Craft A Job You Love Earlier this week, I met with one of my more junior team members to check in with them and see how things were going. During our meeting, he told me he was really enjoying his role on the team and he felt the team was making significant progress. But he also confided that he felt he wasn’t being fully leveraged and that he had more to offer. He expressed a desire to have more opportunities to apply his technical skills and contribute even…

50+ Timeless Rules For Living An Amazing Life I turned 50 last year, and to celebrate the occasion, my incredible wife took me on a surprise get-away to Quebec City. While we were on the train to get there, the urge to write out some of the life lessons I’d learned over the years struck me. I guess I felt that 50 years was a long enough time that I should have been able to accumulate some wisdom along the way. My 51st birthday was last week, and that reminded me of this list -and that I’d not…

How To Go From Drowning In Problems To Swimming In Success I’m so tired of people complaining. I get it; there seem to be a lot of things going wrong in the world today. Everything is in chaos, and institutions we used to trust seem to have lost their way. The list of problems feels never-ending; inflation is destroying savings and investments, and people are struggling to buy food multiple wars are happening at a large scale social media and the resulting instant dopamine hit have addicted…

Today, we’re going to dive in and explore how you’ve likely been tricked into following a path you’ve been told is “safe”, and why this safety is illusory. Let’s go! How To Turn The Dial On Your Career Kaleidoscope Specialization is dead. You’ve been duped. Chances are that your parents and well-meaning people in your life misled you into believing that the path to success in your career was to pick a domain of specialization, become an expert in it, and then work your way up the ladder in…

Hey Reader! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 The warmer weather has arrived, and we’ve planted the gardens! It’s a busy time of year, especially this year as we’re expanding our ability to grow more of our own food. While it’s a lot of work, especially during the expansion, it’s also a lot of fun. We all need interesting projects that we can enjoy outside of our work. It’s crucial to maintain an identity outside of what you do for a living. I hope you had an amazing weekend! This week, we’ll explore how making changes…

Hey Reader! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 I don’t know about you, but for me it felt like this week just flew by so quickly! Life can get so busy as we try to juggle all the balls. I’ve got my work out for me for the next few evenings as well, as I had a dump truck drop off 14 cubic yards of garden soil that I need to move to various gardens around the house. And I need to move it all by hand. I guess it’ll be a great way to get some exercise in! We are putting in some new gardens, as we keep looking to improve our…

Hey Reader! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 Spring is trying to show itself finally! I got outside this week and got some work done around the house. That felt great! I love being able to putter around outside. I even built a new raised vegetable garden bed, so my wife is quite pleased about that. Make sure you get some time outside this week. It is so good for the soul, especially in today’s age when we spend so much time in front of screens. This week, we’ll explore the idea of happiness. Let’s dive in!! Tim…

Hey Reader! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 I hope you kicked ass last week and are fired up for the week ahead! If you’re not excited about what lies in front of you, at least a bit, it’s time for a shake up. If you’re not excited, maybe even a bit nervous, you’ve settled in your work. Settling is what leads to stagnation. That’s what we’ll explore this week. Let’s go! Tim Turbo-charge Your Career 🚀 By Stepping Off The Comfort Treadmill Turbo-charge Your Career By Stepping Off The Comfort Treadmill Does your career…

Hey Reader! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 I just got back from a trip to Punta Cana, where I soaked up lots of sunshine and even more relaxation. ☀️🌴 It was good to get away and take time to just be. I didn’t need to worry about what needed to get done, or to think about how I could make things better, or whether I would be on time. It was just time to sit and relax. That time to relax and unwind does so much good for the body, the mind, and the soul. I already had an article mostly drafted and ready to share with…

Hey Reader! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 As this email is going out, I am likely laying on a beach in Punta Cana. My wife’s cousin is getting married, and we decided to join them to celebrate, as well as to enjoy some sun, sand, and quality time together. 🌴☀️ I hope you’re doing well, taking care of yourself and living your best life. I suspect you’re guilty of something: over-complication. Most of us are, and it costs us dearly. Let’s explore a powerful question that has the power to completely change your world,…

Hey Reader! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 We are fully into Q2 of 2024, and I hope you’re having success at making progress on your goals for the year. I’m doing great in most areas, but there are a couple of areas where I need to put some attention and focus. Knowing where to focus your attention is critical to success in our world, which is why I’m sharing thoughts on the importance of figuring out what you truly want. If you aren’t clear about what you want and what the trade-offs are to getting it, you’re not…

Hey Reader! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 While in theory it is spring, it certainly isn’t feeling like it here over the past couple of days! But I’ve been in this region long enough to understand that there’s always a last snow storm before spring truly gets under way. That’s a pattern that repeats across many domains of life; you are in a period of transition, thinking you’re well on your way, and then there’s an inevitable setback before you get to the other side. That’s where patience comes in, along with the…

Happy Easter !!! 🐣 I hope you had the opportunity to connect with family and loved ones to celebrate. The Easter weekend always feels like the real start of spring. It’s finally starting to warm up here and I’ve been enjoying puttering around in my yard. Excelling in your career and life requires you to overcome your tendency to procrastinate. It is a challenge that we all deal with. I found myself dealing with this last week, and my experience prompted me to share some thoughts on how to…

Hey Reader! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 Welcome to spring! While it may officially be spring, here in Ottawa, it isn’t feeling like it. Brrr. 🥶 On the plus side, with the shift to Daylight Savings Time, it now feels like there’s a ‘bonus’ hour in the day, with it staying light out much later. I’ve met a lot of people whose identity is so wrapped up in work, it’s like work is the entire reason for them to get out of bed in the morning. That’s dangerous. Let’s briefly explore why that is and how you might change…