The next time you find yourself shooting down an idea because it is impossible, ask yourself what impossible actually looks like. It is surprising how frequently the impossible is possible. As an avid scuba diver, I had to do my fanboy duty and watch the movie, The Rescue. It is a documentary about the boys’ … Read more
Our experience tricks us into thinking we understand the problem before we gather the facts. We function by generalizing: “We’ve walked this road before. We know where it goes.” But it can also backfire. Just yesterday, my wife warned me to be careful of the veggies steaming on the grill. I waved her off. I … Read more
My shutdown ritual captures loose ends and helps me set myself up for a great next day. It also lets me relax in the evening, knowing I’ve captured my follow up tasks. I use it to process any easy open-ended tasks that I forgot about or didn’t have time for throughout the day. It also … Read more
I have been guilty of wasting way too much time pondering decisions that just didn’t matter. Here are two thought traps I fall into where I waste too much looking for the “right” decision. The Zone of Indifference Decisions can be easy when the outcomes are wildly divergent. If your choice is between a great … Read more
I’ve been using a tool to track how balanced I am across a variety of dimensions of my life. I’ve been using this for nearly six years and never once have I been completely in balance. It helps me directionally figure out where I should be spending my time. It’s called the Balance Wheel and … Read more
Entrepreneurs can become consumed by their companies. I’ve seen marriages, relationships with children, values, and health all sacrificed to all-consuming companies. It’s important for us to keep track of the big picture. Why did we start the company? What major problem are we trying to solve? Also, and even more importantly: What do we want … Read more
The world is too complicated to predict. It makes no sense to sit in your office designing the perfect plan. You’ll never get it right. I have been guilty of waiting too long and working too hard on a plan. By the time I was ready to execute, my plan was no longer relevant. Experimentation … Read more
Learning something is way harder and more complex than I thought. The same goes for teaching something new. I recently worked with my team to put together a day-long training session. All of us were very proud of it and it even had some success when we delivered it to folks. However, I could feel … Read more
I’ve been doing some thinking about the times in my life that I’ve brought a coach in to help me and failed. Almost always, it was because I wasn’t ready or in the right mindset to be coached. Now, having had many opportunities to coach a variety of small business owners, I can look at … Read more
I had a frustrating meeting last week. I couldn’t get my colleague to see the bigger picture vision of a problem. The harder I tried to make my point, the further away I felt we were getting. We had no alignment or resolution. In retrospect, I was trying to push my worldview on my colleague. … Read more