The Power of Boring: Why Discipline and Consistency Trump the Adrenaline Rush
A TALE OF TWO ADVENTURERS In October 1911, two teams of adventurers were heading separate expeditions toward the South Pole – one led by Roald Amundsen from Norway and the other by Robert Falcon Scott of England. Amundsen adhered to a regimen of consistent progress, traveling 15 – 20 miles per day, resisting the temptation to go farther in good weather, in order to avoid reaching a point of exhaustion that could leave his team exposed, and pressing ahead even ...
Five Strategies for Staying Mindful on “Social”
Ever noticed how dogs behave when they’re taken for a walk — easily distracted, stopping to sniff and/or chase everything along the way, the smellier the better? That’s our minds on social media. As I mentioned in my previous post, Are You Missing Out?, there’s no question that social media has created exciting opportunities for us to connect, stay informed and build community. At the same time, it’s being integrated into our lives so insidiously seamlessly that most of us haven’t ...
Are You Missing Out? How To Handle The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media
A pic of someone posing on a sunny beach, fervent opinions on the presidential election, updates on wedding prep, kiddies looking adorable — just a typical glance at my Facebook feed. ON THE ONE HAND There’s so much that’s good about social media: It updates us on the lives of people that we care about but might otherwise not keep in close touch with, creates community and provides an easy forum for self-expression. In the aftermath of hurricanes and other ...
Why Getting Things Done Is Not The Answer
Awhile back, during one of the sessions in my Productivity Mindset course, one of the participants asked, “What’s the best way to use 10 or 15 minutes where you don’t have anything planned?” You should have heard the shocked silence when I said, “Well, you could just do nothing, you know.” Do nothing!? Like, stand in line without checking your phone? Like, sit in a chair and stare out the window? What a concept. Most of us feel like we should always ...
Five Telltale Signs You Lack Mental Toughness (Or How To Know When You’re On The Road to Mediocrity)
“Recalculating…” That’s what the GPS system in your car diplomatically says when you’ve deviated from the set route. What it’s politely refraining from saying is: “Dude, you’re not following the plan.” Wouldn’t it be nice to have something similar when you get off track en route to your goals – when you’re deviating from your game plan for success? If you had a GPS inside your head, here are the “wrong turns” that would set it off: 1. You think it’s ...
We Are Creatures of Habit, Not Resolutions
New Year’s Resolutions are a joke. I mean, do you know anyone who’s ever stuck to theirs past the first few weeks of January? The problem, as you may have noticed, is that people come up with their grandiose resolutions without thinking through how they’ll actually have to adapt their behavior to get there (and maybe examining why it didn’t happen the last five years they had the exact same resolution!). I suggest doing it backwards. As creatures of habit, ...
[INTERVIEW] Michael Bigger On How Traders Achieve Creative Flow
Information is abundant and technology is cheap. At the same time, the good ‘ol financial models are changing. Linear, analytical thinking is not enough, and traders who don’t figure out how to access their creativity will fall behind. Listen in on the recording of my teleseminar interview with veteran trader and author Michael Bigger about his latest book, How Traders Achieve Creative Flow. Here are a few of the topics we covered in this truly content-rich call: Why creativity is ...
Five Habits of Happy High-Achievers
When Shannon Bahrke won bronze in women’s moguls at the 2010 Winter Olympics, in her excitement she “hugged first-place winner Hannah Kearney so tightly that she almost knocked her U.S. teammate over.” Next to them on the podium, however, Canadian skier Jennifer Heil looked crestfallen after taking silver. From our vantage point as a spectator, it might be hard to imagine feeling disappointed at “only” winning a silver medal. On the other hand, we can kind of understand how, after ...
