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Few skills are more underrated than knowing how to approach an overwhelming task.  It’s one of those universal human experiences that each of us confronts at numerous points in our lives.  But the good news is, even though the undertaking in front of us can feel like building a brick wall to infinity, that doesn’t make it impossible. Difficult and scary and overpowering and dreadful, but not impossible.  Since…

Embarking on a creative career, or any creative endeavor, is a fundamentally irrational act.  Announcing to the world: Listen up everybody, I’m going to take my precious time, which is the only asset that I will never be able to get back, and use that time to create something that nobody needs, wants or even likes That’s pure crazy talk.  And yet, creativity is still the only currency we…

Going to happy hour with our friends might not land us a date with the man of our dreams.  But what the experience will do is contribute to a posture and mindset and intention and proximity that will make us more receptive to the romantic opportunities we seek.  That’s how momentum works. It’s an accumulation of moments that move the story forward.  And so, even if we’re not in the mood,…

There’s nothing more galvanizing than the internal pressure of turning our brain over to a magnificent obsession.  There’s nothing more satisfying than the external progress of turning the idea that fascinates us into something real in the world.  But somewhere along the journey from idea to execution, our ambition picks a fight with our patience.  We just want it to be in the world now. We unreasonably insist that…

I have a friend whose independent advertising agency was recently acquired by one of the largest technology companies in the world.  When asked what led to the merger, her response was: Being independent was no longer an advantage for us.  It’s fascinating moment. Not only for an organization, but for an individual.  The willingness to announce that going it alone has finally reached of a point of diminishing returns,…

Newton’s third law is a brilliant piece of interpersonal advice.  He discovered that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Which not only applies to objects in motion, but also humans in relationship.  Because the space between two people is generative. Whatever one person brings into that space, it will multiply exponentially and affect the other.  Stress is a common example. Once we’re in relationship with…

Procrastination isn’t the problem, it’s a symptom of a deeper issue.  One that nobody wants to talk about.  Unhealthy and ineffective emotional regulation.  And so, when we spontaneously decide to start vacuuming and dusting our entire office in the middle of a weekday afternoon, it’s not because a prospective client is coming over for a high powered meeting.  It’s because we’re trying to run away from our feelings and…

There’s nothing more exhausting than keeping up with the reputation that you’re a good person who always makes healthy choices and knows what they’re doing.  Integrity, consistency and competence, these character traits are admirable, but frankly, they’re profoundly difficult to uphold one hundred percent of the time.  That’s what I wonder to myself when I meet people who are not open to being or even looking human.  Who are these heroes…

Divine discontent is a fundamental part of the human biological endowment.  Everyday we are swamped by feelings that threaten to drain away our sense of power and ability to make meaning.  But unless we physically schedule time for joy, it might never find a slot on our schedule. And we’ll become blind to the very things that make our lives feel worth living.  Because we’ll grow overextended and over…

I recently heard an interview with a man who holds the world record as the youngest disc jockey in history.  Stevens built his own working transmitter in the attic of his home by using a souped up wireless broadcasting kit with a hundred foot antenna. And once his remarkable story blipped on the radar of the local radio station, the program director offered him a job as a weekend…