“I hope I’ll make some progress on that project this week.” “Hopefully, I’ll be able to get myself to study.” “I hope I can exercise in the morning.” These are phrases I sometimes hear from coaching clients and students. And while I understand the sentiment behind these expressions of hope, I take issue with the mindset they reveal. It’s always within your power to do the thing. You have to… Read More »The Trouble With “Hope”
Picture someone who is really charismatic. A wide variety of images might come to mind, but there’s one thing they all have in common: You’re not picturing someone checking their phone. Smartphones kill charisma. There, I said it. For all its utility, your phone is undermining your ability to be well liked and influential. To understand why smartphones have this effect, we need to unpack what charisma really is. In… Read More »How Your Phone Kills Your Charisma
When is the best time to start a new habit? Excellent question. And since there are two different meanings to this question, there are two answers. Let’s explore. 1. On what day (or time of year) should I start a new habit? The answer to that question is simple: Now. Don’t wait until summer or your birthday or the new year. Don’t wait until Monday. Don’t wait until tomorrow. Start… Read More »The Best Time To Start A New Habit
Look at that red car. What a jackass, right? How can they be so bad at parking? How can they be so inconsiderate?! Well… as tempting as these assumptions are to make, they’re all completely wrong. For starters, I happen to know the owner of the red car because she’s my neighbor. She’s a very nice person – decidedly not a jackass. And this is the only time in two… Read More »The Assumptions That We Make