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Change the metaphor
You and I constantly tell ourselves stories about our work, and these stories affect how we treat the work and treat the people we work with. The most important thing to remember is you always have a choice to flip the metaphor or introduce a new one. That’s a starting point for you to see…
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Notes-based meeting prep
Earlier this week, my coworker and I had a 1-1 meeting and she was delighted to see that I had brought a small index card and pen to the meeting. We spent a few minutes chatting about it. Here’s what I said: Before every meeting, I prepare a 4×6 index card. If there is a…
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The case of the stolen smell
I recently saw James Blake tweet, “The brainwashing worked and now people think music is free.” Then, a couple of days later, I read this story: In the days of old Yedo, as Tokyo was once called, storytellers told wonderful tales. Many of the stories were about the wit and wisdom of Ooka Tadasuke. Ooka…
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Big fish in a bigger pond
In Lucky Me, Rich Paul writes: Now I have to help guys in the league who used to be stars, but can’t let go of their ego and accept a new role. Then there are my young clients coming into the NBA; every one of them was once the star on their high school or…
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David Chang on the long, hard, stupid way
I recently came across a great quote from David Chang, “Just because we’re a casual restaurant, doesn’t mean we don’t hold ourselves to fine dining standards. We try to do things the right way. That usually means doing things the long, hard, stupid way.” David has elaborated on this quote: When your back is turned…
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Expensive and cheap information
Stewart Brand has said, “On the one hand information wants to be expensive, because it’s so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information wants to be free, because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time. So you have…
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The destination is a new way of seeing
One’s destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. Henry Miller
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Volunteering
People don’t like risk. They usually commit to the option that they trust more, or at least feels less risky. It takes time to build this trust. Job interviews, social media updates, phone calls, blog posts, demos—all of these are ways to demonstrate that you are trustworthy. When you ask a person to get paid…
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Comfort zone
Going outside of your comfort zone is generally good advice. This usually means you’re pushing beyond what you expect of yourself, and what others expect of you. In the process, you’re improving your skills, building confidence, and changing what others realize you’re capable of. All of this will inevitably open up new opportunities for you.…
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Dreams vs. delusions
A dream coming true is a delusion that becomes reality. A delusion is a dream that didn’t become a physical reality. (Yet!) If your delusion or dream comes true, you’ll look like a genius. Until it does though, you will experience a degree of loneliness. In other words, you can and should expect to be…