Justifications are insightful
Justifying why you didn’t do something is very insightful. Every justification sounds perfectly valid. (Especially to the person making them…) But most don’t really stack up. And unfortunately, justifications are really easy to find when you start looking for them. If you’re serious about advancing your career, pay close attention to how you explain not […]
Take pride in your work, especially when others around you don’t
A professional recently told me about a chat with their manager. They weren’t sure what to do after it. It was part of their onboarding for a new role. Everything was going smoothly, and they were excited to start. Then, their manager made a comment that caught them off guard: “Just to let you know, […]
Career answers are cheaper than you think
Many professionals want to advance their career. But they don’t because of this assumption. They incorrectly assume the cost of discovering relevant information is too high. You see, when people want to make a change, they start searching for answers. But they quickly hit resistance like: uncertainty, overwhelm, or lack of clear direction. Those who […]
The mirror trick
I love telling this story to clients to shift perspective. You may have heard it, but it’s worth repeating. People used to complain that elevators were too slow. The obvious solution was to make them faster. But instead, someone put mirrors in them. And the complaints stopped. They still went the same speed, but the […]
Beyond morning routines
I find it strange how our society values morning routines. It’s as if nothing outside of the morning matters. Think about it, everyone tells you how to make the most of 5AM but not 2PM. I think it’s because people feel in control of their mornings so they can optimise routines. And if they don’t, […]
Path of least resistance
I help clients navigate company structures with this exercise: Find the path of least resistance. You see, every company is a system of interrelated connections, and each has its own rules that dictate what can happen and how. And out of all these pathways, one will be the quickest and easiest for getting a desired […]
When nothing changes but everything changes
Sometimes deciding not to do something is more powerful than deciding to do something. It may not feel like that because it doesn’t seem like anything has changed. Yet for your career prospects, that decision will change everything. .
Be clear with your manager
A manager’s role is to support you in doing your best work. But in many ways, your role is to do the same for your manager. When you bring a problem to solve or an opportunity to pursue, aim for clarity before the conversation starts. The clearer you are, the more effectively your manager can […]
Productivity Hack: Chipping away > All at once
I sometimes have tasks that I think need a good chunk of solid time to complete. But what happens is that I keep putting off this “deep work” and prioritise bite-sized tasks instead. I have learned that waiting until I make “enough” time is often the real obstacle, and I’ve tried chipping away at bigger […]
Your system will fail
You may have noticed I missed my daily blog yesterday ✍️ That rarely happens. But does one missed post mean my system is broken? 🤔 It’s important to recognise that no system is failproof. And if you expect it to be, you risk two things: 😠 Beating yourself up when it isn’t ❌ Stopping completely […]