This winter my son and one of his friends entered the school Imagination Fair. It’s an annual opportunity for students to display their STEM creativity. My son picked a committed partner with strong technical skills, and they had a compelling idea: create a machine that dispenses gumballs if you choose the correct track to roll
There I was in a hotel on a business trip. My mind was racing. The trip packed my agenda with meetings and dinners. Always on, constantly prepping for the next thing. Meanwhile, my to-do list was growing with other work and personal needs. On top of it all, I had been fitting in podcasts and
Several years ago, I went to see a prominent psychologist. I’d been having persistent stomach aches, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and sharp pains in my head. My doctor said I was healthy. Nothing was wrong with my body. What could be the problem, I wondered. After ten minutes and a few questions, the psychologist
With one month remaining in 2017, I went to my mentor looking for a solution to a nagging concern. I’d noticed that during intense stretches of life and work, I’d become more dependent on having a nightly drink (or two) as a coping mechanism. Not that there’s anything wrong with drinking in moderation for enjoyment,
In the corporate world, I was someone who was driven. And I was rewarded for that drive. But the more I achieved, the more demands were placed on me and the more stress I experienced. While I had a clear identity—I was a business executive—I felt myself slipping away. You see, my pure self is
What are you obligated to do? Comply with policies or regulations? Complete a report for your job? Perform mandatory tasks? Take care of people who depend on you? How does it feel to be obligated when those activities seem boring, unnecessary or overwhelming? For me, it feels stressful, irritating and draining. For instance, I remember
How much of what you urgently respond to is truly important for you to do? How much of what you’re neglecting is really the most important to get done? Your overall success may well hinge on how you answer these two questions. In 1967 Charles Hummel wrote a powerful essay about these two questions called
I caught myself telling a lie this week. Not only that, I realized something: I lie constantly. Oh, not to other people. With them, I usually tell the truth. But in my head, to myself, I’m often a liar. And I’ll bet you are, too. Here are some lies I was telling myself this week:
Perhaps the key to accomplishing more… is doing less. Maybe “getting a lot done” is not the best measure of a work day. This is counter-cultural for those of us that hurry to do as much as possible each day. “Lucky…” (with this photo) was the text message from my wife after she drove a
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE