Photo by Jacob Botter

By Tara Sophia Mohr

Most of us learned early in life that “thinking about it” is always a good idea. That is what reasonable, intelligent people do when they have a big decision in front of them, right? They think about it.

The truth is that quite often, when it comes to the big questions in our lives — Should I take the job? Should I start the business? Should I marry her? Should I relocate? — thinking gets us stuck.

By thinking, I don’t mean all neurological activity. I mean our everyday definition of thinking: the furrowed brow, fist at chin, solitary activity in which we muse on a subject, evaluate pros and cons, make internal arguments and then supposedly “figure it out.” This often leaves us more confused than when we started, further away from our own answers.

I see this frequently as a coach, as a friend, and I know it from my own experience too. I once took a month to “think about” what kind of job I wanted, and ended the month with no new insights, just a little crazy from all that time I sat at home “thinking about it.” I see coaching clients and friends taking time to “think about” what they want to do next, and getting really lost and bummed out in the process. I have a friend who drove herself into a huge pit of stress and upset “thinking about” whether she wanted to marry her boyfriend or not.

When thinking is helping you find clear answers that feel right to you, excellent! Feel free to use it. I’m certainly not anti-thinking. But when approaching a question by thinking about it is leading you down a road that feels repetitive, narrowing, overwhelming, or crazy-making, try these other tools:

[Click here to read more →]

This entry was posted on March 10, 2010 and is filed under: Life - 15 Comments »

Photo by Shahram Sharif

By Karl Staib

When it’s cold we want to hibernate, stay tucked under the covers and just sleep. We know this happens every year, but every time winter sets in we get those blues that we can’t escape. It’s like Pepé Le Pew chasing after us.

I know what I’m talking about because my winter blues were my arch nemesis when I lived in Pennsylvania. My depressive state would kick in from any little thing, a somewhat negative comment from a co-worker or a rejection of an idea at work. I always walked a thin line that could break at any moment.

I was happy during the weekends because I had the freedom to stay underneath the covers and ignore the rest of the world, but as soon as Sunday night came around the work blues would start. The work week would begin and the negative thoughts would envelope me like Pepé Le Pew’s smell.

“If depression is creeping up and must be faced, learn something about the nature of the beast: You may escape without a mauling.” – Dr. R. W. Shepherd

I learned some techniques that should help you hold off those winter blues and maybe even appreciate them.

[Click here to read more →]

This entry was posted on March 8, 2010 and is filed under: Happiness - 12 Comments »

Photo by It’s Life

By Christopher R. Edgar

While we’re working, we often get so absorbed in our projects that we forget about our breathing.  When this happens, particularly when we’re under stress, we can lapse into restricted breathing—inhaling in short gasps, or shallowly into the upper chest.  What we don’t often realize is that how we breathe can deeply affect our efficiency and enjoyment in what we do.  In this post, I’ll offer three breathing techniques to help you stay focused and peaceful as you work.

1.  Breathe Through The Urge

Productivity writers often tell us to resist the urge to put off our work, but they usually don’t offer much practical advice on how to do that.  In my experience working with people on productivity issues, we often procrastinate when an uncomfortable thought or sensation— anxiety or anger, for instance—comes up as we’re working, and we’d rather not experience it.  We need, I think, some way to stay centered even when faced with those intense thoughts and feelings.

[Click here to read more →]

This entry was posted on March 4, 2010 and is filed under: Productivity - 30 Comments »

Photo by dev null

By Vlad Dolezal

“Mediocrity is the worst enemy of greatness.” – Icelandic proverb

Imagine you sit down on a hot radiator. In a few seconds, you will feel intense heat on your bum, jump up, curse, then go sit down somewhere else. And you’ll be ok.

Now imagine you’re in an uncomfortably hot room. But you’re feeling lazy, and the discomfort isn’t quite enough to make you get up and open the window or turn down the heating. So you stay, uncomfortable, for hours…

A lot of people live their life like that. Doing alright, not entirely comfortable… but not bothered enough to do anything about it.

[Click here to read more →]

This entry was posted on March 1, 2010 and is filed under: Change - 19 Comments »

Photo by Anonymous Account

By Srinivas Rao

In the 8 months since I started my blog I’ve gotten to know dozens of bloggers. While each one has his or her own unique interests and opinions, I think it’s fair to say we all agree on one thing: a blog is a phenomenal personal development tool. Here are some reasons why:

Goal Setting: Setting goals is a fundamental component of any personal development program. While there are a few different variations, it really comes down to one basic idea: write down your goals. A blog provides a great platform for writing down your goals and provides a place where you can review them on a regular basis.

Accountability: When you share your goals on your blog, you will benefit from the accountability that comes with telling people about your goals. I wrote a marketing plan for my blog at the end of December. Any time somebody comments on the plan, I feel much more compelled to check if I’m actually sticking to that plan.

[Click here to read more →]

This entry was posted on February 26, 2010 and is filed under: Blogging - 27 Comments »

Photo by h.koppdelaney

By Mark Harrison

Viktor Frankl’s short book, Man’s Search for Meaning, has been described as ‘among the most influential works of psychiatric literature since Freud.’ He begins with an account of his experiences in Auschwitz and other concentration camps and then develops the insights from these experiences into a remarkable synthesis.

The book has been the inspiration for many other works, including Stephen Covey’s famous ‘Seven Habits.’ Frankl’s work has a great deal to say about many aspects of life. His insights on the role of the subconscious are particularly interesting.

We know a case in which a violinist always tried to play as consciously as possible. From putting his violin in place on his shoulder to the most trifling technical detail, he wanted to do everything consciously, to perform in full self-reflection. This led to a complete artistic breakdown…. Treatment had to give back to the patient his trust in the unconscious, by having him realize how much more musical his unconscious was than his conscious.

[Click here to read more →]

This entry was posted on February 23, 2010 and is filed under: Personal Growth - 18 Comments »