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Category: Problem Solving

Self-Fortification

Published on November 17, 2022

Worrying about tomorrow isn’t all that helpful.

Fortifying yourself today, is.

  • Reading might not solve any problems in your life right now…
  • Writing might not make your mind magically more clear today…
  • Meditating might not teach you how to have an overall more calm demeanor after one session…

But, each of those will be a helluva lot more helpful for tomorrow than worrying ever will be.

…And after doing them for weeks? …Months? …Years? …The benefit is undeniable.

So, the next time you find yourself in a moment of worry/ anxiety: try replacing the time you spend playing out worst-case scenarios with self-fortifying activities.

Channel the energy you normally would spend on self-depleting thoughts and funnel it into a self-fortifying task so you can meet your challenges tomorrow when they arrive—better than you are now.

…Better that than trying to meet your challenges in every single mind-numbing moment leading up to them, leaving you more drained and exhausted than there’s any reason for.

P.s. In case you missed it, I had a great conversation with Jeanne Torre and Emily Leahy about going from Burnout to Balanced in life. You can listen to the replay here.

How Would You Coach You?

Published on October 15, 2022

A question I’ve been chewing on lately:

“If I was coaching me what uncomfortable questions would I ask myself and (the important part) push myself to answer?”

Because ultimately, this is what many of the best coaches do. Why? Because we’re much more likely to believe the things we tell ourselves over the things others tell us.

And a good coach knows, if they can get you to say to yourself what they were just going to straight up tell you… their message will be far more likely to stick.

And how does one do this? By asking the right questions.

So, why not sit yourself down, get yourself a cup of coffee, put on some noise-cancelling headphones, and give it a shot yourself?

Even 15 minutes can completely alter the direction of your life.

Or… you could pay someone thousands and they could do it for you? Or… you could just not do it at all?

As always… growth in life will always be a personal choice.

The point I want to make is: the choice to grow is closer (and less expensive) than you might think.

P.s. Got any good questions that have led to noteworthy personal growth? Send a reply. I’d love to hear them.

Head And Heart

Published on September 29, 2022

Sometimes our head moves fast and our heart moves slow.

Sometimes our heart moves fast and our head moves slow.

In each case, we should facilitate a compromise and have them meet somewhere in the middle.

Because both the heart and the head should be honored for what they know.

P.s. Today, I hosted a LIVE space on writing and how it can help you live a better life. Here’s the replay. Conversation starts at around the 6 minute mark. Enjoy.

The Usefulness Of Short Sprints

Published on August 20, 2022

What do you do when you reach a ditch in the road that you can’t quite step over?

You back up; get a good running start; and jump it.

So does it work in life.

Staring at a ditch? …Staring doesn’t help.

Take a couple steps back, elevate your thinking, get a running start, and jump it.

Sometimes the way forward is backward. Sometimes we need to temporarily commit to an elevated pace to finally clear the ditch we’ve been staring at in its face. Sometimes what’s needed… is a short sprint.

P.s. “Backwards” doesn’t mean more hustle. “Backwards” has much more to do with the opposite.

Don’t Answer Yet

Published on August 7, 2022

Before you answer the question, make sure it’s the best possible version of the question you can ask.

  • “Why me?” or “What good can come from this?”
  • “Why can’t I get this right?” or “What can I do right now to improve?”
  • “Why is this so hard for me?” or “What would this look like if it were easy?”

Certain questions leave no room for good answers.

In fact, many of the questions we ask ourselves beget demeaning/ self-limiting/ hateful answers—and we’re better off not answering them at all.

Want to level up your life? You’ll need better answers for that.

And nothing will lead to better answers faster than asking better questions.

P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

Moving Forward In Thought

Published on July 30, 2022

Sometimes, what your negative/ demeaning/ hateful thoughts need is a freaking way out.

Moving the thought from the head, through the body, to the hand or mouth, and out into paper/ keyboard/ conversation are all excellent strategies.

Nothing fancy required.

No special journals, questions, or prompts… Just plainly writing/ expressing/ sharing what’s on your mind so as to give your mind space from the thing it’s holding.

It’s not always obvious to people that this works.

They think more thinking is what needs to be done. But, what ends up happening is that the brain becomes overwhelmed with remembering—which throttles its thinking ability and essentially handicaps it from coming up with new thoughts (solutions).

By relieving the brain of some of that info, new space is freed up for fresh thinking that’ll eventually lead to either solutions or releasing (which is sometimes all we really need).

Don’t underestimate the power of writing, typing, and discussing what’s on your mind. It’s one of the most powerful means for moving forward in thought.

P.s. I asked: “How do YOU stop negative thinking” on Twitter. Here are the answers. I hope they help. 🌱

What to do when you’re feeling lost:

Published on July 18, 2022
  1. Acknowledge that this feeling means you’ve outgrown your old surroundings (physically, mentally, and/or spiritually).
  2. Become acquainted with your new surroundings by courageously stepping into the unknown (it’s the only way to make the unknown, known).
  3. Build connections with anyone and everyone you feel comfortable doing so by initiating conversations (not waiting for conversations to be initiated with you).
  4. Build skills that align with your aptitudes which other people might also find valuable.
  5. Work to make your new surroundings better than you found them. Be helpful. Be kind. Be generous. Be playful. Be loving. Be open-minded. Be inclusive. Be authentic.
  6. Keep exploring, getting lost, and returning to step 1.

P.s. In case you missed it, I shared the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week here.