I worked with a leader, Evan, who was extremely humble and self-effacing.

Evan was constantly working to improve himself. Whenever anything went wrong, his first move was to look at his own behavior. His default assumption was, “the problem must be me.”

Often, though, Evan had already done what he needed to do. He had made a plan, communicated clearly, and followed through on his promises.

Read More

In the episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend in which Conan interviews Lin-Manuel Miranda, Conan asks Lin about comparing his own accomplishments to what other successful people accomplished at a similar age.

Lin acknowledges this habit. “I think that’s an affliction many of us share.”

He goes on to point out ruefully that the Beatles had done everything they did by the time they were thirty. Meanwhile, Andrew Lloyd Webber, he says, had written three musicals by the time he was twenty-one.

Read More

I was talking with a friend who has been working with a mindset coach.

She had been sensing a problem with her business and thought that maybe she could be achieving more. Now, she’s trying to figure out what’s next. Some things have become clear, and some are still uncertain.

That will likely always be the case. We never achieve the perfect mindset — we can always keep growing and getting better.

Read More

It is hard for many high-achieving people to acknowledge growth, progress, and mastery.

"Oh, I'm just stumbling around in the dark," they'll scoff in response to a compliment. Or they'll say, "I've got to work harder," when the evidence suggests they're already working harder than anyone else.

It's laudable to want to better yourself — to want to raise the bar and not settle for less than you're capable of.

Read More

I happen to live in a city that I once visited on vacation.

Because of this, I often wonder: In a given moment, when I'm not actually working, what is the difference between being on vacation and not being on vacation?

Well, I'll tell you: It's doing the dishes. But a big part of it is the mindset. I've learned that I can be "on vacation" by changing my attitude.

Read More