Work, success and meaning at every stage of your career
“Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” Remember that from your high school football coach, or your piano teacher, your personal trainer, or your dad? (The original is attributed to the great Vince Lombardi.) What if they’re all wrong? (Sorry, Vince.) What if quitting is your fastest path to success? By now, everyone’s talking about … Continue reading It’s Time to Quit.
Taylor Pearson is the Author of The End of Jobs: Money, Meaning and Freedom Without the 9-to-5. I’ve written about his take on employment and job security in the 21st century economy. He believes that today, having a job (no matter how good), is a risky proposition. Becoming an entrepreneur is the only way to … Continue reading The 21st Century Do It Yourself Apprenticeship
Disclaimer: Procrastination is fixable, but the reason you’re avoiding what you should be doing probably isn’t. If you’re dreading a task, chances are you’ll be able to find a reason to avoid it. But if you’re someone who by default puts some things off to the last minute, you can develop tools to help you … Continue reading Procrastination is Fixable
You don’t have to be a leader to lead. If you’ve been wondering how to get noticed for your skills and hard work, here’s an opportunity that’s right under your nose: gray zone problems. Gray zone problems are in every workplace. Executive coach Art Petty says gray zones are “the areas between functions where process, … Continue reading Gray Zone Problem Solving
There are really only two essential job interview questions. Together, they determine how successful you’ll be in this role. But they are often treated by candidates – and some interviewers – as pro forma questions: asked to check a box, and answerable by some generic, fluffy response. But if you answer them with something sincere … Continue reading Why Do You Want this Job?
You don’t have to be Superman or Wonder Woman to have an Alter Ego. In fact, many people have some secret identity that they can pull out and put on when they’re facing a difficult task or situation that makes them unsure. I have one and maybe you should, too. That’s the theory behind Todd … Continue reading Your Alter Ego
Gig workers usually have more autonomy and independence in when and how they work. That’s the good news. With independence comes volatility, in both workload and earnings. That means gig workers must be even more savvy that traditional workers when it comes to financial planning. So although the following is great advice for anyone in … Continue reading Financial Planning for Gig Workers
Traditional employees and gig workers think very differently. Some of their thinking is hard-wired as part of their personality, but most of what they believe about work has been the result of years of conditioning. Here’s my favorite metaphor for traditional and gig workers. (Courtesy: Aesop, circa 564 B.C.) There was once a Wolf who … Continue reading Gig Workers Understand Their Value and Value Their Freedom
I’m staring at a blank screen. Blank. I’m stuck on stop and I need to move to go. If you’ve ever aspired to write, you know the feeling. If you’ve ever aspired to any goal, business, personal, or health, you know the feeling. The easiest thing in the world is to stay put. Starting is … Continue reading Just Start. Ugly is fine.
(This is a reprint of a post from 2015.) I attended a national conference in 2015 and had the great pleasure of hearing Victor Hwang speak. At the time he was CEO of T2 Venture Creation, a Silicon Valley firm that builds startup companies and designs the ecosystems that foster entrepreneurial innovation. He’s also the author … Continue reading Be a Weed
Your Work, Your Way 