It’s More Than Pretty. It’s Smart.

Everyone who knows me knows I love beautiful things. Ugly objects, no matter how utilitarian they are, hurt my eyes and shrink my creativity. It’s one of the reasons I love working from home: I’m surrounded by things I’ve chosen for their meaning, their esthetic, or their ability to soothe or inspire me. Michelle Slatalla, … Continue reading It’s More Than Pretty. It’s Smart.

Acceptance is Your Leadership Superpower

American-Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross first wrote about the five stages of grief in the 1960s. They were designed to help people cope with loss by giving them a checklist of human reactions to terrible things. First shock and disbelief (this can’t be happening to me), then anger (I don’t deserve this), then bargaining (if I … Continue reading Acceptance is Your Leadership Superpower

The Intense Perfectionist

Perfectionism can be a power for good; it can also make the perfectionist and everyone around them miserable. That’s according to Katherine Morgan Schafler, who has written The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power. In it, she frees up perfectionists to lean into their perfectionism as long as it’s working … Continue reading The Intense Perfectionist

The Messy Perfectionist

I’d bet that you’d never think to pair the words “messy” and perfectionist” in the same sentence. But perfectionism comes in all shapes and sizes. That’s according to Katherine Morgan Schafler, who has written The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power. In it, she frees up perfectionists to lean into … Continue reading The Messy Perfectionist

The Procrastinating Perfectionist

In this post and this post, I wrote about Katherine Morgan Schafler, who has authored a book that’s changing my life.  In The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power, she frees up perfectionists to lean into their perfectionism as long as it’s doing no harm (more on that in future … Continue reading The Procrastinating Perfectionist

The Parisian Perfectionist                            

In a previous post, I wrote about Katherine Morgan Schafler, who has written a book that’s changing my life.  In The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power, she frees up perfectionists to lean into their perfectionism as long as it’s doing no harm (more on that in future posts.) Schafler … Continue reading The Parisian Perfectionist                            

Perfectionism is my Superpower

(Cambridge Dictionary) Perfectionist; /pərˈfek·ʃə·nɪst/ noun. A person who wants very much to get every detail exactly right. (My version) A person who needs to get everything exactly right. Every time. All the time. For years, I’ve been asking the wrong question. I’ve been told that my perfectionism wasn’t healthy. It was a bit…obsessive. A bit…too much. A bit… annoying. So I have … Continue reading Perfectionism is my Superpower

Just Start. Ugly is fine.

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.

Think Twice Before You Say “Good Job!”

Good job!  How could saying something kind be cruel?  It turns out that praise has a dark side; its effects have been studied extensively in children, but I believe praise can have negative effects on adults as well. In a recent New York Times article, writer Paul Underwood says parents have been told for years … Continue reading Think Twice Before You Say “Good Job!”