Hey Reader! For most of my adult life, I've lived by a philosophy my friend calls, "Do no harm, and take no shit." It gives me the freedom to trust my gut, meet my needs, and have fun without excusing me from recognizing that my actions do affect others. This alignment with my personal truth and core values often keeps my inner critic at bay. But I also am a mom. So I'm not immune to critique or self-doubt. Nothing makes me second-guess myself like my child's disapproval. When I incur that,...
8 days ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! Over the past few weeks, we've covered: The foundation of dysfunction: Lack of trust The fear of conflict caused by feeling unsafe The isolation that occurs when you lack commitment The resulting gap in accountability that occurs Today, we'll cover one of the biggest stumbling blocks that keeps us stuck: inattention to results. What inattention to results looks like Inattention to results doesn't mean you lack goals. It doesn't indicate a lack of work ethic, either. You might be...
14 days ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! When you were growing up, were you allowed to make mistakes? Or were you afraid of failure? If you were raised in an atmosphere where mistakes were equated with failing, chances are you still struggle with accepting responsibility for your actions. This week's challenge will help you address issues related to accountability. This is part four of a five-part series on common behaviors that get you stuck. If you're just joining in, here's what you've missed: The foundation of...
21 days ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! This week, we'll continue to explore the different dysfunctional ways we detach from ourselves and get stuck living someone else's narrative. If you're just jumping in, here's what you've missed: The foundation of dysfunction: Lack of trust The fear of conflict caused by not feeling safe If you've stopped trusting your gut and begun avoiding conflict, the next dysfunction to appear is a lack of commitment. How the lack of trust and conflict avoidance impedes growth All growth...
29 days ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! Last week, I challenged you to rebuild your self-trust. This week, I want to address the fear of conflict and share an exercise that can help you have more constructive conversations. We're working from the bottom of Patrick Lencioni's pyramid of success to the top, fixing the dysfunctions we encounter along the way. Where does fear come from? Evolutionarily speaking, fear exists to help us. After all, our fears prevent us from entering dangerous situations or places where we may...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader! Any good leader—whether a CEO or a Little League coach—will tell you that there can be no sustainable progress without a team that works together. Patrick Lencioni identified five core reasons why teams fall apart. The illustration below shows how the absence of trust and the resulting dysfunction erode the entire pyramid of success. Your natural, prismatic self Humans are many-faceted beings. We can present a different side to everyone we meet. Sometimes this takes the form of...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader! Have you ever had a friend who seemed to attract bad luck? I had a buddy we joked was a "vortex for bad $h!t." He was the kind of guy who would get into a wreck driving his new car off the lot. No matter what he did, it seemed like there was a cloud hanging over his head. I had the recent pleasure of catching up with him and was delighted to find the cloud had vanished. His life had calmed, and instead of bad luck, he was basking in blessings. What happened? We project our worries...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! I invite you to pause, reflect, and set your intention for next year before it arrives. Consider these questions: What do you want to leave behind in this passing year? Is there anything you want to build upon in the new year? What do you want to achieve, discover or do? Twelve magical nights to help you set your intention There’s a twelve-night ritual that stretches from the end of December through early January that my friend Frauke introduced me to. It helps me identify what I...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! Growing up, I did all I could to avoid the annual Presidential Fitness Tests. One year, I showed up in a wrist brace because I couldn't face another humiliation over the bar hang. (For the record, my best time was one whole second.) I was 36 before I could run a mile without stopping. I started a Couch to 5K program to get in shape after giving birth. To my surprise, I enjoyed running and quickly worked up to regular five- to seven-mile jogs. At an airport in Houston, my newfound...
2 months ago • 2 min read
