Running a race well is a good thing, but not as good as crossing the finish line. There’s something about finishing – a race, a task, a project, a goal, or anything else – that feels extra satisfying. Plus, it marks a bona fide accomplishment you can remember, perhaps put on your resume, and sometimes …
Most of us understand and easily recognize fear of failure. But there’s an equal and opposite fear of success that often hides among the more obvious obstacles to greater productivity and higher levels of achievement. This largely unrecognized fear of reaching our goals and accomplishing what we really want is fairly common. In particular, it …
In many ways, confidence is the name of the game. It’s a key element in both productivity and success, because feeling confident allows for relaxation and poise, both of which support high-level performance. What’s more, confidence is itself powerful, particularly because it heavily impacts others, both positively and negatively. Confidence has a positive impact not …
As I’ve tried to convey many times, a big part of your productivity and success depends on other people, and particularly on getting other people not only to do what you want and need help with, but to provide this help how, when, and where you prefer. In many situations, this boils down to delegating …
The one constant in this world is change. Yet many people are uncomfortable when the familiar becomes unfamiliar, when the known becomes uncertain, when the old rules no longer apply. Get used to it: change is coming, probably faster and then even faster over the coming years. It’s just not smart to stick your head …
It’s easy enough to feel motivated when you need to put food on the table, or when someone you care about is driving you – because of their need or desire – to accomplish something specific. Motivating yourself, however, to do something you care about is an entirely different kettle of fish. For one thing, …
We’ve been talking about productivity and success from many angles and with focus on many different elements. This time, let’s take a step back and look at the big picture: what kind of person tends to be the most productive and successful? What do they know that others don’t? What do they do that others …
Just like everyone else, at least once or twice in your life you’ll go through it: the lingering feeling of fatigue, the unexpected fear that your career path is stagnant, and the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that everything you’re attempting to accomplish has little or no value. Bouts of suffering from …
Whether you’re digging ditches or building rockets to space, there’s always room to upgrade your professionalism. When you do, you’ll gain more respect, wield more influence among your peers, and earn more opportunities to increase your productivity and success. The road to increased professionalism in your chosen field of endeavor is neither short nor easy, …
While many people think the pursuit of perfection is something wonderful, and heartily to be desired, in actuality the notion of perfection carries with it negative complications that can lead to significant reductions in both productivity and success. Two Faces of Perfectionism The problems with perfectionism generally result from confusing the desire to improve with …
