note to self

Nothing quite bums you out like being a part of a cringe-worthy interaction—at a networking event, in a meeting with a new client, or worse, during an interview at your dream job. And nothing makes it more unnerving than replaying it over and over in your head after the fact. I’d say the solution is…

By Susan Johnston Taylor “Businesspeople need to listen at least as much as they need to talk,” Lee Iacocca, former CEO of Chrysler, famously said. “Too many people fail to realize that real communication goes in both directions.” We’d all like to fancy ourselves good listeners, but there’s a huge difference between nodding as you wait…

By Laura Vrcek It’s easy to convince yourself that in order to meditate, write, create, or do a number of other important-for-your-sanity things, you must first clean your space, sanitize your yoga mat, have your first two cups of coffee, etc. There are dozens of sayings about it: “Clean space, clear mind.” “Bare desk, bright work.”…

Will we ever decouple perceived effort and long hours with our rewards system? By Oliver Burkeman As you sink into the couch, or slide onto the barstool, at the end of an exhausting workday, it’s hard not to experience the warm glow of self-congratulation. After all, you put in the hours, cranked through the to-do…

Keeping Score at Work Isn’t Doing You Any Favors (Even if You Have the Most Points) By Darius Foroux Who does the most work in the office? Who gets the most attention? Who did most of the cleaning in the house? Who bought the most presents? Who called who the most? The answer is this:…

 By Alyse Kalish One of my biggest fears is the word “no.” Seriously, it’s a terrifying phrase—and because of this, I’ve said yes to things I wasn’t qualified to do, things I really didn’t want to do, and things that have prevented me from saying yes to something I’d rather do. We want to be…

Try to forget about the idea of pride as a deadly sin. The latest research shows that pride can be a powerful motivational force. By Christian Jarrett It’s true that “hubristic pride” – when you feel pleased in your own abilities – can be harmful and indicative of an inflated ego. But “authentic pride,” which is…

By Alyse Kalish Improving your life doesn’t have to be about making one big gesture. Instead, it’s something you can constantly work on—and it typically comes down to the small things you do every day. I understand that no one has all the time in the world to think about self-improvement when there’s work and…

The next time you want to interrupt yourself for a quick glance at your inbox, don’t. By Jocelyn K. Glei Let’s face it: Email is killing our productivity. The average person checks their inbox 11 times per hour, processes 122 messages a day, and spends 28 percent of their total workweek managing their inbox. Outside…

Your Dream Job Might Not Tick All the Boxes, But it Can Still Be the Right Job for You  By Alyse Kalish If I was to list out everything I wanted in my “dream” job, it would be a pretty long list. I’d want to be able to write every day, but also travel the…

By Abby Wolfe A few years ago, a colleague of mine said, “Careers these days aren’t so much about climbing the ladder, but about bouncing around a jungle gym.” As someone who still hasn’t found her calling, has a slew of interests, and is also a sucker for metaphors, I ate this up. Often, we forget…