The constant shift back and forth from creative work to administrative work throughout your day carries a high price. You pay a task switching penalty each time you try to make this transition. On today's show, I share a few tactics from The Accidental Creative to help you cluster your work for a more effective work week.
Every day we are flooded with information. Some of that information might be helpful in serving our clients or organization, but because there is so much of it we are often unable to step back and look for patterns we can apply. On today's episode, I share some thoughts about the art of selective attention and how to transform information into understanding so that we can create more value for the people we serve.
Yes, work hard. Of course you need to put your full effort into whatever you’re doing at any given time. However, be careful not to fall into the hustle trap. You might find you’re only sprinting on a treadmill rather than making true progress. On today's episode I share three ways that the hustle trap can rob you of your best work, and what to do about them.
Is the thing you think you're trying to do with your work really what you're doing? What if the entire system is set up to get you to do something else, but you don't even realize it? On today's episode, I explain why pop radio is so bad, how artists end up as willing accomplices in mediocrity, and how your team might be doing the same thing (and not even know it).
Ever tried to get your manager to go along with a great idea, but faced resistance on every front? You're not alone. In fact, today's guest Jennifer Mueller argues that most of us are actually resistant to creative change, regardless of what we say. However, she also says that there are some things we can do about our bias against creativity, and they can also help us be more effective in leading change within our workplace. In this episode, she shares insights from her new book Creative Change.
Julien Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Breather, a company that allows anyone to book beautiful, private, professional spaces whenever they need them. However, it's an idea that almost didn't happen. In this interview, Julien shares why he felt the need to launch something, why it's important to be an "operator", and why you need to focus on building something a few people will love rather than something a lot of people will like.
It’s the start of a new year, and of course that means that many people are beginning to think about where they’d like their life and work to go over the coming months. It’s easy to use this season to set big goals and make big plans, but I often find that even my best plans are thrown by unexpected opportunities and obstacles. Yes, it’s important to have objectives and a strategy for executing them, but I want to challenge you to consider a roundabout way of getting to them. Instead of simply writing a list of goals, begin with a set of questions that might help you think about the upcoming year in a new way.
Whether you lead a team or you aspire to, there are certain skills that you need to learn in order to succeed. However, some of those skills are not so intuitive. Today, I share three specific, though not-so-intuitive skills that everyone should develop whether they lead a team or simply have to collaborate with others.
What does it mean to live a good life? How do you build your life and your work in such a way that it reflects the best of who you are? On today's episode, Jonathan Fields shares insights about all of this from his new book How To Live A Good Life.
Consider a piece of work that truly stands out from the noise, whether it's a song, a book, or a business. What makes it so remarkable? Today's guest Srini Rao has interviewed hundreds of remarkable people, and he has compiled what he learned into a new book called Unmistakable. He shares how we can avoid the cluttered middle, and chart a course for unique impact with our work.
Ever feel disconnected from your work, or wonder if you're making the right choices in your career and life? In today's episode we share a simple framework for identifying activities in your life and work that will make a difference, and how to navigate closer to your "sweet spot".
The story you tell yourself about time might be the most important story in your life. There are three kinds of stories that might derail you if you're not careful, and today we discuss how to counter each of them and adopt a healthier perspective.
Everyone wants to be liked. Given the choice between being liked or disliked, very few (sane) people would choose the latter. However, where does being liked rank on your list of priorities?
Cal Newport argues that the most important skill to develop is the ability to do "deep work". This is work that allows you to make big leaps in your work and accomplish your long-term objectives rather than getting stuck in the muck and mire of "shallow work". On today's episode, he teaches us what deep work is and how to do more of it.
Time is the currency of productivity and our most finite resource. Today's guest, Laura Vanderkam, will help us reclaim a healthy understanding of time and how we use it to our advantage.
In your life and work, you are the keeper of the flame. It’s your job to keep the fire burning, whatever it takes. It’s essential to your ability to thrive, and build a body of work that you point to with pride.
You can't afford to put the fate of your work into someone else's hands. Fight for it and be tenacious. No matter how great the trainer, every boxer has to step into the ring alone.
It's so easy to allow expectations to rise to the point of inevitable disappointment. Make sure you are minding your baseline so that you don't squeeze all of the potential for discovery, surprise, and joy from your life and work.
It's easy to be pulled along by your work and to run from task to task and commitment to commitment, but if you want to thrive and do brilliant work, you must learn the value of buffers in life and work. Here are five that you can immediately implement.
Have you ever looked around at the work of others and felt like yours isn’t measuring up? Has this ever caused your passion for your work to wane? Don’t allow the slow ratcheting-up of expectations to paralyze you. Use the work of your peers and heroes as fuel, and don’t allow it to trip you up or cause you to drift off-course.