Recent Blog Articles

excuses ghost

Excuses, Excuses: The Ghost

I once served a business owner, let’s call him Aaron, who lead a cohort of his employees through my Clear Workspace, Open Mind course. While the course is on the surface about getting organized, it inevitably challenges the way people relate to work itself and calls them to a higher level of productivity and excellence.…

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excuses hair trigger

Excuses, Excuses: The Hair Trigger

I once struggled with a client, let’s call him Corey, who became easily upset—or so I thought. I never actually experienced it, but I did notice that he became slightly agitated when the conversation wasn’t entirely positive, and he would quickly change the subject. I found myself giving him a wide berth. But I needed…

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what lies do you allow people to tell you

Excuses, Excuses: Is My Reality Really Different from Your Reality?

The relatively recent advent of psychology (~1900) and the popularization of Eastern thought in the West (beginning in the 1960s) has contributed to an epidemic misunderstanding of the Buddha’s teachings: “perception is reality.” This is an increasingly popular tenet among younger generations, modern spiritualists, and, as a result, world culture. While the Buddha did teach…

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Kavanaugh hearings, wrong question

Why Struggle Over the Answer if the Question is Wrong?

Before you roll your eyes about yet another Kavanaugh piece, I promise this one is different than anything you’ve read. You’re going to learn something new. If you’ve followed the supreme court confirmation drama, you may have noticed some excuses here and there. Did you use what you’ve learned from my previous pieces? There was…

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excuses semantics

Excuses, Excuses: Semantics

The common phrase, “It’s just semantics” means “We both mean the same thing, we’re just using different words.” In my experience, it’s rarely true, and usually it is a vehicle to ignore subtle and important distinctions. Very often, when one person says to the other “It’s just semantics,” they are often the one missing the…

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mistakes to learn from

Learn from Your Mistakes and You’ll Never Truly Fail

“Someone call 911!” I was in line at the post office last week when I heard this. I’d left my phone in my truck. The person next to me was dialing. Now, I’m not an EMT or anything, but I was a lifeguard for many years. I looked around at the disorientation and panic on…

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startup capital venture investment

Growth for Growth’s Sake is Bullshit

“Growth for growth’s sake is bullshit.” –Brett Sharenow, Broadscope Consulting Why do you want your business to grow? Do you know? We’re conditioned to think that more is always better—especially when it comes to money. But many people don’t realize that growth, done improperly, can destroy a business faster than anything else. Be careful what…

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carousel excuse

Excuses, Excuses: The Carousel

Manager: “How’s it going?” Employee: “Oh, man, I’m dealing with my ex-wife again. Had to bail her out of jail last night again.” M: “Wow, that sounds dramatic.” E: “Ha, never a dull moment with her still in my life, even when she’s not supposed to be. But until our daughter grows up, I guess…

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excuses taking out of context

Excuses, Excuses: Taking Out of Context

Over in my weekly newsletter, I’ve been discussing a series of excuses you’ll often encounter with your employees (or with people in general). I have a whole series of ways in which people avoid accountability. If you’re not already subscribed to the newsletter, you’re missing out on exclusive content that doesn’t get published anywhere else.…

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truth sets you free

Josef Ruins Everything

“I can’t wait to get out of this little town,” she said. “I’m so bored here. How do you stand it?” My friend Sarah and I were both seventeen, and she was bragging about her new summer camp counselor job. She was getting ready to leave the next day for the woods of Maine, where…

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