Time to say “Farewell” to a Goal?

Goals can be tricky things. They are exciting at the beginning, challenging when obstacles hit, and exhilarating when you complete them. Yet there are times when the goals seem too grueling, obstacles don’t feel like opportunities, and you want to call it a day.  So what do you do and when? I believe that it

Step Into Stellar

I was scoping out a random word generator that only shares positive words. What a great idea! The word that came up for me was “stellar” – meaning exceptionally good, outstanding, a star. My first reaction was: “who do I know who is like that?”  A list of people immediately came to mind. Yet, I

Refuse to Hide Your Talents

As a child, I remember being told to tone down my strengths so that people around wouldn’t feel bad if they weren’t as capable. While this didn’t make sense to me, this “advice” came from family members and a teacher I really liked and respected – so I took what they said to heart. This

Refuse to Create a Failure Split

Do you ever have your time, attention, and resources split into more than one direction? While it is common to experience this – and even enjoy the variety – you will be more successful if you can have a primary focus. I have worked with people who are open to many different things simultaneously (myself

Mistake: Menace or Miracle?

I woke up in the middle of the night this week and thought about why mistakes scare me. Okay, not the topic that dreams are made of  – and yet, there it was. For me, I can torment myself with mistakes of any kind – from leaving off a period in a PowerPoint presentation to

Successful and Happy

To be really happy and successful, there are two crucial things that can accelerate your positive momentum. First, it is essential that you’re interested in your own life, your values, skills, knowledge, and experience. Know why you’re pursuing what you want to do today and why this goal is important for your future. Second (or

Your “Right” Goal

At this time of year, I do a lot of thinking and self-reflection – even more than usual. One night, I woke up around 3am and kept asking myself, “what is your right goal for this year?” My wonderful brain supplied me with so many answers. Yet, I judged each one on things from was

Determination is Crucial and Incomplete

Since the beginning of my life, my friends, family, and mentors have told me again and again and again that determination is essential for motivation, endurance, and resilience. This said, it is incomplete. Determination alone could make you appear aggressive, and even unpleasant. When you add empathy, kindness, and appreciation to strong determination, conviction, and

Transform This For Happier Wins

There are different kinds of wins. There are wins that are easy, simple, and fun from the beginning – I rarely, if ever, see this type of wins. I wish I could tell you otherwise. If this is your experience, please share how you did this. That said, the more common type of win is

A Different Kind of “Fitness”

When you think about the latest fitness trend, they can change faster than the weather in Chicago. Yet, whatever you do, variety is key to create overall strength. It’s also crucial to include “fitness” activities for different facets of your life – from your body to your brain to relationships to money. Take a moment