RECENT ARTICLES:
Where You Get Stuck (And What To Do About It)
There are some common "sticking points" that can stall your work's impact. You must push through them to take your work to the next level.
Win Signed Copies Of Die Empty & The Accidental Creative
I am awash in paperbacks! My publisher just re-configured its office space, and sent me a few boxes of Die Empty and The Accidental Creative paperbacks.
Books aren’t meant to be kept in a box, they’re meant to be read, so I’m giving giving away 15 signed paperback copies of Die Empty and The Accidental Creative.
Marie Forleo and Todd Henry On Finding Your Voice
Back in April I received an e-mail from Marie Forleo and team asking if I would come to NYC to chat about Louder Than Words on an episode of MarieTV. I thought for - oh - about one second before saying "yes".
Why Authenticity Is The Key To Making Your Work Resonate
It’s noisy. Not physically noisy, but culturally noisy.
Everyone is clamoring for attention, and clanging their gongs trying to win a few seconds of your precious time. Clickbait, shock tactics, and distractions are so commonplace that they are now used even by previously “credible” institutions. It’s tempting to follow suit and fall into these tactics with your own work. Don't do it.
No One Will Fight For Your Work Like You Will
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.
Harness The Power Of Your Authentic Voice
Don't spend your life chasing a vapor. Don't waste it bouncing from one comfortable place to another, hoping things work out in your favor. Commit to doing the difficult work of excavating, then utilizing your authentic voice. The journey is challenging and the hurdles are very real, but in the end you will point with pride to a body of work that represents you well. It begins now, in this moment.
Bravery Is A Discipline, Not A Trait
People who choose bravery know what drives them, and they care more about the outcome than they do about temporary discomfort.
The Tyranny Of The Adequate
There are times when it’s wise to settle for the most reasonable answer, but don’t allow the daily grind to lull you into mediocrity.
Want To Improve Your Odds Of Success? Take More Shots.
Winning is often a game of percentages. Practice and hone your skills through unnecessary creation, follow your instincts for opportunity, and don’t be afraid to take shots and miss.
The Benefits of Keeping a “Commonplace Book”
With the increase of information crossing your attention span each day, it's easy to forget even the most impactful experiences. Make every effort to capture these, and to ensure that they become a valuable part of your creative process.
Aim For Influence, Not Control
Controlling behavior never leads to results beyond your own grasp. However, when you are able to achieve influence, you multiply your efforts and reproduce your values and principles in the lives of others.
Feeling Nervous About Your Work? Good!
Stretching always requires that you risk failure, which means you will probably feel a little over your head from time to time. Don’t mistake a little nervousness for weakness. Use it as fuel.
The Power of No
Many people allow their life to become cluttered with passive yes's, not active ones. They are living with a decision they made months or years ago, and are not making the effort to re-visit whether it's still the right decision. Sometimes you have to say "no" in order to re-focus your efforts.
Brilliance Demands Bravery
If you make things and share them, your heart will at some point be broken. If you never share, it will harden. Your choice.
Good Leaders Are Willing To Change Their Mind
One of the more concerning dynamics of the “everything is on the record all the time” world is that changing your mind - especially in a highly public way - has become Sin #1.
The Value Of Connectional Intelligence
Last week, I had the chance to chat with Erica Dhawan, who is co-author of the new book Get Big Things Done. The book is about the age of connectedness, and how we can now accomplish things previously unattainable if we leverage "connectional intelligence".
Mick Jagger And The Uncertainty Of Creative Success
Don't believe the lie that success is inevitable. On the inside, where all of the risk is being taken, it often feels like things could fall apart at any moment, and that's precisely how it should be.
Newsletters Worth Your Time in 2015
I'm often asked where I find good, high quality content on the web for my stimulus queue. While some of it comes from sites I subscribe to or podcasts I love, a lot of it arrives in my e-mail inbox on a daily or weekly basis.
Are You Stealing From Yourself?
Don’t rob yourself, and stop trying to will yourself to do better. Instead, recognize that small actions of focus and discipline today is the best way to love your future self. Make investments today so that you can reap a return tomorrow.
Don’t Settle For The First Idea
In the effort to "ship fast" we often fail to lay a sturdy foundation for our work, and the results can be disastrous. Shipping early shouldn't be equivalent to thoughtlessness. You need to ensure that you are respecting the work by giving it your best mental effort.
Why Does Criticism Sting?
It’s often not the circumstances we learn from, but our response to them. Identifying limiting narratives or patterns of self-destruction can help us spot them when they crop up, then nip them before they cause us to implode or obsess needlessly over critique.
