When a Dream is the Wrong Dream
When I was a kid, I had a dream: I wanted to be a game show host on television. That dream is gone, but not forgotten. Thirteen years ago, it came close to happening. I was in the pitch rooms of nearly a dozen major cable networks. I had a world-class agent who represented some […]
Scott Adam (of Dilbert fame) Says Goals are for Losers
Twenty years ago, Wiley published my book “Goal-Free Living.” It was ahead of its time in many ways. In 2009, Harvard Business Review published the article “Goals Gone Wild,” a warning about the downside of goals in business. In 2014, Scott Adams, the creator of “Dilbert,” recorded a video where he says, “Goals are for […]
How I Turned Away From Downsizing And Started Helping Companies Grow
I recently had the great pleasure of being on The Changemaker Mindset Podcast with Greg Satell and Royfield Brown. We talked about a number of cool topics, including goal-setting (I’m against it), optimizing organizational processes (been there, and it negatively impacted a lot of people), and innovation (most companies do it wrong). Here are the […]
The Learning Imperative Podcast Interview
I had the great pleasure of being on The Learning Imperative podcast with Shawn Hunter and Michelle Braden. Although we originally planned to talk about Pivotal (which we did), we spent a lot of time talking about my 2005 book, Goal-Free Living. In fact, this podcast was a perfect example of a goal-free podcast. No […]
Bill Belichick on Now vs Next
In PIVOTAL, I discuss the benefits of focusing on “now” rather than “next. A great story from Bill Belichick, former New England Patriots Head Coach, illustrates this. In 2004, the team broke all records for the longest winning streak in the National Football League history: 21 games in a row. This was an amazing accomplishment, […]
New Year’s Resolutions Statistics (Video)
Here are some statistics on New Year’s resolutions – and an alternative approach. If you prefer to read about the statistics – with some additional numbers, read this blog entry. Happy New Year!
The Resolution Myth
Welcome to 2024. We’ve been told that because it’s a new year, it’s time for a new you. But before you set those resolutions, consider the fact that only 8% of people are always successful in achieving the desired results. 92% fail! 24% (one in four people) NEVER succeed and have failed on every resolution […]
Why I’m Not Setting Resolutions for 2023
2023 is around the corner. Time to make some changes in your life. Right? Ready to set some resolutions? Before you do, did you know that only 8% of people are always successful in achieving the desired results. 92% fail! 24% (one in four people) NEVER succeed and have failed on every resolution every year. […]
Why Are You Still Setting Resolutions?
In 2005, I wrote a book about living a life without goals. Sort of. I’m not anti-goal by any stretch. But there are times when an obsession with goals can negatively impact your performance and happiness. In the book, I talk about setting themes rather than resolutions for the new year. Here’s an article I […]
My 2018 Theme
In my last post of the year, I shared my process for planning the new year. In summary, instead of resolutions, I set themes. Themes are not goals to achieve. Rather they are words that help guide and shape the year. I first wrote about this concept in my 2005 book, Goal-Free Living. And now it is […]