Do you like merging into heavy traffic? I bet that's not a question you've been asked before. Am I right? Merging into five or six lanes of traffic at rush hour can be a true “white knuckle” experience. There you are being urged along by impatient drivers behind you as you try to merge into lanes beside you that are occupied by less-than-courteous drivers. When you think about it, who in their right mind would do that? It’s certainly not my favorite part of commuting on

I recently asked a question to over 200 people, 202, to be exact. I asked them, "What's one of the most important questions you ask yourself to keep growing personally and/or professionally?" I've learned a few things from their answers. First, while the question certainly matters, the most important thing is that you at least ask something. Just about any question will prompt you to focus your thoughts and lead to actions. Second, the questions we ask reveal something deep w

I surveyed over 200 people, 202, to be exact. I asked them, “What’s one of the most important questions you ask yourself to keep growing personally and/or professionally?” Here’s the complete list of their responses. Short and Powerful What don’t I know? What's the next step? Was I at my best today? What's next? Why are you doing this? Big Questions Am I doing this for my benefit, or for my family or client’s benefit? What do I need to be grateful for? Why am I here? Is wha

Is it good enough to just be good or is there only value in being better than someone else? I like things that are simply good. Comparisons are often necessary, but there are limits to their value. In fact, they sometimes keep us from enjoying things of exceptional quality simply because they are obscured by the towering reputation of something else. I'm not arguing for lowering standards but rather suggesting we broaden our vision and notice what is of value in what we might

I made what may seem like an audacious claim in a recent article. I said that I believe it is possible for us to become "better people." I think some clarification is in order. I didn't mean to imply that we can become different people but rather better people, or more precisely, better versions of ourselves. Susan Cain offers some helpful insight in her excellent book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking. (Sidebar: I highly recommend this bo