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Why Successful People Don’t Compare Themselves to Others

“Comparison is the death of joy.” – Mark Twain The most successful people don’t compare themselves to others. Instead they see excellence and talent in others as learning opportunities, not competition. It’s the difference between a fixed mindset, and a growth mindset. Named the “next Pelé” and going pro at the age of 14, Freddy ...

Striving for *Best* is Killing Your Mojo. Choose Good Enough.

Have you purchased something recently? Something major like a new laptop, a car, a bicycle, or even a minor thing like a toaster, or a shirt? And when you bought it, did you pore over the reviews and try to pick the very best one, with the most options, coolest color, or lightest design? If ...

Stop Being Afraid of Getting Fired

Yes, you could lose your job for being inept, incompetent, missing deadlines and milestones, or simply failing to do the work. But you will not be fired for taking chances, and embracing risk and then accepting the responsibility that goes along with it. And if you are fired for taking an honest chance, with positive ...

A Small Shift to Ask More Powerful Questions

Typewriters with ribbons, developed in the 1950s, were excellent at speeding up typists, but not so good at erasing their mistakes. Bette Nesmith Graham was a typist by day, and a painter by night. She wondered, “What if I could cover up my typing mistakes the same way I cover up my painting mistakes?” She ...

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda, and What People Actually Regret

Here’s a real story, but let’s anonymize him. We’ll call him Joey. So Joey, a local mild-mannered grown-up went to a high school soccer match in Virginia, and sat with friends and colleagues in the stands, on the home side, the side hosting the game. The game got competitive, the kids got all riled up, ...

How to Recognize the Mindset of Your Company

Think of a time in your life when you were doing something new, and exciting, and fun. Maybe you were learning a musical instrument, trying a new sport, learning to paint, or even solving a sodoku puzzle. And then, after the thrill was gone, it got hard. It got difficult, and not easy, and not ...