How often have you gotten stuck while looking for a new idea, or seeking the solution to a problem? Want to know a cool way to get unstuck?
When I was writing television sketch comedy, I used to have a lot of trouble coming up with endings to my sketches (endings are notoriously difficult). I’d work out a nice premise, ...
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (now, for example): good ideas are everywhere. The problem is that most of us don’t know how to look for them. We don’t see them, because many times good ideas come disguised as something else. Sometimes we have to work a little to see the application to our own lives and ...
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In an earlier post I talked about why you should try to spend 80% of your time, energy, and resources focusing on your strengths. In other words, focusing on the stuff you do best. But what about the “other” stuff? What about the weaknesses? What about the stuff that, let’s ...
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Here’s a great lesson in leadership from a symphony conductor. Turns out you don’t need to know how to play all the instruments!
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You may have seen the clip; it was all over the news—and not just the sports news. In a November 2014 football game between Utah and Oregon, Utah wide receiver Kaelin Clay runs the ball for what appears to be an easy touchdown. Just one ...
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How being a TV producer taught me a crucial lesson about giving up control!
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Do you want to make better decisions? Of course you do! So here’s a very simple tip that will help you make better decisions, faster decisions, and decisions based more on long-term results than immediate gratification!
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“You guys should go national!”
I used to hear that all the time.
When I was the Executive Producer of Seattle’s hit comedy TV show Almost Live!, I used to hear that on almost a daily basis. Eventually, I started to believe it. I mean, why not? We were a hit in Seattle. We had some of the best comedy writers in the business. We already had a TV studio. Why shouldn’t we go national?
And then, one day, we got our chance. ...
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I remember my first performance appraisal. This was back in the days when companies still made this an annual event. (Some companies are still back in those days.) It went something like this:
BOSS: Here’s the stuff you’re good at. [reads small list]
ME: Thank you.
BOSS: Here’s the stuff you suck at. [reads much longer list]
ME: Um…okay.
BOSS: So for the next year, I need you to focus most of your energy on ...
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I’m writing this from an airport lounge, which is where I (and many of my fellow motivational speakers) spend an inordinate amount of time. There’s a TV on in the background (there’s always a TV on in the background), and I just heard the words “How do you define success?” I don’t know the context—probably a commercial for some erectile dysfunction drug (in which case, I would think that defining success would be self-evident). But it’s actually a pretty good ...
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