When you have deadlines, the work has to get done. Even if it isn’t perfect. And even if good enough isn’t good enough, sometimes you have to swallow hard and hit the send, print or publish button. Perfection isn’t possible. Completion is. I once heard some really smart advice about perfection from the guys at…

Am I afraid failure will ruin my reputation? If I don’t have a reputation, how can I ruin what doesn’t exist? The only way to get a reputation is to do something. It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. Warren Buffett When I read Buffett’s quote it reminds me that…

There is plenty of time to do everything important if we do one thing at a time. I heard a quote like that years ago, reminding me that “multi-tasking” and trying to spread myself across multiple projects at the same time is a losing game. It’s like reading three books at a time. That just…

If you write for a living, it’s hard to imagine a time when you have nothing to say. Why is that? Not the “nothing to say part,” but the “hard to imagine” part? Because “writers” write. Just like plumbers plumb, teachers teach and farmers farm. It’s just what they do. Sitting down and blaming writer’s…

My wife and I spent this evening with six of our favorite couples. There were 14 of us sitting around a fire talking about everything under the sun (actually, the moon). Why is this notable? It is rare to have one true friend. Even more rare is a group of friends like ours. Friends walk…

At the store today, Organic Fuji apples were $2.29 per pound instead of $1.49 for non-organic apples. I have paid $.99 for a great Kindle book and $30 for an excellent traditional book. My nephew is shopping for a $3,000-$6,000 used car, while my friends recently paid $42,000 for a new car. Which items are expensive? From my…

My wife is currently negotiating with her employer regarding next year’s compensation plan. There are two issues at play: My wife’s worth. The job’s worth. And those are not the same. Most people have skills worth far above their current pay scale. But employers generally pay based on what the job is worth. Are we always controlled by…

Just because you aren’t aware of something, or you are purposely ignoring it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Let’s say you have a business that basically runs on autopilot. Then something changes and your business starts declining. What do you do? Ignore it and hope business improves. Blame it on the economy or some outside…

When things never change, we remain inside our comfort zone, often leading to boredom. [Note: Boredom isn’t always bad. Sometimes, a little boredom can be healthy. It can lead to creativity, less stress and better sleep.] Disruption – the interruption of your normal activity – can cause you to change direction and pursue a different course…

Someone who lives their life in such a way that others want to follow. Someone who leads by example. Someone who has high expectations for those they lead. Someone who encourages failure, if it leads to learning and growth. Someone who gives freely. Someone who forgives often. Someone who looks to the future and does…