This just might be the most important Monday Morning Stretch I have ever written. As you read this, within 24 hours, we will elect a new American president. Whatever the results, half of the country will be disappointed, if not downright angry, frightened, and despondent, except for (I hope!) our readers. I’m banking on the notion that if you’ve been …
The Intentional Feelings List
This is a confession of a recovering OCD professional. Sometimes, I guess to feel productive and complete, I write things down on my daily to-do list that I’ve already done just so I can cross them off. Ridiculous, I know, but painfully true. This week, as I began to succumb to this silly habit once again, I wondered why. Why …
Triggers
Triggers. Just like a firearm, they get pulled sometimes with even the slightest touch. Emotional triggers get pulled all around us every day. Someone puts an opinion on social media, and then someone with a different opinion lobs an insult. The first person is triggered and fires back. In a flash it has escalated into an adult game of “I …
Focus
I have decided that I am a big fan of focus, not because I’m always good at it but because I’m not. I have a lot of interests, a busy life, and, like all of us, I live in a fast-paced world. It’s easy to decide that constant distractions and operating in a consistently fragmented way and juggling multiple demands …
How Bad Do You Want It?
It’s Labor Day Monday so… most of you are reading this on Tuesday! And it’s good that you are. Labor Day celebrates all Americans who work to support themselves, their families, their communities, and pay their taxes thereby supporting their nation. It’s the one day of the year we set aside to celebrate the working man and woman and give …
Stopping the Train of Panic
On the 17th of August I turned 65 years young. It is hard for me to believe, and, at the same time, I’m grateful for every minute, every turn, every year that brought me here in good health, still enjoying my work with a beautiful family and a life I love. In some ways, I feel I’ve just hit my …
Being the Light
A few years ago, Jan Douglas sent me the message below. Jan is a colleague, client, friend, and avid Monday Morning Stretch subscriber who often takes the time to leave comments on our weekly blog. I’ve been writing my Monday Morning Stretch for nearly 20 years, and while some weeks we get loads of great comments and notes of appreciation, …
Stop Comparing
As I write this week’s Stretch, we are currently living and working from Tom’s beloved summer cabin nestled in the Western Sierras where we spend 6-10 weeks a year if we can manage it. Located just 13 miles southwest of Lake Tahoe, Silver Firs is a rustic gem of a cabin only 150 yards away from two small but stunningly …
Me and El Tigre
Technically, it was a competitive race to the finish line, but for me the only competition was between myself and El Tigre. On May 7th, 2016, I rode in my first competitive cycling race called the Rosarito Ensenda in Baja, Mexico, about a 2-hour drive from my home. Heralded as one of the world’s largest cycling events, it began in …
Partnering for Change
As a coach, one of my favorite questions in leadership, conflict, or offering help and guidance is, “Do you want to feel better (or have a different result)?” If the answer is no, then we’re likely done with our work together for the moment, and at least we don’t have to waste time struggling or pretending. I’ve learned not to …
