When she was two, my daughter LOVED Taylor Swift. There were basically two songs on repeat at our house, Baby Shark (of course) and "Shake Shake Shake," as we called it. Now that she's older (and has a younger sister), our listening habits have changed, but Shake it Off still has a soft spot in my heart (that perhaps Baby Shark will never have). It also has an interesting place in my coaching practice. Think back to the last time you got stuck in a mood, ideally a grumpy o

I've been doing a lot of perspective work with my clients recently and it's been a good reminder that the way we see the world is just one possible way to see it and interpret it. I remember when I was in my 20s and acting, I went through a phase where I really felt like I was failing as an actor because I wasn't getting any roles that I liked. I was sucking at my auditions, I thought, and probably needed to lose weight and learn how to sing and dance. I believed that the w

One of the keys to living a life that's meaningful and fulfilling is to identify the guiding forces of your life, choose the ones that bring you the most joy or satisfaction, and then follow them as best you can. Your values run through everything you do -- your peak experiences and your lowest lows. They lift you up and connect you to your best, most wonderful self, and the violation of your values brings you frustration, disconnectedness, and dissatisfaction. But most o

Whenever I embark on something new -- working with a new client, a new freelance project, even trying a new schedule with my baby -- I hear a sneaky, unfriendly voice offering me sixteen different ways my new endeavor will fail. I recognize the voice; I've been hearing it for as long as I can remember. But it wasn't until I came to coaching that I understood what that voice is. It's my inner gremlin, my personal saboteur, my stuck-maker. Originally, that voice helped keep

A long time ago, I worked at a law firm as a technology trainer and I shared an office with the lovely gentleman who answered the Help Desk phone line. (No, he didn't just tell people to try turning it off and on again .) We were both in service roles and also happened to be two friendly people, so our coworkers often came to us when they had problems. They had a lot of problems. And after a while, it started to feel like our office was where you went when you wanted someon

Recommended reading for the self-help junkie in your life.

One thing I've always struggled with is borrowing trouble. Making mountains out of molehills. Playing the end of the act before the curtain even rises. I look for every way something could go wrong, every way I could mess something up, and then obsess about it... until it actually happens. Not because it was inevitable, but because I made it inevitable. I'm a bit of a Girl Scout; I like to be prepared for every possible outcome. In my purse at (almost) all times there a

In a world of increasingly casual work interactions, it's always a good idea to remember that your boss has control over a lot of things in your professional life, and you don't want your opportunities for advancement or recognition to be undermined by a less-than-ideal relationship with your manager. Here are some tips to consider as you think about your relationship: Pay attention to your interactions With clients, we’re (ideally) on our best behavior. With our bosses, it’s

"I'm just too busy." "I can't get things done because my schedule is jam-packed from morning to night." "I don't have time to make change." Want to believe these things about yourself? Or would you like to find out if you have time to make some changes? A while back, I discovered that I have a lot of time tucked away inside a day. "So trust me," I say. "Believe me!" (And then hundreds of very busy people tune me out because I tell them to rely on my experience instead of thei

When I first started working with my own coach, he taught me to create a Wheel of Life so we could see where I was and where I wanted to be in the various areas of my life. It's a great tool to periodically check in on, and it reminds me to aim high in the most important areas. (It's also something that I use with my own clients to help jump start our relationship and my understanding of how they see the world.) Luckily, I found a website that will help you generate your own