The Essence of Autumn

Autumn stands apart as the season of culmination, celebration, and creating space. Unlike the frantic growth of spring or the outward energy of summer, fall is defined by a deliberate slowing down and visible transitions. Refreshing cool breezes return to replace the lingering heat, and the fruits of our labor are finally ripe for the picking. It is a time of profound shift: leaves burst into vibrant colors before falling, acting as a visual reminder of Mother Nature gracefully clearing off her branches to prepare for rest.

The autumnal equinox marks the official beginning of the season—a pivot point celebrated since ancient times for its great significance. On this specific day, the length of day and night are exactly equal. Across history, this balance has been honored as the ultimate harvest festival, a time for communities to gather and give thanks for the earth's bounty before the darkness overtakes the light. As autumn passes and the nights grow longer, we enter the most mystical time of the year. These quieter hours have long been recognized as ideal for meditation, deep inner connection, and tuning into the natural cycles we all experience.

Exercises for Exploration and Growth

On the Equinox (first day of Fall):

Go to a place that feels grounding and comfortable. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture—your favorite spot on the couch with a warm cup of coffee or a quiet corner of your patio works perfectly. Take a moment to reflect on the past six months. Jot down a list of things you are genuinely thankful for, starting with the simple, everyday joys. Then, pause and congratulate yourself on the work you've done since spring. Celebrate the real-life wins, whether that means hitting a big goal at work, keeping a new habit going, or just navigating a busy season with grace.

Over the next week:

Take a look at your current routines, your calendar, and your physical space. Are you stuck in the "same-old, same-old"? Identify what feels heavy or out of alignment. Maybe it's a commitment that drains your energy, a cluttered drawer you've been avoiding, or a project that feels more like a chore than a passion. Pick just one or two things to intentionally release. Letting go of the excess isn't about failure; it's about creating necessary space. Clearing out what you no longer appreciate makes room for fresh, new opportunities to come in before winter arrives.

Enjoy the harvest of your efforts! Celebrate, give thanks, and let go of what is no longer your ideal.

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." — Lao Tzu

Elevating Your Atmosphere: The Art of the Inspired Workspace

With so many of us carving out professional lives from home, the boundary between "living" and "working" has blurred. Your home office shouldn’t just be a place where you have to be; it should be a sanctuary that draws you in.

When your environment is curated with intention, it elevates your output. By surrounding yourself with a great set of tools, you unlock a higher level of efficiency, a well of creativity, and, most importantly, a deeper sense of joy in the process.

Here is how to transform your space into a cockpit of productivity:

Optimize Your Environment

• Design for Flow: Arrange your space based on your natural rhythm. Keep your most essential tools (the ones you use daily) within a single, effortless reach.

• Clear the Static: Clutter is visual noise. Quiet the room by filing away the "someday" items and the "once-in-a-while" paperwork. Give your mind the white space it needs to breathe.

• Curate Your Inspiration: Decorate with colors that invoke creativity and artwork that reminds you of why you do what you do.

Honor Your Craft with Supplies

• The Power of Preparation: Keep your essentials stocked. There is a profound peace in knowing you have exactly what you need when you're in the flow.

• Elevate the Tactile: If you are a writer, don't just use any pen - use the one that glides. Surround yourself with heavy-weight journals and colorful pens. When your tools feel special, your work is so much more fun.

• Nurture the Senses: Create a sensory "anchor" for your workday. Whether it’s a handwritten map for your strategic priorities for the day, the flicker of a signature scented candle, or a productive playlist, these small luxuries signal to your brain that it’s time to create.

Cultivate a Fulfilling Routine

• The Daily Reset: Just as we need a daily shower, a daily dose of inspiration sets the day in the right direction. Feed your need for motivation. 

• Guard Your Priorities: Time-box your deep work. Set aside dedicated "sanctuary hours" for your biggest goals to ensure your energy is spent on what actually moves the needle.

• Prioritize the Refill: You cannot pour from an empty cup. Identify the micro-activities that renew you - a walk, a stretch, five minutes of silence - and weave them into your schedule as non-negotiable appointments.

Your workspace is the laboratory of your life's work. Make it beautiful, functional, and uniquely you.

Spring: The Season of New Growth

Earth wakes up from the long, cold hibernation, anew. The sun returns, the days grow longer, and the weather warms up. The soil is fertile, green vegetation sprouts up everywhere, and flowers bloom. Fresh life is abundant.

Many ancient calendars such as the Persian, Mesopotamian, and early Roman celebrated new year in Spring. It's an ideal time to take realizations from the reflective winter months and set intentions for how you want to grow. Elevate your vision, set goals, and start new projects. The seeds you plant now will grow over the spring and summer seasons to be harvested in fall. 

Exercises for Exploration and Growth

On the Equinox (first day of Spring):
Go to a place that triggers your creativity. Whether it be at a beach, mountain, or your favorite spot at home - create a space that feels nourishing. Brainstorm on what you want. What would make the next 12 months your best year yet? Jot it down, get messy, and don't edit. Have fun and think BIG. Once you're done, reflect on the key patterns you see.

Over the next week:
Take your notes of what desires arose and gather any other lists of goals that you've had recently. Review all of these ideas together and see what rises to the top. Pick just a few ventures to invest your energy into - the cream of the crop - to focus on. Make these goals priority above all the little things that come up each week. Check in on them weekly during your organization session. 

Here's to the most beautiful time of the year!

And Spring arose on the garden fair, 

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast 

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest. 

~ Percy Bysshe Shelley

Ancient calendars didn't start the New Year in the dead of January. They waited for today: The Spring Equinox. There’s a biological reason for that. When the Earth wakes up, our energy follows suit. We move from the quiet 'winter' of reflection and strategy into the high-octane 'spring' of new growth. But: if you try to grow everything at once, you’ll harvest nothing. You have to pick the right seeds.

Creating a Weekly Habits Template in your Calendar

Consistency builds momentum. Small consistent steps are more powerful than large sporadic ones; they lead to great achivements. Weekly habits are the best path toward being consistent. Think about the habits you have each week. With a little conscious shaping, you can free up great amounts of time and energy, and thrust your goals forward.  

Creating a weekly habits template in your calendar is a fun brainstorm session that bring clarity and inspires growth. It prioritizes your goals and provides a structure for the "to do's" to go around. These are the steps to creating one:

1. Open up a blank weekly calendar. Open up your electronic calendar and set the view to: week. Skip ahead a few weeks into the future so that its not overly crowded and set up the appointments as recurring starting next week.  
2. Design your time in a way that works best for you.  
1. Think about the typical things that you need to take care of each week and place them where they work best. Consider: prioritizing your day each morning, projects, networking, creative time, working out, personal renewal time, family time, date night, an organization session for the week, grocery shopping, etc. If you're having trouble getting started, leverage AI to help build the initial weekly schedule
2. Place a couple of time blocks for your goals where they fit best.  These are creative sessions where you dig in and drive progress on your most important goals (ex: Wednesday afternoon - 2 hours for goal #1).
3. Build in time for any processes that have recurring tasks. Set aside time blocks on days that will help make those most successful. 
3. Optimize and refine. Step back and review your time. Move things around to optimize. Are there changes you can make to create an ideal flow? Group like tasks together, take care to not overload a particular day, and leave extra flexibility on days you want it most.  

One of the most important things in planning is to remain flexible.  Remember that moving planned items around when needed is not only okay day-to-day, it's encouraged. Reviewing this template every quarter or so is a great way to reflect on what's working well and identifying opportunities to improve. 

The Art of Managing Up

Managing up is the practice of building your relationship with your boss and consistently elevating the output you achieve together. It includes learning their preferences and desired outcomes, asking thoughtful questions to understand nuances, keeping them informed of progress, and elevating results.

Build trust they can count on you to deliver

• Manage expectations. Understand what outcome they’re looking for, when they expect to see results, and any requirements they have. Let them know when to expect what.
• Proactively update them on progress. Set up cadences to provide consistent visibility into status and review important milestones. Minimize the need to require their involvement while giving them an opportunity to shape the work that you do.
• Renegotiate when necessary. If plans change, communicate early to provide opportunities to adjust commitments. If you run into an issue they should be aware of, show up with a proposed solution that has been well-vetted by SME’s.  

Set the bar for high performance

• Communicate their way. Understand their preferences for communication methods and styles. Senior executives are busy; summaries that they can easily scan, with additional detail attached typically work best.
• Put yourself in their shoes. Understand their desired outcomes. Think through how they would approach it and what questions they would ask.
• Add a golden touch to everything you work on.  Always elevate the quality and value of the output. Make each item that you deliver simple for all who consume it.

Always increase value

• Actively seek feedback. Welcome their input and listen intently when they give it to you. Capture the critical points and follow up to ensure you solve for them.
• Use their time wisely. Minimize the need for urgent distractions. Use 1:1’s for strategic alignment.
• Take great care of everything assigned to you. Make it easier to work through you than to do it themselves. Identify how you can help them more and continue to pull work from them as much as possible.  

Those who have mastered the ability to manage up add incredible value to the work that their team delivers. When you focus on how you can provide the best service as well as increase value provided, you take a different level of ownership over the work that you do.  

My Favorite Life Hack: Weekly Organization Session

Taking one hour to organizing your week makes the single biggest impact on your results.  Pausing to look from a big picture perspective, you can elevate your experience in the ways that are most meaningful to you. Create a blueprint for your week by thinking about your goals and the next best step forward, prioritizing your to do list so that you are highly focused, while making sure to carve time for things that fill your cup.  

A weekly organization session carves out space to review, reconnect, and readjust, where necessary.  Prioritizing goals and aligning them with actions helps take large strides forward consistently. This allows you to see and develop opportunities that you otherwise wouldn't have. It also makes sure that taking care of yourself is truly a priority. Having a structure that guides you through the details creates a natural ease and therefore more presence in your daily being.

Weekly Organization Session:

Steps

Pick one day per week and set up a recurring appointment with yourself in your electronic calendar (with a reminder) for your weekly organization session. Carve out an hour or so to align, sync, refresh, and renew. I recommend doing this on Friday or Sunday for the upcoming week. That way on Monday morning, you can dig right in and feel well prepared. 

Integrate life into your schedule

1. Schedule the “rocks”: appointments and things that can't move around

2. Add in time for goals: timeboxes for key priorities

3. Add in time for relationships: setup memorable moments

Review your current items

1. Connect with everything that is going on: check your 'inboxes' and make decisions to clear the clutter

2. Schedule time for tasks: block out time for items that need focus this week

3. Wrap up: close out, let go, or delegate items

Be flexible

1. Be open to move things around: if things pop up, adjust your time blocks a needed

2. Be sure to fill your cup: regularly fit in time for activities that re-energize you

3. Don’t overdo it: leave plenty of room for preparing your day and typical things that pop up

There have been many times where I have entered my organization session feeling fragmented and chaotic. By the time I finish, I feel relieved to know that everything I want to get done has time carved out and will get done in an optimal way. I feel more grounded, clear, and ready. Being selective helps ensure we experience our ideal levels of fun, growth, and accomplishment.

Other Favorites:

• My Favorite Time Management Trick
• My Favorite Organization Trick
• My Favorite Trick for Feeling Truly Fulfilled
• My Favorite Daily Mindset Practice

Winter: The Season for Reflection

Winter is the darkest and coldest season of the year. Trees are bare. Animals are hibernating. Just like nature, our energy levels drop and we rest more. We celebrate the year with holiday traditions and those we love. We reflect on what we achieved and set new resolutions.

The winter solstice is the longest night of the year. It marks a turning point, known as the return of the new sun, when darkness reaches its peak before the days start to get longer and warmer. A completion of the seasonal cycle, it is an optimal time to pause and reflect. This event has been widely celebrated since ancient times as symbolizing victory of light over darkness.

There are several ways to make the most of winter:

• Make memories with those you love the most

• Have warm soup, light the fireplace, and watch movies

• Clear out the clutter and reorganize your working spaces

• Light a candle and reflect on the experiences and outcomes of the year

• Think about what new experiences you want in the upcoming year

Enjoy your winter!

Leveraging AI to Plan for the New Year

This may not be a shocker, but I love planning ahead. I’ve recently incorporated AI into my annual process and it’s significantly improved the results. AI accelerates and stretches the thinking. The real value comes from iteration and intentionality. Here are three prompts that make it really fun.

This is a fun exercise to set yourself up for a fresh start. For the first time, I recommend spreading this out over several days to give yourself time and space to think through adjustments you’d like to make before finalizing one piece and moving onto the next.

Prompt 1: A Day in the Life

• I am currently a [title] at [company]. I aspire to become a [ultimate long-term role] by [year]
• I was born in [year] and I plan to work until the age of [age]
• My personal goals include [financial, relationships, etc.]
• [Add as many specifics as possible on things that are important to you]
• Tell me a story of a day in the life of my future self based on this description

[Continue to give feedback to adjust anything that doesn’t resonate with you and/or improvements that you think of. Repeat edits until you end up with a day that makes you feel excited!]

 

Prompt 2: Daily Schedule

[build upon the same conversation as above]

• Create a daily schedule for me to follow that will allow me to achieve this life
• I work [which days, which hours, do you need to drive in, what time do you prefer to start work]
• I need [x] minutes to get ready
• In the evenings, I like to [x / adjust and get as detailed as needed]
• [Add in any specific nuances that happen on specific days, preferences you have that you want to plan around, etc.]

[Continue to give feedback to adjust anything that doesn’t resonate with you and/or improvements that you think of. Repeat edits until you end up with a schedule that makes you feel excited!]

 

Prompt 3: Career Map

[build upon the same conversation as above]

• Create a strategic plan including a career map for me with a timeline. Include an objective and milestones. Tell me what to do and what not to do. Provide the long-term high-level timeline, a more detailed plan by month for the current year, and an even more detailed plan for the current quarter.

[Continue to give feedback to adjust anything that doesn’t resonate with you and/or improvements that you think of. Repeat edits until you end up with a plan that makes you feel excited!]

In the end, add your personal touch and make the final edits until it is most meaningful for you.

Consciously Select Your Influences

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn

Whether we realize it or not, our beliefs have a great impact on directing and influencing our lives. Research shows that we subconsciously collect data from our experiences which forms into emotional memories. These emotions amplify in our brain to create feelings, which transform thoughts, and form beliefs to help us make sense of our experiences. Over time we identify patterns. These emotional memories create an unconscious lens through which we view our world.

We form beliefs around all types of things such as food, relationships, politics, religion, etc. Sometimes our beliefs can interfere with our ability to grow and learn. Through relationships with others we can see our beliefs from various angles, allowing us to re-examine and re-evaluate our opinions and feelings.

When we change our thoughts, we change the way we are affected by them, and can create more positive experiences. By being selective of what situations we put ourselves in, we can reduce unwanted emotions and thought patterns.

Whatever we focus our attention on and invest our energy into has a great impact on what we experience. The environment you surround yourself with can greatly alter the information that you consume, the attitude that you take, and the beliefs that you form.

Suggestions:

• Be selective of the people that you spend most of your time with. Increase the time you spend with those that inspire you to be your best self and lift you up. Decrease the time you spend around people that bring you down or reinforce negative behaviors.

• Be selective of what you focus on. Think about the outcome you want, the current "gap" between reality and your ideal goal, and how you can get there. Review progress often and refine your approach.  Striving for a goal is what Frankl believed was the greatest "meaning of life". :)  When you notice yourself focusing on worry or negativity, redirect your attention.

• Be selective of the information that you consume.  It can be very easy to believe what we hear, even when it's not true. The best of us can start to believe false information when we hear it repeatedly. We are living in a time when "fake news" is a common phrase and many people aren't even aware of it when they see it. Be critical about what you read and/or listen to. Find reliable sources that highly vet facts before they publish information. Unbiased is ideal. If you can stand it, be open to both sides. The best source I've found is: Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart. Let me know if you find a better one. 

References:

• Feeling is Believing - Psychology Today
• 5 Ways to Get Your Unwanted Emotions Under Control - Psychology Today
• Methodology behind checking media bias and level of factual reporting

Personal Habits for Daily Fulfillment

Daily practices to facilitate adding the most value each day.

 
Every day we have many opportunities, decisions,  and actions that lie ahead of us.  The way we react to life is completely within our control and can have a great affect on many people. These are methods to make the most out of each day.

Get Ready

• Check in:  Start your day by checking in with how you're feeling.  Be compassionate with yourself.  Clear out any negativity so that you come to the table ready to go. 
• Give thanks:  The best way to raise your vibe is to think about what you are grateful for and to focus on it for a few minutes.  Expressing gratitude is scientifically proven to make you feel happier and increase progress toward your goals.  
• Fill your cups:  Set yourself up well.  Have your coffee and/or fuel yourself in whatever way makes you feel best.  Do what it takes to have a good attitude as you step into your day.

Show Up

• Have an intentional presence:  Be open, present, and ready to engage with others.   Think about what you can do to add the most value today and focus on that first.
• Sharpen your tools:  Do your homework and research multiple angles about whatever topic you're working on or thinking about.  Make sure you set yourself up with all the tools needed to perform your best, that they're polished up, and that they are within reach.
• Fully participate:  With each interaction, do your best to completely focus on the current topic and figure out how you can improve the outcome.  Ask yourself the question, "What can I do to positively impact the current situation as much as possible right now?"  Speak up and share ideas.  Be open to learn and be inspired.

Follow Up

• Collaborate and elevate:  There are many people invested in the same things as you.  Connect with them, align efforts, and collaborate together to elevate your plans and achieve the optimal outcome together.
• Monitor progress:  Visibility into key metrics is critical to ensure you take the optimal approach.  Awareness of progress is a huge motivator for continued growth.  Set up systems so that key information is captured, developed, and well organized.  Everyone needs to easily see that progress is being made consistently and give feedback on how to improve the approach.   
• Keep it moving forward:  Have a weekly habit of reviewing progress on your priorities and planning actions to keep them advancing.  Block out regular time to dedicate toward taking steps forward each week for your top priorities.  

What works best for you?

Who Do You Surround Yourself With?

Each person that we come in contact with makes an impact on us.  The level of impact depends on how we feel about them and what they are representing to us.  We may feel a strong positive attraction, a strong negative rejection, or anything inbetween.  Either way, it's facinating to think about how a simple interaction has the opportunity to leave an impression on us that lasts a lifetime.  

The people we spend the most time with have a great deal of influence on us. We become like those we surround ourselves with.  Make a quick list of the five people you typically spend the most time with.  This can include podcasts, books, and TV shows that you frequently tune into.  What type of mindset do they have?  What are their most common attitudes?  Do they pull you up and inspire you to grow?  Do they bring you down and hold you back?  What feelings do they trigger in you?

Rather than hanging out with people who are nearby or you've known forever, think about consciously selecting your influences and what impact that may have on you.  If you aren't spending time with at least one person who serves as a role model for you and inspires you to grow, change that today.  Do some research, subscribe to a podcast, or read a book.  Bring more of that energy into your weekly schedule.  This small shift can change your life significantly.  

A Fresh Start

Cleaning up the spaces you frequent can leave you with a deep sense of renewal and a burst of effervescence.  There’s no better time than right now!

Clear Out the Old.  Simplify and let go of clutter. 

Donate items you haven’t used in a year.  Box and archive old files or shred them.  Keep current files in a central location that is easily accessible and near your workspace. 

“Next to the dog, the wastebasket is your best friend.”

~B.C. Forbes

Create Workspaces.  Optimize areas with a specific purpose. 

Keep everything that you need to use daily within arm’s reach.  Put away things that you rarely use.  Invest in new tools and systems where it will save you time and make you feel more organized. 

Reorganize Your Desk.  Create a work area that organizes your activities for you.

1.      Clean Inbox.  Everything that comes in goes directly in here to be processed in batches.  Empty it regularly and keep it clean.

2.      Focus Stack.  Keep a stack of items you will focus on this week.  Keep it very small as to reduce clutter and increase speed.

3.      Follow Up Pile.  Keep an area where you can stack things you want to follow up on and/or you need to work on but aren’t going to focus on it this week.  Look through it weekly to review if anything should be prioritized yet.  

4.      Simple Filing.  Create a first file in your filing cabinet ("to file") so that you can quickly put away anything that you’re done with.  Take the time out to file everything in the correct files at least once per year.  If you find you are hesitant to file, simplify your system. 

5.      Refill Supplies.  Get a notebook or app that you write lists on each day.  Setup a pen cup with colorful markers, scissors, etc. 

My 40's Wish List

When I turned 30, I spent that entire year in a deep analysis of my life.  I was excited about my age and determined to make the most of it.  I came up with a specific set of outcomes I wanted to achieve in that decade.  10 years later as I reflected back, I realized that I achieved every single one of them.  

Turning 40 didn't set me into such a deep state of analysis.  I was more at ease with it, yet not so excited.  Sitting here now turning 41 today, I feel that sense of excitement about the life I will create.  I'm having fun coming up with my next decade wish list.  

• Love - My husband and I get closer, our relationship even stronger, and we make each other feel adored daily.
• Parenthood - My children are empowered to reach for their dreams and feel supported in achieving them.  They are encouraged to soak up the goodness of life.
• Abundance - I continue to experience the absolute abundance I achieved in my 30's and expand even further.  This time, I feel freedom and empowered by it, rather than controlled and limited by it.  
• Wellbeing - I feel well, full of energy, and inspired daily.  If not, I get there first.
• Relationships - I build thoughtful, caring friendships with those around me.  I have dear, great friends who feel my thoughtfulness and support deeply.  
• Education - I finish my Bachelor's, or at least am well on my way to doing so.  I always continue learning and sharing what I learn.  
• Impact - I provide tools and services that empower others to make progress.  I share progress and inspiration with others.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned so far is that focusing on what I want (rather than constantly thinking about what I don't want) is not only a better experience, it's powerful.  Here's to my best decade yet!

Love, Dani

Love Wish List

A woman that I look up to a lot, not only because of her sweet and loving personality, but also because of her success in love, marriage, children, and her career, recommended I write a love wish list.  She said it was what she did just before she found her husband.  They have been married for over 30 years, have three amazing children, and are a great team together.  

I took her advice and had fun creating this exact Love Wish List on July 20th, 2011.  I started dating my husband 10 days later.  No joke.  It's a fun exercise.  Give it a shot!

My Love Wish List (Qualities of My Ideal Partner):

• Loyal
• Loving
• Great with AJ
• Laughs at life
• Affectionate
• Intelligent
• Funny
• Open Minded
• Confident
• Sexy
• Handsome
• Attractive to Me :)
• Caring 
• Inventive 
• Family-Oriented and Focused
• Motivated
• Dedicated
• Handy
• Friendly
• Provider and Guardian
• Sweet
• Masculine
• Strong
• Steady
• Spiritual
• Honest
• Responsible
• In Service to Others/Charity Work
• Successful
• Wants a Kid or 2
• Enjoys a Close Partnership with Me
• Gets Along Great with My Family
• Stays Connected with Me Throughout the Day
• Great Communicator
• Patient
• Happy
• Witty
• Pampers Me
• Romantic
• Treats Me Like a Lady
• Thoughtful
• Ready for Me
• Available
• Local
• Shares Everything with Me (Willingly, No Secrets)
• Hard-Worker
• Goal-Oriented
• Adventurous
• Spontaneous
• Takes Me Out - Eat, Fun, Trips...
• Buys Me Jewelry
• Mature
• Fun to Be Around
• Understanding
• Adores me
• Silly
• Cuddly
• Independent
• Honors My Boundaries
• Makes Things Happen
• Eager to Learn
• Committed to Our Relationship and Family

Dancing with Change

Change is constant, whether we like it or not.  If we don't know how to to deal with change, it can slow us down, feel very difficult, become very expensive, and cause a lot of waste.

Our ability to manage change well directly influences our speed of growth, daily experience, success in achieving goals, and ability to make a valuable impact.

Here are keys to improve your ability to manage change.

Create a Change Map
True clarity on what specifically needs to change is critical.  We can achieve this by:

• Having a high level of awareness of current position
• Creating a clear vision of desired outcome (with a thoughtful, elevated outcome)
• Mapping a path from one point to the other
• Assertively chasing that path every day, being the force to make it happen
• Being flexible and adapting the path, as needed, to reach the outcome

By mapping this journey of growth, we paint a picture of the specific shift that needs to happen.  Priorities become clear and noise is eliminated.


Refresh Habits
Our daily habits are essential to driving important change.  People who consistently bring effort, energy, and attitude excel regardless of factors outside of their control.  Encouraged daily habits:

• Engaging in a mindset routine every morning feels motivating 
• Obsessing with being better than yesterday
• Living each day as if it's the only one
• Seeking to be coached and learning from disappointments
• Speaking words that are rooted in love and honoring them

When we demonstrate our ability to thrive with change, we encourage others to do the same.  This synergy is powerful momentum.


Influence Progress
Collaboration that leverages various perspectives while creating ownership at the same time is a great way to elevate results.  We have an opportunity to not only seize opportunities for change, but to lead others to do the same.

• For changes that are big - a clear, agreed upon action plan with a small, specialized group who is highly motivated is a great way to drive fast progress in a fun way.  Be sure to set a cadence of regular work sessions to speed progress and give the team time in between to elevate their work product.
• For changes that will be repeated - a simple guided process with forms that gather all necessary information,  create clear ownership over each step, and ensure checks and balances is a great way to drive quality and efficiency. 

Unstoppable: Transforming your mindset to create change, accelerate results, and be the best at what you do

Highlights from the book by Dave Anderson

This book was a great, quick read that left me feeling amped up and empowered to create change.  Here are the key parts I want to remember. 

4 Types of Team Members

1.       Undertakers – Drain value.  Others need to carry their load, clean up their mess, and perform damage control in their wake. 

2.       Caretakers – Baseline participants.  Do just enough to get by, get paid, and go home.

3.       Playmakers – Occasionally create change.  They have more energy and drive but are inconsistent.   

4.       Game Changers – Unstoppable.  Consistently bring effort, energy, attitude, excellence, and passion to the job. 

Everyone can vary between these 4 mindsets, however one will primarily dominate a person’s time, and is therefore reflected in their performance.  Transforming one’s mindset upward is achievable and the main content of this book. 

9 Things it Takes to Become Unstoppable

1.       Decide to think differently.  Stop blaming or making excuses.  Change your behaviors, replace unproductive habits with healthy ones, and get focused on your dreams (and why you want them).

2.       Do the ordinary extraordinarily and consistently well.  Reap the predictable harvest from the consistent seeds of discipline, attention to detail, continual improvement, and extra work over time. 

3.       Add value to the culture.  Even if your level of skill, knowledge, talent, or experience may be less than others, incessantly apply what you do have.  Take relentless approach that is rooted in the right mindset.

4.       Be committed to self-improvement.  Be obsessed with becoming better than your former best.  Every day consider what you can do today knowing it will help you be better tomorrow. 

5.       Err on the side of being personally humble.  By continuing to grow and excel, and being a clutch member of the team, you can inspire and lift others to a higher level of intensity, desire, and performance.  Have a voracious ambition for the team to do well. 

6.       Focus on what you can control.  Have an outlook of never giving up and quitting is not an option.  Stop making excuses for why you don’t do it or complaining if you didn’t get it.  Earn it, deserve it, or go without it. 

7.       Embrace revolution.  Change and risk before you have to so that you can do so from a position of strength rather than having an impaired vision due to desperation.  Have the ability to be in a constant state of evolution and embrace revolution. 

8.       Seek to be coached.  Accept constructive criticism as a compliment.  Let every disappointment become a lesson. 

9.       Give everything you can.  Rather than focusing on quantity of work, do all that is possible to turn out the best work possible.  To aspire to excellence, never accept good enough. 

Becoming a game changer depends on you alone.  It’s a choice you make to focus on what you can control, be more humble, hungry, persistent and focused, and to grow. 

Game Changer Philosophy

Game changers are energized by their goals, the chance to make a difference, the chance to lift a teammate, the chance to move the team forward, and the chance to be better today than they were yesterday. 

·        Focus on choices that you have control over rather than conditions you don’t.  Be driven, hungry, resilient, and stay focused.  When you get off track, get back on ASAP.  Be internally motivated.  Be early and prepared.  Have a set routine.  Push others along rather than being pulled. Focus on behaviors rather than words.  Look within and take ownership.

·        Know your why.  Your WHY gives you purpose, builds resilience, and makes you unstoppable. 

·        Be in the Zone as much as possible.  There is a state of heightened focus that enables peak performance.  We are far more effective when we find it, stay in it, and return to it quickly if we depart.  Recognize your zone busters and shift them with your mindset or by taking action. 

·        Go A.P.E.  Attitude: settled way of thinking/behavior.  Passion: feeling of excitement about doing something. Enthusiasm: intense enjoyment or approval.  These characteristics that start from within are the greatest differentiator in results and speed. 

·        Be mentally tough.  Developing oneself to a game changer status requires persistence, tenacity, focus, resilience, diligence, and the right attitude.  Create your own unstoppable philosophy by setting a standard that you strive to and measure your growth against.

·        Develop a daily mindset discipline.  Process facilitates focus, discipline, and consistency.  Get motivated about what the process will do for you and follow it every time, over time.  Engage in a mindset routine in the morning that motivates you and aligns you with daily priorities. 

·        Set the example.  The power of your example is unfathomable.  Hold yourself to a higher standard of thinking and behaving that is in alignment with living at unstoppable game changer status. 

Commitment Continuum:  resistant, reluctant, existent, compliant, committed, compelled, obsessed

My Unique Ability

This is draft two and is subject to change. :)

My Unique Ability is
organizing information and driving progress to create a meaningful impact.

My 10 Best Habits

1.       I analyze information to understand key components and optimal sequencing

2.      I obsess over maximizing the use of my time to learn, achieve goals, and create a fulfilling experience

3.       I seek to improve and optimize things that will happen repetitively

4.       I focus on action and achieving desired outcomes

5.       I seek to have fun and enjoy the moment as much as possible

6.       I feel and express gratitude for people, experiences, and comforts

7.       I enjoy helping other people grow and learn

8.       I appreciate other’s perspectives and see how we are all connected

9.       I am very adaptable and enjoy promoting harmony

10.   I ask questions to learn more and deeply understand

Based on the exercises from Unique Ability book by Catherine Nomura and Julia Waller