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Aura of Invincibility
Tenure. Time in grade. Seniority. No matter how you frame it, people attribute value to the passage of time. There is a perception that people who have been “at it for a while” know the ropes. This is true in settings other than the office. In church, they’re known as “elders”. In AA meetings, they’re referred to as “oldtimers”. Regardless of the moniker, time in grade denotes a certain cachet. The most prevalent is wisdom. While time often rewards us with experience and in turn, experience with learning, time doesn’t eliminate the trials of life. Time doesn’t erase our fear and ego. It doesn’t legitimize self-sufficiency or infallibility. Time makes us no less susceptible to…
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The Struggle Is Real
One of our greatest freedoms is the freedom to choose. Regardless of the degree of complexity of the choices, being able to choose is a gift. As with our other freedoms, this gift comes with a cost. In 2011, John Tierney wrote an article for the New York Times Magazine entitled Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue? It centered around the idea that we have a finite cognitive budget and each decision we make has a physiological cost. The more choices or decisions we make, the more energy we expend (spend). Now, it doesn’t take one of the several scientists quoted in Tierney’s article to tell us that we have more brain energy at the beginning of the day…
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Energizer
A friend recently asked whether I believed time and energy were finite. My immediate and admittedly non-scientific response was yes and no–in that order. I have written here before about the finite nature of time in our daily lives comparing it to the limitations of a pie. But is energy different? The language we use around energy is certainly different. Like batteries, we can feel energized or drained. Each conversation or even wordless exchange has a plus or minus effect on our energy level. There are people we seek out and people we avoid. We do this instinctively based on how we feel during and after engaging with them. Interacting with certain humans charges us up. They bring us stories and ideas.…
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Fear Hacks
There is a famous scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Indy has to traverse a canyon over an invisible bridge, known as The Path of God. It is a fantastical cinematic depiction of a challenge that each of us faces frequently in our daily lives. We see a goal. We hesitate. Eventually, if we are bold, we step forward with our own leap of faith. What drives the hesitation? In the words of writer and entrepreneur, Seth Godin, fear is what stops us. Fear fuels hesitation and doubt. Fear fuels the negative self talk that undermines our confidence. Fear keeps our eyes averted, our mouths shut, and our hands in our pockets. Here are four…
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Get Uncomfortable
Ever try writing with your non-dominant hand? It’s very awkward. You become aware of every movement, each dip and swoop. Something as second nature as writing suddenly demands your complete attention and forces you to reconsider micro decisions you had not given a thought to since the second grade. Human beings are very adaptable, and our brains are wired to seek efficiency. Once a decision has been made, it will not be reconsidered unless there is significant new information to process. All of this is a good thing. If we had to put as much thought into which way the bunny ears are supposed to be looped while tying our shoes as we do other more complex concerns, we…
