Most people don't exactly love going to meetings. Alas, they are often necessary. But one team of healthcare professionals in Wisconsin is proving that even though a meeting may be mandatory, an appearance by Adultitis isn't. At the beginning of each meeting they've been reading Jason’s weekly Insider email message to kick things off on a positive and inspiring note. Then, the leader of the group introduces the weekly "Small Rebellion" from the Escape Adulthood Adventure Club. So far, they’ve accomplished the first five! They’ve eaten dessert first, made paper airplanes together …
Workplayce
The Escape Adulthood Adventure Club is Here!
I am so excited to announce our newest initiative to take down Adultitis! We call it the Escape Adulthood Adventure Club. How does it work? Every month, we'll give you some fun ideas for fighting Adultitis (we call them Small Rebellions). If you do any of them -- by yourself, or with friends, family, or co-workers -- you can officially consider yourself in the Club! And if you are one of the first 100 people to share your exploits online, we'll send you a rad sticker (sort of like a modern-day merit badge) for free! The only question is, "Can you collect them all?" Join a community …
[Read more...] about The Escape Adulthood Adventure Club is Here!
What Kids Know About Productivity That You Don’t
Don’t be fooled by their bed heads and their gnat-sized attention spans; kids may seem to be the epitome of UNproductivity, but they can teach us a lot about how to do stuff that matters. plan If you wanna get stuff done, you gotta know what stuff you wanna get done. Simple, right? There are all sorts of strategies and systems for planning, but it's hard to beat a good old fashioned list. I have one big list of things I’d like to get done eventually. At the end of each week, I pull from that to create another list of things I’d like to accomplish next week. And every night before I go …
[Read more...] about What Kids Know About Productivity That You Don’t
What Retiring Executives Regret Most
Jared is a civil engineer. Many of the head honchos at his firm are nearing retirement. While that fast-tracks his goal of becoming partner, it also threatens the long term health of the firm by leaving a void of knowledge and wisdom that only years of experience can provide. Wisely, Jared has taken it upon himself to interview these individuals before they sail off into the sunset. One of the things he asks them is what they would have done differently, if given the chance. He told me that their answers are one of the following: Take better care of my body. Have more …
The Art of Little Things
We ordered a pizza last weekend from a local joint that we love. When the delivery driver pulled into our driveway, we were delighted to see that she had decorated her car for Halloween! Several large rubber spiders clung to her cobweb-laden Corolla, and when she came to the door, not only did she have a hot pizza, but she also pulled some fun stickers out of her pocket to give to the kids! I guess you could say she was an over-delivery driver! She didn’t need permission from her boss to do what she did. She didn’t even need much money. And I am certain that this wasn't an official …
How to Deal with Difficult, Adultitis-Ridden People
Since 94% of the population suffers from at least a mild form of Adultitis, odds are that anyone with a job has to work with someone infected with this vile disease. Maybe it’s a co-worker, or a client, or – gulp! – the boss. Sometimes the people I chat with after my speaking programs will confess to being married to someone with a full-blown case of Adultitis. So the question, of course, is how do I fix someone who has it? Unfortunately, the truth is...you don’t. I am a professional speaker. Most speakers I know started their careers with the hope of making a difference and changing …
[Read more...] about How to Deal with Difficult, Adultitis-Ridden People
Anticipate Edits
I recently had a conversation with a scientist about how scientists are kids who managed to grow up with their curiosity intact, and now get to play with even cooler toys. She expressed frustration that for a scientist, the Adultitis often sets in when submitting one’s work for review to the scientific community. The paperwork alone can be a nightmare, but most often it’s the curse of common knowledge that’s the real culprit. Sometimes new theories appear pretty "out there," challenging the very foundation of the status quo. It’s tempting to label the authors of these theories as kooks, …
Contrary to Popular Belief, You Are Not an Octopus
Today I’d like to talk about octopuses. Because it’s what we think we’re like when we multitask. Yep, we imagine we’re like an octopus, one that’s holding a crayon with each arm, coloring eight different things simultaneously. Like a boss. If only that were true. If we are an octopus, we're an octopus with only one arm, who colors one square inch of something, drops the crayon, picks up another, colors another square inch, drops that crayon, and on and on. Research tells us that the human brain can only concentrate on one thing at a time. What we’re doing when we THINK we’re …
[Read more...] about Contrary to Popular Belief, You Are Not an Octopus
Do You Need to Be a Workaholic to Be Great?
Is it possible to be great and well-balanced at the same time? By great, I mean championship quality. Among the best in the world. And by well-balanced, I don’t mean that you’re never stressed, or are able to fit everything in, and be all things to all people. What I mean is that you don’t have to be singularly focused on being great. People like Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple) and James Cameron (director of Titanic and Avatar) are undeniably great. But if you dig into their stories, they certainly weren’t balanced. Neither would ever be considered for a “Father of the Year” award. …
[Read more...] about Do You Need to Be a Workaholic to Be Great?
#notarule: winning at business and life by breaking rules that don’t exist
“Blessed are the rule breakers. They shalt inherit the Future. We have always admired the great renegades of business, brave souls who dared to deny the status quo, defy the odds, and pioneer a new normal. Nicolas Tesla. Richard Branson. Tony Stark. One thing all great titans of industry have in common is this: they were able to identify rules that don’t exist and had the courage to break them. Of course, there are plenty of rules that DO exist. If you commit fraud or neglect to pay taxes, I hope you look good in an orange jumpsuit. But the rules that DON’T exist greatly outnumber the ones …
[Read more...] about #notarule: winning at business and life by breaking rules that don’t exist