The Power of Micro-Habits: Small Steps, Big Change

In a culture that glamorizes hustle and grand achievements, it’s easy to feel like meaningful change has to be dramatic. We set lofty goals—“lose 30 pounds,” “write a book,” “meditate every morning”—only to burn out after the initial surge of motivation fades. But what if the real key to transformation isn’t in going big, but […]

We all have comfort zones—those familiar routines and habits that keep us feeling safe. While they provide security, they can also become invisible walls that limit personal growth. The problem? Staying in a comfort zone too long leads to stagnation. We stop learning, avoid challenges, and miss out on new opportunities. If you’ve ever felt […]

I was enrolled to begin my masters degree at Claremont Graduate School (now Claremont Graduate University) in June 1996. Although I was very excited about the prospects of studying with the legendary Peter Drucker, I have to admit I was quite nervous. I was nervous because during my undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University, I […]

Burnout can manifest subtly, draining your energy, diminishing motivation, and impeding productivity. To safeguard your well-being, consider these effective strategies: Establish Boundaries – Preserve your personal time by delineating clear work-life limits. Resist the urge to respond to emails after hours and incorporate structured breaks into your routine. Prioritize Self-Care – A well-nourished body and […]

Most of us squander the most precious resource we have – our time. A lot of this is due to poor planning. Sometimes it is due to a lack of clarity around our sense of purpose. And both of those remain our own responsibility. Let’s focus on the second one: having a lack of clarity […]

I was delivering a seminar this morning. In my opening exercise, I had everyone share a management challenge they struggled with. One man stated that he struggles with managing his time effectively. I couldn’t address that in the seminar, but I will address it here. Remember those Russian Nesting Dolls? (You see them in the […]

Two years ago, in Uncommon Sense Issue #298 (published on December 31, 2023) I wrote a piece in this very column titled “Explode to Greatness!” As we are now in a new year, I think some of the points I brought up two years ago bear repeating. Let’s review. First, you must regain control of […]

It may not always seem that you are in control of your life, but the truth of the matter is that you do have a startling amount of control over your life. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond to what happens to you. Today is December […]

People sometimes have their favorite quips to throw out at a moment’s notice. This can happen in many different scenarios: casual conversations, pick up lines when meeting members of the opposite sex (men are usually the guilty ones here), sales pitches, political pitches, you name it. The problem with pre-packaged pitches is that they lack […]

Running circles around the competition is not all that difficult, truth be told. And I can summarize it in one word: Service! If you create a dynamic, a culture, where service to customers is outlandish, you’ll clobber the competition. Nordstrom has done it. The Ritz Carlton has done it. And you can do it, too. […]