It was late spring in Boston when I stepped out of the conference center for a walk. It was day three of a conference that was cramming information in my brain, and I needed a chance to get some fresh air. I walked down a block, lost in my own thoughts as I looked across […]
It’s only a split second, but it feels like an eternity. The eyes are glowing in the light, but everything is motionless. For a moment, your brain stops as it tries to process what’s happening before eventually realizing that the deer is frozen in the headlights like they’re in some sort of magical freeze ray. […]
You just can’t seem to make it work. It feels like there is always something wrong, and there will never be a way for you to be effective. Maybe it is a nagging feeling that you’re just not meant to be doing this even if you’re moderately successful. That’s when it may be time to […]
I sat back down at my desk and stared at the screen. I had plenty to do – too much in fact. I was painfully aware that I couldn’t get everything done in the timeframes that I wanted to get them done in. That should be good motivation to get busy and get done what […]
My palms were sweating. My knuckles were white. I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. I don’t remember ever being more focused in my life. As I gently eased the aircraft down onto the runway like I had done a hundred times, I was glad to hear the tires squeak and feel my […]
Admitting that you are burned out still has a social stigma attached to it. While it’s more socially acceptable than admitting that you are depressed, there’s still the mistaken belief that burnout is a result of a lack of character instead of the truth that it’s a lack of skills. In today’s world, few people […]
Burnout is what happens when you feel like you can no longer get anything done. What do you do when you feel like your personal agency is gone – that you’re no longer effective? The answer is to find ways to help you feel more effective. The Bathtub Think about your capacity to get things […]
In science and children’s museums across the world, there are coin donation spirals that cause coins to roll around a circle before dropping into the waiting pit below. After being launched from a ramp, forces pull the coin ever closer to the center and into their eventual drop through the hole. Our lives can feel […]
The alarm rings, and you want to tap snooze again. Instead, you turn it off and stumble towards the bathroom. It is another weekday, and the same routine repeats itself. It doesn’t feel like you’re getting anywhere. It’s like you’re walking up the down escalator or like you’re stuck on the treadmill of life. It’s […]
While today most municipalities have professional, career firefighters, fire departments initially formed as cooperatives of neighbors who wanted to collectively protect themselves from fires. Many rural fire departments still run on a volunteer basis – as concerned citizens caring for each other. These brave men and women are committed to helping protect life and property. […]