"I haven't worked my whole life to pay for somebody else," said the woman in line at the antique store ahead of my husband. At the mention of the sales tax she owed, she began to complain about "moochers." The next day, we walked past a car with a bumper sticker that...
How the Push for Efficiency Changes Us
Layoffs are in the news. 21,000 at Facebook. 27,000 at Amazon. 12,000 at Google. 600 at Spotify. LinkedIn maintains a running list of layoff announcements in its News feature area. Every person laid off is a life disrupted in some way. And the potential ramifications...
Managing Mental Health in the Achievement Society
“I thought for a long time: is it capitalism, or is it my ambition? And I am a very ambitious person,” Mara Glatzel told me a couple of years ago. That distinction between the narratives of capitalism, individualism, and meritocracy on one side and the drive to create...
How to Feel Good About Going Slow
My weekends revolve around baking. Well, baking and running. So really, my weekends revolve around patience. It wasn’t always this way. I like to go fast. When I was a kid, I’d rather finish my homework or even a test in record time than take the time to check my...
The Future of Work: A Vision for 2023 (and Beyond)
Work was in the news this year. Whether it was labor organizing at Starbucks and Amazon, layoffs at tech companies, the eyeroll-inducing “quiet quitting” trend, or the absolutely bonkers “productivity paranoia” scare, people who make the future of work their work have...
Persistent Stress: What Every Productive Worker Needs to Know
It’s one thing to be stressed out during a hectic season or a major change. But persistent stress? Work stress that’s ongoing with little or no relief in sight? That’s an entirely different thing. As the current year comes to an end and we look to what’s next, it’s a...
Busyness Decoded: How to Limit What You Say “Yes” To
If you feel overcommitted or overwhelmed regularly, you’re not alone. In a 2022 survey, Gallup asked Americans to gauge their stress levels. Nearly half of the adults polled responded that they felt stressed daily. In a Pew survey in 2018, 60% of U.S. adults deal with...
Putting in the Reps: A Love Letter to Podcasting & Practice
This week, I celebrated both the release of my book and the 400th episode of my podcast. It’s been a big week. Just about seven years ago, my production team at CreativeLive and I launched this little podcast baby out in the world. For the first 120 or so episodes, we...
Why Entrepreneurs & Freelancers Should Consider Quiet Quitting, Too
You've probably seen the headlines. If you haven't, here's what's up: the youngsters are talking about quiet quitting. Essentially, quiet quitting is no longer going above and beyond at one's job. Instead of working beyond the job description (or...
Personal Branding and The Crafting of Self
I remember the first time I had my picture taken professionally. The photographer belonged to an artists’ workspace in an old goggle factory. The top floor was an event space—just a big empty loft with the original flooring, exposed brick walls, and giant windows. I...
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