When It’s Bad To Be Good At Something

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hands-220163_640Last month my husband and I were in Florida to celebrate his grandmother’s 90th birthday.  What a milestone! The whole family flew there from all over to celebrate together.  

In between trips to the pool and cocktail hours…we found ourselves decorating the house for the festivities.  

Everyone was given a job:  Balloon blowing, hat making, ribbon twirling…oh and there was a list to be made too!  

And guess who was called to make said list.  That’s right — yours truly.

It always feels nice when you are recognized as being good at something. I like it when people ask me for list-making tips because it’s fun to help people, but it’s also gives me a little confidence boost to be an expert.

But then it hit me.

Being good at something can actually be bad!   Read more

The Payoff of Being Anti-Social for a Month

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alone-1031338_640At the beginning of December I took a stand and took the month off from networking and going to events.

I was drained.  

I normally really enjoy going to these kinds of events, so when I started to dread them — I realized it was time for a break.

As part of my anti-social plan, my husband Jay and I went to Puerto Rico, back to the resort where we got married 7 years ago for a little relaxation.

I set myself the challenge of doing absolutely no work while I was there. It was amazing to just lay on the beach and enjoy the moment!

When we returned and people asked me to meet up for tea or dinners after work this December I replied simply, “I’m sorry, I’m not available.”   Read more

Don’t Micromanage – Make This List to Work With Others

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team-386673_640Remember in high school when you’d have to do a group project and get paired up with a bunch of other kids?

I was always the one who was trying organize things and make sure we hit our deadlines.  (Nerd Alert!)

But no matter the project — there was always that one kid who said she would be responsible for a crucial element…and then not deliver.  

Nothing would make me more annoyed, but I was always happy when the project was over and we didn’t have to work together again.

In the “real world” the same thing can happen.  But the downside is you can’t trade in your team members as often.  

You’re forced to work with the same team and figure out a way to make it work.

This is where lists can really come to the rescue.    Read more

Why I’m Being Anti-Social This December

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person-731467_640I’m always up for going to networking events, but recently I’ve found myself going to a lot of them and I’m getting burned out. I’m tired, cranky and forgetting things.  It’s not my style.

Just last week I went to see The Color Purple on Broadway (with Jennifer Hudson!) with friends from a networking group. There was a problem with the seating and I ended up sitting away from everyone. I was a bit bummed at first to be isolated from the group but the most unexpected thing happened.  After spending two hours on my own, I realized how little time I’ve spent by myself lately and I loved it!   Read more

Why Quitters Always Win

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Quitting-credit-iStock-450515949-630x418

Photo credit: iStock

It’s a common misconception that quitting is easy.

In fact, quitting can be quite difficult due to how we view our investment of time. The more we put into something, the less likely we are to quit. Because if we quit then we feel as though those resources have been wasted.

It’s why people keep playing the lottery week after week, despite the fact that you’re more likely to be struck by lightning twice than win! Quitting comes with the constant paranoia that once you stop playing your numbers will come up. Isn’t that the worst feeling ever?

All that said — not only am I telling you it’s OK to quit, I’m also going to give you some tips on how to do it right: Read more