“No.” It doesn’t matter whether we are fourteen months, fourteen years, or even older. We hate the word “no.” We don’t want to be told it. We don’t want to tell it to people. We certainly don’t enjoy saying it to ourselves. And that’s what […]
Midterm Rehab Secret 3: YOU Decide How Long You Spend on a Task
“It took longer than I thought it would.” Those are the only words I am forbidden to speak to my wife… and for good reason! As a young graduate student, time management was my biggest weakness. I would head off to school every day with […]
Midterm Rehab Secret 2: You Don’t Have to Do It All
“Where were you yesterday?” “I was studying for an exam.” “But you said you’d be there. You were supposed to run the event! Thankfully someone else was there to step up.” Six nights a week. That’s how many commitments I had taken on as a […]
Midterm Rehab Secret 1: It’s Not About How Smart You Are
Another cup of coffee. That’s what I needed. I’d been working on my thermodynamics homework for.. how long was it now? One more. I had one more problem to solve. As I waited for the fresh cup to brew, I heard something that I only […]
This Secret About Stress Changed Everything for Me
I finally figured out how to put words to something I’ve known for years: Busyness is not the cause of your stress. In fact, you’re no more or less busy than anyone else. Every person on this planet will spend every moment of their lives… […]
Just Keep Swimming
Nothing works the way we hoped it would. Nothing. Why? Because we can never enter a new situation with perfect knowledge or expectations. We go through a couple stages when things go “differently.” At the first sign that something is awry, we cling to our […]
Ohhhh, We’re Halfway There…
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned came from my wife: if you’re at work, work; if you’re on break, break! Even relaxing takes focus. We’ve been on Spring Break, which is why things were quiet. I haven’t checked my email in 10 days. […]
I Mean It: College Doesn’t Have to be Stressful!
We’re getting dangerously close to the midpoint of the semester. Now is the time that exams start stacking up, homework seems to never end, and professors start assigning projects. Your student groups are in full swing. You’re supposed to be finding an internship/job for the […]
Start with Why
The title of this post is borrowed from Simon Sinek. If you haven’t see the TED talk of the same name, it’s worth the 17 minutes. In any case, my point today is simple: The harder things get, the more you need to focus on […]
Two Tricks to Help You Tackle Your Todo List
If you’re anything like me, then your todo list has lot on it these days. We’re far enough into 2018 that things are in full-swing: homework, midterms, projects, meetings… and roaches (those little nagging tasks that need done but you never seem to find the […]
