YEAR IN REVIEW

In 2020, I spent hundreds of hours creating personal and professional development articles and podcasts to share with you. If my writing has enriched your life this year, helped you find a job, or given you more confidence at work, please consider subscribing to my newsletter. Thank you!

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It’s hard to see the forest for the trees with all of the articles I’ve written. So, I wanted to do an end of the year wrap-up to categorize and summarize everything for you.

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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

The old school of management training must have told young managers to knock the weaknesses out of their employees. I experienced my fair share of this style of management in the early years of my career.

I was mostly given a list of weaknesses that my manager thought I should address. I was frequently reminded of failings that I had to overcome.

Even when a boss doesn’t tell us to focus on our weaknesses, most of us will do it independently. In employee polls several years ago, workers were…

The longer I live, the more I appreciate imperfections.

I want to see raw, real, rough art.

I want to listen to live music and open mic nights.

I want…

MEMORABILITY

“ Being memorable equals getting picked.”

— Jeffrey Pfeffer

When we meet people for the first time, they decide how they feel about us in 1/10th of a second.

I know that sounds crazy. But, research has found that people can glance at a person’s photo for less than a second and make judgments about attractiveness, likability, competence, trustworthiness, and aggressiveness.

When they walk away from our conversation, they will most likely forget our names in a few seconds and won’t remember most of us within a few days…

“Are you aware of any tried-and-true methods for making the transition from being a full-time employee at companies in the Bay Area, to becoming a consultant or contractor who is able to reap the financial rewards of providing their skills and expertise? Regardless of career stage.”

I was asked this question recently via my anonymous Q&A form. Some people are okay with working for someone else for several years. But, at some point, they get the itch to break free and start their own business.

Perhaps they want more…

VOICE

Do you enjoy the sound of your voice?

You probably don’t. I know that I don’t like listening to myself on my podcast or in videos.

Research conducted by psychologists Phil Holzemann and Clyde Rousey (referenced in this article) found that you experience an affective disturbance when listening to a recording of your own voice. This feeling:

“…arises not only from a difference in expected frequency, but also a striking revelation that occurs upon the realisation of all that your voice conveys. Not only does it sound different than…

STRESS

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How are you holding up? Have you found some healthy ways to manage the stress in your life?

I had a conversation with my Career Accelerator community about all of the events in the U.S. that have added another layer of anxiety on top of our lives. We discussed how we handle the situation, manage our personal stress levels, and help our teams cope.

Stress is a killer. I don’t mean that figuratively…

SUCCESS

Want to listen to my dramatic reading — so very dramatic 🤣— of this story?

Whatever you want to achieve this year, the framework is simple for successfully doing it. However, while it might be simple — and perhaps even obvious — it is not easy.

It’s kind of funny. I encounter many people who are looking for the “secret to success.”

They want to hear about some new hack, technique, or strategy that they have never seen. They want something that no one has ever thought of before.

Sorry, folks. Nothing is new.

Or, I could say, what’s…