It’s a New Year, and It’s Time to Face Your FearsInstead of making the same old New Year’s resolutions as everyone else and then abandoning them before the end of January, maybe the perfect resolution this year would be to tackle one of your greatest fears. Read on to learn how to acknowledge your fear and how it affects you, then set a goal to overcome it.
Start the New Year with a RetrospectiveThis new year, instead of a resolution, consider a retrospective. Rather than just setting one large goal for yourself, you review what you've been doing, what's been working and what hasn't, what you want to accomplish, and what small steps you can take every day to reach your objective.
Happy but Tardy? How Optimism and Punctuality RelateSome say optimists usually have something in common: They're always late. Could this be because optimists think they can do more in a specified period of time than they actually can? Or is running late unrelated to a sunny outlook? Regardless of whether you're an optimist, you can become a time realist.
The Potential Problem with Hiring Smart PeopleBelieve it or not, intelligence is not always an asset; it can breed hubris, excessive self-confidence, and a superiority complex. Therefore, when hiring, it's important to seek people who exhibit humility about their abilities, and to weed out the know-it-alls who want to be the one-stop decision-maker.
How to Tell if People Think You Talk Too MuchIf you talk too much, you may not realize how much you annoy people. Of course, you also may not realize how much of the conversation you're actually dominating. Naomi Karten gives some social cues to be aware of and some self-examination practices so you can tell if you've unknowingly been gabbing too much.
What Do You Believe?Many people in the agile community believe their way of doing agile is the only right way. This is supported by confirmation bias, which lets us only see facts that support our beliefs. We deserve data-based approaches to determine what leads to the best outcomes. Can you look beyond your personal beliefs?
Standing Is Better Than Sitting—and Not Just for Your HealthIn case you haven't heard, sitting is bad. Doctors say if you sit for long hours at your job, the amount of time spent exercising doesn’t counteract all the time you spend sitting. Standing is better for your health, but research suggests standing also improves productivity and creativity and boosts energy.
The Motivation Value of a “Done List”There are hundreds of tips about how to create a to-do list and prioritize the items in it. While those lists help you plan what you’re going to do, they don't help you appreciate what you’ve done. Enter the "done list"—every time you complete something, write it down and get a little jolt of satisfaction.
