Author: Rachel Hanson

"You only ever get to feel certain about the future once it's already turned into the past." - Oliver Burkeman In other words, worry less. This doesn't necessarily mean plan less. It does mean that no amount of planning can create certainty that the future will unfold the way you want it to. Plan for … Continue reading Worry less

Is largely about saying no to the correct things. We will never get all the things done. To do lists don't magically disappear - there's always more to fill them. What are you NOT doing, and why? Are you NOT doing the things that don't actually matter? The things that delay and destroy results? The … Continue reading Time Management

I've got a newer client who's an athlete. Played some ball at a high level. During a practice they mentioned that pulling out a core statement from their writing still feels clunky and foreign...and that they're good with that and excited to get better at it. One of the things I love about building into … Continue reading Skill building

Edward Deci, in his research on intrinsic motivation in team settings, found three aspects that must be present. Sense of autonomy, sense of competency, and a sense of connectedness. That last one is easily missed. It's the inverse of research showing that people are far more likely to quit their job because of a bad … Continue reading Connectedness and motivation

"Self-esteem is a cultural creation not a human universal." Certainly the notion that its externally built, is...I believe. The amount of praise heaped on small children in our culture is absolutely bonkers. It's a river that my wife and I are constantly trying to fight against and wade upstream. We love our son deeply and … Continue reading Drowning in a cultural river of praise

Make peace with the inescapable reality of problems. Life is simply a series of them that we put our energy toward. Don't labor under the delusion that if you work fast and hard enough they'll all disappear. Problems are part of what makes life magnificent, I believe. From another lens, life IS problems - a … Continue reading Peace with problems

Being complete master and ruler of your time isn't, perhaps, as worthy of our aim as it appears at first glance. Oliver Burkeman makes the case that your time is actually in part a "network good." I.e. part of its good is dependent on others having access to it and how well their time coordinates … Continue reading Time

"No wild animal has ever participated in a should." - Lion Tracker's Guide to Life Humans get lost in shoulds all the time. Lost in the moment and lost in life. I should attend that social function that I really don't have any interest in. I should buy a car like Mike's. I should climb … Continue reading Stop shoulding