I recently installed a new dishwasher and here’s what I learned that will hopefully save you more than $150. Here’s What I Learned Pay someone else to do it Don’t start at the end of the day Minimize the chaos and noise Get moral support from a friend An empty house makes it easier to think Eat good food and get all the tools ready before help arrives Don’t give into the pressure of other people’s needs if you aren’t capable Don’t base your time estimates on a pro if you aren’t a pro (see #1) Take a break and come back to it later instead of continuing to grind away on the problem Read the install manual several times, then start on the first page and forget about the other pages Good lighting and reading glasses make a difference Resources Mentioned “Quiet” from the TED Radio Hour Credits Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod Original photo source All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 33: Eleven Things I Learned From Installing a New Dishwasher appeared first on John Poelstra.
John and Alene Gabriel talk about how to manage our inner critics and the benefits of having your own board of advisors. Identifying Your Inner Critics or Gremlins What are typical things your inner critic says to you? This is that voice that talks you out of certain things and encourages you to play it safe and maintain the status quo. It may be a critical voice or mantra you repeat to yourself that stops you from taking action or committing 100%. Creating Your Own Board of Advisors If you could have a group of people from anywhere in the world (living or dead) to act as a board of trusted advisors for your life, who would they be? Consider capturing your board of advisors in the form of collage: 1) Search Google Images, stock photo sites or magazine for images that represent your members 2) Good places to search Google images Unsplash (royalty free) Librestock (royalty free) 3) Give each image a label summarizing the role it represents 4) Create a collage of the images 5) Save your collage in a format that is easily accessible Wallpaper on your computer Hang it on wall near where you work Save it to Dropbox so you can access it from a mobile devices 6) Implement a daily practice that helps you to check in with your board of advisors on a regular basis. You may also want to do a similar exercise to capture and call out your inner critics. Anthony Ongaro’s Board of Directors Also Mentioned Credits Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod Original photo source All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 32: Enable Your Board of Advisors & Fight Your Inner Critics appeared first on John Poelstra.
Today John examines an article titled “Why project managers need to lose control” by Jason Coghlan from opensource.com. John mostly disagrees with this notion, believing that ownership across the team is more important. Resources “Why project managers need to lose control: Software-driven projects are rarely predictable—so project managers should loosen up and become more agile” by Jason Coghlan “Being a True Owner” by John Poelstra Credits Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod Original photo source All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 31: Projects Need Ownership, Not Loss of Control appeared first on John Poelstra.
This episode takes an in-depth look at the book Life on Purpose by: How Living For What Matters Most Changes Everything by Victor Strecher. Other Mentions This is Water by David Foster Wallace The Unstuckable Podcast episode that inspired me to play frisbee with my neighbor–“An Overlooked Cure for Anxiety Discovered” by Charlie Hoehn “Reflections on the Book Peak Performance” by John Poelstra Credits Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 30: Why Having a Life Purpose is Beneficial appeared first on John Poelstra.
One of my favorite moments as a project manager was being told it was impossible to draw a picture of all the people on the project. Here’s how I did it. Music Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 29: Using People Maps to Understand Your Project appeared first on John Poelstra.
This episode shares the highlights John found in the book Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success (affiliate) by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness. Resources Mentioned Sustaining Your Peak and Avoiding Burnouts with Brad Stulberg podcast interview with Pete Mockaitis Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success (affiliate) by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness Better Meetings with John Poelstra on the How to be Awesome at Your Job podcast Setting a Deadline to Change by John Poelstra Music Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 38: Reflections on the Book Peak Performance appeared first on John Poelstra.
In this episode John has a conversation with Alene Gabriel, certified coach and founder of Blue Sky Coaching. John and Alene met at CTI’s Co-Active coaching training and took a few of the classes together. In this conversation they reflect on those experiences and the things they are learning as coaches. Alene also shares her experiences from CTI’s Leadership program that she is currently in the midst of. Music Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 27: Surprising Things About Coaching with Alene Gabriel appeared first on John Poelstra.
Sometimes the best next step is simply to start, even if it isn’t the perfect next step. Music Hallon by Christian Bjoerklund Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeod All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 26: Just Do Something appeared first on John Poelstra.
This episode explores the topic of loneliness, some ideas for “finding your people,” and how John found one group of “his people.” Mentioned: Books, Podcasts, Etc. The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy by Donald Miller A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller Life Skills That Matter with Stephen Warley Unstuckable with Stephen Warley and Chris Wilson Podcast Movement (Conference) Books are Amazon affiliate links Music Pulse Rock by Kevin MacLeod Sax, Rock, and Roll by Kevin MacLeod All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 25: How to Find Your People appeared first on John Poelstra.
This episode riffs on my thoughts from reading the book Fire in My Eyes: An American Warrior’s Journey from Being Blinded on the Battlefield to Gold Medal Victory (affiliate link) by Brad Snyder and Tom Sileo. I’m particularly struck by his idea of focusing our energy on the things we can change, not wasting energy on the things we can’t, and the importance of living in the present. Books & Resources Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin Fire in My Eyes: An American Warrior’s Journey from Being Blinded on the Battlefield to Gold Medal Victory by Brad Snyder and Tom Sileo Being a True Owner by John Poelstra Music Pulse Rock by Kevin MacLeod Sax, Rock, and Roll by Kevin MacLeod All songs licensed under Creative Commons The post 24: Focusing on What You Can Control appeared first on John Poelstra.