There is something really weird about wanting a career change in mid-career. You can know deep down that you want something different, whether that is a new job, a new way of working, or stepping into a brand new industry. You feel a real internal pull toward new learning and new energy. And then, the…
I used to work in higher education, and there’s one problem I think about more than any other. Historically, we have built a lot of student support that only works if a human being is standing in the middle of it. Right person. Right office. Right place. Right time. And the student has to know…
My back has hurt like crazy for the last eight days. Here’s the weirdest part. All of a sudden, Sarah is very interested in taking care of Sarah. I’m stretching. I’m pulling out every PT practice I can remember. I went to the doctor, I’m taking my medication, and I’m paying attention to how I…
You know what’s dangerous about staying in an organization for a long time? You start really seeing things. You know which meetings are theater more than actual events that matter. You know which “new” initiatives are just old ones with a fresh PowerPoint. You know which problems everyone talks about but nobody’s ever actually going…
About five years ago, I had a great job. Six figures, solid benefits, even a pension. The kind of job people tell you to be grateful for. And I was. But, I was also freaking tired. Not the kind of tired a weekend fixes. The kind of tired where I started missing deadlines. Where responsibilities…
I think most of us know when something in our life isn’t working anymore. We can feel it. What trips us up is what we assume the fix has to look like. We tell ourselves it has to be enormous. Quit the job. Leave the marriage. Get the house under control. Finally get healthy. We…
You know that feeling when you walk into a meeting or step through your front door, and before anyone even speaks, you just know something is off? Someone is irritated. Someone else is completely overwhelmed. The room has an undeniable mood about it, and within three or four seconds, your internal antenna shoots straight up….
This morning, I attended a senior event for my daughter. Students were milling around, familiar faces were handing out donuts, and people were chatting. Right outside the doors, I watched a senior burst into tears. She was not physically alone; she was walking right beside a friend. But you could tell instantly that something was…
Aren’t you excited about school mornings? Totally, me too. (Insert me dying laughing right here! HAHAHA!) Here is the truth: before 8 AM, the chaos of getting kids out the door can turn the best of us into people screaming, “Ugh… Why doesn’t anyone have their shoes on?” I have been there. When you are…
Growing up in a family where hard work was overvalued, I carried that exact pattern straight into my career. I was not consciously telling myself to overfunction or pick up extra responsibilities every day. I just walked into the office thinking, how can I be helpful? Where can I add value? So I became the…
