This week marks the end of the First Quarter of 2021 for those following a traditional fiscal year. And whether you're in business or not, what that means is that 1/4 of the year is now over. But guess what! We still have another 3/4 of the year left! As such, it is critical to take a bit of time this week and reflect on how the year is going so far. Whether you are progressing towards your goals. And what shifts, tweaks, additions, or deletions need to occur. This week's blog is dedicated to take you through a quick appraisal process of your year so far. It doesn't have to be complicated. Let ..read more

  Well it's that time of year again! Brackets filled. Work blown off. Upsets. Buzzer beaters. Diaper Dandies. And a whole lot of gambling! Though I don't follow the tournament near as much as I used to, there are still a few lessons to be learned. Whether you love basketball...hate it...or somewhere in between...I think this blog will offer a little guidance on navigating the madness on the court of life. Intrigued? Read on. 1. Upsets Happen Just because you're a highly seeded team (hello, Ohio State), it doesn't mean that you can't or won't be upset. In fact, upsets happen every...single ..read more

  A few years back on my 35th birthday, a buddy and I decided to sign up for a 35 mile ultra marathon trail run. We were definitely in over our heads as neither of us had ever run anything over 13.1 miles. Further when you check out the website, the description of the race is as follows: Big climbs. Big views. Technical trails. Great people. The Santa Barbara Nine Trails 35 Mile Endurance Run is a challenging problem for trail runners of every ability level. The trails are steep, rocky, inaccessible and long. There is more than ten thousand vertical feet of gain and descent packed into t ..read more

  To perform is to carry out and fulfill an action or task. One can argue that we all perform, and though that is certainly the case, some individuals perform at a higher level, more consistently, and in more challenging contexts. These types of performers often fall in the domains of sport, performing arts, business, medicine, and high risk professions (e.g., armed services). In order to perform effectively, these individuals need proper technical skill. They need to be educated on effective strategy. They need to possess and nurture the correct physical attributes. They need to behave a ..read more

  Distracted much? Ya, you're not alone! In fact, I don't think you have to look too far to find an individual that admits struggling with relevant or sustained attention from time to time. And though certainly there can be biological/neurological/genetic reasons for this difficulty in focus that could warrant a psychological diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. For the majority of us, we are likely in a different camp. And that camp being a difficulty in concentrating that is a by-product of our environmental circumstances. What do I mean by environmental circumstances? Well a coup ..read more

 Depression sucks. Mild depression can distress. Moderate depression can derail. And severe depression can destruct. And though depression can come from a variety of sources that are both biological and environmental in nature, in my experience as a psychologist many of the bouts of that funky black dog that land in my virtual office result from a gap between one's real self and one's ideal self. And the larger the gap..the greater the funk...to a certain point. Let me tell you what I mean. First off, let me illustrate this concept between real self and ideal self. Every single day of our ..read more

  Ahh, love is in the air. Yesterday was Valentine's Day. That day dedicated to bringing lovers together for a day (or night) of chemistry and connection. Or for those singles out there, a bunch of bourbon with the boys, rose' with the ladies, or an afternoon of swiping on Tinder. Regardless, Valentine's Day is about is about coming together and taking deliberate time to reinforce and strengthen the relationship between one another. And though I don't consider myself a couples counselor...at all...I do peek around at psychological theories pertinent to human relationships. One such model ..read more

Last night was Super Bowl 55 played between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Every year we gather to witness to two well-deserved teams fighting it out on the gridiron. It's typically the highest viewed television event of the year, one with the highest paid advertising dollars, and one where we consume the most food and drink (behind Thanksgiving). In other words, the Super Bowl is a big deal. Regardless of whether you're a part of the team, a fan of the team, a fan of sport, or a casual observer, the Super Bowl is one of the biggest events of the year. With it can come fe ..read more

  I imagine many of us have heard of a SWOT analysis (don't worry if you haven't, we will get into it today) and its application to thinking through business strategy. However, I believe it can also apply to one's own personal strategy when it comes to goal identification, pursuit, and completion. The problem is that we usually don't apply such a rigorous framework to our personal goals as we do to the goals set forth in a company, team, or organization. Why? Well, maybe it feels like our ass is less on the line. There's a lesser feeling of accountability. Or frankly, we just don't&n ..read more

Last week I wrote a blog about the importance of completing an Annual Review and how this Annual Review can serve as the fertilizer for selecting pertinent goals. If you missed it or need a quick revisit, you can check it out here. For some of you, a goal might have instantly emerged as a result of reflecting on your Annual Review notes. However, for others, it’s not as obvious. Kind of like those “Magic Eye” books that no matter how long you stared at the fancy art and relaxed your eyes, you could not, for the life of you, see that 3D sail boat. For you out there that may be unable to “s ..read more