In his book Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It, marketing consultant Al Ries gives a tremendous illustration: The sun is a powerful source of energy.  Every hour the sun washes the earth with billions of kilowatts of energy.  Yet with a hat and some sun-screen, you can bathe in the light of…

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Do you know anyone who’s always busy but never seems to get anything done? Maybe this person works for you. How do you lead someone who’s motivated and a doer, but still doesn’t contribute any meaningful results? Meet Disorganized Debbie. She works hard and wants to succeed. Unfortunately, she looks like a rocking horse: always…

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My friend Dwight Bain sent me a story of a ham radio operator who overheard an older gentleman giving advice to a younger man. “It’s a shame you have to be away from home and family so much,” he said. “Let me tell you something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my…

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Here’s an important announcement: There is no such thing as time management. Think about it; the term is an oxymoron. Time cannot be managed. It cannot be controlled in any way. Everyone gets the same number of hours and minutes every day. Nobody—no matter how shrewd—can save minutes from one day to spend on another.…

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This past week on Twitter, I’ve been sharing some of my favorite quotes on priorities and time management.  Important topics for every generation, priorities and time management seem to become more and more crucial every decade. Today, in the age of the smartphone and social media, even technology has joined the fight for our most…

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In 1986, when I was 39 years old, I began to notice a terrible trend among my colleagues, college buddies and friends: divorce. This was happening in a variety of marriages – from the shaky to the apparently strong. Margaret and I didn’t think our relationship was in any kind of danger, but then again,…

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In a university commencement address several years ago, Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, spoke of the relationship of work to your other commitments: Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit – and you’re keeping all of…

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