Right Attitudes

Ideas for Impact

What Your Exhaustion May Be Telling You

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Exhaustion Warning Signs: The Impact of Unclear Boundaries and Overcommitment Feeling completely drained, like you’ve been running on empty forever? Ask yourself a couple of key questions: Are you taking care of yourself? Are you setting healthy limits?

If exhaustion’s creeping up on you, chances are you haven’t been clear about what’s cool and what’s not. Maybe you’re saying “yes” way too much.

Not setting boundaries? That’s a one-way ticket to burnout town, stuck in an endless loop of feeling wiped out.

Remember, setting boundaries means not being afraid to say “no” when you need to, being okay with disappointing others sometimes, and making your limits crystal clear. Take time for yourself and stick to your routines. Boundaries lay down the law, stop you from going overboard, and give you the power to prioritize yourself.

Idea for Impact: Setting boundaries is an act of self-love and courage. It involves openly declaring what you will or won’t accept in your life. Though challenging, establishing boundaries can ultimately recharge you and add some zest back into your life.

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Job Hunting: Don’t Chase Perfection

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Job Hunting: Don't Chase Perfection or the Ideal Job Pursuing an ideal job can feel like searching for the elusive “perfect soulmate,” a notion that can mislead and hinder job seekers. Believing in an ideal job can create unrealistic limitations, just as thinking there’s only one perfect romantic partner does.

Avoid the trap of believing in a perfect job, as this mindset leads to unrealistic expectations. Every job has its flaws and challenges. Instead of fixating on unattainable ideals, accept these imperfections and focus on overall job satisfaction and growth. This approach results in a more realistic and fulfilling career.

Rather than nitpicking job details—like thinking, “I like it, but it’s missing this one thing,” or “I love the job, but not the industry,” or “It’s perfect, but I won’t settle for less”—aim to strike a balance between being selective and overly demanding.

Idea for Impact: While it’s important to find a job that matches your values and goals, believing in a perfect job can hold you back. Differentiate between what you can negotiate and what’s non-negotiable. Set clear boundaries so you can focus on your “must-haves” and move from thinking to taking action.

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Should Staff Be Allowed to Do ‘Life Admin’ at Work?

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Should Staff Be Allowed to Do 'Life Admin' at Work? Life admin—the endless personal tasks like making appointments, coordinating with kids or a spouse, switching insurance, paying bills, responding to personal emails, dealing with financial issues, and managing shopping returns. It’s the behind-the-scenes work that keeps life running smoothly.

Let’s face it: life admin will occasionally spill into work hours. Managers, accept it. A bit of personal errand here and there isn’t the end of the world. Allowing some life admin during office hours can actually boost productivity and engagement.

Some savvy employers offer personal assistants or concierge services to help with these tasks, improving work-life balance and boosting retention. You don’t need to roll out the red carpet, but don’t be too rigid about life admin during work hours.

Remember, your staff aren’t robots programmed to work non-stop. The cognitive load of keeping their lives in order is no small feat and can certainly impact their focus and productivity. The best teams are those where managers trust their staff and understand that a little flexibility can go a long way.

Just keep an eye on things. If personal tasks start to crowd out work, it might be time to suggest handling life admin at home—or at least outside office hours—especially if the office buzz is turning into grumbling. Balance is key to keeping everyone productive and content.

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When Giving Up Can Be Good for You

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The Power of Quitting: When Giving Up Can Be Good for You We’ve all been trapped in the endless loop of boring books, pointless classes, toxic jobs, and unfulfilling relationships. While quitting might have a bad rap in some cultures—it’s seen as a sign of weakness—it can actually be the smartest move you make. No one wants to wear the “quitter” badge, but sometimes hard-headed perseverance isn’t the way to go. Clinging to a lost cause can drain your energy and leave you feeling stuck.

If what you’re doing still sparks joy, then keep at it. However, if you consistently feel drained and defeated, it may be time to pivot and pursue something new. Be honest with yourself: are you holding on to a lost cause simply because it’s easier than embracing a new challenge?

Quitting doesn’t mean giving up; it means making room for goals that truly ignite your passion.

Idea for Impact: Don’t waste your energy on dead ends. Instead, find satisfaction by pursuing paths that truly align with your interests and talents.

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Seek Whispers of Quiet to Find Clarity in Stillness

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Seek Whispers of Quiet to Find Clarity in Stillness You are inundated daily with information and distractions, making it challenging to maintain focus and self-awareness. Whether you are at home, commuting, or in the office, these interruptions hinder your ability to concentrate on meaningful tasks.

To counteract this, schedule 15-minute breaks once or twice a day to sit quietly in your office, a cozy corner at home, or a nearby garden. Treat these moments of solitude as essential appointments; without them, distractions will inevitably fill the void.

Idea for Impact: Intentional pauses allow you to recharge, reflect, and gain clarity away from daily chaos, fostering creativity and a sense of balance. By stepping back, you cultivate mindfulness and reconnect with your inner self, leading to greater peace and control in your life.

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Why Are There No ‘How to Be a Great Follower’ Classes?

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Why Are There No 'How to Be a Great Follower' Classes? It struck me recently: while we obsess over leadership—how to be a good leader, how to measure it, and so on—there’s barely a peep about being a good follower.

No one seems particularly interested in becoming a good follower. Step into a business school, and the hustle to prove leadership skills is as intense as caffeine consumption!

Think about it: leaders wouldn’t exist without followers. Both roles are vital for any group’s success.

Yet, leadership gets all the glory, while followership is often overlooked. Society praises leaders with power and prestige, while followers are seen as mere support staff. It’s as if followership is considered a less glamorous, passive role.

'The Art of Followership' by Ronald E. Riggio (ISBN 0787996653) So why the lack of buzz about following? Maybe there’s no market for it. But effective followership is just as vital. A bit more focus on it could lead to smoother, more balanced teams. After all, if everyone’s busy leading, who’s left to follow? Good leaders aren’t always out front.

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Inspirational Quotations #1090

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Bigotry has no head, and cannot think; no heart, and cannot feel. When she moves, it is in wrath; when she pauses it is amidst ruin; her prayers are curses—her God is a demon—her communion is death.
—Daniel O’Connell (Irish Statesman)

Expert: One who limits himself to his chosen mode of ignorance.
—Elbert Hubbard (American Writer)

In my mind, there is nothing so illiberal and so ill-bred, as audible laughter.
—Earl of Chesterfield (English Statesman, Man of Letters)

Not in the sky, not in the midst of the sea, not if we enter into the clefts of the mountains, is there known a spot in the whole world where a man might be freed from an evil deed.
—The Dhammapada (Buddhist Anthology of Verses)

Somebody figured it out—we have 35 million laws trying to enforce Ten Commandments.
—Earl Wilson (American Newspaper Columnist)

Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.
—Bill Russell (American Basketball Champion)

Hope is your most powerful weapon. Self-confidence is your greatest asset.
—Dhirubhai Ambani (Indian Businessperson)

Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.
—Mark Twain (American Humorist)

With books, as with companions, it is of more consequence to know which to avoid, than which to choose; for good books are as scarce as good companions.
—Charles Caleb Colton (English Clergyman, Aphorist)

The Universe knows what it’s doing. So don’t develop a big ego, and don’t be afraid.
—Benjamin Hoff (American Taoist Writer)

The function of gossip is to create an “in group” bond by creating an “out group” enemy.
—Warren Farrell (American Educator, Activist)

The marsh, to him who enters it in a receptive mood, holds, besides mosquitoes and stagnation, melody, the mystery of unknown waters, and the sweetness of Nature undisturbed by man.
—William Beebe (American Biologist)

Faith, if it is ever right about anything, is right by accident.
—Sam Harris (American Neuroscientist, Atheist, Author)

Increase Paranoia When Things Are Going Well

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Increase Paranoia When Things Are Going Well The makers and operators of the RMS Titanic were so confident in their shipbuilding that its Captain, Edward Smith, one of the world’s most experienced sea captains at the time, had famously declared a few years earlier about another company ship, the RMS Adriatic, “I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.” Well, we all know how the Titanic’s maiden voyage turned out.

Success can sometimes blind us to potential disasters. The Titanic carried 2,207 people but had only enough lifeboats for 1,178. This oversight stemmed from outdated maritime safety regulations that based lifeboat requirements on ship tonnage rather than passenger numbers.

When you’re riding high—whether it’s launching hit products, enjoying a surge of clients, or watching your bank account swell—it’s easy to imagine nothing could go wrong. But disaster can strike faster than you can say “iceberg.” Markets can shift, demand can evaporate, and cash flow can dry up.

Wise people know that fortunes are fickle. They question success more than failure, asking more when things are going well than when they’re struggling. They anticipate problems by asking, “What do I want, and what could get in the way?”

Idea for Impact: Success should sharpen your awareness. See paranoia not as irrational fear but as vigilance. Even in prosperity, maintain a nagging sense of potential danger. Stay alert, anticipate challenges, and adapt swiftly. Never let complacency set in, even in the best of times.

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Mastery Reveals Through Precision: How a Young Michelangelo Won Lorenzo de’ Medici’s Patronage

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Exceptional talent often reveals itself through meticulous attention to detail and extraordinary precision, as demonstrated by the following narrative.

Lorenzo de’ Medici (1449–92,) the Florentine ruler and Renaissance patron, enlisted sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni to establish an academy in the Medici garden, home to a priceless collection of Greek and Roman antiquities accumulated over generations. Michelangelo Buonarroti, then about fourteen, spent hours exploring these treasures. Inspired by an ancient Roman mask of a faun—a mythical creature that is part human and part goat—he decided to try his hand at sculpting.

Mastery Revealed Through Precision: How a Yoing Michelangelo Won Lorenzo de' Medici's Patronage (Studio Galleria Romanelli) With no prior experience, Michelangelo set about chiseling his first sculpture—a marble rendition of the aged faun with its damaged nose and laughing mouth. Despite having never touched chisels or marble before, his attempt was nothing short of miraculous. He not only mimicked the ancient model but enhanced it, giving the faun a beastly grin with pearly teeth and an exposed tongue.

When Lorenzo came across Michelangelo’s work, he was deeply impressed by the young artist’s talent. However, true to his character, Lorenzo teased Michelangelo, saying, “Surely you should have known that old folks never have all their teeth, and that some are always missing.”

After Lorenzo left, Michelangelo deftly removed one of the faun’s teeth and smoothed the gap so skillfully that it looked as though the tooth had naturally fallen out. This impressive display of craftsmanship won Lorenzo over, and he began to patronize Michelangelo, treating him as one of his own children.

Reference: French essayist and historian Marcel Brion’s Michelangelo (2010; tr. James Whitall)

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Inspirational Quotations #1089

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If you want to be popular all the time, you will misgovern.
—Lee Kuan Yew (Singaporean Statesman)

Injustice is not intrinsically bad: people regard it as evil only because it is accompanied by the fear that they will not escape the officials who are appointed to punish evil actions.
—Epicurus (Greek Philosopher)

The only guarantee, ever, is that things will go wrong. The only thing we can use to mitigate this is anticipation. Because the only variable we control completely is ourselves.
—Ryan Holiday (American Author)

The mission of art is to represent nature; not to imitate her.
—William Morris Hunt (American Painter)

They say that the pith of a lady’s letter is in the postscript.
—Anthony Trollope (English Novelist)

When in doubt, disclose.
—N. R. Narayana Murthy (Indian Businessperson)

The stage is actor’s country. You have to get your passport stamped every so often or they take away your citizenship.
—Vanessa Redgrave (British Actress)

The mind can store an estimated 100 trillion bits of information—compared with which a computer’s mere billions are virtually amnesiac.
—Sharon Begley (American Journalist)

Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.
—Vincent van Gogh (Dutch Painter)

A goal is a dream with a deadline.
—Napoleon Hill (American Author)

Be displeased with what thou art, if thou desirest to attain to what thou art not; for where thou hast pleased thyself, there thou abidest, and if thou sayest I have enough, thou perishest.
—Augustine of Hippo (Roman-African Christian Philosopher)

If we are humble and sincere, God will finish in us the work He has begun. He never refuses His grace to those who ask it.
—Catherine McAuley (Irish Religious Sister)

He that lives in love lives in god, says the beloved disciple: and to be sure a man can live no where better.
—William Penn (English Quaker Leader)

The senses do not deceive; it is the judgment that deceives.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German Poet)