This article was originally published by Fast Company. It’s that time of year when we come up with resolutions to eat less, exercise more, and finally finish that project we’ve been putting off. But for many of us, New Year’s resolutions have become slang for the things we say we’ll do but don’t follow through on. Ironically, they’re the opposite…
This article was originally published by Fast Company. A colleague recently shared an exercise he conducted with his predominantly Gen Z team. He listed every person and event named in the lyrics of Billy Joel’s 1989 hit song “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” He then asked the team to identify recognizable references—which included James Dean, Budapest, and trouble in the Suez. Few team members could do so. My colleague then told the stories behind some of the references—stories they’d never heard before. A lighthearted challenge turned into something…
This article was originally published by Fast Company. My wife’s grandmother is 100 years old. She is healthy, smart, energetic, and fun to be around. Last year at Thanksgiving, I sat at a table with her for an hour-and-a-half with my wife and her two sisters as we listened to her tell stories about her life. We were all transfixed.…
This article was originally published by Fast Company. I recently had the opportunity for a family vacation in Europe. It was wonderful to see so many remnants of history, experience different cultures, and eat a lot of really good food. Upon returning, I experienced some jet lag. The first day I woke up around 3:00 a.m., tried in vain to…
Hindsight resonates just as profoundly in our personal lives. My companion piece expands on the idea that the way we think about the past can be inaccurate and how longing for “the good old days” can prevent us from seeing the joy available today. This article was originally published by Fast Company. “If I had known how it was…
This article was originally published by Fast Company. In many sports, when coaches evaluate athletes, they are often trying to gauge their reaction times. A reaction time that is only a thousandth of a second faster can be the difference between making the save or allowing the goal. Fast reaction times are useful and even lifesaving in many situations. When…