by Ellen Lyman | Mar 27, 2023
I have a love hate relationship with email. Email is easy to send and doesn’t require you to find a common time to talk to someone. It is an easy way to ask for something “without bothering people”. They can respond at their own...
by Ellen Lyman | Mar 20, 2023
Over the next few weeks, I will focus on the problem of overworking. There is much to unpack for this problem. I’ll share it a little at a time over the next few weeks. I like to start with a definition. Definition of overwork 1: to cause to work too hard, too long,...
by Ellen Lyman | Mar 13, 2023
When you say something about yourself, people will instantly believe you. The stories we tell about ourselves profoundly impact how others see us. Remember the last time someone asked how your day has been going: What words came out of your mouth next? What about...
by Ellen Lyman | Mar 6, 2023
Giving and receiving feedback is one of the most important skills you can develop and can be one of the most difficult. It’s a topic often on people’s minds this time of year, as many deliver or receive performance reviews. You already know that...
by Ellen Lyman | Feb 27, 2023
Tell me. Have you seen this happen? A parent and their child are having a conversation with another adult. The other adult asks the child, “How old are you?”. But before the child can answer, the parent says,...
by Ellen Lyman | Feb 19, 2023
Today I’m going to dive into overwhelm with you. We will explore the difference between working, overworking, and overwhelming. Most of us think that overwhelm is the same thing as overwork. It’s not. Overworking and overwhelming are different....
by Ellen Lyman | Feb 13, 2023
Is there a difference between a friend, manager, mentor, parent, and coach? All of them have enormous value in your life, and all of them are necessary for you. Let’s look at why. Friends Friends are your community and are very important. They’re lovely...
by Ellen Lyman | Feb 5, 2023
You’ve had a productive day, and it is quitting time. You need to be home by 6:00 so you can cook, eat, and get the kids to their school event that starts at 7 PM. You decide to leave at 5:30 to achieve that goal. It is 5:30. You hop in your car and head off...
by Ellen Lyman | Jan 29, 2023
I have always disagreed when people say, “There’s no room for emotion at work.” Emotion makes us human. Everything a human does is because of how we think it will make us feel. We feel joy and sadness; driven and frustrated; motivated and depleted; energized and...
by Ellen Lyman | Jan 22, 2023
Today I want to talk to you about beliefs. As a basic definition, a belief is a thought we keep on thinking. It is something that we’ve thought about so many times that it feels like a fact. Beliefs are taught to us and reinforced over time from our...
by Ellen Lyman | Jan 15, 2023
Quiet the mind You’re cleaning the house thinking about the emails you need to check. You’re in a meeting thinking about the doctors appointment you need to schedule. You’re picking up your kids from school and thinking about the presentation you...
by Ellen Lyman | Jan 9, 2023
So many of us think time management creates rigid constraints and that if we manage our time, we must stop being spontaneous and creative. But I think the opposite. Time management is self-love. It lets us honor ourselves and gives us freedom. It opens us up to be...
by Ellen Lyman | Jan 2, 2023
What do a Birthday, A New Years’ celebration, and a Monday have in common? For me, they’ve all happened within the last seven days. For all of us, they are an opportunity to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and decide what we will accomplish next. I use...
by Ellen Lyman | Dec 26, 2022
I love a good solid routine and a well-thought-out plan for getting things done. BUT This week throw all that away! From December 25th through January 2nd I do as little planning as possible… Every year. Yes, I do attend pre-planned family events...
by Ellen Lyman | Dec 18, 2022
I thought I had a great work ethic. I worked hard. I ended every day exhausted. I felt stressed about work and had a hard time unplugging from my day. I wouldn’t stop until either the work was done or I would collapse. I thought, “I have to do more, but...
by Ellen Lyman | Dec 11, 2022
At the end of the year, we are often under a lot of pressure. There are work pressures to finalize key projects, close budgets, and set goals for the upcoming year. There are home pressures to be prepared for the upcoming holidays, schedule time with families, and...
by Ellen Lyman | Dec 4, 2022
Do you spend a lot of time problem-solving? You tackle the things that are difficult, chaotic, not enough, too complex, crazy, busy, frustrating, and stuck. You are good at problem-solving. You break a problem down into more manageable parts. You look for the...
by Ellen Lyman | Nov 27, 2022
Right now, rushing seems to be a regular part of every day. People are rushing to do holiday shopping, school, work, and home management. We run through meals and conversations. I have a habit of rushing from task to task. I rush to read email and then quickly skim...
by Ellen Lyman | Nov 20, 2022
In the United States, this is a week where many of us are reminded of gratitude. On Thursday we will celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. It is a holiday full of tradition and community. Many come together to share a meal and celebration. In celebration, I want to...
by Ellen Lyman | Nov 13, 2022
“Don’t get your hopes up.” is well-intentioned advice designed to protect you from disappointment. You: “I hope I hear back on that job application.” Them: “Don’t get your hopes up in case you don’t hear back.”...
by Ellen Lyman | Nov 6, 2022
What is a boundary? From Merriam Webster Definition of boundary: Something that indicates or fixes a limit or extent. Many of us think that trying to limit how someone else should behave when they are around you is setting a boundary. You...
by Ellen Lyman | Oct 30, 2022
From the Oxford dictionary: Perfectionist: a person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection. The definition of perfectionist implies that your life is perfect if you are a perfectionist. That is not the case. Perfectionists are often the worst...
by Ellen Lyman | Oct 23, 2022
Lets take some time to consider our wants. Wants can be as simple as an urge, “I want that cookie”. Or they can be deep and meaningful such as “I want life to have purpose”. You know that humans are wired to have wants,...
by Ellen Lyman | Oct 17, 2022
Do you find yourself feeling discouraged when you hear. “Do what your passionate about, and you will never work a day in your life”. It seems like such well meaning and great advice. Unfortunately that advice can create a belief that we are somehow doing...
by Ellen Lyman | Oct 9, 2022
Today is international mental health day. In this article I will talk to you about the importance of taking care of your mental health. Don’t know where to turn? The National Mental Health Hotline is a good place to start.National Mental Health Hotline |...
by Ellen Lyman | Oct 2, 2022
If you spend time on social media, watching commercials, or even reading self help books, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we are supposed to be happy all the time, and that something is wrong if we’re not. But folks, we are human. We are not...
by Ellen Lyman | Sep 25, 2022
One of my favorite ways to describe the difference between an extrovert and an introvert is related to a person’s communication style and approach to problem solving. Someone who is generally an extrovert will talk to think, and an introvert will think to talk....
by Ellen Lyman | Sep 18, 2022
I want you to think of a goal you have, or that your boss has given you, or that you think you should do, which you are stuck on. Just pick one. Are you thinking “this is impossible”, “I don’t know how to get started”, “I’ve...
by Ellen Lyman | Sep 11, 2022
“Should” seems like such a helpful word. We say it to try to motivate ourselves, or to express some hope of success or improvement. But it’s a sneaky little word. should I should be cleaning the houseI should get up and exerciseIt should workThat...
by Ellen Lyman | Sep 5, 2022
From the department of labor “Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many...
by Ellen Lyman | Aug 29, 2022
You know the value of hard work. Everyone tells you working hard is what you want and need to do. They’re not wrong. I don’t always do it. “Work hard to get what you want.””Work hard or you wont succeed.””Wow he is a really...
by Ellen Lyman | Jul 24, 2022
Something bothers me when people talk about inspiration. I hear complaints. “I just can’t find inspiration”, “This job is not inspiring”, “They do good work but they’re just not inspired”, “They would do better if they felt...
by Ellen Lyman | Jul 17, 2022
Did you know that we are conditioned to overwork by being rewarded for it? Did you ever get praise for working late, or through a weekend? It can be very rewarding. Those rewards increase our desire to repeat the work. We work, we are rewarded...
by Ellen Lyman | Jul 11, 2022
Many of us who do corporate work, have a lot of autonomy in our work schedule. For example, In my last job, I was told that I could flex my schedule around standard core hours. I shouldn’t start my day after 9AM, and I needed to make sure I was available...
by Ellen Lyman | Jun 26, 2022
Over-workers aren’t usually good at downtime. When we do take downtime, we spend the time thinking about the things we “should” be doing instead. Last week, I suggested you pay closer attention to what you were thinking about during your planned...
by Ellen Lyman | Jun 19, 2022
The Power of Self-Awareness How did it go last week when you claimed a little downtime? Did you pick a little free time and claim it for your own? Good. For. You. It’s more important than you know to make your own free time a priority. Even if the amount...
by Ellen Lyman | Jun 12, 2022
Lets talk about downtime. Do you think you can take all the downtime you want?I know that can feel impossible. You might be thinking, “My schedule is already packed full! I have so many commitments, I can’t have the downtime I want without declining or...
by Ellen Lyman | Jun 5, 2022
It’s hard for me to believe this this is my 52nd post. That means I have published a post a week for a full year. I’ve shocked myself with how easy it was to stay consistent. Happy anniversary to “Inspired Leader Monday Motivations.” Why do I...
by Ellen Lyman | May 29, 2022
On Memorial day, I write about service, sacrifice and gratitude. I respect those who live in service to others. I appreciate all who have sacrificed for their community and country. No one who joins the U.S. forces does so selfishly. Their action has...
by Ellen Lyman | May 21, 2022
Hello my dears. What are you thinking about today? The coolest thing about humans is that we can think about what we are thinking about.You are doing it right now. Why? Because I asked you “What you are thinking about?” Hundreds of toddlers: Your...
by Ellen Lyman | May 15, 2022
Interruptions “I LOVE being interrupted”, said no one ever! This article contains tips for handling seven common types of interruptions. Which interruptions impact you most? Take a second and rank the following interruption types from 1-highest impact...
by Ellen Lyman | May 9, 2022
Over the last several weeks, I have published the below series of articles focused on the problem of overworking. Are you Overworking?Are you overworking because of email?Is it working, overworking, or overwhelming?Overworking is reacting to an urge.How much time do...
by Ellen Lyman | May 1, 2022
When we put off making decisions, we are working harder than we need to. Today I want to tell you three things. First, the simple definition of decision. Second, I’ll discuss the concept of decision fatigue, and Third, I’ll blow your mind and tell you that...
by Ellen Lyman | Apr 25, 2022
Let’s continue exploring overworking: Over the last four weeks, I’ve defined overworking, talked about email, the action of overwhelming, and wastefully lamenting being busy. Now I’ll tell you how bad we are at estimating our work. I’ll show you...
by Ellen Lyman | Apr 18, 2022
How much time do you spend each day thinking about, worrying about, talking about or planning for being ,busy overworking, and not having enough time? I suspect it’s more than you think. It can actually cause us to lose up to 2 hours of time each day. How?...
by Ellen Lyman | Apr 11, 2022
Overworking is reacting to an urge. Most of us who are overworking are doing so because we have established a habit of rewarding the urge to work. Our habit of overworking is self-created by both classical conditioning, and operant conditioning: Both are...
by Ellen Lyman | Mar 21, 2022
Over the next few weeks I will focus on the problem of overworking. There is a lot to unpack for this problem that is impacting so many of us right now. I’ll share it a little at a time. Today, lets define overworking; Definition of overwork transitive...
by Ellen Lyman | Mar 7, 2022
One of the things about being a leader for several years, is that I have started to see leadership lessons in everything. Books I read; Friends I have; T.V. and movies I watch. Music I listen to. Pets I take care of. Hobbies I participate in. I am always seeing...
by Ellen Lyman | Feb 28, 2022
You already know that sometimes life is hard. Things happen that are awful. And, wow, the last few years and last week reminded us of that. There have been lots of circumstances beyond our control. COVID. Wild fires. Floods. Hurricanes. Tornados. Political division....
by Ellen Lyman | Feb 21, 2022
There are many people I have talked to through coaching who don’t think they’re getting feedback at work. They’ll say things like “I never get any feedback from my manager”, “I wish I would get some more feedback”, or “They are telling me I’m doing...
by Ellen Lyman | Feb 7, 2022
Giving and receiving feedback is one of the most important skills you can develop and can be one of the most difficult. It’s a topic that’s often on peoples minds as we grow throughout our careers. Last week, I wrote about the skill of...
by Ellen Lyman | Dec 6, 2021
I’m a fan of a wide range of music. On my playlists: A Stephen Stills, Thoroughfare gap, comes around pretty often. Every time it does I think about the work I do: The work you do: Projects. Here are the lyrics where I’ve...
