by Ellen Lyman | Sep 17, 2023
I want you to think of a goal you have, 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 never...
by Ellen Lyman | Sep 10, 2023
“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 house I should get up and exercise It should work That...
by Ellen Lyman | Sep 3, 2023
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 27, 2023
Let’s talk about downtime. Do you take all the downtime you want?I know feels impossible. You might be thinking, “My schedule is already packed full! I have so many commitments I can’t have the downtime I want. I would have to say no to...
by Ellen Lyman | Aug 20, 2023
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 | Aug 13, 2023
Early in my career, during lunch, I walked past a couple of people and as I got closer I could hear a bit of their conversation. One said “It’s all about”… and then their voice dropped to a whisper and their posture completely changed to...
by Ellen Lyman | Aug 6, 2023
There’s no doubt that failing can be hard. No one likes to fail. You all look forward to being successful. But failing is the key to our success. My favorite example to demonstrate what I mean is Babe Ruth. Most of us know Babe Ruth as the person who got the...
by Ellen Lyman | Jul 30, 2023
The name “negative emotion” automatically implies that it’s bad. I completely understand why you would think a negative emotion is bad because it doesn’t feel good. We do not enjoy the experience. I don’t know any human that does. But...
by Ellen Lyman | Jul 24, 2023
Procrastinating has a bad reputation. You are told from an early age not to put off doing your work. That if you are procrastinating, you are failing. In this Harvard Business review article: author Alice Boyes, PhD talks about three things that cause procrastination:...
by Ellen Lyman | Jul 16, 2023
Definition of decision a: the act or process of decidingb: a determination arrived at after consideration: CONCLUSION As part of the definition, you can see that making decisions is an act or process. That means it is an action. And actions take our energy. And,...
by Ellen Lyman | Jul 9, 2023
I love to people-watch. Sometimes I worry that this makes me a little weird, but I’ve come to terms with that. If I’m in a crowd, I’m often observing the people and how they are interacting with each other. I think a lot can be learned through...
by Ellen Lyman | Jul 2, 2023
“I’m not comfortable talking about my accomplishments.” I hear this from people when we are talking about their resumes. When we are planning for an interview and when we are talking about preparing for performance reviews. So many of us have...
by Ellen Lyman | Jun 25, 2023
Good morning on this beautiful Monday! How’s work? I’m willing to bet when someone asks you this, many of you respond with one of these answers. “I don’t know,” “It’s been busy” “There’s a lot going...
by Ellen Lyman | Jun 18, 2023
Do you want help with your career next step? Click Here To Talk To Me. I’m sharing my most popular articles this week to continue my celebration of writing content for two years. If you are new to my community, this is an easy way to find articles that can help...
by Ellen Lyman | Jun 11, 2023
This week I will share a video message with all of you. And I have a call to action: If you know anyone who would enjoy what I am sharing, please send them to https://inspiredleader.me/blogs/ and encourage them to subscribe.
by Ellen Lyman | Jun 4, 2023
I often come across claims that “everything has changed” when it comes to looking for a new job. Those claims suggest that not knowing the secrets behind what has changed might be holding you back in your job search. The reality is that there is a lot...
by Ellen Lyman | May 29, 2023
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, 2023
When you are overwhelmed at work, it creates a lot of different negative things for you. Overwhelming is very common. I recently heard Overwhelm described as “another word for the freeze response.” I love that explanation. Often when we feel overwhelmed,...
by Ellen Lyman | May 14, 2023
When you have a lot of commitments at work, it can be very difficult to keep track of them all and even more difficult to trust that your work performance is meeting or exceeding expectations. So many people I talk to on a daily basis complain that their work goals...
by Ellen Lyman | May 7, 2023
Last week I posted about how my clients struggle in their careers. They dream about quitting and living on a beach somewhere. They flip back and forth between thinking they don’t do enough and being angry that others don’t do more. I was there myself...
by Ellen Lyman | Apr 30, 2023
Most people who come to me for career help are corporate women professionals with over 10 years of experience. Every day she describes her job as out of control, busy, insane, overwhelming, frustrating, infuriating, and not worth it anymore. She knows she needs a...
by Ellen Lyman | Apr 23, 2023
There are two reasons why people don’t do what you want them to do. You haven’t asked them.OR They don’t want to. It’s as simple as that. It’s true. We often accomplish our goals through the performance and effort of others. This means that...
by Ellen Lyman | Apr 17, 2023
Let’s continue exploring overworking: Over the last several weeks, I’ve talked bout the habit of overworking, talked about email, the action of overwhelming, and wastefully lamenting being busy. This week I want to discuss how poor estimating can result in...
by Ellen Lyman | Apr 10, 2023
How much time do you spend each day thinking about, worrying about, talking about, or planning for being busy, overworked, 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 3, 2023
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 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....
