Seeking perfection appears to be a good strategy to avoid criticism and to feel successful.

Each person processes information and creates a narrative, unaware that the narrative can lead to empowerment or helplessness

Let’s aim for healthy balance, learning how to have our own back (no more self-repression and self-abandonment) without playing the victim when things get uncomfortable.

The meaning we attach to things is completely subjective. Where some people see a catastrophe, others see opportunities.

The purpose of this post is to help those of you who struggle emotionally at the thought of having to let go employees, but no longer have a choice.

Please realize that if you only want to do what is comfortable, you are limiting yourself.

We are seeing more mental health issues, anxiety, fear, insomnia, heart palpitations, attention deficit, etc. than ever before

The reward for excellent work in higher education leadership is being given more work.

Unprocessed past events, as well as repressed emotions, can create a chronic state of anxiety in the body.

Are you frustrated by some of your employees who don’t act professionally?

While humility is honorable, lack of self-advocacy is a missed opportunity.

If you are seeing high turnover and changes in leadership at your university, college, or department, you are not alone.

Confident people are those who focus on service, or on their mission, and spend very little time and energy asking themselves how they compare with other leaders.

What people think they are, and what they think they are not, determines the decisions they make and the actions they take (or don’t).

Some individuals feel powerless, not realizing that their maladaptive coping mechanisms can be changed, and their habits aren’t their identity.

Have we forgotten that pain can be an indication of progress?

Success also requires that the client be willing to break old habits.

A coach who doesn’t have strong expertise in higher education will lead you in the wrong direction.

Some higher ed. leaders have normalized the discomfort they experience, but it’s not painful enough to force them to change.

I am here to remind you that there are two essential components to feeling energetic: (1) mindset and (2) movement.

Most higher ed. leaders are creating far too much self-imposed pressure, in addition to the pressure created by their job responsibilities

People can tell you a thousand times a day to stop being hard on yourself, and you still won’t be able to stop, as long as you feel inner conflict.

Here are some examples of behaviors and habits that feed helplessness instead of fostering problem-solving and creativity.

Like many, I used to believe that people who had anxiety were stuck in the habit of worrying about the future and/or lacked confidence in their ability to handle difficult situations.

March 2020 was a crisis, but somehow, many colleges and universities are still in crisis.

No longer feeling stuck comes down to one critical question: Are you interested in improving your situation or are you fully committed?

Do you ever struggle to let go of something that happened in the past, or something you said and regretted, or something that someone else said? Do you feel anxious trying to guess why someone did or said something you didn’t like?

How can you get excited about survival? You can’t. And that’s exactly why you need to create a compelling vision for your life and your future. Finding purpose and meaning will give you energy and bring you fulfillment.

To break free from old habits, you must decide that you will stop doing the things that harm you (and/or others) and start acting more deliberately.

Unconditional trust and confidence foster the kind of inner peace that attracts solutions and success.