blog + what's on my mind

Last week, our kids were off school for Easter break, and we headed to West Edmonton Mall for a short family getaway. There is an amusement park in the mall and the kids were SO excited for the rides. Early on in the day, that excitement turned to tears for our son, Emmett who is […]

When demands for our time and attention – even opportunities – mount faster than our ability to keep up, feelings of control are often the first to go . . . especially when we try to tackle too much at once. As hard as it is to say no to something or someone, failing to do so can […]

You might have the best of intentions to be focused on what’s important during the day and keep a positive attitude . . . . . . but what do you do when other people are constantly stealing your attention, not meeting your expectations or scaring you a little when you try to say ‘no’? […]

Are your days always full of meetings? And you have a constant barrage of email and demands on your time? Do you feel like you aren’t addressing what’s actually important or making real progress? Or when you start feeling overwhelmed, you lose your focused attention, instead of zeroing in on what’s most important in the […]

Nothing is more deflating than being really busy, but feeling like you are not making any progress. You might be giving it your all, yet work is seeping into your personal time, projects are taking forever, progress is coming too slowly or you are feeling stuck. Over the past three years, I’ve discovered how to […]

Resilience is a crucial skill in times of constant change and uncertainty. It’s your ability to quickly bounce back from setbacks and challenges, and getting yourself in a better frame of mind so you are less fazed in the first place. And the engine of resilience is optimism – the belief in a positive future […]

Family is one of my core values. It’s my one thing – the most important thing – and if I am giving the right attention, time and my very best self to my husband and kids, everything else becomes easier. And when I am not living my value of family, life feels a whole lot […]

Open-mindedness is one of my values. For me, that means embracing that any given situation can be seen from a variety of perspectives – not just the one viewpoint that you happen to be taking at that moment. Like, perhaps your boss isn’t really a bad person. Maybe he’s just unhappy and stressed. And, with […]

When we are positive, our brains are more engaged, productive, energetic and resilient at work and in our personal lives – this has been rigorously researched in psychology and neuroscience. This leads to greater happiness, less stress and higher performance. One essential area (too often overlooked by busy professionals) is boosting your positive emotions by […]

I’ve talked about self-doubt and how your values are (or aren’t showing up) and how both these areas can play a significant role in how you show up as a leader, role-model, parent, etc. Foundational to this process? The ability to notice your thoughts, feelings and behaviors so you can make the most positive and […]