Learning how to deal with rejection can be difficult, especially when a simple “no” starts sounding like a statement about who you are. Someone doesn’t choose you for a job. Someone you like doesn’t feel the same way. A friendship changes. You don’t get invited. An application is turned down. The reasons can be completely…
You make a mistake at work, forget something important, miss a deadline, or handle a conversation badly. Your first thought might be straightforward: I handled that badly. Then the thought changes: “I always do this”, “Why am I like this?”, “I’m just not good at these things”. Before you realize it, something you did has…
You probably already know that there are things about yourself you would like to change. Maybe you procrastinate more than you’d like, you avoid difficult conversations, get defensive too quickly, struggle with money, or tend to take on too much and then resent it. Maybe there are parts of your appearance, personality, or past decisions…
You can make a good decision and still want someone else to tell you that it was the right one. You may accomplish something objectively valuable and still feel strangely disappointed when nobody notices or gives you the kind of feedback you expected. You may also ask for someone’s opinion because you genuinely want information…
Sometimes you know exactly what you should do, and yet you keep doing something else. You know you need to stop taking on so much work, but when someone asks for your help, saying no still feels strangely difficult. You know you would benefit from delegating, but the moment you consider handing something over, another…
Have you ever caught yourself making the same promise over and over again and still found yourself wondering: why can’t I change? “Next week I’ll leave work on time.” “I’ll finally start exercising.” “I really need to spend more time with my family.” “Next time I’ll ask for help instead of doing everything myself.” At…
If you haven’t read the previous exercise yet, start with The Personal Branding Exercise for Self-Worth. This article about the Self-Authentictiy Gap builds directly on it. In the previous exercise, you looked at yourself like a personal brand. You explored your values, strengths, boundaries and the qualities you believe define you. The goal wasn’t to create a better image, but to step outside yourself long enough to see your…
A practical exercise for building self-worth and identity through branding. Most personal branding exercises are designed to help you shape how others see you. This personal branding exercise is different. Instead of focusing on promotion, it uses the branding process to help you better understand yourself. Most of us spend a surprising amount of time…
This article introduces a practical self leadership exercise that can help you make more conscious decisions by using the strengths you already have. Imagine someone told you today: “Congratulations, you’re now the CEO of the company.” How would you react? Some people would probably laugh. “Me? I’d bankrupt the company within a week.” Others might immediately picture something completely different. A corner office, a six-figure salary, business trips, prestige, making important decisions. When we hear…
Why may your invisible assets matter more than your visible achievements? Imagine someone who spent years building a successful business. Then one day, it fails. The company closes; the income disappears. From the outside, it can look as though everything they worked for has vanished overnight. Now imagine someone else who loses their job after…
