Asserting Parental Authority Without Being Authoritative, Part I

Many of us hold a wistful view of parenting.

Back in the “good old days” childrearing was simple. Parents used an authoritative approach, and their kids would listen and comply. By contrast, today’s parents have it much harder, and must deal with a myriad of challenges that our parents never faced.

But that thinking, too, has its flaws. Until the 1960s, authoritarian parenting was the way to go. It started to fall out of favor as society became more democratic and respect for authority began to show signs of cracking.

How to disaster-proof your business and your life, part 3

How to disaster-proof your resilience, with Brian Wallace, founder, NowSourcing

Wallace is a straight-shooter, so I knew that there would be instant value in our conversation. While he acknowledges the catastrophic economic impact of COVID-19, he maintains that we were already due for a market correction and reality check. The US economy had experienced 129 consecutive months of growth, and we had foolishly come to take growth for granted.

Now that we have entered this correction, Wallace says, to survive and thrive moving forward, people must ask themselves, “How good are you at delivering what you said you would do?” More and more, people will want to see concrete value for their dollars. Those that can deliver it will rise to the top.

A Season of Rapid Reversals (A Purim message)

The recent coronavirus-driven turmoil on Wall Street has left many investors holding their collective breath. Following years of steady gains, we witnessed a loss of 5000 points on the Dow Jones in just a few days, which put the market well into correction territory (with a bear market within our sights,) and sent investors scurrying for cover and bemoaning their fate.

As I was contemplating this current, drastic change from security and prosperity to (hopefully temporary) shock and disillusionment, it brought to mind the crazy, roller-coaster-type scenario which stared down at the Jews of Persia nearly 2400 years ago.

You say it, but do they understand it?

Yesterday, as I was getting my skis 🎿 on, an instructor tells me "TGIF!"

But he didn't mean THAT #tgif.

He was telling me, "Toes Go In First." 💡

But that wasn't what I heard.

And for a Sunday, his #fridaytalk sounded strange.

Stop beating yourself up! 😞

We all have lots of decisions to make. 🤔

Some of them in retrospect don't look so good. 😡

But whatever happened, it's already over.

We need to learn to let things go and allow ourselves the space to move forward, find solutions and live our lives moving on to the fullest.

Give yourself permission to make mistakes.

Small Gestures Go a Long Way (Let It Go, Part II)

My "Let It Go" video post got such a powerful response.

I think it's because there was a rawness to the message.

The idea that we could be hurt and hurt in serious ways and it's really up to us to decide how we want to move forward.

Many of us hold onto things and we just have a hard time relinquishing the pain because we feel that if we let it go somehow that's going to vindicate the other side. And we need to remember that letting it go is primarily for us.

Because if we let it go, then we can start to heal, and we can start to move forward. We can start to think differently about what occurred and what our future holds for us.

Turn Your Excuses Into Challenges

Today is a fast day on the Jewish calendar.

While in a sense that’s probably a good thing (I’m probably not the only one who overate on Rosh Hashana,) it presents a challenge for those who seek to get things done after two days out of the office.

On days like this, it’s easy to make excuses.

“I can’t get much done,” we say, “when I can’t eat.”

Of course, we don’t need fast days to find excuses for a lack of productivity or performance.

“I won’t get much done if I spend all day in traffic.”

“The weather is really crumby and is affecting my mood.”

“Jane is out again. There’s no way that I can make up the slack.”

“Without their advertising budget, we simply can’t match their market reach.”

How to Handle and Survive Market Volatility

There are sound investing principles that apply to all of us dealing with volatility.

We all have ups; we all have downs. And these sound principles all relate to the idea of “stay”. In other words, not flee, not run to the hills when there are challenges, but to be able to hold on and here are the three concepts relating to stay.

Number one, stay the plan,
Number two, stay invested, and
Number three, stay in growth mode.

balance, perspective, coachingNaphtali HoffSeptember 16, 2019Impactful Coaching & Consultingvolatility, stock market, planning, disciplineComment

How to Receive Feedback Like a Boss, Part II

The next time that someone approaches you with some unwanted feedback consider the following:

Listen to understand – Hear them out without interruption. Mirror back what you heard and ask questions for clarification. Also ask for examples so you know more clearly when and in what way this is happening. If there is something that you disagree with, hold it until the end. This way you validate them and open further lines of communication. It’s always best for the concern to come directly to you rather than to others.
Respond carefully – Try to avoid sounding defensive. Leave your ego to the side and accept warranted concerns as well as viable advice. If you are unsure about the validity of feedback or what to do with it, ask for time to respond. Make sure to get back to the other party in a timely fashion and with a real game plan (see below). And then ask for feedback about the plan.

BLOG

How to disaster-proof your resilience, with Brian Wallace, founder, NowSourcing