A Memorial to Courage

WW II Memorial

After a recent visit to Washington, D.C., it struck me that all the war memorials were really memorials about courage. Taking a stand, for anything, requires courage. Courage is knowing what’s right and then acting on it. During the Nazi occupation of his country in WWII, King Christian X of Denmark noticed a Nazi flag…

A Lyrical Salute to Moms

Only one day a year is officially dedicated to celebrating Moms. However, since it is the hardest everyday job on Earth, it only seems right to show our appreciation every day. I hope all the Mom readers have an awesome day. If you are not a Mom, let your Mom know you appreciate her! Enjoy this rapid-fire tribute…

Walk of Faith

The Christ the Redeemer statue is one of the new seven wonders of the world and a cultural icon for Rio de Janeiro. A past summer Olympics cemented this image into the minds of millions. What really struck me was this video of workers making repairs from lightning damage.  The workers take a real walk of faith on several levels (starting at 1 min.…

8 Ways to Constantly Improve

tools (1)

Building your competence boosts your confidence ... and confidence is a close friend to high achievers. Building your competence is like cleaning your house. If you stop cleaning, dust collects. The need to clean never ends. To achieve the success you deserve, you need to find ways to be constantly improving. The task of building…

Start Strong to Finish Strong

The best way to finish strong is to start strong. Healthy leaders create a 100-day plan, just as each President does, to set the tone for their teams. If you want to reach your goals, you have to mentally see them and then physically write them down. Just seeing them is not sufficient – your…

Quotes to Inspire Adherence

The Adherence equation has been field-tested for 20 years and is featured in three of our books including the best-seller Sticking to It. Here are a few of our quotes from those books to inspire you to stick to it. Sharpen Focus The most important decision in life is to decide what is most important. Complexity is…

What Do You Believe?

The book, Stick with It: Mastering the Art of Adherence, describes how reinforcing rituals creates connections that ignite passion for any team or family.  Rituals help ignite passion, which is one of three components in the Adherence Equation: For years, I have written personal “Letters from Dad” to my wife and each of my three…

The Gift of The Present

The holiday season is hectic, so I will keep this post even shorter than usual. Here is my favorite poem that keeps things in perspective for me. I hope it does the same for you . . . Yesterday is History,Tomorrow is a Mystery,Today is a Gift,That’s why they call it the Present. May you…

Peace

My father was an artist, so we never purchased holiday cards.  Instead, he painted this Dove of Peace.  At the bottom right, he added in elegant, white script, "PEACE from The Colan Family." It became our family's signature holiday card for many years. So today I wish you peace in your heart, peace in your…

Hang On Until Daylight

Although we look forward to the holidays, it can be a time of overwhelming stress at work and at home.  This address given by Wallace A. Kennedy, Professor of Psychology at our alma mater, Florida State University, is powerful and practical.  He was talking to the students of Maclay School in Tallahassee. One of their…