# Walt Hampton, J.D. > Empowering The Extraordinary ## Posts - [A Connection Issue ](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/a-connection-issue/): So caught up are we in connecting that we fail to connect. No email. No Facebook. No Twitter. No online banking.  No online anything. We couldn’t connect. The Internet was down. Again. It had plagued us for weeks. And we had lost our minds. The disembodied troubleshooter from Delhi was flummoxed. The signal kept dropping […] - [Consider Life As A Giraffe](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/consider-life-as-a-giraffe/): You can either fit in or stand out. Not both. — Seth Godin, Linchpin As I ran along the Boise River, the movement in the trees to my left caught my attention. It was a giraffe. You can tell a giraffe by its exceptionally long neck. Even in Boise. There is a danger in having […] - [Perhaps You Need A Lion Hunt](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/perhaps-you-need-a-lion-hunt/): We’re going on a lion hunt, 
We’re not afraid! 
Got my canteen by my side, 
And my binoculars too. — American Children’s Song Our physical lives are journeys.  We know how they begin.  We know how they will end. It is our job to fill in the middle. Sadly, many of us don’t do such a […] - [In The Weeds](https://www.walthampton.com/success/in-the-weeds/): You don’t need more genius. You need less resistance. — Seth Godin I love the high summits. I can see forever. I love to feel the wind on my face, revel in the exaltation, bask in the sense of accomplishment. Weeks, months, sometimes years of effort, wrapped up into a single glorious moment. But most […] - [(Ig)Noble Choice](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/ignoble-choice/): In every moment, the power to choose is ours alone. This probably doesn’t surprise you. I have always been intrigued by the question: “Where does the white go when the snow melts?” Kind of like the question: “Where is yesterday?” I celebrate my birthday this week. There are more than a few yesterdays. But they’re […] - [Do You Suffer From VCS?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/do-you-suffer-from-vcs/): Headaches? Hypertension? Loss of appetite? Sexual atrophy? Anxiety? Sadness? Frustration? Erectile dysfunction? You may be suffering from VCS.  Yes, Vacuum Cleaner Syndrome. You know when you have VCS when you’re in a situation and suddenly realize that “it just sucks.” No need to ask your doctor about it. Most of them are clueless. Usually, there’s no […] - [Bread Crumbs](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/bread-crumbs/): Are you excited to get up in the morning?  Do you bolt out of bed, ready to greet the day with joy and expectation? If not, you may be off course. Steve Jobs, Apple’s billionaire founder, says this:  “Each morning I look in the mirror and ask myself this question: If today were the last […] - [When Directions Fail You](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/when-directions-fail-you/): Sometimes we think that asking for help makes us look weak.  It doesn’t. [cincopa AsBAXhK83vw1] As mavericks, messengers and audacious creators, our journeys can be challenging. Go ahead and ask for help. And lend a helping hand. - [Lord of the Flies](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/lord-of-the-flies/): The prisons we create are our own. We are both the jailers and the jailed. I am the Lord of the Flies. Don’t get excited.  It’s not a good thing. Transformational leader John Assaraf tells this story:  One summer day, he passed by a window and saw a fly buzzing against the glass.  A short […] - [Limitless](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/limitless/): What we are capable of is: anything. There is no barrier to what is possible. Whatever we dream or imagine, we can achieve. - [Good Fences Make Good Neighbors](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/good-fences-make-good-neighbors/): Something there is that doesn’t love a wall… . — Robert Frost, Mending Wall “Did you know that Max escaped again?” Marcia asked. WTF, I thought. This dog has two acres to roam in.  Why isn’t that good enough? I can’t count the number of times he’s jumped over the fence. Or dug under it. […] - [Six Degrees](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/six-degrees/): Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness. — Leo Tolstoy I suspect she’s dead by now. I haven’t seen her in nearly a year. Sharon was in her forties. She’d battled cancer three or four times. But I can never remember a time when there wasn’t a […] - [Requiem For A Squirrel ](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/requiem-for-a-squirrel/): Sometime I hoard things like a squirrel.  In fact, if I were a squirrel, I would have the most nuts. I save plastic bags. I save hangers. I save razor blades until the one on my razor shreds my face. I save water filters for the coffee maker until the coffee tastes like battery acid. […] - [Imagination Run Wild](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/imagination-run-wild/): I was in jail for the weekend. At least it felt that way to start. I write all this stuff in my weekly blog about living deeply and fully, about being grounded, about being clear and listening with the ear of our hearts. And then I realize I need to call bullshit on myself because […] - [Sweet Georgia On My Mind](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/sweet-georgia-on-my-mind/): I think I’m in love. It seems like it could be a long term relationship. She’s not exactly a “looker.”  A little “boxy.”  But that’s ok. I really like her voice.  It’s not very sexy.  But it’s confident, soothing, self-assured. Her name is Georgia.  At least that’s what I call her. She’s my GPS. I […] - [Before The Clay Has Hardened](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/before-the-clay-has-hardened/): Nobody grasped you by the shoulder while there was still time.  Now the clay of which you were shaped has dried and hardened, and naught in you will ever awaken the sleeping musician, the poet, the astronomer that possibly inhabited you in the beginning. — Antoine de Saint-Exupery No quote has troubled me more over […] - [The Technicolor Codpiece ](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-technicolor-codpiece/): In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Way, every day something is dropped. Less and less do you need to force things, until finally you arrive at non-action. When nothing is done, nothing is left undone. — Lao-tzu He wore a multi-colored codpiece.  And nothing else. He […] - [Damn Near Perfect](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/damn-near-perfect/): To enjoy life means to enjoy the journey even though the journey itself implies that we are incomplete. — Mike Dooley It’s happened to you.  I know that it has. You’re at a meeting, a social function, a cocktail party.  You’re engaged in (what you think to be) compelling conversation. You’re “on.” You’re laughing, gesticulating, […] - [Frank Sinatra Had The 411](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/frank-sinatra-had-the-411/): Do be do be do… . Frank Sinatra, Strangers In The Night To be or not to be?  To do or not to do? These are the questions. I so love The Secret.  The Law of Attraction has such resonance for me. We attract to ourselves that which exists in our lives: joy, prosperity, peace, possibility, […] - [I Want To Be A Buffalo](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/i-want-to-be-a-buffalo/): I do.  Let me tell you why. When I have a big project looming on the horizon, I often get overwhelmed.  At first I pretend that the project doesn’t exist. Then I pretend that the deadline doesn’t exist. Then when the deadline stares me in the face, I panic.  The panic drives me to avoidance. […] - [Experience Matters](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/experience-matters/): What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. — Dan Quayle I had paid him a lot of money to say it to me; practically begged him to say it even.  And after everything that had gone on before, I deserved it. “You’re an excellent mind-fucker,” he said. My therapist had such a way […] - [The Tail of the Dragon](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-tail-of-the-dragon/): Midway upon the Journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward pathway had been lost… — Dante, The Divine Comedy I could see roughly how the groups ahead of me would sort out. I could begin to plot out my assault. That most of the others waiting in line […] - [Happy Now, Bitch?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/happy-now-bitch/): The Mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” — John Milton They’ve all been lying to you. Make your New Year’s resolutions.  Write out your goals.  Make your mind-maps.  Plan your year.  Work your plan.  Achieve success. And you’ll be happy. It’s not true. […] - [With All Your Might](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/with-all-your-might/): We’re drawn to the spectacular: Armstrong’s moon walk and Earhart’s flight. We’re mesmerized by the magnificent: Mozart’s arias and Michelangelo’s chapel. We’re captivated by the courageous: Mandela’s resistance and King’s walk. We love the epic tale and a hero’s victory. But why do we believe that they are not our own? So often we stand […] - [Turning Point Suite](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/turning-point-suite/): “Change today?” the beggar asked. There was a touch of anger. Some sarcasm. A bit of sadness too. My son glanced up at me sideways. “So now you want to be a father?” I’d been endeavoring to share some hard-earned, had-fought, hard-edged wisdom.  The conversation had been difficult. The topic unpopular.  The message unwelcome. A long […] - [Stop Deciding](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/stop-deciding/): There is a difference between interest and commitment.  When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient.  When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results. — Ken Blanchard It doesn’t happen very often.  It was a rare moment of struggle. It had rained hard all night long.  When […] - [Not A FAQ](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/not-a-faq/): Death is the only wise advisor that we have. Whenever you feel, as you always do, that everything is going wrong and you’re about to be annihilated, turn to your death and ask if that is so. Your death will tell you that you’re wrong; that nothing really matters outside its touch. Your death will […] - [I Give Up](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/i-give-up/): Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. — Marianne Williamson Resistance is the enemy. It’s what keeps us in bed when we should be running.  It’s what keeps us in the office […] - [Start Out And See What Happens](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/start-out-and-see-what-happens/): Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. — Goethe It didn’t matter that I had sealed the seams.  Or that we had a tub floor.  Or that I had put a tarp over the site.  Water was everywhere. The torrential rains had come just […] - [Run It On Empty](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/run-it-on-empty/): Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought: So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing. — T. S. Eliot I must admit to a peculiar perversity: I derive a certain thrill from playing “chicken” with my gas tank.  When the needle points to E and the light goes […] - [Hello Darkness, My Old Friend](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/hello-darkness-my-old-friend/): To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build […] - [Next And Not Next](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/next-and-not-next/): “What’s next?” the woman in the third row asked. I always get this question. The Denali show draws the athlete and the adventurer, the curious and the courageous, the fanatical and the frail. They all want to know, “What’s next?” I have to admit to a certain sense of anxiety and restlessness:  I’m not quite […] - [Keep Your Hands And Feet Inside The Cart](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/keep-your-hands-and-feet-inside-the-cart/): When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. — Buddhist Proverb I love to try to wrestle things to the ground.  It is in my nature. Last week, I wrote about struggle.  Mine and everyone else’s. But what I came to learn – yes once again – is that struggling is optional. Often, all we […] - [Do You Poop Too?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/do-you-poop-too/): Fall down seven times, get up eight times. — Japanese Proverb I have struggled over the last couple of weeks.  There have been so many challenges. (Don’t you love that euphemism?) Work challenges, travel challenges, financial challenges, family challenges.  In that constant, unending, “will this ever fucking let up” kind of way. On a recent […] - [Material Guy](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/material-guy/): It accelerated through the col; seventy, eighty miles per hour. I leaned against a rock to brace myself.  The front had finally passed. The air was fresh and clean and cold. A hundred feet above, the ground turned to rime ice and snow.  A Columbus Day gift.  We retreated to the safety of the trees, laughing […] - [Before You Know It, It's Lunchtime](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/before-you-know-it-its-lunchtime/): A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. — Lao-tzu It seemed like it must be lunchtime.  I couldn’t tell for sure.  I didn’t have a watch. I had lost track of the hours.  But I had that vague uneasiness I sometimes get when there’s a chance I might miss a meal. […] - [Dr. No](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/dr-no/): What is essential is invisible to the eye. — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince I have a confession to make:  I’m a huge James Bond fan.  I have loved them all in all of their incarnations and inanity, from Connery to Craig. Dr. No was the first Bond movie, dating all the way back […] - [Racing The Sun](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/racing-the-sun/): The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. The unnameable is the eternally real. Naming is the origin of all particular things. Free from desire, you realize the mystery. Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations. Yet mystery and manifestations arise from the same source. This source is called darkness. Darkness within […] - [Where The Fudge Leads](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/where-the-fudge-leads/): This is best done in a darkened kitchen well after the hubbub of the day.  Have a ready “explanation” for what you’re doing.  Maintain plausible deniability at all times. The materials required are: a fresh half gallon of fudge ripple ice cream, and a teaspoon. (It’s also handy to have the daily newspaper nearby so […] - [Four Wheelin'](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/four-wheelin/): He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how. — Nietzche It was like a Giant Slalom course. Careening back and forth, I deftly avoided the holes and the heaves in the road. “I think I’d take it a little slower,” Dave said from the back seat. I smiled at […] - [Joe Black and The Dog Days of Summer](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/joe-black-and-the-dog-days-of-summer/): It was a few weeks ago that I noticed him.  Standing in the shadows.  I recognized him immediately, of course.  Joe Black. In the movie, Joe Black [Death] is Brad Pitt handsome, suave, and sophisticated.   Coming all too soon for the media mogul played by Anthony Hopkins, Joe agrees to a reprieve in exchange […] - [Beyond the Green Door ](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/beyond-the-green-door/): As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is. — Proverbs 23:7 I was pretty sure that I was going to pass out.  Or throw up. Or both. This was no Marilyn Chambers moment.  It was more Linda Blair. We were below Denali Pass at about 18,000′.  The day was clear and nearly windless. […] - [Life Is Not The List](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/life-is-not-the-list/): My former running partner had a wife who would compile a “Honey Do” list for him.  I had never heard this term before and it struck me as odd.  Why would anyone make a list of things to do for someone else (unless of course it was a teenager)? On a Wednesday run, I’d ask […] - [A Rather Large Pasture](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/a-rather-large-pasture/): I couldn’t remember whether I had put fresh sheets in the guest room.  I imagined that it must be hot somewhere. I wondered whether the litter box would get changed. I thought about how badly I smelled; and about how badly Ann smelled.  I reflected on Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. I remembered my sleeping bag – […] - [Burn Baby, Burn](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/burn-baby-burn/): When I was  fourteen, I loved starting fires. I particularly enjoyed pouring gasoline on things, tossing on a match, hearing the “whoosh,” and watching things burn. (I liked blowing things up too.  But we’ll save that for another blog.) While aware that my penchant for fires may have been symptomatic of  pyromania, I suspect a fair […] - [Shadows on the Ridge](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/shadows-on-the-ridge/): And in the midst of the garden stood the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. — Genesis 2:9 It was minus 20 and my fingers ached from the cold. I glanced up at the ridge.  The shadow was still deep. It would be another hour, at least, before the sun pulled around and […] - [Dream Catcher](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/dream-catcher/): And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. — Joel 2:28 Dreamer. The word has a bad rep.  It connotes laziness. Distraction. Fuzziness.  Idealism. To dream suggests that we are not fully present, that […] - [Lessons of the Skin Horse](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/lessons-of-the-skin-horse/): “Walking along the beach at Abu Dhabi, I never felt so far away from home… or so far away from myself.” The seemingly superficial Carrie Bradshaw in Sex In The City 2, like all of us, engages the universal search: to know ourselves; to find our true home. Meister Eckhart said, “If I knew myself […] - [Keep The Bucket Full](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/keep-the-bucket-full/): What do you do after you stand on the top of the world? It’s the question Ann and I have been asking after Jordan Romero summited Mt. Everest last week.  At age 13, he’s the youngest climber in the world to accomplish this feat. After you’ve achieved your dream, what’s next? There’s a wonderful article in […] - [960](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/960/): Stop reading. Look at your watch or set a timer.  Count up to 960 and see how long it takes. When I did it, it took me a little over 9 minutes.  I probably could have done it faster. But what’s the rush? 960 is a pretty small measure in the scheme of things. 960 […] - [Godot Never Comes](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/gadot-never-comes/): The voice seemed to come from far away.  “We’re going to build snow walls.” That’s nice, I thought.  How generous of Paul!  Building snow walls at such an early hour! I burrowed down deeper into my sleeping bag to shield my ears from the scream of the wind. Cozy, I shut my eyes hoping to […] - [Dare To Be Dumb](https://www.walthampton.com/uncategorized/dare-to-be-dumb/): I struggled up the hill under the weight of my load. No.  Let me start again. I staggered to the base of the cliff with my day pack and a climbing harness.  There had been way too much merriment the night before.  And way too little sleep.  My efforts to head off my climbing partner […] - [Every Which Way Is Right](https://www.walthampton.com/adventure/every-which-way-is-right/): It wasn’t a bitter argument.  We’d known each other far too long for there to be rancor. It was more of a spirited disagreement.  It was the place really that made the conversation unpleasant. The wind blew a constant thirty.  The gusts drove the rain and sleet up underneath our jackets. We were soaked and […] - [What's Your POA?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/whats-your-poa/): “What’s your POA?” her husband asked. My sister was annoyed.  She didn’t have one. There is a Buddhist story about a man on a horse.  As the man rides past his friend who is standing on the side of the road, the friend yells, “Where are you going?” The rider turns toward his friend and […] - [Be A Selfish Bastard](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/be-a-selfish-bastard/): “You’re a selfish bastard.” The teenager said.  With a fair amount of animation.  And I think a hand gesture. We were going out on our run.  And had refused to capitulate to the request for transport to some random destination of perceived import.  Or perhaps the destination had some import. And yet we still refused. […] - [The Sharp End](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-sharp-end/): “You’re on belay, dad.” I double checked my harness and my knot.  And started out on the long traverse. The Teton air was cool and dry.  But the rock was still damp from the rare morning thunder storm that we had narrowly averted. I glanced down beneath my feet at the talus some 1200 feet […] - [The Other F* Word](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-other-f-word/): My mother kept a bar of brown soap next to the kitchen sink.  And she’d use it if any one of us uttered a profanity. So it’s with great trepidation that I dare to write about the other four-letter F* word. Fail. There.  I said it. Growing up, it was an unmentionable word.  An inconceivable […] - [The F* Factor](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-f-factor/): I come from a long line of worriers. My grandfather was a worrier.  He would wring his hands for days before he’d travel about what the weather might be on the day he was set to start out.  And when he’d arrived, he would become obsessed about what the weather might be for his return. […] - [More Than Enough Fish](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/more-than-enough-fish/): There is an old story about a lawyer and a fisherman.  It goes something like this. He looked ridiculous standing on the dock in his tasseled loafers and knee high black socks. An incongruity with the plaid Bermudas and lime green polo.  A cigarette hung from his lip as he punched his Blackberry frenetically. It […] - [Patrick Power](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/patrick-power/): It was minus 5.  The wind gusted to 50 m.p.h.  But the smile never faded. Patrick stood on top. On Friday, March 5, 2010 at 11:35 a.m., after months of preparation and training, Patrick Kral summited Mt. Washington.  As far as we know, he is the first ever Special Olympian to make a winter ascent […] - [Mid-Course Corrections](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/mid-course-corrections/): Have you ever seen a sextant? It’s a beautiful instrument, isn’t it?  Conceived of by Sir Isaac Newton and in use since the early 1700s, generations of mariners have used the sextant  for navigation. By measuring the altitude of a celestial object above the horizon, you can figure out where you are. Which is a […] - [Friends and Relatives](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/friends-and-relatives/): ‘Have you guessed the riddle yet?’ the Hatter said, turning to Alice  again. ‘No, I give it up,’ Alice replied: ‘that’s the answer?’ ‘I haven’t the slightest idea,’ said the Hatter. ‘Nor I,’ said the March Hare. Alice sighed wearily. ‘I think you might do something better with the  time,’ she  said, ‘than waste it […] - [Staying In Fashion](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/staying-in-fashion/): I fear that fun may be a lost art. I attended a gathering of fellow professionals a couple of weeks ago.  A fancy, elegant black tie gala. During cocktails, I found myself conversing with a colleague that I hadn’t seen since the previous year’s event.  After engaging in the requisite flexing of professional muscle, I […] - [Grid Creep](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/grid-creep/): I was breathing hard.  And the temperature was dropping quickly.  But I was happy sitting in my Crazy Creek chair covered with my thick down sleeping bag.  Three days’ walk from the nearest road, I sank into mindless contentment with my trashy paperback. It was New Year’s Eve and there was a fair amount of […] - [What's Next?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/whats-next/): We’re asked the question all the time.  At the gym.  At work.  In the grocery store. When is the next adventure?  What’s next? And, of course, there is a next already planned.  It was planned well before the last one was even started! It’s necessary for me.  I absolutely need to have a project on […] - [What Is Your Processing Speed?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/what-is-your-processing-speed/): Our microwave has an “Express” button on it.  I like that.  I press the button and my coffee is “nuked,” just like that.  Fast.  No waiting. My BlackBerry delivers my emails to me 24/7.  I never have to wait to respond. My iMac has a quad core Intel i5 processor.  No waiting there either! I […] - [Flight Status: Uncertain](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/flight-status-uncertain/): The flight has been delayed.  Two hours.  Maybe three.  No one is saying.  A security issue in Toronto, so the rumor goes. The bags from the  flight with the gear we need are supposed to be on the conveyor belt. They’re not.  They’re somewhere else: another country. The hotel we planned on is booked.  The […] - [Lacuna](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/lacuna/): Lacuna – from the Latin – means a gap or space. In music, it refers to an extended period of silence in a piece. A journey to the edge is, for me, a lacuna. Some folks – extroverts mostly – don’t seem to require much space.  They seem to gain their energy from jumping into […] - [To Turn Again](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/to-turn-again/): The movie Groundhog Day was, for me, one of the funniest movies ever.  Bill Murray played a down on his luck weather forecaster assigned a reporting job that no one wanted: reporting on whether or not Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow on Groundhog Day.  In a freak accident,  Murray gets stuck in a time loop […] - [Stay This Moment](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/stay-this-moment/): Change is the process by which the future invades our lives. – Alvin Toffler I so love still photography with its power to freeze moments in time. Ann and I joined with dear friends of ours this past August as their twin sons celebrated their Bar Mitzvahs. It was a beautiful and moving affirmation of […] - [Into The Vortex](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/into-the-vortex/): It’s December.  And we’re being pulled into the vortex of time.  The maelstrom is all around us! Can you feel it? Perhaps it’s just me.  But after Halloween, the year just seems to accelerate.  After Thanksgiving, the days move forward at warp speed.  The commitments and the demands and the lists and the expectations and […] - [With A Grateful Heart](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/with-a-grateful-heart/):       Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower, but is already present, in relaxation and letting go. Don’t strain yourself, there is nothing to do. Whatever arises in the mind has no real importance at all, because it has no reality whatsoever. Don’t become attached to it, don’t identify with it […] - [Achieve Nothing](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/achieve-nothing/): Achieve nothing.  Kind of like jumbo shrimp. As I stretched out for my run the other morning, I began to read an article in the Buddhist publication Tricycle on the spiritual pitfalls of multi-tasking. Tricycle is an excellent quarterly filled with wonderful writings from wise thinkers on such topics as “nothingness” and “meditation” and “enlightenment.” […] - [I've Been Framed](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/ive-been-framed/): I climb mountains to gain perspective. But how easy it is to lose it. “Can’t see the forest for the trees,” the old adage goes.  How true that is. When we’re in the thick of it, it’s difficult to see the big picture.  And even when we think we see the big picture, often times […] - [Peaks and Valleys](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/peaks-and-valleys/): “Just tag it,” I yelled. “What?” Ann screamed, her voice carried off by the wind that was blowing madly at plus 60. “Just tag the summit pole and we’ll get out of here,” I shouted.  “We have to get out of here.”   The visibility had dropped to ten feet or less.  The snow driving […] - [Slogging Through](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/slogging-through/): Journeys to the edge are often uphill slogs. Some are successful. We had started this one before dawn.  We had climbed for hours.  The sweat poured down our faces even as the air thinned.  It was like hiking up a beach that someone – perhaps as a joke – had pitched at a forty degree […] - [Newton: Part Deux](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/newton-part-deux/): Newton screwed up our lives in other ways too: The corollary to his first law states that, “A body persists in a uniform motion unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force.” I know this to be true.  Once I start – once I overcome inertia – I rarely stop.  I barrel ahead.  Full bore. […] - [Fight Physics](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/fight-physics/): Doing nothing, of course, isn’t always a good thing. There is an old story that goes like this: The man in his 40s has lost his job.  He’s down on his luck.  He goes to church to pray: “Please God, let me win the lottery.”  This goes on day after day.  As the man’s desperation grows, […] - [Like A Rock](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/like-a-rock/): Solid.  Like a rock. That sounds good, doesn’t it?  Safe, secure, stable, predictable. We like predictable.  More than that, we like certainty.  We want to know that things are solid and unchanging. But that’s never the case, is it? Very little is certain.  And everything changes. Constantly.  The weather.  The stock market. Our jobs. Our […] - [Oh say, can you see?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/oh-say-can-you-see/): Perspective is necessary. Ann and I were in Ireland last week.  We stayed in a beautiful idyllic cottage overlooking the North Atlantic. A place where the quiet sank into our bones. We did nothing. Well, that’s not exactly true. We got up late; we took long runs along the Coast Road; we made love; we […] - [Catching Monkeys](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/catching-monkeys/): This is not a riddle. Question:  How do you catch a monkey? Answer: The same way we get caught ourselves. Catching a monkey is fairly easy.  Find a coconut and go to the jungle where monkeys live.  Cut a small hole in one end of the coconut  so that a monkey can just slide its […] - [Route Finding](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/route-finding/): The young woman behind the information desk was perhaps 20.  “Could you tell me where the Boot Spur Trail intersects with the Tuck Trail?” I inquired.   She cocked her head to one side and asked, “Do you have a map?”   “No,” I replied.  “I just want to refresh my recollection as to where the […] - [Disconnect(ed)](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/disconnected1/): As climbers and adventurers, we could do a whole lot more for the places and the peoples that we love. This past Sunday’s New York Times carried an excellent Op-Ed piece by Thomas Friedman on the devolving quagmire that is Afghanistan.  In the same section, Nicholas Kristof wrote a piece called The Afghanistan Abyss.  Both […] - [Is There A Point?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/is-there-a-point/): The wind battered the tent for the second night.  Or maybe it was the third night. Trapped at 11,000 feet in a horrid storm.  The wind blowing – not gusting but blowing – a constant 70 mph.  We’d cut countless snow blocks to protect the tents from imploding.  I lay in my bag sleepless as […] - [Go Negative](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/go-negative/): Photographers and other visual artists talk about “negative space,” the space beyond the subject where nothing seems to be happening.   It is a key element of artistic composition.  As a design principal, it gives the eye “a place to rest.” Struggling up the fixed lines to the West Buttress of Denali carrying 70 lb […] - [I See Dead People](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/i-see-dead-people/): Adventure has risk.  But life itself is risky.  No one makes it out alive. Sunday’s New York Times carried the obituary of legendary climber Riccardo Cassin.  Cassin, who was 100 years old when he died, climbed more than 2,500 routes over a career that spanned more than six decades. Many of the climbs were first ascents; […] - [Still Waters](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/still-waters/): Ann and I had an unusual vacation – unusual for us:  We didn’t do anything. We had sailed east to Vineyard Sound and into Buzzards Bay, spending some superbly tranquil days on the remote and untrammeled island of Cuttyhunk. But the weather was “challenging.” So we came home. And did nothing. And it was wonderful. […] - [Journeys on the Edge](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/hello-world-2/): Two months ago, my wife Ann brought home a beautiful coffee table book from the library called: Galen Rowell: A Retrospective.  I was so captivated by the images – so vibrant, so awe inspiring were they – that I couldn’t put the book down.  I carried it everywhere with me.  When the time ran out, […] - [There Will Always Be Tigers](https://www.walthampton.com/success/there-will-always-be-tigers-2/): “I’m going to stop working in five years,” Peter said. “After I’ve finished paying for my son’s law school tuition.” (This after Peter told me that the average lifespan of a trial lawyer is 57. Peter, a trial lawyer, is 55.) “I’m going to start the fitness program as soon as my son starts kindergarten.” […] - [Who The Hell Do You Think You Are?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/who-the-hell-do-you-think-you-are/): This is a guest post by Ann Sheybani. Do you think people are chosen for awards and recognition because they shine so brightly the world can’t possibly ignore them? That they get plucked, in all of their magnificence, from total obscurity and dropped center stage? Do you think the golden few that get the grants, […] - [Gnaw On One Tree](https://www.walthampton.com/success/gnaw-on-one-tree/): I was a pyromaniac once. I burned everything in sight. I think it was a teenage boy thing. Thankfully, I seem to have outgrown it. My incendiary device of choice was a heavy, long-handled magnifying glass. Out in the bright sun with some newspaper or a pile of dry leaves, I could get quite a […] - [Stuck. In a Ditch. ](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/stuck-in-a-ditch/): “I’d slow it down if I were you.” (My friend Dave always prescient.) I glanced in the rearview mirror, smiled or perhaps smirked… and pressed the gas just a little bit harder. Around the corner on the icy road I swerved to avoid a log.  And unceremoniously impaled the Subaru in a ditch. Deep in […] - [The Beavers Are Busy. Are You?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-beavers-are-busy-are-you/): Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. — Isaiah 43:19 I’ve noticed the beavers at work along the river these past few mornings. It seems that spring came in the northern […] - [Size Matters](https://www.walthampton.com/success/size-matters/): For awhile, I lived next door to a guy who sold corporate jets. You know, like Lear jets. The kind that Arab sheiks and Donald Trump fly around in. I was always intrigued to hear the stories of the sales this guy made. What was especially fascinating was how very ordinary the process was. Selling […] - [Selfish Dreams](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/selfish-dreams-2/): “I have a bone to pick with you.” I had been stuffing my laptop back into its bag after the talk. I turned around and stared at the well-dressed gentleman in his mid-fifties. He had been in the audience on the right. His eyes drilled into me. “Following your dreams is selfish,” said the man. […] - [I Want To Be A Bufflao](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/i-want-to-be-a-bufflao/): I do. Let me tell you why. When I have a big project looming on the horizon, I often get overwhelmed. At first I pretend that the project doesn’t exist. Then I pretend that the deadline doesn’t exist. Then when the deadline stares me in the face, I panic. The panic drives me to avoidance. […] - [Lost and Found](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/lost-and-found/): My eyes scanned the shelves. I nodded and I smiled. I recognized that I owned nearly all of the self-help books in the store. And I knew in that moment that I was finally on the road to getting better. That was well more than a decade ago now. Yet I remember clearly the bleakness […] - [Why Happiness Is Old School](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/why-happiness-is-old-school/): Happiness is all the rage these days. A good thing, I say. Gretchen Rubin’s book has been on the New York Times bestseller list for a bazillion weeks. And Shawn Achor’s  getting 15 grand a pop for his keynotes on happiness. (That sure would make me happy!)   Last month, there were 5 million Google searches […] - [Danger Will Robinson](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/danger-will-robinson/): “The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.” –Tacitus Danger. And opportunity. Risk. And reward. I thought about these things as I was watching the Weather Channel from the warmth of the Dunkin Donuts… just before Ann and I headed off into the White Mountains for a day of climbing. The weather folks […] - [Sight Unseen](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/sight-unseen/): I love ice climbing on frozen waterfalls. Often you can hear the water rushing underneath.  You can almost sense the motion. It feels alive. But what happens when you can’t sense the motion?  What then? I received an email from a coaching client late last week. She felt frustrated.  She’d made a lot of progress […] - [Fall Down Seven Times. Bleed A Bit.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/fall-down-seven-times-bleed-a-bit/): Fall down seven times, get up eight.   – Japanese Proverb Abe’s been in the news quite a bit lately. Spielberg’s movie about his presidency will likely win all sorts of awards. And there have been countless articles about his management and leadership style. I think it’s Lincoln tenacity that captivates me most; his willingness to […] - [Sexy. Not.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/sexy-not/): I had the absolute worst run ever last weekend. It wasn’t very long; it wasn’t very cold. It was the same damn course we always run. But I was slow; it was painful; I never loosened up. And when I was finished, I felt as if someone had beaten me with a 2 x 4. […] - [Blind Spot](https://www.walthampton.com/success/blind-spot/): I love my Subaru Outback. This is the fourth one I’ve had. It’s fuel efficient, comfortable, and roomy; it’s great over rough terrain. It’s reliable in the snow and cold. And for all of our crazy outdoor activities, there couldn’t be a better vehicle. Except that it has a blind spot. Left hand side. Behind […] - [Buried Treasure](https://www.walthampton.com/success/buried-treasure/): I talk a lot about the F* word. In fact, it’s one of my very favorite words. Fun. But my F* word, it seems, isn’t always fun or fanciful for folks to hear about. In fact, I frequently find that discussions of fun can make folks downright frantic – fretful and frenetic! Case in point: […] - [DIY or SOSDD?](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/diy-or-sosdd/): A new year. Filled with opportunity; filled with possibility. What will it be for you? What will you do? Where will you go? How will you share your gifts? How will you change the world? You get to choose. Will you choose health and fitness? Will you choose work that deeply satisfies? Will you choose […] - [The Real Guide To Avoiding The Cliff](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/the-real-guide-to-avoiding-the-cliff/): In life itself, there is a time to seek inner peace, a time to rid oneself of tension and anxiety. The moment comes when the striving must let up, when wisdom says, “Be quiet.” You’ll be surprised how the world keeps on revolving without your pushing it. And you’ll be surprised how much stronger you […] - [How To Succeed In Biz And...](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-succeed-in-biz-and/): When I was a kid, my folks would pile us into the car and we’d go off for a “Sunday drive.” There was no particular destination. Some days we’d end up “somewhere.” But more times than not, we’d just meander. And  sometimes we’d get “lost.” I thought about this after a coaching session the other […] - [If Ya Wanna Be A Go-Giver](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/if-ya-wanna-be-a-go-giver/): I had the privilege this week of speaking to an amazing group of human resource managers, folks who spend their lives in the service of others. I wanted to share with you the words I shared with them, because the challenge they face is one that many of us struggle with, regardless of the work […] - [Do You Have A BHAG?](https://www.walthampton.com/adventure/do-you-have-a-bhag/): This is not some special rare breed of dog reserved for a select few. No, everyone should have a BHAG. And what an especially auspicious time of year to think about getting one! A BHAG is a big hairy audacious goal. If you don’t have a BHAG, you should get busy now. You see, a […] - [It's Just A Bad Hair Day](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-just-a-bad-hair-day/): I’m old; I’m fat; I’m out of shape; I’ve lost my edge. At least those were the stories I began to tell myself. I pushed on. Turned out it was just an off day. Some days are like that: Some days, it feels as if someone has poured cement into my running shoes. On other […] - [Re-Runs of Lost](https://www.walthampton.com/success/re-runs-of-lost/): The next five weeks can get lost if we don’t watch out. Yes, the holidays are here again. It’s easy to put off the diet, the exercise, the fitness, the launch, the new biz, the writing, the practice, the composition, the painting, the project, the chapter. It’s easy because there are receptions and parties, and […] - [Just A Flesh Wound ](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/just-a-flesh-wound/): King Arthur: [after Arthur’s cut off both of the Black Knight’s arms] Look, you stupid Bastard. You’ve got no arms left. Black Knight: Yes I have. King Arthur: *Look*! Black Knight: It’s just a flesh wound. –Monty Python and the Holy Grail Here are some important questions: Do you focus on your weaknesses? Do you […] - [Get Out Of Jail Free](https://www.walthampton.com/success/get-out-of-jail-free-2/): I have the coolest speaking gig this week: I’m giving the commencement address to 20 graduates, ages 17 to 20,  who have completed their GED – in prison! I feel so extremely lucky to have the opportunity to be a voice for them. As this week’s blog, I want to share with you the words […] - [Identity Theft](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/identity-theft/): What is your “I am” statement? Don’t go skipping through this blog so fast. Stop and answer the question. How we define ourselves really matters. It determines everything: It determines whether we succeed or fail; whether we prosper and thrive; or whether we suffocate, wither and die. I’ve spoken recently to a number of groups […] - [Ash Hole](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/ash-hole/): Financial objectives; weight loss; fitness goals; career ladders; creative projects: sometimes it feels as if we’re making no forward progress; sometimes it feels as if we’re sliding backwards; in fact, sometimes it seems as if we’re caught in a deep dark hole. If the goal is worthy and the strategy sound, there is only one […] - [Playmate of the Year](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/playmate-of-theyear/): Who are your playmates? Who are your buds? Who do you hang with? It’s an absolutely essential question to consider. Because here’s a (potentially scary) truth: we are the average of the five folks we hang out with most. Average in terms of where we live, how we live, what we do, what we make.  […] - [It Can't Be Done](https://www.walthampton.com/success/it-cant-be-done-2/): It’s not enough to be busy. The question is, what are we busy about? — Henry David Thoreau I speak on Intentional Leadership, Purposeful Living, Success Principals and Goal Achievement. The questions I get most often are about time management. When polled, nearly 100% of my audiences say they feel as if their lives are […] - [You Know You Want It](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/you-know-you-want-it/): “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”                    –Psalm 37:4 “Do you think it’s possible to be too young to follow your dreams?” she asked. She was sitting in the third row; she looked to be about 16. She wanted to go to New York to pursue her […] - [There Will Always Be Tigers](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/there-will-always-be-tigers/): “I’m going to stop working in five years,” Peter said. “After I’ve finished paying for my son’s law school tuition.” (This after Peter told me that the average lifespan of a trial lawyer is 57. Peter, a trial lawyer, is 55.) “I’m going to start the fitness program as soon as my son starts kindergarten.” […] - [Bad Weather and Dead Racoons](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/bad-weather-and-dead-racoons-2/): I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened. ― Mark Twain Some folks seem to be blessedly care-free. They never seem to worry. Many, though, find themselves anxious and unsettled on a regular basis. There is certainly plenty to worry about in the world: Afghanistan, unemployment, a nuclear Iran, […] - [Doing It On Purpose](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/doing-it-on-purpose/): We shall never cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. — T.S. Eliot I spent years; decades even. I conferred with priests and ministers. I consulted with counselors and therapists. I sought out spiritual directors and shamans […] - [Toss It In The River](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/toss-it-in-the-river/): I nearly missed it. It had fallen to the bottom of the mail basket. I fished out the tiny envelope. It was addressed to me; blue ink; the forced cursive of a now unsteady hand. I didn’t recognize the return address. The note inside said: “Dear Mr. Hampton, I stumbled over your book Journeys on […] - [Be A Control Freak](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/be-a-control-freak/): OK, people, it’s done. Summer’s over. The vacation’s behind you. No more lazy lunches.  No more casual Fridays. It’s time to put away the Dockers… and the swimmies. It’s time to get back to it. September’s here. Time to get busy; time to get serious. No more leisure, no more playtime. It’s time for work. […] - [The Devil You Don't Know](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-devil-you-dont-know/): Have you ever gone out in the morning to start the car and it groans and cranks and chugs – but it won’t turn over? You discover that the dome light has been on all night. And the battery is dead. That little draw of energy has drained all the juice. This happens all the […] - [It's The Journey, Stupid](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/its-the-journey-stupid/): She rolls her eyes when she says it. “Whatever.” (Pronounced whaaatevvvverrrrrr.) And it’s usually accompanied not only by a derisive snort but also by a look of exacerbated irritation. As a definitely “not-whatever” kind of guy, I find myself feeling extraordinarily pissed off whenever this word comes out of my sweet stepdaughter’s mouth. But I’ve […] - [Sorry, That’s Not Going To Work For Me](https://www.walthampton.com/success/sorry-thats-not-going-to-work-for-me/): This is a guest post by Ann Sheybani. Several years ago I opted to work with a Jack Canfield coach.  I wasn’t sure what the arrangement was going to be like, I just knew I needed a kick in the ass so I could get out of my own way and accomplish some really big goals. I […] - [Yup, It's Possible](https://www.walthampton.com/success/yup-its-possible/): Years ago, I had the privilege of studying with the late great outdoor photographer Galen Rowell. Galen was an icon. He lived life on a grand scale and made some of the most beautiful, memorable, moving images of the natural world that exist today. Galen believed that his most powerful images were made on the […] - [Do You Use Bad Language?](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/do-you-use-bad-language/): My mother used to threaten to wash my mouth out with soap. Those of you know me well can probably guess why. All of us, though, have the capacity for bad language. And I’m not talking about the f-bomb kind. What I’m talking about is the language we use when we view the world, when […] - [The Hill Will Always Be The Hill](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-hill-will-always-be-the-hill/): We’re fairly deep into our ultra-training season. Our Saturday long runs are now 20 miles or more. There’s a hill about a quarter mile from our house, at the start of our usual route. It goes on for about a 1000 yards or more, at a pretty steady grade. I’ve run it hundreds of times. […] - [No Competition](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/no-competition/): How do you stand out in the crowd? How do you get heard among the myriad talking heads? How do you compete in this challenging economy? The answer is: You don’t. You don’t need to compete. There is no competition. Years ago, I had the privilege of studying with the late great adventure photographer Galen […] - [Take The Easy Way Out](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/take-the-easy-way-out-2/): I was out on the rock face at about 11,000′ enjoying the view. The climbing was fairly straightforward, and flowed easily, even though I didn’t know the way. My climbing partner was 100 yards below me and to my left in a narrow cleft.  He was trying a different approach and it wasn’t going well. […] - [If You Knew](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/if-you-knew/): I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.   — Henry David Thoreau A friend of mine died two […] - [Just A Little Further](https://www.walthampton.com/success/just-a-little-further/): “Another 20 minutes,” I’m fond of saying. Most folks who have climbed or hiked with me have heard these words come out of my mouth at one time or another: when energy flags, morale drops, the terrain gets steep, the weather sours. “Let’s just go on another 20 minutes,” I say. Which, as those who […] - [Win A Kindle™ Fire! | Journeys on the Edge](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/win-a-kindle-fire-journeys-on-the-edge/): Journeys On Fire! Journeys on the Edge: Living a Life That Matters is taking off! Around the country and across the globe. Recently, I received an email from a soldier in Afghanistan telling me that Journeys had given him a vision of what his future might be when he returns home from combat. And last […] - [Are You An Inny or An Outty?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/are-you-an-inny-or-an-outty/): An important question to consider: where do you get your “juice?”   - [Bad Weather and Dead Racoons](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/bad-weather-and-dead-racoons/): I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened. ― Mark Twain Some folks seem to be blessedly care-free. They never seem to worry. Many, though, find themselves anxious and unsettled on a regular basis. There is certainly plenty to worry about in the world: Afghanistan, unemployment, a nuclear Iran, […] - [This Time It Should Be Different](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/this-time-it-should-be-different/): Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.  — Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s not fair. It should be different. It should be easier. This time, it shouldn’t seem so overwhelming. But it does. We’ve started our ultra-training for the season. Ann will run […] - [Busy Is Bad](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/busy-is-bad-2/): The need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution. – Stephen Covey I got caught up short recently with a question about Journeys on the Edge: Living a Life That Matters. The question: Doesn’t every life matter? The answer: Of course. But most […] - [Hairy and Audacious](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/hairy-and-audacious/): There was an interesting piece in the Harvard Business Review recently. It’s message: large goals – stretch goals – at the corporate level weaken company morale, threaten integrity and invite decay. “Let’s dispense, once and for all, with the managerial absurdity known as ‘stretch goals,'” writes Daniel Markovitz. Markovitz postulates that stretch goals Demotivate Foster […] - [Really?](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/really/): When you’re looking for a doctor, lawyer, accountant, coach, psychologist, realtor, mentor, consultant, advisor, who’s the real deal? And when you’re competing in the marketplace of services and ideas, how do you differentiate yourself, how do you stand out? Who can you rely on? Who can you trust? How do you know what’s real, what’s […] - [What Matters](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/what-matters/): “So what’s a life that matters?” I must have looked as dumbstruck as I felt. “The sub-title,” the man in the dark suit said, pointing to the slide on the screen. “You know, the sub-title of your book.” Ah, my book, the one I’ve been talking about. Yes, of course. Living a life that matters. […] - [In The Zone](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/in-the-zone/): Meet this transient world with neither grasping or fear, trust the unfolding of life, and you will attain true serenity. — Bhagavad Gita I love it when I’m in the zone. It’s effortless. It just flows. You know what I’m talkin’ about. You’re working on a project and everything just falls into place. You’re writing […] - [Are You In The Mission Position?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/are-you-in-the-mission-position/): Are you mission driven? Or do you muddle? The majority of folks drag themselves out the door, day after day, to their jobs, feeling empty, disappointed and depleted. Nearly 80% unhappy in their work. Of course, in this economy, so many are grateful just to have some work. But most folks want for something more […] - [It Can't Be Done](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/it-cant-be-done/): It’s not enough to be busy. The question is, what are we busy about? — Henry David Thoreau I speak on Intentional Leadership, Purposeful Living, Success Principals and Goal Achievement. The questions I get most often are about time management. When polled, nearly 100% of my audiences say they feel as if their lives are […] - [Read The Directions](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/read-the-directions/): I failed the test. Again. It was the same damn test that I’d failed in Fourth Grade. Maybe you remember something like it yourself: It starts out with a clear mandate to read the directions; the directions are lengthy; and then there are the questions. Buried deep in the directions, somewhere toward the end, is […] - [Remind Me](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/remind-me/): A Guest Blog by Beth Jannery Remind Me: Life is Made Up of Moments of Grace Life is not to be endured. It is an opportunity to be of service, to enjoy, to grow and change and challenge ourselves. In life we have a choice: fill it with grace or stay in the negative. Recently, […] - [Crash and Burn](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/crash-and-burn/): Imagine peace. — Yoko Ono I arrived in pretty rough shape. I had committed to coming every three months. It had been nearly a year since I’d been back. In the intervening time, I had run 1000 training miles and two ultra-marathons; I had launched a new book and traveled around the country on a […] - [Uphill Through Waist-Deep Snow](https://www.walthampton.com/success/uphill-through-waist-deep-snow/): When you are in a hurry, dress slowly. — French Proverb “How many of you feel as if you’re lives are way too busy?” “How many of you fall into bed at night feeling frustrated that you didn’t accomplish anywhere near what you set out to accomplish in the day?” Nearly all the hands go […] - [It Can Be Fixed](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/it-can-be-fixed/): Success without fulfillment is failure. — Anthony Robbins It was 4:00 p.m., long after I should have turned around. It was snowing and blowing and thundering and lightening. And I was alone. I had planned it for years and trained for months. I had spent 18 arduous days on the mountain, 5 above 20,000′. Now […] - [No One Gets A Pass](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/no-one-gets-a-pass/): “You always seem like you’re good.” The woman I was talking with was facing some significant challenges in her life.  Her face was tear-streaked and she was clearly exhausted. “Not always, “ I said. “No one gets a free pass.” When we look at “successful” people, people who seem to have all their “shit” together, […] - [Fireflies and Really Dirty Socks](https://www.walthampton.com/success/fireflies-and-really-dirty-socks/): Ideas can be life-changing. Sometimes all you need to open the door is just one more good idea. —Jim Rohn Ideas are like fireflies. If you don’t catch them, they disappear into the inky darkness and are gone forever. So many of our ideas, our thoughts, our dreams, our aspirations, come and go, arise and […] - [It's A Dead End. And That's OK.](https://www.walthampton.com/adventure/its-a-dead-end-and-thats-ok/): They looked liked ants, even through the high-powered spotting scope.  Two tiny dots on the 6000′ sheer, icy face of Mt. Hunter. They had been there for days, working to pioneer the new line. Up narrow runnels they would climb. Swinging their axes into the ice. Moving slowly, arduously in the arctic cold. For hours […] - [Are You In The Mood?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/are-you-in-the-mood/): The bed was warm. She cozied closer. “Are you in the mood?” I looked at her, my eyes wide in disbelief. “What are you, on crack?” I asked.  “Of course, I’m NOT in the mood.” Who asks questions like that? It was cold outside, 18 degrees as I recall. And dark. Who wants to run […] - [Not Worth The Effort](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/not-worth-the-effort/): It’s good you didn’t bother. Wouldn’t have worked out anyway. A massive waste. Those New Year’s resolutions. Yes, it’s February. Time to get on with life, with muddling. Those goals, those hopes and dreams and aspirations: too much work. Too much effort. Way too busy. And who makes them, anyway? Turns out the numbers are […] - [Kryptonite Is Everywhere](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/kryptonite-is-everywhere/): Cardiac arrest. CPR. ICU. “It doesn’t sound so good,” the caller said. We thought of him as Superman: tall, trim, fit, handsome, strong. Meticulous in his diet; committed to his exercise. The epitome of health. Invincible, we thought. Then the day after his 50th birthday, he dropped. A savage reminder of our vulnerability, our mortality; […] - [Ya Just Gotta Start](https://www.walthampton.com/adventure/ya-just-gotta-start/): Sometimes when we think about a goal, an objective, a new project, we hesitate to begin. We think: conditions aren’t right; we’re not fully prepared; we don’t have all the information; we haven’t raised enough money; we don’t have all the resources we need; there’s not enough time. But here’s the scoop. It’s never exactly […] - [Dream Catcher](https://www.walthampton.com/adventure/dream-catcher-2/): This post first appeared on July 15, 2010. What are your hopes and dreams and aspirations for the New Year? Get busy! And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. – Joel 2:28 Dreamer. […] - [Keep The Bucket Full](https://www.walthampton.com/uncategorized/keep-the-bucket-full-2/): This post first appeared on May 10, 2010. I share it again as we begin the New Year: What do you do after you stand on the top of the world? It’s the question Ann and I have been asking after Jordan Romero summited Mt. Everest last week. At age 13, he’s the youngest climber […] - [The Greatest Risk You’ll Ever Take](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/the-greatest-risk-you%e2%80%99ll-ever-take/): This is a Guest Post by JT DeBolt, speaker, coach and author of Flight Plan to Success. There are few endeavors we as humans have achieved in our evolution more awesome, more liberating than that of flight. I love flying airplanes. Aside from the obvious freedom and excitement of flying, piloting an airplane can be […] - [A New Dawn](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/a-new-dawn/): How can it be the New Year already? How many folks are ready for the New Year?  How many of you have made resolutions for the New Year already? How many haven’t even begun to think about New Year’s resolutions? Well you’re in the right place. New Years is a great time to reassess and […] - [To Turn Again](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/to-turn-again-2/): Because I know that time is always time And place is always and only place And what is actual is actual only for one time And only for one place I rejoice that things are as they are and I renounce the blessed face And renounce the voice Because I cannot hope to turn again […] - [Take The Easy Way Out](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/take-the-easy-way-out/): I was out on the rock face at about 11,000′ enjoying the view. The climbing was fairly straightforward, and flowed easily, even though I didn’t know the way. My climbing partner was 100 yards below me and to my left in a narrow cleft.  He was trying a different approach and it wasn’t going well. […] - [Mind Matters](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/mind-matters/): Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you‘re right. — Henry Ford “It’s not my fault.” Parents, how many times have you heard that one? As a defense attorney, I’ve heard it countless times. It’s a pervasive cry across our societal landscape; a pandemic failure of individual responsibility. It’s easier to blame […] - [One Hand Clapping](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/one-hand-clapping/): Two hands clap and there is a sound; what is the sound of one hand? — A Zen Kōan It was 4:00 p.m. It was snowing. And thundering. And lightening. I stood on the summit of the highest point in the Western Hemisphere. I could look out about 100 feet and see shadows of the […] - [Selfish Dreams](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/selfish-dreams/): “I have a bone to pick with you.” I had been stuffing my laptop back into its bag after the talk. I turned around and stared at the well-dressed gentleman in his mid-fifties. He had been in the audience on the right. His eyes drilled into me. “Following your dreams is selfish,” said the man. […] - [Time Is Money](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/time-is-money/): What if money didn’t exist anymore? What if it was no longer the medium of exchange? What if, instead of money, time was our currency? This is the premise of the new Justin Timberlake movie, In Time. In the movie, everyone who is born lives to age 25; and is then allotted just one more […] - [The Pill That Cures Insanity](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-pill-that-cures-insanity/): Weight-gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, stress, sadness, depression, intra-family conflict, financial strife. Yes, the holidays are here again! The Christmas decorations have been out in Wal-Mart for over a month already. But it seems like after Halloween, time suddenly warps and accelerates. We’re sucked into a vortex of madness. And then spit out into the […] - [The Good Word](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-good-word/): Like moths drawn to a flame. The earthquake in Turkey. A tsunami in Indonesia. The debt crisis in the U.S.; the Euro crisis in Greece. Iran wants the bomb. Unemployment is at 9%. Al Qaeda lurks. The environment is in peril. The Democrats are ruining the economy. The Republicans too. We never have to go far to find bad […] - [Life Is Not A Marathon](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/life-is-not-a-marathon/): It’s an Ultra! It’s amazing how fast significant events can disappear into the rear-view mirror of our lives. It was nearly a month ago already that we ran the Vermont 50. Yet despite the passage of time, I keep realizing how many lessons I learned in the hills around Ascutney. I used to think that […] - [Busy is Bad](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/busy-is-bad/): The need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution. — Stephen Covey I got caught up short recently with a question about Journeys on the Edge: Living a Life That Matters. The question: Doesn’t every life matter? The answer: Of course. But most […] - [Family Values](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/family-values/): The Tea Party loves them. The Republicans and the Democrats love them. Everybody loves them. Values. But what are they? The way folks talk about them, you’d think that they were wrought by Michelangelo or hanging in the Louvre. Values are things that matter. Sure, there are probably some objective values. The Framers of our Constitution sure […] - [My Day With Fiddy](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/my-day-with-fiddy/): I ran the Vermont 50 this past week, an ultra marathon, a trail run with an elevation gain of 8900 vertical feet, 50 miles long. It was epic. Even as I write this I am fairly certain that my quadriceps have been beaten with railroad ties. Years ago, as we set out on our first […] - [Reality Check](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/reality-check/): It used to be that work was what happened to you when you were busy making other plans. — Outside Magazine, September 2011 Whenever I return from an adventure, he invariably asks the question that I find so troubling. “Back to reality, I guess, huh?” I suspect that my father’s perspective is borne of a […] - [Go To The Well](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/go-to-the-well/): When this blog posts, I will be at the well. For me, it’s a little place in West Cork perched on a hill overlooking the North Atlantic.  There is no TV, no Internet, no cell phone. There is the sound of the sea, and the wind in the trees. Nothing else. It is the place […] - [Hangman's Noose](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/hangmans-noose/): Life is to be lived. No excuses. No reservations. No holding back. — Steve Goodier “How ya doin’?” I asked. “Hangin’ in there,” Rick replied. We were lifting at the gym.  Rick had just arrived. “A lot goin’ on,” he explained. “Busy, busy, busy. But, not bad, I guess.” Not good I think. “Hangin’ in […] - [The Secret Behind The Secret](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-secret-behind-the-secret/): Whatever you can do or dream, begin it. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe The Missing Secret I have a secret. It’s the secret behind The Secret. It’s the secret to all success. Irene whispered it to me on a rainy hillside. Do you want to hear it? You know The Secret: that Law of Attraction stuff. What you […] - [Yup, The Gods, They're Crazy](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/yup-the-gods-theyre-crazy/): Smoke on the water, fire in the sky. — Deep Purple The explosion shattered the stillness and nearly knocked me off my feet. Here’s what I had been worrying about as I ran along the road in the pre-dawn light: the exhaust system on my son’s car my hip flexors the cat whether I had […] - [Get Out Of Jail Free](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/get-out-of-jail-free/): If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page. — Mark Houlahan Liz sat across the table from Ann.  “I could never do that,” Liz said. Ann had been describing our marathon training. Granted […] - [Follow The Fun ](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/follow-the-fun/): But something touched me deep inside. The day the music died. — Don McLean, American Pie My Favorite Question It has become my favorite question to ask at professional functions: “So what have you been doing for fun?” I get quizzical looks, looks of bewilderment, confusion. Fun? What is this thing “fun”? Why would anyone […] - [Map Quest](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/map-quest/): If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much. — Jim Rohn It All Starts With A Map We looked at the map. We studied the topo.  We were pretty psyched. Our plan was to run twelve miles […] - [Change Today?](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/change-today/): In the Zone – The Comfort Zone “Change today?” the beggar asked. I had passed him earlier. He smiled. His teeth were yellow. The coins rattled in his cup. “Change today?” Perhaps I am the beggar.  Or you. Will I change today? Will you? Of course, the answer is yes. We always do. And yet… […] - [The Recreation Department](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-recreation-department/): I objected to it. I railed against it. I didn’t want to do it. It seemed wasteful. Lazy. Uninspired. Counterproductive. Take a rest day. Who does that? Turns out, a lot of (smart) folks do. I’ve joined the bandwagon. Happily. The rest day is not a foreign concept to me.  It’s always been part of […] - [Borderlands](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/borderlands/): Ian’s home from jail! “You did WHAT?” I wasn’t sure that I had heard her correctly. “I bonded Ian out.” I didn’t know what to say next. Ian’s 22. Horribly addicted to heroin, he’d been in jail for nearly six months after being arrested for multiple burglaries. I had recommended (strongly) to his mother that […] - [Fail For Fun](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/fail-for-fun/): Failure Is Just Part Of The Process “You’re not losing them if you’re not taking them to trial,” the senior partner said after a jury brought in a record-breaking multi-million dollar verdict against his client. The size of the loss boggled my mind. And the concept that such a loss could just be part of […] - [It Matters Not](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/it-matters-not/): “I don’t much feel like going to the gym,” she said. “It matters not what you feel,” I replied. This, of course, did not promote a warm response from my dear wife. But it was true nonetheless. Once we’ve made a commitment, what we feel is immaterial. Of course it matters how we feel.  And […] - [Through The Open Door](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/through-the-open-door/): “There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth. Not going all the way, and not starting.” — Siddhartha Gautama We’ve talked about Resistance, that evil Lizard that speaks to us in the dark hours of our fear: “Don’t start; you’re too tired; you’re not ready; you will fail,” it whispers. The […] - [Re-Boot, Re-Charge, Re-Launch](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/re-boot-re-charge-re-launch/): I hate it when I have to take the battery out of my Blackberry, or unplug the computer from the wall. But sometimes, it’s just necessary. Too much stuff has accumulated. The operating system is overloaded. Everything is locked up. It happens in our lives as well. Weighed down in projects and problems. Overwhelmed by […] - [Lessons of the Lying Lizard ](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/lessons-of-the-lying-lizard/): “It’s steeper near the top,” Seth Godin writes in his chapter on Resistance. This is not always true. I’ve crested many a summit ridge after a steep and arduous ascent to find a short, gentle walk to the top. But I think I know what Godin means. So often, the deeper we move into a […] - [Your Feelings Don't Really Matter ](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/yourfeelingsdontmatter/): I had just finished speaking to a university audience on leadership and goal achievement, and had stayed on afterwards to chat with the students. “I know exactly what I want,” my young listener proclaimed. Looking earnest, he furled his brow. “It’s just that I don’t always feel very motivated.” “I don’t really give a fuck […] - [The B.S. Question](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-b-s-question/): If there is one question that comes up more frequently than any other in the course of getting started with a new coaching client, it’s this one: “How do I do that?” As in, how do I start my own firm or launch a new product or transition into a new career? The question is […] - [Managing The Monster](https://www.walthampton.com/success/managing-the-monster/): There’s a wonderful story that I loved to read to my boys when they were young: There’s A Monster Under My Bed by James Howe. It’s speaks playfully but powerfully to that irrational fear of the dark that so many of us struggled with. And, of course, most of us came to realize that the […] - [If I Call You, Please Don't Answer ](https://www.walthampton.com/success/if-i-call-you-please-dont-answer/): During a job interview, a client of mine received a phone call. She answered. A realtor friend told me that his broker expected him to answer every phone call he received regardless of what he was doing; and, in no event, should he ever take more than 9 minutes to return a call. The general […] - [You're A Fake & I Know It!](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/youre-a-fake-i-know-it/): John was being interviewed about his distinguished career as an anthropologist. He was smart, witty, inciteful. A true professional. The real deal. Except that he wasn’t. John was a classmate of mine at a recent conference I attended to hone my public speaking skills. And this was an on-camera exercise he was chosen to participate […] - [Road Blocks & Hula Hoops](https://www.walthampton.com/success/road-blocks-hula-hoops-2/): “I need to do some research on the market.” “I need another certification.” “I need to build a website.” “I’m not sure of my target audience.” “I think there’s a seminar I should take first.” “I’m still a bit unclear about my message.” “I don’t really know what to start writing about.” “I’ve never spoken […] - [Just One Thing ](https://www.walthampton.com/success/just-one-thing/): The phone rings. A fax comes in. There’s an email alert. Your associate needs help. The school calls about your sick child. Your Outlook chimes. There’s a LinkedIn request to connect. You’re mentioned on Twitter. Your associate needs help. Your gCal pops up. A text comes in from an unhappy client. Someone ‘likes’ your post […] - [3 Things Successful People Do Differently](https://www.walthampton.com/success/3-things-successful-people-do-differently/): Many folks think that success is like magic. It just happens. It’s a matter of luck; or birthright; or privilege. It’s reserved for the fortunate few. But actually, success is like a cake recipe. There are ingredients, and particular steps; and if you follow the recipe, you will be successful. Study successful people. You will […] - [Danger. Danger](https://www.walthampton.com/success/danger-danger-2/): This is the end of the line for most folks. This is where the cart goes off the track. Despite the most heartfelt resolutions, despite whatever the best intentions might have been, most folks give up on their New Year’s promises to themselves… right about now. Not because they didn’t mean what they said. Not […] - [What's Your Secret Recipe?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/whats-your-secret-recipe/): Brené Brown, in her beautiful book The Gifts of Imperfection, has a wonderful exercise: List your “ingredients for joy and meaning,” she instructs. It’s a powerful exercise because, for most of us, the ingredients are pretty simple; and they don’t cost very much. For me, they’re a long gentle run along the coast, feeling the […] - [Make It Happen](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/make-it-happen/): It was already late in the day when I called. So I made the request gingerly. “I know it’s last minute, but might we have Table 13? It’s our favorite table.” Now, at most restaurants, the response would be, “We can’t promise that,” or, “We’ll see what we can do.” But not at this one. […] - [Your Heart's Desire](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/your-hearts-desire-2/): Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 How are you today? I hope you’ve woken up rested, refreshed and satisfied after your holiday celebrations. But if, instead, you’re feeling dazed and depleted and maybe a little bit empty, you are not alone. The holidays are […] - [What Your GPS Can Teach You](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-your-gps-can-teach-you/): Don’t you love your car’s GPS? When you hop into your car for a trip to an unfamiliar destination, you plug in the address that your nav system converts to GPS coordinates. You start your car, pull out of the driveway, and follow the directions that the nice lady narrates. With few exceptions, you end […] - [How To Get It All](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-get-it-all-2/): There is a fundamental success principle: What we focus on expands. When we focus on what’s working in our lives, we get more of what’s working. When we focus on what’s good, we get more of what’s good. When we focus on our blessings, we get more of what blesses us. Of course the principle […] - [How Many People Are In Your Shower?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-many-people-are-in-your-shower/): Mindfulness is mainstream it seems. CBS. 60 Minutes. Anderson Cooper. Doesn’t get more mainstream than that. It’s a movement, Cooper says. I’m not sure about that. But I sure hope so. Because, you see, culturally, we’ve lost our focus; we’ve lost our edge. We’ve lost our ability to be present; to be here now. We […] - [Naughty or Nice](https://www.walthampton.com/success/naughty-or-nice/): Make your list; and check it twice. Decide what’s naughty… and what’s nice. I’m not talking about your Christmas list or your holiday card list or your To-Do list. No, I’m talking about your most important list of all: your Stop Doing List. We get caught up in the myriad tasks we have; we lose […] - [Cruel To Be Kind](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/cruel-to-be-kind/): It was a pretty hefty litany of challenges. “If one of your team came to you with this long, sad story,” I asked, “what would you say?” “I’d say to her… take the rest of the day off. In fact, take a long weekend. Do what you need to do to take care of you; […] - [What You Focus On Expands](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-you-focus-on-expands/): These are the questions I always ask at the beginning of a coaching session: What’s worked well this past week? Where have you found the traction? Where have you seen the momentum? What have been your wins? I want to know what’s good. None of us lack for challenges. No one escapes difficulty. It’s easy […] - [Just Screw It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/just-screw-it/): The days have gotten pretty short up here on the 52nd parallel. The sun rises in the southeast and scoots along the southern horizon; darkness comes way too soon. Today, the wind is blowing a cold rain across the pastures. But here’s what’s true: The seeds of spring blow on these cold winds of November. […] - [The MOST Important Question](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-most-important-question/): “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” -Stephen Covey There are lots of important questions that we might ask ourselves in business and in life. But the most important one is this one: “What do I want the outcome to be?” What is my destination? Where do I want to […] - [What Successful Dogs Need To Know About New Tricks](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/what-successful-dogs-need-to-know-about-new-tricks/): If you’re an accomplished professional; if you’ve succeeded at a high level in business and in life, then learning something new should be a breeze, shouldn’t it? Well, it turns out that that’s not the case at all. The more successful we are, the more comfortable we become in our areas of expertise; and the […] - [What's Your Costume?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/whats-your-costume-2/): What are you gonna be for Halloween? Who are you going to dress up as? Masks and costumes. Parties and planning. Fervor, festivities and fever pitch. Bigger than Christmas is seems. What is it about Halloween that so excites, that so sparks the imagination? Yes, fun for sure. The chance to let loose, hide out, […] - [Love It or Leave It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/love-it-or-leave-it-2/): You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out. –Steve Jobs I have a client – articulate, driven, highly educated and talented – whose business is failing. Because she doesn’t love it. […] - [Where Are You?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/where-are-you/): Are you thinking about what just happened a moment ago… or yesterday? Are you pondering what’s next… the next call, the next email, the next meeting, the next…? Doubtful you are here. Right here. Right now. In this present moment. Because it’s so hard to be right here. Not because we don’t have enough in […] - [Mutitasking Costs Too Much](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/mutitasking-costs-too-much/): I like to pretend that I can multitask. Except that I really can’t. No one can. It’s not physiologically possible. Certain repetitive, habitual type things, of course, can get done at the same time, like tying your shoes while carrying on a conversation. But two or more things that require focused attention simply can’t be […] - [Take A Shower](https://www.walthampton.com/success/take-a-shower/): Take a shower; or a warm bath. Walk in the woods; or along the beach. Sit in a Jacuzzi; or in a rocker. Watch the sunrise, or set; or both. Get away. Away from the overwhelm. Get out of your office, out of the maelstrom, out of your head; get off the grid, off the […] - [The Latest Buzz In Biz](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-latest-buzz-in-biz/): Mindfulness is the latest buzzword in business. It’s being taught at Harvard and at Wharton. It’s being talked about at prestigious leadership conferences like Davos. It’s being practiced at places like Google and Apple and Aetna Healthcare. Everyone’s excited about it because the science shows that mindfulness reduces stress, enhances wellness, increases productivity and significantly […] - [Excuses Are Good!](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/excuses-are-good/): Excuses are good; really good. Because, if you’ve got a plausible excuse, then you’re safe… you don’t need to do anything; you don’t need to risk anything. If you want to do, be or have something more for yourself; if you’d like your life to be different; if you’d like your health to be better; […] - [Doing It On Purpose](https://www.walthampton.com/success/doing-it-on-purpose-3/): We shall never cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. — T.S. Eliot I spent years; decades even. I conferred with priests and ministers. I consulted with counselors and therapists. I sought out spiritual directors and shamans […] - [Be A Control Freak ](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-a-control-freak-3/): Ok people, it’s done. Summer’s over. The vacation’s behind you. No more lazy lunches. No more casual Fridays. It’s time to put away the Dockers… and the swimmies. It’s time to get back to it. September’s here. Time to get busy; time to get serious. No more leisure, no more playtime. It’s time for work. […] - [Labor of Love](https://www.walthampton.com/success/labor-of-love/): It’s Labor Day weekend in the United States: A celebration of work and workers; an opportunity to honor labor; the chance to celebrate the fulfillment of our effort. Or perhaps, more realistically, an escape from tedium; a long weekend away from the insanity of the office; with a beer… or two; and burgers and dogs […] - [The Epic Ravage of CPAD](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-epic-ravage-of-cpad/): It was one of those rare summer mornings. Crystal clear; crisp, cool air; soft, gentle light. My run had been magnificent through the woods and along our meandering river. I luxuriated in the experience of being in my body as it flowed over the ground surrounded by such beauty. Along the way, I passed a […] - [What's Your Destination? ](https://www.walthampton.com/success/whats-your-destination/): Where are you going? And why? What is your destination? Will you know it when you get there? Do you know? Do you remember? A common question that we ask little kids when we first meet them is, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And they know! Teachers, fire fighters, astronauts, […] - [Time For A New Map](https://www.walthampton.com/success/time-for-a-new-map/): I was carried away by the sound. Beautiful beyond words. Beautiful beyond anything I had ever heard. Each note, each passage, more glorious, more magnificent than the last A soaring concerto. A virtuoso violinist. I was the commencement speaker at a high school music academy. And this – this masterpiece – was the evening’s prelude… […] - [R U A Zombie?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/r-u-a-zombie-2/): Ann and I saw the movie World War Z last summer. It’s about a pathogen gone wild that turns folks into zombies. Once infected, their eyes glaze over. They become dull and lifeless until they’re stressed by sound. Then they become dangerously aggressive running wildly in packs. They’re the ‘un-dead.’ But they might as well […] - [KISS](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/kiss/): Why do so many of us have a love affair with the iPod™, the iPhone™, the iPad™? Because Steve Jobs believed so passionately in elegant simplicity. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” Jobs said. “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s […] - [Just Sit There](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/just-sit-there/): I laughed out loud this week when I saw Internet sales guru Eben Pagan hawking meditation as a key tool for achieving business success. When I first started practicing meditation more than 20 years ago, I hid it under the radar. It was considered weird and ‘out there.’ Kinda like the Moonies or TM and […] - [Space Exploration](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/space-exploration/): I’ve been puttering in my garden. I love my garden. But I find puttering to be a challenge. You see, I’m a big believer in action: Doing, achieving, accomplishing; moving like a shark lest I perish from inertia. Steeped, as I am, in the cultural paradigm that, in order to succeed, I need to work […] - [Go To The Well](https://www.walthampton.com/success/go-to-the-well-3/): This is an encore of a piece first published in September 2011. Apropos as I re-visit the well… . When you read this post, I will be at the well. For me, it’s a little place in West Cork perched on a hill overlooking the North Atlantic. There is no TV, no Internet, no cell […] - [It's Halftime!](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-halftime-2/): There won’t be any racey ‘costume malfunction’ to talk about ’round the old water cooler on Monday morning; no half-time show, no marching band, no dazzling commercial break. There won’t be any balls that drop or clocks that flash or hats to wear or horns to blow. It’ll slide by quite unnoticed. And the end […] - [The Lie](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-lie/): I’ve had the great privilege of spending time this past week with graduating high school seniors in anticipation of their commencements. One of the things I tell them is: Don’t believe “the lie.” This is the lie we tell; the lie that was told to me; the lie teachers and parents and well-meaning adults tell; […] - [¿ Donde](https://www.walthampton.com/success/donde/): We wandered in the fog. For days. A storm had enveloped the lower part of the mountain right after we had landed at base camp. We had heard that the weather was “nice” up above.  So in order to push forward toward Denali’s summit without jeopardizing our supplies of food and fuel, we had decided […] - [I Love Shiny Toys](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/i-love-shiny-toys/): I’m sitting on a leadership panel this week at the 2014 Connecticut Business Expo. One of the first questions we’ll consider is: “What are the greatest challenges that business leaders face today, especially as they seek to grow?” There are, as you might surmise, many challenges. But one of the biggest is what I refer […] - [What Are You Selling... Really?](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/what-are-you-selling-really/): “We’d like to buy you all dessert,” the waitress chirped. We were entertaining two other couples at a lovely restaurant called Barcelona.  The dinner had been flawless: wonderful wines, great food, superb service. I cocked my head and squinted. “Why?” “Well, my manager said you were in here 6 months ago and had a bad […] - [Rearranging The Deck Chairs](https://www.walthampton.com/success/rearranging-deck-chairs/): My youngest son turned 21 this past week. When he was 14, I took him on a Disney cruise. One night, he decided that he was going to “rearrange” all of the deck chairs and move them onto the elevators. This apparent misuse of time and resources seemed to amuse him. It amused Philip, the […] - [Jumbo Shrimp ](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/jumbo-shrimp/): I unintentionally stirred a shit-storm last week with my newsletter. I recommended that everyone take a vacation this summer; that vacations are essential to our well-being. This, apparently, is controversial. Taking vacations, so the criticism went, suggests that you are not a team player. It might even mean that you’re weak. If your boss tells […] - [I Envy You](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/i-envy-you/): She ran up behind me and matched my pace. I didn’t know her. But she clearly knew me. “I loved your Facebook pictures from Ireland,” she said. “I envy your lifestyle.” “Yeah, thanks, it’s pretty fine,” I gasped as I crested the hill. She peeled off to the right. If I hadn’t been hypoxic in […] - [Time Is Money](https://www.walthampton.com/success/time-is-money-2/): (This is an encore of a post first published on November 10, 2011) What if money didn’t exist anymore? What if it was no longer the medium of exchange? What if, instead of money, time was our currency? This is the premise of the Justin Timberlake movie, In Time. In the movie, everyone who is […] - [No Sorry There Isn't Any](https://www.walthampton.com/success/no-sorry-there-isnt-any/): Time. Everyone wants it. No one has enough of it. We all want to manage it. But here’s the problem: Time can’t be managed. Time is just an idea, a construct. Time just is. Einstein said that time is relative. He talked about a space-time continuum. More recently physicists have hypothesized that time is all […] - [Time Management for Losers](https://www.walthampton.com/success/time-management-for-losers-2/): I’m working feverishly this week to complete a draft of my book on time management; so I have no time to write! Here is a great guest post on the topic from the inestimable Ann Sheybani: A long time ago, when I was selling photo copiers for a living, I met an older woman who […] - [Huckle Buckle Beanstalk](https://www.walthampton.com/success/huckle-buckle-beanstalk/): How do you know if you’re getting close to finding something you seem to have lost… or locating something that seems to be hidden? Well, when you were little, maybe you played huckle buckle beanstalk (or perhaps you called it ‘hot & cold’).  You played it like this: If you were getting close to finding […] - [Why Wrong Is Right](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/why-wrong-is-right/): Mistakes, wrong turns, blind alleys: they are part of the adventure. I thought about this as I paddled on into the driving rain…and darkening sky. Hours earlier we had ventured out onto the Killarney Lakes in kayaks. Even with a map in hand, the exit from one lake to another – the route to our […] - [Just Tweak It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/just-tweak-it/): “I can’t believe it! Just a couple of tweaks to my resume and marketing materials and, all of a sudden, I am getting dozens of interviews. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing!” As Gretchen’s coach, I shared in her excitement and joy. But I wasn’t at all surprised. Gretchen’s got the goods: she’s bright, energetic, articulate, […] - [Your Feelings Don't Really Matter](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-feelings-dont-really-matter/): I had just finished speaking to a university audience on leadership and goal achievement, and had stayed on afterwards to chat with the students. “I know exactly what I want,” my young listener proclaimed. Looking earnest, he furled his brow. “It’s just that I don’t always feel very motivated.” “I don’t really give a fuck […] - [WHERE Are The Exits?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/where-are-the-exits/): I sat in the aisle seat and watched as the flight attendant regurgitated the safety brief I’d heard hundreds (thousands?) of times before. As a professional speaker, I fly quite a bit for business, and I make a point to tune in to each safety brief. You just never know if it might be necessary. […] - [Success. It's Just Not Worth It.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/success-its-just-not-worth-it/): So why do you want success? Why do you want to achieve your goals? What’s in it for you? There’s a new Cadillac ad. It’s really troubling. It suggests that success is about working hard so that we can get expensive toys… but that there’s really no time to enjoy them… because we need to […] - [Start. Just Start.](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/start-just-start/): Starting out, even when things aren’t perfect, even when conditions aren’t quite right, is one of the most important of all success strategies. Because, the truth is, that for most endeavors, conditions are never really quite right. I thought about this success principle as I stood high above the trees looking out on one of […] - [Yes You: An Olympic Champion](https://www.walthampton.com/success/yes-you-an-olympic-champion/): The gym is nearly empty again. And the runners with their new gear have mostly disappeared. It’s the middle of February. How are you doing on your 2014 goals and resolutions? Statistically, only a small percentage of the population bothers to make New Year’s resolutions anymore. And of those who do, most abandon the effort […] - [Road Blocks & Hula Hoops](https://www.walthampton.com/success/road-blocks-hula-hoops/): “I need to do some research on the market.” “I need another certification.” “I need to build a website.” “I’m not sure of my target audience.” “I think there’s a seminar I should take first.” “I’m still a bit unclear about my message.” “I don’t really know what to start writing about.” “I’ve never spoken […] - [Lather. Rinse. Repeat.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/lather-rinse-repeat/): Most people quit just shy of their goals. They give up when they are tired or discouraged or demoralized. They give up when they don’t to see the results of their efforts; when they can’t see the finish line. The story about Florence Chadwick, the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions, […] - [Danger. Danger.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/danger-danger/): This is the end of the line for most folks. This is where the cart goes off the track. Despite the most heartfelt resolutions, despite whatever the best intentions might have been, most folks give up on their New Year’s promises to themselves… right about now. Not because they didn’t mean what they said. Not […] - [It's Your Job](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-your-job/): Sweet to look at. But sullen and churlish. “Theeese is not my jhob. Does theeese look like my jhob?” she snarled with her thick Russian accent. I had been two days in the Hermitage, that grandest of all museums in St. Petersburg. Now nearly blind and disoriented, I had made the mistake of (politely) asking […] - [FMU](https://www.walthampton.com/success/fmu/): We were walking along the trail, in the rain, as I remember it, carrying on an erudite conversation. We had been a week on Kilimanjaro, now filled with vast – and half-vast – ideas. Bob articulated a principle that I found absolutely fascinating… and compelling. “Where did you learn that?” I asked. “I made it […] - [Be A Pig](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-a-pig/): So maybe you’ve made some New Year’s resolutions. Or set some goals. AND, you’ve decided: This year is going to be different. This year, you’re not going to quit. This year, you’re going to keep going. This year you’re going to follow through. You’ve decided that you’re NOT going to let another year slide by! […] - [The Secret to Tripping Out](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/the-secret-to-tripping-out/): Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. -W. Clement Stone Imagine, if you will, that you’re about to embark on a long trip. Maybe it’s a drive across the country; maybe it’s a tour of the grand capitols of Western Europe; maybe it a sabbatic leave in the South Pacific. Now, imagine […] - [Your Heart's Desire](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/your-hearts-desire/): Hope deferred makes the heart sick,     but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 How are you today? I hope you’ve woken up rested, refreshed and satisfied after your Christmas celebrations. But if, instead, you’re feeling dazed and depleted and maybe a little bit empty, you are not alone. The holidays are […] - [Why You Don't Want Blockbuster Success](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-dont-want-blockbuster-success/): As the flakes began to fall, I remembered all those days of yore when we’d be hurrying out to Blockbuster™ to stock up on movies in the teeth of the oncoming storm. (And, of course, that concomitant stack of DVDs on the kitchen counter that likely was overdue.) No more. Streaming video from Amazon™ now. […] - [The Real Guide to Avoiding The Cliff](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-real-guide-to-avoiding-the-cliff-2/): In life itself, there is a time to seek inner peace, a time to rid oneself of tension and anxiety. The moment comes when the striving must let up, when wisdom says, “Be quiet.” You’ll be surprised how the world keeps on revolving without your pushing it. And you’ll be surprised how much stronger you […] - [How To Crash and Burn By Year's End](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-crash-and-burn-by-years-end/): December can be a crazy month. It can feel like an energy vortex sucking us forward at warp speed only to dump us out breathless and exhausted sometime around the end of January. It’s pretty easy to wear yourself out so that there’s nothing left at all. If you want to crash and burn, I […] - [How To Get It All](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-get-it-all/): There is a fundamental success principle: What we focus on expands. When we focus on what’s working in our lives, we get more of what’s working. When we focus on what’s good, we get more of what’s good. When we focus on our blessings, we get more of what blesses us. Of course the principle […] - [How To Properly Clean The Toilet](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-properly-clean-the-toilet/): “You need to clean out the stream,” Barry said. Barry is our ‘man.’ He takes care of our little cottage in Ireland. Clean out the stream? Who cleans out streams, I thought. Streams take care of themselves! So I ignored Barry. And then the rains came. And the yard flooded. When the rain finally stopped […] - [It's Just A Bad Hair Day](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-just-a-bad-hair-day-2/): I’m old; I’m fat; I’m out of shape; I’ve lost my edge. At least those were the stories I began to tell myself. I pushed on. Turned out it was just an off day. Some days are like that: Some days, it feels as if someone has poured cement into my running shoes. On other […] - [How To Get To Where You Want To Go](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-get-to-where-you-want-to-go/): Rarely would you jump into your car or book a flight without knowing exactly where you were going. You wouldn’t expect your GPS to guide you to your destination without first having entered the exact address. And yet, day after day,  so many folks  allow their lives to unfold in just that way. When we […] - [What's Your Costume?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/whats-your-costume/): What are you gonna be for Halloween? Who are you going to dress up as? Masks and costumes. Parties and planning. Fervor, festivities and fever pitch. Bigger than Christmas is seems. What is it about Halloween that so excites, that so sparks the imagination? Yes, fun for sure. The chance to let loose, hide out, […] - [Doing It On Purpose](https://www.walthampton.com/success/doing-it-on-purpose-2/): We shall never cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. — T.S. Eliot I spent years; decades even. I conferred with priests and ministers. I consulted with counselors and therapists. I sought out spiritual directors and shamans […] - [Act Out](https://www.walthampton.com/success/act-out/): One of my fondest memories from my early years as a young single dad is of watching my boy, clad in his yellow slicker and red rubber boots, stomping in the puddles, standing in the rain. He always liked being out in the ‘mess’ of it all. Still does, I dare say. Being out in […] - [Love It or Leave It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/love-it-or-leave-it/): You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out. –Steve Jobs I have a client – articulate, driven, highly educated and talented – whose business is failing. Because she doesn’t love it. […] - [Quiet](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/quiet/): Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in […] - [A Spiral Staircase](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/a-spiral-staircase/): “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. Sometimes life feels like a scene from that old Bill Murray movie: Goundhog Day. Every day the same thing. The progress we want to make, the goals we set… all seem […] - [Be Cliff Young](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-cliff-young/): I LOVE the story of Cliff Young. It is a story of audaciousness… but even more than that, it is a study in tenacity… stick-to-it-ness… something that all of us can use sometimes… Cliff Young was a 61-year-old potato farmer who had never run a race before. He decided he wanted to run the Sydney […] - [Be A Control Freak](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-a-control-freak-2/): OK, people, it’s done. Summer’s over. The vacation’s behind you. No more lazy lunches. No more casual Fridays. It’s time to put away the Dockers… and the swimmies. It’s time to get back to it. September’s here. Time to get busy; time to get serious. No more leisure, no more playtime. It’s time for work. […] - [To The Beach](https://www.walthampton.com/success/to-the-beach/): At some point in our evolutionary history, our forebears crawled up out of the sea onto the beach into the sunlight and the air. On June 6, 1944, the Allied Forces stormed the beaches at Normandy to effect a turning point in the Second World War. The beachhead: a critical component of success. In evolution, […] - [Sit There. Do Nothing.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/sit-there-do-nothing/): What do the Seattle Seahawk players and the managers at Aetna Health Insurance have in common with the Dalai Lama? They meditate. Really. They sit on cushions, close their eyes and go “Om.” Why, you might ask, would burly football players and corporate execs bother? Because they’ve discovered the power of mindfulness. This is not […] - [Stop, Drop & Roll](https://www.walthampton.com/success/stop-drop-roll/): Sometimes the optimal success principle, the very best action strategy, is to take no action. Do nothing. I had a coaching client whose business was collapsing around him. His knee-jerk reaction was to borrow more money, hire some high-paid consultants, and staff-up with personnel. All of which accelerated his calamitous decline. My advice: Stop. Don’t […] - [Time Management For Losers](https://www.walthampton.com/success/time-management-for-losers/): A guest post this week from the inestimable Ann Sheybani… A long time ago, when I was selling photo copiers for a living, I met an older woman who gave me a piece of advice I will never forget. “Darling,” she said, smoothing back her hair with steady hands, “there’s a time and a place […] - [Be A Slasher](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/be-a-slasher/): One of my least favorite questions in the entire world, asked at nearly every business meeting, networking function, and social gathering, is, “So, what do you do?” As if what we “do” – for work – defines us. Of course, for many folks, it does define them. What they ‘do’ is all they are. It […] - [Don't Lean](https://www.walthampton.com/success/dont-lean/): There seems to be a lot of “leaning” going on these days. Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In is #1 on the list of New York Times Bestsellers. Sandberg says that women unintentionally hold themselves back from successful careers; that they need to be more proactive, more assertive; that in their pursuit of corporate success, they […] - [R U A Zombie?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/r-u-a-zombie/): A couple of weeks ago, Ann and I saw the summer thriller World War Z. It’s about a pathogen gone wild that turns folks into zombies. Once infected, their eyes glaze over. They become dull and lifeless until they’re stressed by sound. Then they become dangerously aggressive running wildly in packs. They’re the ‘un-dead.’ But […] - [Do You Use Bad Language?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/do-you-use-bad-language-2/): My mother used to threaten to wash my mouth out with soap. Those of you know me well can probably guess why. All of us, though, have the capacity for bad language. And I’m not talking about the f-bomb kind. What I’m talking about is the language we use when we view the world, when […] - [You're A Fraud](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/youre-a-fraud/): Not. But chances are that you’ve felt like one from time to time. I had dinner recently with a high-ranking foreign official. She was appointed to her position by the president of her country, the first woman to hold it in over 700 years. Trained as a trial lawyer, she is bright, savvy, shrewd, articulate […] - [Be Free](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/be-free/): One of the most powerful books of the 20th century was Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist living in Vienna when the Nazi’s came to power. He was aware of the unraveling of things and had obtained a visa to secure refuge in the United States. But at the eleventh […] - [It's Halftime!](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-halftime/): There won’t be any racey ‘costume malfunction’ to talk about ’round the old water cooler on Monday morning; no half-time show, no marching band, no dazzling commercial break. There won’t be any balls that drop or clocks that flash or hats to wear or horns to blow. It’ll slide by quite unnoticed. And the end […] - [Go To The Well](https://www.walthampton.com/success/go-to-the-well-2/): This is an encore of a piece first published in September 2011. Apropos as I re-visit the well… . When this blog posts, I will be at the well. For me, it’s a little place in West Cork perched on a hill overlooking the North Atlantic.  There is no TV, no Internet, no cell phone. […] - [Use It or Lose It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/use-it-or-lose-it/): Yeah, I’m talkin’ to you… and I’m talkin’ about your summer vacay. Use it! Did you know that the average American worker leaves 9.2 days of vacation “on the table” every year? I used 13 weeks of vacation last year… and if you’ve got nine or ten more days that you’re not going to use, […] - [You've Been Framed ](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/youve-been-framed/): “I cursed the fact I had no shoes until I saw the man who had no feet.” — Persian proverb Our frames of reference can so distort our vision. “I have to go to the gym,” my buddy kvetched. This after finding out about a medical condition that will weaken his bones over time. “No, […] - [Who Are You? And What Do You Want?](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/who-are-you-and-what-do-you-want/): What’s one of the very first questions we ask when we meet a child for the first time? “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And kids know the answer to this question. They want to be doctors or firefighters or police officers or secret agents or astronauts. When we’re growing up, […] - [Why You Want The Why](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/why-you-want-the-why/): “I’ve hit a plateau with my sales.” “Organizing the office space is just too overwhelming.” “I can’t seem to get the grant proposal done.” “I just don’t have enough time to finish the book.” “The weight just won’t come off.” All of us have places where we seem to hit a wall; where we get […] - [Book 'Em, Danno](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/book-em-danno/): “Book it,” I said, like McGarrett on Hawaii Five-0. I was working with a young woman who wanted to start speaking in order to promote her business. We had talked about her core message, about the structure of her talk, about her target audiences, and about the offer she would make from the stage. I […] - [Are You All In?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/are-you-all-in/): Clarity is the key, we tell our coaching clients. You can’t hit a target you can’t see. Action too is essential.  Without action, you get nowhere. But while these principles are true, they’re not the whole story. You can be clear as a bell; you can take any number of steps toward your goal; and […] - [Stop The Madness](https://www.walthampton.com/success/stop-the-madness/): We’re just back from three weeks in Ireland. We have a little place we go on a hillside overlooking the North Atlantic in County Cork. There is a rolling pasture. Some cows. A few farmers. A dog or two. There is no traffic, no hustle, no bustle; and other than a bit of birdsong and […] - [Danger Danger](https://www.walthampton.com/success/danger-danger-3/): “The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.” –Tacitus Danger. And opportunity. Risk. And reward. I thought about these things as I was watching the Weather Channel from the warmth of the Dunkin Donuts… just before Ann and I headed off into the White Mountains for a day of climbing. The weather […] - [Get Out Of Your Biz NOW](https://www.walthampton.com/success/get-out-of-your-biz-now/): It was Sunday night; I was looking at the calendar for the week ahead; and I was hating what I saw. Two days away from my clients and my business. And not for vacation. My quarterly meeting with my own mastermind community. Immediately the resistance settled over me; and the litany of plausible excuses for […] - [Your Road Blocks & Hula Hoops](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-road-blocks-hula-hoops/): “I need to do some research on the market.” “I need another certification.” “I need to build a website.” “I’m not sure of my target audience.” “I think there’s a seminar I should take first.” “I’m still a bit unclear about my message.” “I don’t really know what to start writing about.” “I’ve never spoken […] - [Have You Gone Off The Rails?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/off-the-rails/): This is the end of the line for most folks. This is where the cart goes off the track. Despite the most heartfelt resolutions, despite whatever the best intentions might have been, most folks give up on their New Year’s promises to themselves… right about now. Not because they didn’t mean what they said. Not […] - [Your Feet In The Fire](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-feet-in-the-fire/): The gym is nearly empty again. And the runners with their new gear have mostly disappeared. It’s nearly the middle of February. How are you doing on your 2017 goals and resolutions? Statistically, only a small percentage of the population bothers to make New Year’s resolutions anymore. And of those who do, most abandon the […] - [Business Isn't Complicated](https://www.walthampton.com/success/business-isnt-complicated/): A lot of entrepreneurs and business professionals live in a constant state of overwhelm. Sure, there are lot’s of things that seem to require our time and resources in business: branding and marketing and websites and list building and lead generating and marketing and sales and fulfillment and service and bookkeeping and record keeping and….. […] - [Not Sexy](https://www.walthampton.com/success/not-sexy/): I am fond of the exhortation that Robin Williams shared with his students in the classic movie, Dead Poet’s Society: “Make your lives extraordinary.” I believe that we are the co-creators of these great gifts that are our lives; that we have the opportunity – nay – the obligation to make them masterpieces. I believe […] - [You Are Never Done](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-are-never-done/): Success is not a destination. It’s not a place. Success is a state of mind; it is a way of being in the world. So many entrepreneurs and business professionals get frustrated because they feel as if they’re never “done.” There’s some product that needs to be developed, some program that’s running behind, some project […] - [The Lie You Tell](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-lie-you-tell/): I want to talk with you about that lie that you tell. That one you tell all the time. To yourself; to anyone who will listen. That soothing lie. That seductive pernicious one. The one that goes like this: There’s time. That there will be time to go on that trip you want to take, […] - [Starting Out Matters Most](https://www.walthampton.com/success/starting-out-matters-most/): Starting out, even when things aren’t perfect, even when conditions aren’t quite right, is one of the most important of all success strategies. Because, the truth is, that for most endeavors, conditions are never really quite right. I thought about this success principle as I stood high above the trees looking out on one of […] - [Avoid The Shallows In 2017](https://www.walthampton.com/success/avoid-the-shallows/): I was jarred by his words. I had stopped along the road to chat with my neighbor. Sean was building a stone wall across the front of his property. He had been at it for months; and it was quite beautiful to behold. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his dirty hands. “I’m […] - [To Turn Again](https://www.walthampton.com/success/to-turn-again-3/): Because I know that time is always time And place is always and only place And what is actual is actual only for one time And only for one place I rejoice that things are as they are and I renounce the blessed face And renounce the voice Because I cannot hope to turn again […] - [A Fork For You?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-fork-for-you-2/): In the crazy busyness of the holiday season, it is easy to lose touch with the natural rhythm of things. December 21 marks the Winter Solstice. One of the most poignant moments in Paul Winter’s annual Consort, by which he celebrates the Solstice, is his soaring piece, The Turning Point Suite. Begun in a darkened […] - [Go Sit On The Stairs](https://www.walthampton.com/success/go-sit-on-the-stairs/): That’s what we used to say to our kids when they were acting out. “You, go sit on the stairs and think about how you should behave.” It was our form of “time out.” We all need some form of time out. Especially at this time of the year. I’m just back from a time […] - [The Vortex Is Here](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-vortex-is-here/): It’s December. And we’re being pulled into the vortex of time. The maelstrom is all around us! Can you feel it? Perhaps it’s just me. But after Halloween, the year just seems to accelerate. After Thanksgiving, the days move forward at warp speed. The commitments and the demands and the lists and the expectations and […] - [Maybe You Need A Good Excuse](https://www.walthampton.com/success/maybe-you-need-a-good-excuse/): Excuses are good; really good. Because, if you’ve got a plausible excuse, then you’re safe… you don’t need to do anything; you don’t need to risk anything. If you want to do, be or have something more for yourself; if you’d like your life to be different; if you’d like your health to be better; […] - [Why Expectations Don't Work](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-expectations-dont-work/): He was so frustrated. “She should have known that I needed her here at noon.” My client, a very successful attorney, was baffled by the fact her paralegal hadn’t shown up with the file she’d been sent out to get from another lawyer’s office. “Did she agree to be here by noon?” I asked. “What […] - [Hooked On Crack](https://www.walthampton.com/success/hooked-on-crack/): I’m addicted. You are too. Dopamine is the drug. Our smartphones are the delivery mechanism. On average we check our smartphones 200 times a day. And every time we check them, we get a little hit of dopamine. Dopamine is a pleasure-seeking neurotransmitter in the brain. It seeks out novelty. It’s stimulated by unpredictability. It […] - [Set It & Forget It; Crash & Burn](https://www.walthampton.com/success/set-it-crash-burn/): I’m a big fan of systems. Systems make things easy; safer too. Pilots have systems; surgeons have systems; successful entrepreneurs and business professionals have systems. Systems routinize. They reduce mind clutter. You have a system for brushing your teeth. (Thank god, you don’t need to re-think that every single day.) You likely have a system […] - [Why You Should Fool Yourself](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-should-fool-yourself/): I had to fool myself. It was the only way really. It was raining hard. And it was rather dark. And I was tired. And my muscles ached. I had a lot to do; a very full day. I had a thousand excuses for not getting out the door to run. But I’m a runner. […] - [Your Secret Recipe](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-secret-recipe/): Brené Brown, in her beautiful book The Gifts of Imperfection, has a wonderful exercise: List your “ingredients for joy and meaning,” she instructs. It’s a powerful exercise because, for most of us, the ingredients are pretty simple; and they don’t cost very much. For me, they’re a long gentle run along the coast, feeling the […] - [The Spiral Staircase](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-spiral-staircase/): Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. Sometimes life feels like a scene from that old Bill Murray movie: Goundhog Day. Every day the same thing. The progress we want to make, the goals we set… all seem […] - [Show Up Do The Work](https://www.walthampton.com/success/show-up-do-the-work/): I nearly missed it. It had fallen to the bottom of the mail basket. I fished out the tiny envelope. It was addressed to me; blue ink; the forced cursive of a now unsteady hand. I didn’t recognize the return address. The note inside said: “Dear Mr. Hampton, I stumbled over your book Journeys on […] - [Falling To My Death](https://www.walthampton.com/success/falling-to-my-death/): There I was, a thousand feet above the valley floor on a tiny rock ledge; cold and wet and shivering. My climbing partner, Sam, unfurled the rope that we’d be using to protect one another as we scaled the thousand feet of granite that towered above us. I pulled my climbing harness out of my […] - [In A Creative Rut? Try Taking A Nap](https://www.walthampton.com/success/in-a-creative-rut-try-taking-a-nap/): It’s 2 p.m. and I just woke up from a nap. No, it’s not the weekend. And no, I’m not on vacation. It’s just a normal workday. A year ago, I would have been embarrassed to admit this. After all, I live and work in the United States where sleeping in the middle of the […] - [Is It A Labor Of Love?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/is-it-a-labor-of-love/): It’s Labor Day weekend in the United States: A celebration of work and workers; an opportunity to honor labor; the chance to celebrate the fulfillment of our effort. Or perhaps, more realistically, an escape from tedium; a long weekend away from the insanity of the office; with a beer… or two; and burgers and dogs […] - [It's Time For A Different Map](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-time-for-a-different-map/): I was carried away by the sound. Beautiful beyond words. Beautiful beyond anything I had ever heard. Each note, each passage, more glorious, more magnificent than the last A soaring concerto. A virtuoso violinist. I was the commencement speaker at a high school music academy. And this – this masterpiece – was the evening’s prelude… […] - [Me Talk Dirty Sometimes](https://www.walthampton.com/success/me-talk-dirty-sometimes/): I was working this past week with a private client of mine, a very talented and prosperous wealth manager. She’s been working through an extremely complicated tax matter for a client of hers. She began telling me how “horrible” she’s been at certain aspects of the project, how she’s “screwed up” certain parts of the […] - [Why You Need White Space](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-need-white-space/): He was overwhelmed. Stressed out. “Slammed,” he said. Of course, my client, a young lawyer, is not alone. The Economist reports that, in a recent study, 45% of executives cite lack of time as their biggest challenge in achieving their career goals. I looked at a screenshot of his Google Calendar: A sea of colors; […] - [Running In The Rain](https://www.walthampton.com/success/running-in-the-rain/): It was raining. Hard. So hard that we had trouble seeing across our front lawn. Oh, and it was blowing, splattering against the windows. We finished our coffee, laced up our shoes, and went out for our run. Because we’re runners. And runners run. It’s a disciple, a practice. Something we do every day, regardless […] - [Do Less Succeed More](https://www.walthampton.com/success/do-less-succeed-more/): I didn’t run at all last week. Well, that’s not exactly true: I ran an ultra-marathon; 36 miles. But the week leading up to the race: I didn’t run. (It’s what runners call the taper.) It made me pretty crazy. Not running screws with my mind: Who am I if I am not running? Will […] - [You: A Fraud](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/you-a-fraud/): Not. But chances are that you’ve felt like one from time to time. I had dinner recently with a high-ranking foreign official. She was appointed to her position by the president of her country, the first woman to hold it in over 700 years. Trained as a trial lawyer, she is bright, savvy, shrewd, articulate […] - [Where The Magic Is](https://www.walthampton.com/success/where-the-magic-is/): We get to stop from time to time. In fact, we need to stop. Our technology, meant to free us, actually enslaves us. We’re ‘on’ 24/7/365. There’s no space; no respite. We’re expected to be at the net ready to volley. We’re expected to react: Immediately. Forget about consideration; forget about reflection. Everything is urgent. […] - [Maybe You Should Stop Thinking](https://www.walthampton.com/success/maybe-you-should-stop-thinking/): I’m a big fan of thinking and reflection. In fact, carving out dedicated blocks of time for thinking and reflection is a practice essential for creativity, innovation, and long-term success. And sadly, it ‘s become a lost art; a casualty of our culture of overwhelm. But ‘thinking’ can become a roadblock; and excuse for not […] - [Just Go Away](https://www.walthampton.com/success/just-go-away-2/): This is a popular time of the year to take a vacation. Except that a lot of folks don’t. Last year, there were about 169 million unused paid vacation days that were forfeited by U.S. workers, amounting to over 52 billion dollars in lost benefits. Forty percent of workers will leave paid vacation days unused […] - [Why I Hate Fridays](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-i-hate-fridays/): Do you know that more heart attacks happen on Monday than on any other day? That’s because Monday is the most stressful day of the week. Many people dread Mondays. I know I did. For years. I was a gladiator. I did battle as a trial lawyer. I’d come to the end of the weekend […] - [That Lie We Tell](https://www.walthampton.com/success/that-lie-we-tell/): I’ve had the great privilege of spending time with graduating high school and college seniors in anticipation of their commencements. One of the things I tell them is: Don’t believe “the lie.” This is the lie we tell; the lie that was told to me; the lie teachers and parents and well-meaning adults tell; the […] - [Get Out Now](https://www.walthampton.com/success/get-out-now/): So many really talented entrepreneurs and business professionals toil in their businesses without ever experiencing the prosperity and success that they deserve. Because they are toiling in their businesses, and never really working on their businesses. Michael Gerber describes the typical set-up for this brilliantly in his book, The E-Myth Re-Visited. A future entrepreneur (perhaps […] - [Why You Want To Use The F Word](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-want-to-use-the-f-word/): Growing up, we never talked about the F word. It was never, ever tolerated. My mother was an especially difficult taskmaster. The mere possibility of the F word would incite her fury; and her condemnation. The F word: Failure. Bad. If I brought home a paper or a quiz with a B+, my mother would […] - [I Spy](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-spy/): Have you ever shopped for a car? Perhaps it’s a black Volvo wagon; or maybe it’s a red Ford Focus. You get the brochure; you walk around it in the showroom; you take it for a test drive. Maybe you even put down a deposit and have a signed purchase agreement. Then you go about […] - [Why I Can't Talk With You](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-i-cant-talk-with-you/): It seemed funny at the time: My seventeen year old son and his girlfriend, sitting in the back seat, side by side, texting each other, rather than talking. It doesn’t seem as funny now. The technology that is meant to connect us often doesn’t. Instead, we have become increasingly scattered and distracted, dwelling in a […] - [Your Trash](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-trash/): For nearly three decades, a dear friend of mine was a flight attendant on a major airline flying long-haul routes. He would tell this funny story: At the end of an especially long, customer service-challenged flight, when they would come down the aisle for that last time with the garbage bags, saying “your trash, your […] - [The Silent Killer](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-silent-killer-2/): You don’t see it; and yet it lurks. Unfettered. Unabated. Rampant. It kills everything you value: Your productivity Your creativity Your attention Your time Your relationships Your sanity Distraction. Distraction kills. Every three minutes of the day, you suffer an interruption; or you interrupt yourself. And every time you are interrupted or distracted, it takes […] - [Which Dog Are You Going To Feed?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/which-dog-are-you-going-to-feed/): One Sunday, Walt and I got the brilliant idea that we’d kayak over to Horse Island and have ourselves a little picnic to celebrate our anniversary. Horse Island is this little deserted hunk of cliff and bush with an old stone tower on one end that lies ten minutes off shore.  Farmers used to graze […] - [Rearranging The Deck Chairs ](https://www.walthampton.com/success/rearranging-the-deck-chairs/): When my youngest son was 14, I took him on a Disney cruise. One night, he decided that he was going to “rearrange” all of the deck chairs and move them onto the elevators. This apparent misuse of time and resources seemed to amuse him. It amused Philip, the smartly dressed security officer who knocked […] - [Why The Destination Really Matters](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-the-destination-really-matters/): We wandered in the fog. For days. A storm had enveloped the lower part of the mountain right after we had landed at base camp. We had heard that the weather was “nice” up above. So in order to push forward toward Denali’s summit without jeopardizing our supplies of food and fuel, we had decided […] - [Why Envy May Be A Good Thing](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-envy-may-be-a-good-thing/): I was miles into the race when she ran up behind me and matched my pace. I didn’t know her. But she clearly knew me. “I loved your Facebook pictures from Ireland,” she said. “I envy your lifestyle.” “Yeah, thanks, it’s pretty fine,” I gasped as I crested the hill. She peeled off to the […] - [Why Baking Powder May Be Bad For Biz](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-baking-powder-may-be-bad-for-biz/): I like to cook. In fact, during my dozen years as a single dad raising three young boys on my own, I got pretty good in the kitchen. By necessity. But… I was never great at winging it. That is, I’m not an improvisational cook. I need a recipe. In business too. The Early Years […] - [When Wrong Is Right](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-wrong-is-right/): Mistakes, wrong turns, blind alleys: they are part of the adventure. I thought about this as I paddled on into the driving rain…and darkening sky. Hours earlier we had ventured out onto the Killarney Lakes in kayaks. Even with a map in hand, the exit from one lake to another – the route to our […] - [If I Call, Don't Answer](https://www.walthampton.com/success/if-i-call-dont-answer/): During a job interview, a client of mine received a phone call. She answered. A realtor friend told me that his broker expected him to answer every phone call he received regardless of what he was doing; and, in no event, should he ever take more than 9 minutes to return a call. The general […] - [I Don't Care How You Feel](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-dont-care-how-you-feel/): I had just finished speaking to a university audience on leadership and goal achievement, and had stayed on afterwards to chat with the students. “I know exactly what I want,” my young listener proclaimed. Looking earnest, he furled his brow. “It’s just that I don’t always feel very motivated.” “I don’t really give a fuck […] - [It Happened At The Urinal](https://www.walthampton.com/success/it-happened-at-the-urinal/): It was just an ordinary visit to the men’s room. For a very ordinary reason. It was a pretty nice restaurant. But I didn’t really expect that moment, that transformational experience. There I stood at the urinal. Looking at the wall, as one does. And there on the wall… on the wall that so often […] - [Why Business Isn't Complicated](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-business-isnt-complicated/): A lot of entrepreneurs and business professionals live in a constant state of overwhelm. Sure, there are lot’s of things that seem to require our time and resources in business: branding and marketing and websites and list building and lead generating and marketing and sales and fulfillment and service and bookkeeping and record keeping and….. […] - [Why You Need Your Feet In The Fire](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-need-your-feet-in-the-fire/): The gym is nearly empty again. And the runners with their new gear have mostly disappeared. It’s the middle of February. How are you doing on your 2015 goals and resolutions? Statistically, only a small percentage of the population bothers to make New Year’s resolutions anymore. And of those who do, most abandon the effort […] - [Has Your Cart Gone Off The Track?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/has-your-cart-gone-off-the-track/): This is the end of the line for most folks. This is where the cart goes off the track. Despite the most heartfelt resolutions, despite whatever the best intentions might have been, most folks give up on their New Year’s promises to themselves… right about now. Not because they didn’t mean what they said. Not […] - [Why Mindfulness Might Be Bad](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/why-mindfulness-might-be-bad/): Mindfulness is all the rage. Everyone’s talking about it. Especially in business. Mindful work. Mindful leadership. Mindful this; and mindful that. The big corporations are on board. Like General Mills and Google and Apple and Yahoo and Aetna Healthcare. Mindfulness has a lot of proponents like Sam Harris and Janice Marturano and Arianna Huffington. Oh, […] - [3 Things Successful People Do](https://www.walthampton.com/success/3-things-successful-people-do/): Many folks think that success is like magic. It just happens. It’s a matter of luck; or birthright; or privilege. It’s reserved for the fortunate few. But actually, success is like a cake recipe. There are ingredients, and particular steps; and if you follow the recipe, you will be successful. Study successful people. You will […] - [Just Start](https://www.walthampton.com/success/just-start/): Starting out, even when things aren’t perfect, even when conditions aren’t quite right, is one of the most important of all success strategies. Because, the truth is, that for most endeavors, conditions are never really quite right. I thought about this success principle as I stood high above the trees looking out on one of […] - [That Lie You Tell](https://www.walthampton.com/success/that-lie-you-tell/): I want to talk with you about that lie that you tell. That one you tell all the time. To yourself; to anyone who will listen. That soothing lie. That seductive pernicious one. The one that goes like this: There’s time. That there will be time to go on that trip you want to take, […] - [What Do You Want?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-do-you-want/): Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 How are you today? I hope you’ve woken up rested, refreshed and satisfied after your holiday celebrations. But if, instead, you’re feeling dazed and depleted and maybe a little bit empty, you are not alone. The holidays are […] - [Be Wrong To Be Right](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-wrong-to-be-right/): It wasn’t going to work out well. They had it completely wrong. We could see it as plain as day. The narrow runnel of ice they’d chosen went nowhere. A blind alley. A dead end. But they were in it; and couldn’t see. Through the Nikon spotting scope, we watched. Scott Backes and Mark Twight, […] - [How To Avoid Going Over The Cliff](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/how-to-avoid-going-over-the-cliff/): In life itself, there is a time to seek inner peace, a time to rid oneself of tension and anxiety. The moment comes when the striving must let up, when wisdom says, “Be quiet.” You’ll be surprised how the world keeps on revolving without your pushing it. And you’ll be surprised how much stronger you […] - [A Fork For You](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-fork-for-you/): In the crazy busyness of the holiday season, it is easy to lose touch with the natural rhythm of things. December 22 marks the Winter Solstice. One of the most poignant moments in Paul Winter’s annual Consort, by which he celebrates the Solstice, is his soaring piece, The Turning Point Suite. Begun in a darkened […] - [Are Your Naughy or Nice?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/are-your-naughy-or-nice/): Make your list; and check it twice. Decide what’s naughty… and what’s nice. I’m not talking about your Christmas list or your holiday card list or your To-Do list. No, I’m talking about your most important list of all: your Stop Doing List. We get caught up in the myriad tasks we have; we lose […] - [Why A BJ Might Be Good For Your Biz](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-a-bj-might-be-good-for-your-biz/): Occasionally entrepreneurs and professionals will seek me out for coaching after a year or two of struggle. They’re down, depressed, and despondent. Despairing even. And often broke. They’ve quit their previous jobs believing the e-myth, as Michael Gerber calls it: that,just because they were great at their professions, (coaching, lawyering, accounting, consulting) they would be […] - [An Attitude](https://www.walthampton.com/success/an-attitude/): What you focus on expands. When you focus on what is working well in your life, more of what’s working shows up. When you focus on opportunities, you see more opportunities. (When you focus on what’s problematic… you’ll definitely find a lot more of that!) Focus sets your frame. You know this to true: Think […] - [I Have Cracked The Code](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-have-cracked-the-code/): I finally figured it out. I cracked the code. I discovered – at long last – the secret to success. God knows that I searched high and low. For years; decades even. There was a time when I thought that it was a matter of luck; that success was reserved for those for whom the […] - [Where Are You Right Now?](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/where-are-you-right-now/): Are you thinking about what just happened a moment ago… or yesterday? Are you pondering what’s next… the next call, the next email, the next meeting, the next…? Doubtful you are here. Right here. Right now. In this present moment. Because it’s so hard to be right here. Not because we don’t have enough in […] - [Maybe It's Just A Bad Hair Day](https://www.walthampton.com/success/maybe-its-just-a-bad-hair-day/): I’m old; I’m fat; I’m out of shape; I’ve lost my edge. At least those were the stories I began to tell myself on my morning run. I pushed on. Turned out it was just an off day. Some days are like that: Some days, it feels as if someone has poured cement into my […] - [When 1 = 0](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-one-equals-zero/): Who are you without the striving? Who are you when you’re not accomplishing? Who are you when you’re not busy? Many of my executive coaching clients feel anxious and untethered if they’re not in the thick of it, if they’re not juggling a multiplicity of projects, if they’re not moving at the speed of light. […] - [Wealth Beyond Measure ](https://www.walthampton.com/success/wealth-beyond-measure/): On my first day at the Big Firm, I walked into my new office and there on my polished mahogany desk was a stack of time sheets. And on top of the time sheets, my mentor had left a little yellow sticky note that said, “Remember, your time sheet is your Bible.” “Time is what […] - [Why You Need To Act Out](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-need-to-act-out/): One of my fondest memories from my early years as a young single dad is of watching my boy, clad in his yellow slicker and red rubber boots, stomping in the puddles, standing in the rain. He always liked being out in the ‘mess’ of it all. Still does, I dare say. Being out in […] - [It Costs Too Much](https://www.walthampton.com/success/it-costs-too-much/): I like to pretend that I can multitask. Except that I really can’t. No one can. It’s not physiologically possible. Certain repetitive, habitual type things, of course, can get done at the same time, like tying your shoes while carrying on a conversation. But two or more things that require focused attention simply can’t be […] - [Take A Shower](https://www.walthampton.com/success/take-a-shower-2/): Take a shower; or a warm bath. Walk in the woods; or along the beach. Sit in a Jacuzzi; or in a rocker. Watch the sunrise, or set; or both. Get away. Away from the overwhelm. Get out of your office, out of the maelstrom, out of your head; get off the grid, off the […] - [Love It or Leave It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/love-it-or-leave-it-3/): You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out. –Steve Jobs I have a client – articulate, driven, highly educated and talented – whose business is failing. Because she doesn’t love it. […] - [Excuses Are Good!](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/excuses-are-good-2/): Excuses are good; really good. Because, if you’ve got a plausible excuse, then you’re safe… you don’t need to do anything; you don’t need to risk anything. If you want to do, be or have something more for yourself; if you’d like your life to be different; if you’d like your health to be better; […] - [Be A Control Freak](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-a-control-freak-4/): Ok people, it’s done. Summer’s over. The vacation’s behind you. No more lazy lunches. No more casual Fridays. It’s time to put away the Dockers… and the swimmies. It’s time to get back to it. September’s here. Time to get busy; time to get serious. No more leisure, no more playtime. It’s time for work. […] - [Utter Failure](https://www.walthampton.com/success/utter-failure/): Not for lack of effort. Or determination. Or resolve. You and I have tried. Presidents and kings have tried. Ambassadors and delegations too.  No one has succeeded. All have failed. It won’t sit at the table. It won’t communicate. It won’t negotiate. It ravages. It’s ruthless. Relentless. Rogue. Time. We think we can manage it; […] - [Sit There. Do Nothing.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/sit-there-do-nothing-2/): What do the Seattle Seahawk players and the managers at Aetna Health Insurance have in common with the Dalai Lama? They meditate. Really. They sit on cushions, close their eyes and go “Om.” Why, you might ask, would burly football players and corporate execs bother? Because they’ve discovered the power of mindfulness. This is not […] - [Space Exploration](https://www.walthampton.com/success/space-exploration-2/): I’ve been puttering in my garden. I love my garden. But I find puttering to be a challenge. You see, I’m a big believer in action: Doing, achieving, accomplishing; moving like a shark lest I perish from inertia. Steeped, as I am, in the cultural paradigm that, in order to succeed, I need to work […] - [Do You Do This During Sex?](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/do-you-do-this-during-sex/): He leaned in and whispered. Conspiratorially. I thought, perhaps he was going to tell me that he had taken up with his secretary; or that that he had fallen in love with heroin. “I’m going to leave my cellphone behind,” my colleague confessed. Dangerous. Foreboding. Uncharted. Imagine, a vacation without a cellphone! (And he’s a […] - [The Secret Power of White Space](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-secret-power-of-white-space/): He was overwhelmed. Stressed out. “Slammed,” he said. Of course, my client, a young lawyer, is not alone. The Economist reports that, in a recent study, 45% of executives cite lack of time as their biggest challenge in achieving their career goals. I looked at a screenshot of his Google Calendar: A sea of colors; […] - [Why You Need To Do Less to Succeed](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-need-to-do-less-to-succeed/): I didn’t run at all last week. Well, that’s not exactly true: I ran an ultra-marathon; 36 miles along the magnificent coast of Ireland. But the week leading up to the race: I didn’t run. (It’s what runners call the taper.) It made me pretty crazy. Not running screws with my mind: Who am I […] - [The Power of the Pause](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-power-of-the-pause/): We get to stop from time to time. In fact, we need to stop. Our technology, meant to free us, actually enslaves us. We’re ‘on’ 24/7/365. There’s no space; no respite. We’re expected to be at the net ready to volley. We’re expected to react: Immediately. Forget about consideration; forget about reflection. Everything is urgent. […] - [Why You Need To Stop Thinking](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-need-to-stop-thinking/): I’m a big fan of thinking and reflection. In fact, carving out dedicated blocks of time for thinking and reflection is a practice essential for creativity, innovation, and long-term success. And sadly, it ‘s become a lost art; a casualty of our culture of overwhelm. But ‘thinking’ can become a roadblock; and excuse for not […] - [Cruel To Be Kind](https://www.walthampton.com/success/cruel-to-be-kind-2/): It was a pretty hefty litany of challenges. “If one of your team came to you with this long, sad story,” I asked, “what would you say?” “I’d say to her… take the rest of the day off. In fact, take a long weekend. Do what you need to do to take care of you; […] - [KISS](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/kiss-2/): Why do so many of us have a love affair with the iPod™, the iPhone™, the iPad™? Because Steve Jobs believed so passionately in elegant simplicity. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” Jobs said. “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s […] - [Just Go Away!](https://www.walthampton.com/success/just-go-away/): This is a popular time of the year to take a vacation. Except that a lot of folks don’t. Last year, there were about 169 million unused paid vacation days that were forfeited by U.S. workers, amounting to over 52 billion dollars in lost benefits. Forty percent of workers will leave paid vacation days unused […] - [Why I Can't Talk With You Anymore](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/why-i-cant-talk-with-you-anymore/): It seemed funny at the time: My seventeen year old son and his girlfriend, sitting in the back seat, side by side, texting each other, rather than talking. It doesn’t seem as funny now. The technology that is meant to connect us often doesn’t. Instead, we have become increasingly scattered and distracted, dwelling in a […] - [It's A Lie](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-a-lie/): ‘Tis the season. And I so enjoy the opportunity to talk with with graduating high school and college seniors. One of the things I tell them is: Don’t believe “the lie.” This is the lie we tell; the lie that was told to me; the lie teachers and parents and well-meaning adults tell; the lie […] - [Why The Solution Isn't The Problem](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/why-the-solution-isnt-the-problem/): More and more, businesses and organizations are embracing mindfulness and meditation as tools to increase the performance of their people as well as a way to reduce stress and overwhelm. Which is a good thing, because these are powerful tools, and important objectives. But there’s a shadow side to this sudden enlightenment; a disconnect. The […] - [The Silent Killer](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/the-silent-killer/): You don’t see it; and yet it lurks. Unfettered. Unabated. Rampant. It kills everything you value: Your productivity Your creativity Your attention Your time Your relationships Your sanity Distraction. Distraction kills. Every three minutes of the day, you suffer an interruption; or you interrupt yourself. And every time you are interrupted or distracted, it takes […] - [The Paradox of Connection](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-paradox-of-connection/): He sat at the bar, a Guinness to his left, next to a neatly stacked sheaf of paper. With an expensive looking pen in his hand, he wrote. Longhand. Slowly. Deliberately. With care. From time to time, he would stop and appear to ponder and reflect, sip from his Guinness, and write some more. A […] - [Why Mindfulness Matters](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-mindfulness-matters/): There’s a lot of buzz around the word mindfulness. In fact, it’s really quite in vogue in biz these days. It seems that everyone wants to jump on the mindfulness bandwagon… because the research shows that mindfulness actually fuels focus, engagement, creativity, productivity… and profit. But mindfulness is not a fad. It’s been around for […] - [Why You Need A Real One](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-need-a-real-one/): What would it be like if you could attract – effortlessly – all of the business that you wanted and could handle? Think of the income that you could make… and the freedom that you would enjoy! What would it be like if you had no competition? Well the truth is…. that you don’t…so long […] - [My Story About Weeds](https://www.walthampton.com/success/my-story-about-weeds/): I realized that they could be a problem. Or not. The weeds. I could decide. They could be an annoyance, a challenge to overcome, an obstacle to my enjoyment. Or they could just be weeds. I could choose. You see, I have this beautiful, lush garden in Ireland. I weeded it just before I went […] - [Just Tweak It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/just-tweak-it-2/): “I can’t believe it! Just a couple of tweaks to my resume and marketing materials and, all of a sudden, I am getting dozens of interviews. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing!” As Gretchen’s coach, I shared in her excitement and joy. But I wasn’t at all surprised. Gretchen’s got the goods: she’s bright, energetic, articulate, […] - [Why Right Is Wrong](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-right-is-wrong/): Mistakes, wrong turns, blind alleys: they are part of the adventure. I thought about this as I paddled on into the driving rain…and darkening sky. Hours earlier we had ventured out onto the Killarney Lakes in kayaks. Even with a map in hand, the exit from one lake to another – the route to our […] - [In A Foxhole](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/in-a-foxhole/): I didn’t see it at first. A small pin; on his left lapel; almost invisible on his dark blue suit. “Bronze Star; Vietnam,” he said. We were at a networking event of lawyers. “That must have been terribly hard,” my wife Ann said empathetically. “No… no it really wasn’t,” he said. “I realized very early […] - [The Beavers Are Busy. Are You?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-beavers-are-busy-are-you-2/): Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. — Isaiah 43:19 I’ve noticed the beavers at work along the river these past few mornings. It seems that spring came in the northern […] - [What Is Your Definition?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-is-your-definition/): What is your definition of success? $30 million in the bank? A villa in Tuscany? A 60′ yacht? A published book? Awesome health? An amazing relationship? Achievement junkies have a tendency to go after a goal, check the box, and then… go after the next one. Without stopping; without lingering; without acknowledging. Without any sense […] - [This is really all there is](https://www.walthampton.com/success/this-is-really-all-there-is/): We are creators. From the dawn of our humanity, we have created. Art. Literature. Science. Mathematics. The David. The light bulb. The Sistine Chapel. Vaccines. Antibiotics. The super computer. Even the Internet! Creativity is hard wired into us. And yet, there is so much that gets in the way.  There’s a great line in […] - [the answer to this question is the only thing that really matters](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-answer/): The marketplace is chock full of vendors hawking their wares. It’s just that time of year. “Make 2019 your best year ever.” “Buy my planner.” “Discover how to turn your resolutions into SMART goals.” “Join my accountability program.” “Enroll in my 21 day challenge.” And, yes, programs and products are great to ways to help […] - [Make Room For Peace](https://www.walthampton.com/success/make-room-for-peace/): Our problem isn’t that we have too little. It’s that we have too much. Too much coming at us. Too much news. Too much information. Too much noise. Too much social media. Too many emails, phone messages, notifications and alerts. Overwhelmed and inundated, we live in a state of continuous partial attention. No time for […] - [A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-tale-of-two-entrepreneurs/): Like Dickens, I’ll begin the story by saying, “It is the best of times. It is the worst of times.” For Kristen, it is the best of times. Ten years ago, Kristen decided on an outcome; she chose her destination. She decided that she wanted to be known as a go-to authority for speaking and […] - [an out and back](https://www.walthampton.com/success/an-out-and-back/): As runners, we have various running loops. Short loops and long loops. We also have what we call “out and backs” where we run to a point, turn around, and run back home. Seasonally we’ve been on an out and back. It is the turning point. For a fraction of a moment this week, the […] - [she washed my mouth out with brown soap](https://www.walthampton.com/success/she-washed-my-mouth-out-with-brown-soap/): It sat there next to the sink. Big and brown and menacing. I don’t she every really used it. But it sure did give me pause. Be careful about using that bad word too often. It strips us of our power. Remember the brown soap. - [Like A Zip Line](https://www.walthampton.com/success/like-a-zip-line/): We heard the whoosh before we saw a thing. Fifty feet above us, the lone figure, careening along the cable, zipped on by. He was gone in an instant. Like this year. Like our lives. We have the opportunity to co-create these things that are our lives to be our masterpieces. But that requires mindfulness, […] - [I Got Audited](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-got-audited/): I got audited. Well actually I did it to myself. The results were interesting.  What you measure matters. This is your most precious resource. It’s worth an audit. ___________________________________________________________ Here’s something to help you manage yours: Go HERE for your free guide.     - [Did You See the Gorilla?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/did-you-see-the-gorilla/): The gorilla. It’s easy to miss. Unless you’re looking for it. True for other stuff too. What you focus on you see. Focus on what’s good. Focus on what’s working well. Focus on the blessings in your life. And what you see will bring you joy. _________________________________________________________________ I help entrepreneurs and business professionals become highly […] - [the missing link](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-missing-link/): If information was the secret to success, we’d all be thin and rich and living on the beach. Because we’re awash in information. But information isn’t enough. There has to be desire. There must be a burning desire to succeed. But information and desire won’t take you the distance. You actually need to implement. You […] - [how to unlock the door](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-unlock-the-door/): Parkinson’s Law is a cruel reality. “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” I experienced this as a young lawyer. If a brief was due in 6 weeks, it would take me 6 weeks to get it done. If the brief was do the next morning, well then it was […] - [It's never done](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-never-done/): It’s never done. It’s always a work in process. And that’s a good thing. Although we need to be reminded of that from time to time.  Every day – every single day – is the opportunity to begin again; to create anew. It is the gift that is our lives. ___________________________________________________________________ Would you like […] - [there's mud in your eye](https://www.walthampton.com/success/theres-mud-in-your-eye/): There’s mud in your eye. In my eye too. That’s just one of many lessons I learned in Durango.  Napoleon Hill said, “No mind is complete by itself. It needs contact and association with other minds to grow and expand.” Give yourself the gift of mastermind. - [about my cheese](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-my-cheese/): I’m pretty certain that when Spencer Johnson wrote his classic book on change and change management, Who Moved My Cheese?, he should have included me as a case study. I’m not fond of change. I don’t like it when my cheese gets moved. Daily practices, daily disciplines ground us. Find a way to do them, to […] - [my descent into darkness](https://www.walthampton.com/success/my-descent-into-darkness/): It happens every single year. Some years, I’m better about remembering it. Some years, I’m better about actually doing something about it. And then there are those other years. It’s easy to lose touch with how we are feeling; it’s easy to let self-care practices slip. This is the time of the year to pay […] - [when average is not enough](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-average-is-not-enough/): When you want more; when you dream of more; when you’re ready to take that next step; it’s essential that you surround yourself with others who want for your success.  We tend to be the average of the 5 people we hang out with most: average in terms of where we live, what we […] - [fool yourself often](https://www.walthampton.com/success/fool-yourself-often/): Fool yourself. It’s a pretty useful hack. Listen here to my tale of deception: Newton’s first law: “An object at rest remains at rest unless acted on by a net external force.” This law is well known to most of us as inertia. Inertia stands in the way of your projects large and small. It […] - [The Mental Game](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-mental-game/): Success in business is less about the experience you have or the tools and strategies you use, and much more about the mental game.  It’s easy to lose heart. It’s easy to want to give up. Don’t. Stay in the game. There are people who are waiting for you. - [STOP Rehearsing](https://www.walthampton.com/success/stop-rehearsing/): Rehearsing is important. But all too often, it’s camouflage. Here’s what I told a client this past week about rehearsing: “We are always getting ready to live but never living,” Emerson said. The same can often be said about our work: We’re always getting ready to do the work, but never doing it. There are […] - [An Extraordinary Failure](https://www.walthampton.com/success/an-extraordinary-failure/): Achievement junkies and peak performers love goals. Goals matter. They lead to degrees, and careers; to books and art; to sculpture, symphonies, and chapel ceilings. They’ve beat back disease and extended life. They’ve taken us to the moon and to the stars beyond. But it’s pretty easy to blow by the moments of your life […] - [Waiting Badly](https://www.walthampton.com/success/waiting-badly/): Waiting sucks. And I’m not very good at it. But perhaps their are hidden opportunities in the waiting.  You can rail against the waiting. You can distract yourself. Or you can sink into it; explore it; and embrace it. You can experience it. Because those moments that you wait are, in fact, the moments […] - [I Was Trapped In The Jungle](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-was-trapped-in-the-jungle/): All too often we get trapped by the stories we tell ourselves. We get trapped by our “shoulds.” I got trapped in a jungle; but I learned a few lessons there. When you feel trapped, remember: you are the jailer; and you hold the key – the key to freedom and joy. Tomorrow is promised […] - [Precarious Practices](https://www.walthampton.com/success/precarious-practices/): When we get busy, it’s easy to ignore the very things that keep us sane. We tell ourselves stories like “there are more important things to attend to right now.” We put aside our self-care; we put aside our practices; and put at risk the very things that matter most. At the start of one […] - [your mood doesn't matter](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-mood-doesnt-matter/): Moods are fleeting. They come and go. If you allow your moods to dictate your actions, you’ll achieve precious few of your important goals. Moods follow action. Be in action. - [Be A Drop Out](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-a-drop-out/): I love technology. It allows us to do amazing things. Yet the technology that is meant to serve us all too often enslaves us. We’ve become inextricably dialed into the grid. We’ve become addicted to the stimulation and outside input, checking and re-checking our smartphones and our tablets and our emails; responding incessantly to the […] - [about your trash](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-your-trash/): Trash. We all have it. It’s a part of our human condition. What we do with it is a choice. The time you spend ruminating about your trash is selfish and self-serving. There are people waiting for you. People who need those gifts and talents that are uniquely yours to share. Stash the trash. And […] - [being fat and lazy](https://www.walthampton.com/success/being-fat-and-lazy/): We know with certainty that it’s true in athletics. We like to pretend it’s not true in business or in the rest of our lives. Rest and recovery are critical components of success. Will you try a bit of fat and lazy? - [Discouragement and Despair](https://www.walthampton.com/success/discouragement-and-despair/): They are the evil twins: Discouragement and despair. They accompany you on your journey. They whisper in your ear. “It’s too hard.” “It will take too long.” “You’re not strong enough.” “It’s not worth the effort.” “You will fail.” Any worthwhile goal is fraught with difficulty. The evil twins – the voices of discouragement and […] - [The Problem With Strategic Planning](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-problem-with-strategic-planning/): Nearly everyone agrees that strategic planning is important. But there’s one huge problem: no one seems to take the time to do it. Leadership and Strategic Planning Leaders, in particular, know that they need to do strategic planning. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, the author, our friend and colleague Dorie Clark, says: Almost […] - [kinky stuff with rope](https://www.walthampton.com/success/kinky-stuff-with-rope/): Expertise is not just about booking the hours; it’s about doing deliberate practice. Whether it’s launching a podcast, preparing a new keynote, writing a weekly blog, doing a webinar, or learning the elements of a sales conversation, deliberate practice is the key to confidence and success. (For Tyrolean traverses too.) The magic in our lives […] - [Better Together](https://www.walthampton.com/success/better-together/): Business can be a lonely game. But it doesn’t need to be that way. If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to to go far, if you really want to make an impact in the world, go together. It’s better together. - [Have You Lost Your Mind?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/have-you-lost-your-mind/): Former U.S. Vice president Dan Quayle famously mangled a well known organization’s quote by saying, “What a terrible thing to have lost one’s mind. Or not to have a mind at all. How true that is.” Have you lost your mind? On most days, the answer for me is yes. How true that is! I […] - [Focus On The Grass You're Munching](https://www.walthampton.com/success/focus-on-the-grass-youre-munching/): Your focus is your power. With the rise of artificial intelligence, your currency in the years ahead will be your ability to do deep work. The problem (or “challenge,” as coaches like to say), is that most of us have way too many inputs, way too much competing for our time, way too much coming […] - [getting wasted](https://www.walthampton.com/success/getting-wasted/): There is a lost art. An essential art. An art that unlocks the door to the deepest parts of ourselves. It seems that “we have lost the habit of unprofitable pleasure,” writes the Carmelite mystic William McNamara. “We shall get nowhere, we shall never find life, life will escape us, unless we learn not to […] - [about that dirty word](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-that-dirty-word/): Lose 20 pounds in 20 days. Create a 7-figure business in 6 weeks. Write your best-selling book in a weekend. The marketplace is rife with gurus peddling the quick fix. The fast solution. The easy way. Sure there are reliable programs and systems. But most things of value aren’t amendable to quick fixes. Most things […] - [rare air and the low bar](https://www.walthampton.com/success/rare-air-and-the-low-bar/): Business isn’t complicated. It’s about making promises; and keeping promises. It’s about relationships; creating, nurturing and sustaining relationships. The bar is low. Show up with a servant’s heart. Do what you say. Connect and communicate. Success will be yours. - [the cost of delight](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-cost-of-delight/): Because we move at warp speed, we tend to overlook the power that we have to create magical experiences for other people. The poet, Maya Angelou, says,  “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  Whether it […] - [Denial and other delusional rivers](https://www.walthampton.com/success/denial-and-other-delusional-rivers/): Denial is not just a river in Egypt. It’s easy to bury our heads in the sand, and hide out from what’s really going on. What you measure matters. What you focus on you see. And with clarity comes power. What will you start to track this week? - [sipping at the well](https://www.walthampton.com/success/sipping-at-the-well/): We tend to be the average of the 5 people we hang out with most. There’s nothing wrong with average. But if we want more, if we want to learn and grow, then we need to seek out the masters; we need to surround ourselves with others on the path. With a community of like-minded […] - [Utterly Worn Down](https://www.walthampton.com/success/utterly-worn-down/): It’s 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and more than a mile deep. One of the world’s most astounding natural wonders. The Grand Canyon. Cut by the flow of the Colorado River for more than 6 million year. Persistence. Tenacity. Consistency. Relentlessness. The power to cut through  rock. The power to change lives; and transform […] - [r u getting enough F?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/r-u-getting-enough-f/): Are you? Are you getting enough Fun in your life? Because life should be fun. Joy is your birthright. But given the intensity of your life, given how many demands there are for your time, quality F doesn’t just happen. It needs to be planned. It needs to be intentional. Former First Lady Michelle Obama […] - [scert silly](https://www.walthampton.com/success/scert-silly/): Our fears, small and large, keep us from our very best lives. Mine involved a rental car. Our fears -even our silly, petty fears – never really disappear. But the village squares, the grand vistas, the new relationships, optimal wellness, deeply satisfying careers… they’re all just beyond that place of comfort. Being fearless doesn’t mean […] - [paying it out the you know what](https://www.walthampton.com/success/paying-out-the-you-know-what/): It’s a valuable asset. Not an unlimited resource. There’s a finite amount. And it’s precious. What will you pay yours for? ______________________________________________________________ Preserve the asset. Download my free guide right HERE. - [a visit to my bedroom](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-visit-to-my-bedroom/): I’m inviting you into my bedroom this week to share an important idea.  How will you create this space? _________________________________________________________________ Want to find the time to create some negative space? Download my free guide right HERE. - [and there was a wheelchair accident](https://www.walthampton.com/success/and-there-was-a-wheelchair-accident/): We lost a bright star this week. Stephen Hawking. One of the great luminaries of our age. Despite his debilitating diagnosis of Lou Gehrig’s disease decades ago, Hawking stayed at the cutting edge of physics and astronomy, generating groundbreaking research on the cosmos and the origins of our universe. He was a prolific writer and […] - [A Productivity Paradox](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-productivity-paradox/): There’s a great book by Gary Keller called The One Thing. Keller suggests that ol’ Vilfredo Pareto was much too generous with his principle that we call the 80/20 rule… you know the rule that says 20% of your efforts yield 80% of your outcomes. (And, of course, if that’s true… why aren’t you focusing […] - [a fate worse than death](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-fate-worse-than-death/): Fear. We all have it. It’s hard wired into us. It’s dialed into the oldest part of our brains, into our old reptilian brains. It’s there to keep us safe. When we hunted on the savanna, it kept us alert, it kept us on watch for the lions and woolly mammoths who might have wanted […] - [The Gateway Drug](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-gateway-drug/): This is where it all starts. This is the gateway to it all. It’s easy to pretend that it’s not. It’s easy to put it off. It’s easy to relegate it to the periphery. It’s easy to make excuses as to why it’s not the right time to take it. But when you live it […] - [Losing My Shirt With Bitcoin](https://www.walthampton.com/success/losing-my-shirt-with-bitcoin/): It’s easy to sit on the sidelines. It feels comfortable. Safe. Secure. On the sidelines, you can’t get hurt; you can’t fall down; you can’t skin your knees; you can’t fail. But on the sidelines, you’re not in the arena; you’re not in game. You’re not where the action is. And if you’re not engaged; […] - [IRL](https://www.walthampton.com/success/irl/): Virtual reality (VR) is amazing. The rise of VR will open up horizons beyond out wildest imaginings, filled with wonder and opportunity. The virtual world allows us to experience, study and interact. It allows us to connect and serve all around the world. But the virtual world is… virtual. How will you connect IRL? _________________________________________________________________ […] - [why THIS is one of my VERY favorite days](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-this-is-one-of-my-very-favorite-days/): This is one of my very favorite days of the year. Because I have it all to myself again. That’s what this week’s video is about. How are you doing with what you set out to do? Wherever you are, it’s just fine. Because every day is a new day; every day the opportunity to […] - [keeping the edge sharp](https://www.walthampton.com/success/keeping-the-edge-sharp/): It’s easy to become complacent. It’s easy to lose our edge. How do you keep yours sharp? _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and strategies to help make life sweeter and saner? Download my free guide right HERE. - [ignore this muscle at your peril](https://www.walthampton.com/success/ignore-this-muscle-at-your-peril/): With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), many of the tasks we do will be replaced by machines. Even higher level tasks because AI will be able to do them better, faster, and more reliably. One thing will remain as our currency. How are you doing with yours? _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and […] - [this is where your power is](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/this-is-where-your-power-is/): Space: The final frontier. Those of you who are Star Trek fans may think I’m talking about outer space. But what I’m really talking about this week is inner space. There is perhaps no more important frontier for us than to connect with that still point that dwells within each of us. It is the […] - [it week](https://www.walthampton.com/success/it-week/): Yup, it’s that week. The week you’ve been telling yourself lots of stories about. For at least the last month and a half. I’m talking about “it” week. Books are written one page at a time. Businesses are grown one relationship at a time. Marathons are finished one stride at a time. Cathedrals are built […] - [What Will YOU Build?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-will-you-build/): I was jarred by his words. I had stopped along the road to chat with my neighbor. Sean was building a stone wall across the front of his property. He had been at it for months; and it was quite beautiful to behold. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his dirty hands. “I’m […] - [The Power of Play](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-power-of-play/): We tend to take our lives very, very seriously. We forget the power of play. Joy is the gateway to creativity; and play opens us to joy. That’s what this week’s video is about. What is pure play for you? And how will you play in the year ahead? Scroll down and leave a comment. […] - [where your best life is](https://www.walthampton.com/success/where-your-best-life-is/): My photography mentor, Galen Rowell, said that the most compelling images were made on the edges: on the edge of day and night; on the edge of land and sea; on the edge of the clearing storm. The same might be said for how we live. We are most alive out on the edge. That’s […] - [sabotage](https://www.walthampton.com/success/sabotage/): Sometimes we talk ourselves out of doing that one thing that would help us most in the moment. That’s what this week’s video is about. It’s curious. It’s one thing to self-sabotage with behaviors like stress-eating or self-medicating. It’s a whole other thing to actively avoid the very remedy that will renew us. What do […] - [showing you something private](https://www.walthampton.com/success/showing-you-something-private/): I don’t think that I’ve ever done this before. I want to show something to you. Private. So now that I’ve shown you, what will you do? Leave a comment below. _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and strategies to help make life sweeter and saner? Download my free guide right HERE. - [that sucking noise](https://www.walthampton.com/success/that-sucking-noise/): It’s nearly December. And we’re being pulled into the vortex of time. The maelstrom is all around us! Can you hear it? Can you feel it? Perhaps it’s just me. But after Halloween, the year just seems to accelerate. And after Black Friday, the days move forward at warp speed. The commitments and the demands […] - [non-negotiable](https://www.walthampton.com/success/non-negotiable/): Non-negotiable practices: they’re the key to success. Especially in this one area. What are yours? Scroll down and leave a comment. _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and strategies to help make life sweeter and saner? Download my free guide right HERE. - [that old sad refrain](https://www.walthampton.com/success/that-old-sad-refrain/): It’s mid-November. I’m beginning to hear that old, sad refrain. (I’m not taking about the holiday jingles, although those are everywhere!) I’m talking about this one: “I’ll get to that after the holidays.” That’s what this week’s video is about. You can definitely put stuff off. We do it all the time. In your mind, […] - [some sad](https://www.walthampton.com/success/some-sad/): As the days grow shorter and the light gets dimmer, it’s easy for our energy to wane. Years ago, I realized that I tend to experience some seasonal affective disorder (SAD) around this time of year. Because of the low light, my serotonin levels drop; and I’m aware that my usual perky self is sometimes […] - [what will you do with your costume?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-will-you-do-with-your-costume/): Halloween is such a great time of the year. There’s almost as much excitement around it as around the December holidays. Part of the excitement is getting to choose our costumes; deciding who we want to be. And we get to be anything we choose. That’s what this week’s video is about. But sometimes we […] - [about your people](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-your-people/): Entrepreneurship can be a lonely road. If you want to play a bigger game, you need to find your people. That’s what this week’s video is about. _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and strategies to help make life sweeter and saner? Download my free guide right HERE. - [my troubled relationship](https://www.walthampton.com/success/my-troubled-relationship/): I had a problem with Ophelia this week. That’s the subject of this week’s video. _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and strategies to help make life sweeter and saner? Download my free guide right HERE. - [you're not safe](https://www.walthampton.com/success/youre-not-safe/): You’re not safe. I’m not either. So how will you choose to live? That’s what I’m thinking on in this week’s video. _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and strategies to help make life sweeter and saner? Download my free guide right HERE. - [cybersanity](https://www.walthampton.com/success/cybersanity/): Our wonderful technology, designed to serve us, all too often enslaves us. It’s always there. We’re always on. There’s no escape. Unless we ourselves create one. Seek islands of refuge for yourself. It’s the key to sustained success. _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and strategies to help make life sweeter and saner? Download my […] - [a visit to my bathroom](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-visit-to-my-bathroom/): I’ve discovered the secret to all success; and the path to excellence. It was in my bathroom all along. I’ll show it to you in this week’s video: _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and strategies to help make life sweeter and saner? Download my free guide right HERE. - [bad stories](https://www.walthampton.com/success/bad-stories/): Entrepreneurs and business professionals often tell bad stories. To themselves. About themselves. They judge themselves, and hold themselves to standards that they wouldn’t ever impose on others. That’s what this week’s video is about: Tell better stories. _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and strategies to help make life sweeter and saner? Download my free […] - [pole pole](https://www.walthampton.com/success/pole-pole/): On Kilimanjaro, the climbing guides tell their clients to go Pole Pole (pronounced Polay Polay) if they want to succeed. It’s good advice for accomplishing any major objective, in business and in life. That’s what this week’s video is about. When starting off toward any significant goal, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But you can […] - [you a failure](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-a-failure/): I heard of piece of advice recently that unsettled me. Yet I suspect that it describes a much more reliable route to success than many travel. That’s what this week’s video is about. When we play it safe, we stay small. We fail to learn the lessons that will yield the big transformations. Fast may […] - [the end is near](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-end-is-near/): Summer’s nearly over. The long, lazy days behind us. The vortex of September is here. That’s what this week’s video is about. Psychologist and mindfulness teacher Tara Brach observes that “Sometimes it’s as if we’re racing to the finish line of our lives, skimming the surface and never dropping into life, as if life is […] - [the final frontier](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-final-frontier/): Space. It’s where the magic happens. But how infrequently we claim it for ourselves. Where do you find yours? ____________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and strategies to help make life be sweeter and saner? Download my free guide right HERE. - [about your feelings](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-your-feelings/): Moods come and go. Feelings come and go. They’re all quite fleeting. Unpredictable. Unreliable. Perhaps you need a rule. Jim Rohn suggested that “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” Nike may have had it right. Decide (once) what you need to do; and “just do it.” _________________________________________________________________ Would you like some tips and […] - [it bit me](https://www.walthampton.com/success/it-bit-me/): It’s a gateway principle. It’s so precarious. And so easy to ignore. That’s what this week’s video is about. Make it a priority. With it, everything is possible. ___________________________________________________________________ How would you like more time, more freedom, less stress and less overwhelm? Download my free guide. Simple tips that you can use right away. Go […] - [about the bull](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-the-bull/): Culturally we’re taught that in order to be successful, we need to be busy; that we need to work longer, harder and faster; that we need to work 24/7/365. That’s not sustainable. The great athletes, entertainers and artists – those who perform at the top of their game – know this. They work in highly […] - [it's not sexy](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-not-sexy/): We’re promised easy. On television; in social media. The 3 keys to a 6-figure business; the day trading program that will make you millions; the 1 secret to a steamy relationship; lose 7 pounds in 7 days. Add a 1000 leads with this one webinar tip; use this bot to exponentially grow your LinkedIn connections. […] - [I don't share this very often](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-dont-share-this-very-often/): The great thing about being an entrepreneur is that you have the freedom and the flexibility to… work whatever 18 hours of the day you want. Culturally we’re encouraged to work. All of the time. Our technology colludes to support this. We’re always on. 24/7/365. But it’s not sustainable. That’s what this week’s video is […] - [I'm getting schooled](https://www.walthampton.com/success/im-getting-schooled/): It’s really easy to get comfortable in our particular areas of expertise. In fact, it seems as if the more we know, the scarier it is to venture into the areas we don’t know. We like to protect our egos. Our facades feel safe. Not knowing is uncomfortable; humbling even. That’s what this week’s video […] - [This One Thing Will Make You MUCH More Productive](https://www.walthampton.com/success/this-one-thing-will-make-you-much-more-productive/): This is a popular time of the year to take a vacation. Except that a lot of folks don’t. Last year, there were about 169 million unused paid vacation days that were forfeited by U.S. workers, amounting to over 52 billion dollars in lost benefits. Forty percent of workers will leave paid vacation days unused […] - [More In The Next 90](https://www.walthampton.com/uncategorized/more-in-the-next-90/): The 90 day planning process is one of the most powerful tools we know for creating exponential growth in your business. While the process is not a complicated one, it does require that you step out of your business and get crystal clear on what you want to create in the next quarter (and beyond). […] - [Stuck In The Weeds](https://www.walthampton.com/success/stuck-in-the-weeds/): You don’t need more genius. You need less resistance. — Seth Godin I love the high summits. I can see forever. I love to feel the wind on my face, revel in the exaltation, bask in the sense of accomplishment. Weeks, months, sometimes years of effort, wrapped up into a single glorious moment. But most […] - [You'll Kill It If You Water It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/youll-kill-it-if-you-water-it/): Winemakers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape must adhere to strict guidelines if they wish to present their wines to the marketplace as wines from the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region . One curious rule is that, except in extraordinary circumstances (and then only with special dispensation), winemakers may not ever water their vines. The land in the region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is rocky, dry […] - [I Hate Fridays](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-hate-fridays/): Do you know that more heart attacks happen on Monday than on any other day? That’s because Monday is the most stressful day of the week. Many people dread Mondays. I know I did. For years. I was a gladiator. I did battle as a trial lawyer. I’d come to the end of the weekend […] - [Your Gateway Drug](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-gateway-drug/): We focus on our To Do lists. Because, of course, there are lots of “things” we tell ourselves we have To Do in order to “succeed,” in business… and in life. We get caught up in the vortex. We neglect the ONE success principle, the CORE principle, the GATEWAY principle that makes everything else possible. […] - [Longer Harder Faster](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/longer-harder-faster/): More and more, businesses and organizations are embracing mindfulness and meditation as tools to increase the performance of their people as well as a way to reduce stress and overwhelm. Which is a good thing, because these are powerful tools, and important objectives. But there’s a shadow side to this sudden enlightenment; a disconnect. The […] - [The Thing About Barney](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-thing-about-barney/): He sat at the bar, a Guinness to his left, next to a neatly stacked sheaf of paper. With an expensive looking pen in his hand, he wrote. Longhand. Slowly. Deliberately. With care. From time to time, he would stop and appear to ponder and reflect, sip from his Guinness, and write some more. A […] - [I Almost Needed An Enema](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-almost-needed-an-enema/): We prescribe the medicine all the time to our clients: Take regular breaks. Take time off. Take your vacations. All of them. You’re not a machine. You can’t go 24/7/365. You can’t focus on your work to the exclusion of everything else. You can’t stay at the net responding to constant expectations and demands, responding […] - [Take Out Your Trash](https://www.walthampton.com/success/take-out-your-trash/): For nearly three decades, a dear friend of mine was a flight attendant on a major airline flying long-haul routes. He would tell this funny story: At the end of an especially long, customer service-challenged flight, when they would come down the aisle for that last time with the garbage bags, saying “your trash, your […] - [About My Beans. And Your Beans.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-my-beans-and-your-beans/): As I get near to my birthday, I think a lot about beans. About how many I have; and how I want to use them. I am acutely aware that I have a limited supply of beans. I want to be mindful about my beans. I never want to squander them. Because my beans (and […] - [How Many Can You Spin?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-many-can-you-spin/): Busy is a badge of honor it seems. “How are you?” I ask. “Busy,” comes the reply with that wan smile and shake of the head. Or more frequently and wide-eyed: “Crazy busy,” as if to convey even more significance and import. My response: “Oh, I am so sorry to hear that.” (As if they’ve […] - [Find Your BFFs](https://www.walthampton.com/success/find-your-bffs/): We traveled across 8 time zones to do it. We’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was an amazing three days. Days of collaboration and planning. Days of inspiration, learning and connection. A gathering of entrepreneurs from all around the world. Colleagues filled with passion; and driven by a sense of mission. Passionate like-minded […] - [What Beavers Know](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-beavers-know/): Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. — Isaiah 43:19 I’ve noticed the beavers at work along the river these past few mornings. It seems that spring came in the northern […] - [Why The Destination Matters](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-the-destination-matters/): We wandered in the fog. For days. A storm had enveloped the lower part of the mountain right after we had landed at base camp. We had heard that the weather was “nice” up above. So in order to push forward toward Denali’s summit without jeopardizing our supplies of food and fuel, we had decided […] - [Why You Will Become Obsolete](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-will-become-obsolete/): Protectionism is in vogue. Close the borders, circle the wagons, build the bunkers. Keep local businesses safe from foreign competition. Except foreign competition isn’t really the danger. The danger is much closer at hand. The danger is you. The problem is that you – and me – all of us have become shallow in the […] - [How To Live 11 Years Longer](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-live-11-years-longer/): How would you like a straightforward way to add 11 years to your life? It doesn’t require supplements or calorie restricted diets. You don’t need to count your steps or exercise fanatically. You need to do just one simple thing. Stop looking at your smartphone. Recent studies suggest that many professionals check their emails 36 […] - [Axis Of Evil](https://www.walthampton.com/success/axis-of-evil/): I hate the Axis of Evil. Because, well, it’s just evil. I’m talking about the x axis. The horizontal line. That place where zero lives. As in zero leads; zero clients; zero income. Zero. I hate zero. But all businesses start along the x axis. They start at zero. The noisy Internet marketing hucksters want […] - [Oh Screw It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/oh-screw-it/): This is the time of the year when the cart can go off the tracks. Don't let it. - [About Wasting Your Time](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-wasting-your-time/): Are you wasting enough time? It's actually essential for your success. - [About Your Sunk Costs](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/about-your-sunk-costs/): It's tempting to hold onto your sunk costs... those expenditures that you can't ever get back... even when letting to is a much better choice. - [Will You Leave Footprints?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/will-you-leave-footprints/): “In the middle of the journey of our life, I found myself in a dark wood with no clear way out.” So begins Dante’s Inferno. Lost in the woods. No clear way out, he says. But there actually is. - [How To Keep Your Sh*t Together](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-keep-your-sht-together/): Pandemic fatigue is everywhere. If you're feeling frayed at the edges, you're definitely not alone. Here are some simple tips to stay resilient and resourceful. - [What Tulips Tell Us](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-tulips-tell-us/): Success, in anything that really matters, is a long-term play, requiring time, and a dirty four-letter word: work. - [Expect The False Ones](https://www.walthampton.com/success/expect-the-false-ones/): You have to expect the false ones. It's when you don't that you get into trouble. - [Pandemic Fog](https://www.walthampton.com/success/pandemic-fog/): We navigated by GPS. For days. We couldn’t see each other. We couldn’t see more than 40 or 50 feet. Everything was featureless. Contourless. Like now. - [Getting Hit With A Brick](https://www.walthampton.com/success/getting-hit-with-a-brick/): Bricks can make you stronger. A lot stronger. - [The Secret of All Success](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-secret-of-all-success/): There is one secret that underpins all success. And it's not sexy. - [Seeking Out The Suck](https://www.walthampton.com/success/seeking-out-the-suck/): You don't really want to suck. No one does. But you kinda have to. - [About Our Dirty Secret](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-our-dirty-secret/): HOW do you do it? We get that question all the time. HOW do you get to travel and adventure as much as you do? HOW do you get to live high on a hillside in West County Cork overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean? HOW were you able to spend the summer in Italy and […] - [When Will It Be Done](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-will-it-be-done/): When will it be done? I get asked that question almost every day. It may be the wrong question. - [Resistance Is Futile](https://www.walthampton.com/success/resistance-is-futile/): Arguing with resistance is a bit like arguing with gravity. Or reality. You’ll lose. Just 100% of the time. Happily though there are some workarounds... - [The Suck of Success](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-suck-of-success/): You want it to be easy. It's not. You want it to be comfortable. It's not. But what you are capable of is beyond your wildest imagination. So lean into the suck. - [You Want To Over Medicate](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-want-to-over-medicate/): We’ve been over medicating. It helps us. We think it may help you, too. - [Your Life As Swiss Cheese](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-life-as-swiss-cheese/): Pandemic life can feel scattered, fragmented and unfocused...a bit like a slice of Swiss cheese. But some simple strategies can help. - [Nothing Left](https://www.walthampton.com/success/nothing-left/): Exhausted. Depleted. Spent. Nothing left. You think you can’t go on. But… you can. - [Doomscrolling](https://www.walthampton.com/uncategorized/doomscrolling/): It’s a thing. Doomscrolling. I read about it… in the newspaper… So it has to be a thing. Truth be told… I do it! And… it’s NOT good. - [Splendid and Vile](https://www.walthampton.com/success/splendid-and-vile/): When you think you can't possibly go on, you actually can. - [The Space Between](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-space-between/): Most people forget about the space between the space. But it's likely the most important space of all. - [Do You Fake Them?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/do-you-fake-them/): Nearly everyone fakes them. Real ones are better. - [The BIG Problem With Strategic Planning](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-big-problem-with-strategic-planning/): Nearly everyone agrees that strategic planning is important. But there’s one huge problem: no one seems to take the time to do it. Leadership and Strategic Planning Leaders, in particular, know that they need to do strategic planning. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, the author, our friend and colleague Dorie Clark, says: Almost […] - [In The Land of Make Believe](https://www.walthampton.com/success/in-the-land-of-make-believe/): The land of make-believe may be fun. But in business, not so much. - [Power Washing Is Bad](https://www.walthampton.com/success/power-washing-is-bad/): Power washing is a bad thing. It can cause your well to run dry. It's a metaphor. - [Once Upon A Time](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/once-upon-a-time/): Once upon a time, we told stories about… once upon a time. Now we tweet. Now we forget. At our peril. - [Through These Eyes](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/through-these-eyes/): In the face of hatred, bigotry and racism, you have an obligation to speak. But before you do, listen. Really listen. And when you do, speak through the eyes of love. - [Are You Waiting For Godot?](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/are-you-waiting-for-godot/): You can wait. Or you can create. You get to choose. - [About Your Pandemic Pass](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-your-pandemic-pass/): Be mindful where you give yourself a Pandemic Pass... Because... The Day Reckoning is Coming. - [Arguing About Hurricanes](https://www.walthampton.com/success/arguing-about-hurricanes/): There are certain forces that, though unpredictable, occur with some regularity. You can ignore their lessons, argue against them... or you can learn their lessons. - [Go Back To The Forest](https://www.walthampton.com/uncategorized/being-sent-to-live-in-a-forest/): Will you remember the lessons of the forest? - [About Drinking Bleach](https://www.walthampton.com/success/dont-drink-bleach/): Drinking bleach is definitely NOT something you should do. There re other poisons to avoid as well. - [Dazed and Confused](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/the-importance-of-boundaries/): Are you feeling frazzled, unfocused and distant? You are NOT alone. Maybe it’s time to review your boundaries and see what’s important to and for you… Walls keep people out. Boundaries show people where the door is. The secret to happiness and peace is getting this distinction right. - [The Return To Normal](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/the-return-to-normal/): Do you really want to return to "normal"? Your two hour commute? The 9-5 cubicle? - [From The Jaws Of Death](https://www.walthampton.com/success/from-the-jaws-of-death/): When confronted with our own mortality, we often ask ourselves the BIG questions. One of those is: Have I lived without regret? - [Two Questions To Ask Now](https://www.walthampton.com/success/two-questions-to-ask-now/): Even though there's a lot of chaos and confusion; even though there is a lot of fear and sadness, there are two really important questions to be asking right now... questions that will carry you through... questions that will help you emerge even stronger than before. - [Stop Social Distancing Now](https://www.walthampton.com/success/stop-social-distancing-now/): I nearly drove off the road when I saw the sign. Social distancing guaranteed. Some thoughts from the gas station. - [Toilet Paper & Mac n Cheese](https://www.walthampton.com/success/toilet-paper-mac-n-cheese/): Toilet paper is just a metaphor. Some fundamental practices (and other metaphors) to see you through… - [My Visit To The ICU](https://www.walthampton.com/success/my-visit-to-the-icu/): I didn't expect to end up in the ICU. But it sure did drive home some important lessons. - [Half-Naked In The Rain](https://www.walthampton.com/success/half-naked-in-the-rain/): Why are some people seem to be so lucky, while others struggle so? I began to understand the answer to the question years ago while standing half naked in the rain. - [No One Likes To Suck](https://www.walthampton.com/success/no-one-likes-to-suck/): Whenever you try something new, whenever you venture into the unknown, you need to be bad to get good. - [The Unpleasantness Index](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-unpleasantness-index/): When the going gets tough, it's essential that you re-connect with why what you're doing matters. Without a sufficient why, the "unpleasantness index" will stop you in your tracks. - [Run Forrest Run](https://www.walthampton.com/success/run-forrest-run/): Busy is a badge of honor. But busy usually means that we've lost control of our lives; and a sense of connection with ourselves. Better not to be busy. - [Better Than An Affair or a Ferrari](https://www.walthampton.com/success/better-than-an-affair-of-a-ferrari/): "In the middle of the journey of our life, I found myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost," Dante wrote. It's easy to get lost. And the way through isn't an affair or a Ferrari... It's within. - [Experience the Experience](https://www.walthampton.com/success/experience-the-experience/): The quality of your moments is the quality of your life. Experience your moments. Savor each and every one. - [There Is ONLY One Path](https://www.walthampton.com/success/there-is-only-one-path/): It's easy to get caught up in the false belief that there's only one way to achieve your goal. The truth is: there are many paths to the "right" outcome." The best one is the one that works for you. - [Wasted](https://www.walthampton.com/success/wasted/): Reflection is not a luxury. It's a necessity. Waste some time. - [Your Number May Be Wrong](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-number-may-be-wrong/): How will you know that you've succeeded this year? Metrics matter. Your income matters; your net worth matters. But know the metrics that matter most. - [Ya Wanna Suck In 2020](https://www.walthampton.com/success/ya-wanna-suck-in-2020/): In order to get good, you need to be willing to be bad. Be willing to embrace the suck in this New Year. - [Look Up](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/look-up/): At stone circles, around the tree, in the flicker of the menorah, we embrace the Light... and remember that we are called to be that light. - [The Very Best Present Of All](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/the-very-best-present-of-all/): ‘Tis the season of presents. So much fun to give… and to receive! Surely it’s easy to get lost in a sea of presents. But there’s one present that beats them all. Ours is a culture of distraction. And despite the technology that links us, we’re more scattered and disconnected from ourselves and others than […] - [To Turn Again](https://www.walthampton.com/success/to-turn-again-4/): The movie Groundhog Day was, for me, one of the funniest movies ever.  Bill Murray played a down on his luck weather forecaster assigned a reporting job that no one wanted: reporting on whether or not Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow on Groundhog Day.  In a freak accident,  Murray gets stuck in a time loop […] - [You Could Build An Outhouse](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-could-build-an-outhouse/): You can plan to build just about anything. Take the time to design what you really want. Then plan. - [Do You Suffer From SPS?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/do-you-suffer-from-sps/): Where do I begin? What’s the next step? And… what should I do after that? Will it work? Will people like it? Will people read it? Applaud? Buy it? I have no idea. You see, you think you can figure this all out. But you can’t. If you’re someone who suffers from SPS (Smart Person […] - [Hacking Your Superpowers](https://www.walthampton.com/success/hacking-your-superpowers/): This one key will increase your focus, productivity, performance, creativity, resilience, resourcefulness, energy, vitality and drive. With this one key, you'll be unstoppable. And life will be a whole lot sweeter. - [About The Car](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-the-car/): What you focus on you see. Focus on the good. - [Don't Tell This Lie](https://www.walthampton.com/success/dont-tell-this-lie/): Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right, Henry Ford suggested. But only one is likely true. You are powerful beyond your wildest imagination. Believe you can. - [My Life As A Sandwich](https://www.walthampton.com/success/my-life-as-a-sandwich/): For your family, friends, clients, customers, and colleagues, you have an obligation to stay on the path of learning and growing; an obligation to be the student. And… and obligation to be the teacher, the leader. To lift as you climb. - [Be Still. And Know.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-still-and-know/): Your superpower is nearer than near. But I bet you steer clear of it. Perhaps you even avoid it. All of us are inundated with emails, text messages, notifications, and alerts; with the siren call of social media; and the constant barrage of news and talking heads. We bump along the surface of things. With […] - [Shitty Stories](https://www.walthampton.com/success/shitty-stories/): We are a people of story; and yet the stories we tell about ourselves sometimes aren't very resourceful. - [She Called Me A Dick Wagger](https://www.walthampton.com/success/she-called-me-a-dick-wagger/): In order to do the work you’re meant to do in the world, people need to see you. Not the fake you, not the guru you, not the social media you. The real you. - [Hacking Your Obituary](https://www.walthampton.com/success/hacking-your-obituary/): No one likes to read theirs on the front page of the newspaper... but it surely gives one pause. Here's what is true: you have the opportunity to co-create this gift that is your life. You get to write the obit. - [About My Pickle](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-my-pickle/): Come from an abundance mindset. Be generous with your gifts. Serve with all your heart. And wealth beyond measure will be yours. - [Being A Voyeur](https://www.walthampton.com/success/being-a-voyeur/): If you really want to enjoy the success you deserve, you need to step out of your business and peer in from the outside. It's not a luxury; it's a necessity. - [Protect Your Asset](https://www.walthampton.com/success/protect-your-asset/): You worry about your stock portfolio. You pay attention to your 401(k). You insure your home for unexpected loss. But I’m betting that you’re not as vigilant when it comes to your most important asset. - [I Broke The Rule](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-broke-the-rule/): I don't do it often. But I always regret it when I do. You have only a limited number of these to give. Protect them at all costs. - [Hit With A Brick](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-youre-hit-by-a-brick/): In distance training, they’re called bricks. The back to back long runs. The second one is often… unpleasant. Comfort zones are called comfort zones… for a reason. Because they’re pretty damn comfy… even when they’re not. But all progress is made in the discomfort. When you’re hit with a brick, keep going. Pile on the […] - [The Dark Side of Productivity](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-dark-side-of-productivity/): I’m all about being productive. Taking action. Getting things done. Getting the right things done. But there’s a dark side to productivity. Your creativity resides in the unproductive, in the not doing. In the relaxation, in the reflection, in the re-creation. In the being. Dare I say… in the wasting of time. So put this […] - [Wishing Won't Make It So](https://www.walthampton.com/success/wishing-wont-make-it-so/): When was the last time you said, “I wish I could brush my teeth?” Unless you have no teeth, I venture to guess that the answer is “never.” Because, when want to brush your teeth, you brush them. Wishing is not part of the equation. Yet, for some reason wishing shows up way too often. […] - [Shooting Your Salmon](https://www.walthampton.com/success/shooting-your-salmon/): Who wouldn’t want to shoot their salmon through a cannon? There are a lot of days when having a salmon cannon would be great. “Don’t wish it was easier: wish you were better,” the great thought leader Jim Rohn once said. “Don’t wish for fewer problems: wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge; […] - [I Can Save You Thousands](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-can-save-you-thousands/): People are spending thousands of dollars and euros on their vacations. And they don’t have to. It seems that “Simplicity is the ultimate luxury as travelers search for new ways to unplug,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “The promise of escaping everyday life has always lured vacationers. But now people whose daily routines are consumed […] - [How Badly Can I Piss You Off?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-badly-can-i-piss-you-off/): It had no hubcaps. And was pretty badly beaten up. But when we arrived, it was as if we were driving a Bentley. Artificial intelligence can now give you the exact data you need to determine how little you need to do in order to keep a client… .  But… in my humble opinion…  the minimum standard […] - [Taking Out The Trash When You're Dead](https://www.walthampton.com/success/trash-day-in-the-cemetary/): We get asked one question more than any other: WHEN will “it” be done? “It” being the business building, the program development, the launch sequences. “It” being the writing process, the learning curve, the networking, the relationship building. I have some bad news to share with you… news that I’ve actually verified in the cemetery: […] - [Punished. Spanked Even.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/punished-spanked-even/): A hall pass is valuable in high school. Not so much in real life. In real life, you can end up punished. Spanked even. Exercise, diet, meditation… writing, making art, building a new career… the things we say we want to do… the things we say that we commit to doing… often go off the […] - [You Remind Me Of An Earthworm](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-remind-me-of-an-earthworm/): Well perhaps that’s a bit harsh. But you do share an important commonality with an earthworm. Just sayin.’ There’s so much cool science around peak performance. But this one tip can significantly increase your focus, your acuity, your energy, and your resiliency… And frankly, it’s so simple that even an earthworm can do it. Focus […] - [Don't Spread This Fake News](https://www.walthampton.com/success/dont-spread-this-fake-news/): I was naked. That part is true. But just for a couple of minutes. There is, however, some very troubling fake news that you’ll surely want to take note of. When you take one, take a real one. Not a fake one. You’ll rest; rejuvenate; recover; re-create. You’ll come back energized and on fire; ready […] - [What Will You Do With Your Dash?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-will-you-do-with-your-dash/): That thing on your tombstone? That dash? That’s your life. “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” the poet Mary Oliver asks. You have gifts and talents that are unique to you, that only you can share with the world. Your art; your writing; your work; […] - [The Question You Should Never Ask (Especially In Bed)](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-question-you-should-never-ask/): If there's something important that you want to accomplish, you should never ever ask this question. - [This Disease Made Me Giggle](https://www.walthampton.com/success/this-disease-made-me-giggle/): There's a new disease. The World Health Organization just discovered it. Likely you're already suffering symptoms. But luckily, there's a pretty easy fix. - [A Message From The Hospital](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-message-from-the-hospital/): It’s easy to fall into a rut. To find yourself just going through the motions. To get complacent. Sometimes you need a reminder that these are the days of your life; that this is it. The writer Annie Dillard suggests, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we […] - [Moments of Despair](https://www.walthampton.com/success/moments-of-despair/): Moments of despair can knock you off your game. One such moment is what we call the “false summit.” It happens when you think you “should” have arrived… but you haven’t; when you think you “should” be done… and you’re not. Moments of despair – false summits – can rattle even those at the top […] - [Going The Wrong Way](https://www.walthampton.com/success/going-the-wrong-way/): It’s a beautiful, soaring tower of granite. Deep in the Tetons of Wyoming. A dear friend of mine and I were going to give it a go. And each of us had a slightly different idea of where the route went. I climbed up one narrow crack system. He endeavored to climb another. For 40 […] - [Solve All Your Problems Here](https://www.walthampton.com/success/solve-all-your-problems-here/): When the kids were little and when they’d misbehave, I’d send them to “time out.” “Go to your room and think about what you’ve done!” There’s still some wisdom in that admonition. All of our problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone, the philosopher, Blaise Pascal, suggests. Being alone with […] - [About Your Drug Of Choice](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-your-drug-of-choice/): Most of us have a go-to in times of stress and overwhelm. Your go-to can be resourceful. Or not. Ours wouldn’t be for everyone. But it works for us. In order to go the distance, in order to do the work you’re meant to do, in order to serve the people you’re meant to serve, […] - [It's Easy To Pretend When It Comes To Beans](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-easy-to-pretend/): Measure your life in love.” As I get near to my birthday, I think a lot about beans. About how many I have; and how I want to use them. I am acutely aware that I have a limited supply of beans. I want to be mindful about my beans. I never want to squander […] - [Deep 6 The 996](https://www.walthampton.com/success/deep-6-the-996/): It was my very first day at The Big Firm. My mentor, Neil, one of the young partners, gave me the tour; and then we settled down in my new office. Hermetically sealed. The 18th floor. Looking out across the magnificent cityscape. Neil nodded toward the stack of blank forms in the middle of my […] - [Getting Ready To Get Ready](https://www.walthampton.com/success/getting-ready-to-get-ready/): Preparation is important, necessary even. But all too often preparation can become camouflage… a smokescreen to hide behind. Because you are afraid. Here’s what’s true: If you feel drawn to do work in the world… if you have an idea for a product or program or service, it likely needs to be out in the […] - [In A Hotel 8 Time Zones Away](https://www.walthampton.com/success/8-time-zones-away/): We went to a hotel. 8 time zones away. For a 2-day meeting. You might want to do that too.  If you want to do more, be more, make more; if you yearn for a bigger life; if you seek for deeper satisfaction and joy in what you do; then surround yourself with others […] - [It's not about how smart you are](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-not-about-how-smart-you-are/): Uber successful entrepreneurs and business professionals share one unique characteristic. It’s not intellect; it’s not innate talent. It’s just one thing. Show up every day. Do the work. No matter what. Consistency matters most. - [I'm going to sue your sorry ass](https://www.walthampton.com/success/im-going-to-sue-youre-sorry-ass/): For many of us, as highly trained professionals, the idea of making a mistake is anathema. To be avoided at all costs. And true, professional errors can be costly. But as entrepreneurs, the fear of making mistakes can be even more expensive. For entrepreneurs, failures, mistakes, and errors are the way forward. Playing it safe […] - [As If It Was The Last Day](https://www.walthampton.com/success/as-if-it-was-the-last-day/): Dan was the state marshal at a court house I worked in frequently. I slid my trial bag onto the x-way conveyor belt, and walked through the metal detector. “Hey Dan, how are you?” I asked. Dan shook his head and, with his shoulders drooped, looked down at the floor before responding. “One day closer […] - [Thinking About Thinking About Starting](https://www.walthampton.com/success/thinking-about-thinking/): Do you suffer from Smart Person Syndrome (SPS)? If you do and it persists too long, you should definitely consult your physician. Because it can lead to regret. And regret sucks.  Goethe wrote: “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back — concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there […] - [Marie Kondo Your Brain](https://www.walthampton.com/success/marie-kondo-your-brain/): You need to Marie Kondo your brain.  “Silence is an empty space. Space is the home of the awakened mind,” the Buddha said. Silence and space renews us. They allow us to heal… physiologically and spiritually. Through silence and space, we’re able to re-connect with ourselves; we’re able reclaim our vison, our focus and […] - [Did you buy yours yet?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/did-you-buy-yours-yet/): It’s easy to imagine some distant destination. But… what if… what if you absolutely had to get there now? Well, you’d go online and buy a ticket. When you buy an airplane ticket, it means you’re going to fly… you’re going somewhere… you’re committed. Done deal. The commitment drives us forward. Unfortunately, most of us […] - [Alone In The Dark](https://www.walthampton.com/success/alone-in-the-dark/): “All of humanity’s problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone,” wrote the French philosopher Blaise Pascal, Our always on, always connected culture soothes and seduces us. Being on, being connected feels important. Necessary. It makes us feel needed. Significant. If we’re always on, we never need to be alone.  […] - [10,000 Hours of Rest](https://www.walthampton.com/success/10000-hours-of-rest/): You’ve heard of the 10,000 hour rule, yes? You know, the rule – researched by Anders Ericsson and popularized by Malcolm Gladwell – that says that in order to become an expert, you need to devote 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to your discipline. Well, did you know about the 10,000 hours of rest that […] - [You're Paying WAY Too Much](https://www.walthampton.com/success/youre-paying-way-too-much/): The more I consider what it’s costing me, the more I realize that it’s way overpriced. I guess the real question is: Are we getting what we’re paying for? Henry David Thoreau was not only someone who reflected deeply, and shared those reflections compellingly.  He was also someone who measured stuff meticulously. The price of […] - [This Is One of Our Very Favorite Weeks of the Year](https://www.walthampton.com/success/our-very-favorite-week/): It was nearly empty today. We had it all to ourselves. No lines; no waiting. It was so quiet and peaceful. It’ll be that way next week too. Unless…  Having good time mastery will help. Understanding the power of habit is useful. But connecting again with what it is you really, really want? Priceless. - [You've Been Robbed](https://www.walthampton.com/success/youve-been-robbed/): You’ve been robbed. And you may not even know it. Embezzled may be a better word. Because it’s all rather sneaky and pernicious.  These things that were meant to serve us too often steal from us. Our time. Our ability to reflect. Our ability to do deep work. Our connection with one another. Stand […] - [Make Believe](https://www.walthampton.com/success/make-believe/): We like to pretend. That’s there’s time. Time to follow our hearts; time to fulfill our dreams. Time to connect and catch up; time to mend the fence. Time to write the book; time to make the art. Time to launch the business; time to share the message. But. There is no time. All we […] - [There Will Be Tigers](https://www.walthampton.com/success/there-will-be-tigers/): Dreams deferred are dreams denied. Don't wait. Now is all there is. - [The Boring Queen](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/the-boring-queen/): Consistency is a powerful attribute of effective leadership. - [Become A Control Freak](https://www.walthampton.com/success/become-a-control-freak/): Summer's over. It's time to get serious. NOT. - [Labor On](https://www.walthampton.com/success/labor-on/): Your work ought to be a labor of love. - [Life Is Too Short For Meh](https://www.walthampton.com/success/life-is-too-short-for-meh/): Life is way too short for indifference, for mediocracy. Remember that no is a complete sentence. - [Work Is Life](https://www.walthampton.com/success/work-is-life/): The old work-life balance troupe is total BS. Here's why. - [A Friday Hater](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-friday-hater/): Life is way too short to muddle through. If you're not loving what you do, it's time to change it up. - [Quiet Quitting](https://www.walthampton.com/success/quiet-quitting/): If you're a quiet quitter, something is likely way out of whack. It's time to do something different. - [Waste A Lot Of It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/waste-a-lot-of-it/): You want to waste a lot of time. Here's why. - [Disconnect](https://www.walthampton.com/success/disconnect1/): Eleven hours a day. That’s a long time. At what cost? “All of humanity’s problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone,” the philosopher Blaise Pascal said way back in the 1600s. It is even truer today. Disconnect to connect. ______________________________________________________________ Once you’ve disconnected, what will you do? Well, that’s the […] - [Fake Ones](https://www.walthampton.com/success/fake-ones/): Fake ones will leave your frustrated and depressed. Have a real one. - [Grave Garage Door Danger](https://www.walthampton.com/success/grave-garage-door-danger/): Remember to use your time wisely. Don't let yourself get caught up in the opportunity cost. - [Get Burned Out](https://www.walthampton.com/success/get-burned-out/): Burnout gets a bad rap. Stress and overwhelm too. But here’s the thing: big goals require you to stretch way beyond your comfort zone. “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body,” Howard Thurman wrote. “But rather to skid in broadside […] - [The Problem With Freedom](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-problem-with-freedom/): You’re likely a fan of freedom. I am. In fact, it’s one of my highest values. Freedom to come and go; freedom to adventure and travel; freedom to work when and where and if we want. Freedom to choose. It’s damn good stuff. But there’s a catch. “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human […] - [Getting Enough F](https://www.walthampton.com/success/getting-enough-f/): Create a life you love. Follow the joy. Dial in the fun. - [Want More](https://www.walthampton.com/success/want-more/): It's ok to want more. - [That Will Not Work](https://www.walthampton.com/success/that-will-not-work/): Life is way too short to muddle through. And joy is your birthright. Choose wisely. - [Listen To The Voice](https://www.walthampton.com/success/listen-to-the-voice/): If you feel a longing to recreate yourself, don't ignore it. - [Doing Is Doing](https://www.walthampton.com/success/doing-is-doing/): Thinking about it is not doing. Only doing is doing. - [Bored To Tears](https://www.walthampton.com/success/bored-to-tears/): Open up the space to become bored again, because there's magic in that space. - [Unexpected Delight](https://www.walthampton.com/success/unexpected-delight/): Client and customer experiences in the market are generally poor. Creating delight among your clients and customers isn't hard. It will set you above your competition. - [I Fell Off The Wagon](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-fell-off-the-wagon/): Your daily habits are the foundation for all success. It's easy to let them slide. But every day in the opportunity to begin again. - [Doing CPR](https://www.walthampton.com/success/doing-cpr/): It's better to do something than to do nothing. - [Be Frustrated](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-frustrated/): The job of the businessperson is to wake up every single day and solve problems. Solving problems involves frustration. Every day ask yourself what new and exciting frustration you have today to solve and take you to success. - [Like A Hamster On A Wheel](https://www.walthampton.com/success/like-a-hamster-on-a-wheel/): I was jarred by his words. I had stopped along the road to chat with my neighbor. Sean was building a stone wall across the front of his property. He had been at it for months; and it was quite beautiful to behold. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his dirty hands. “I’m […] - [Wasted](https://www.walthampton.com/success/wasted-2/): Time is valuable but it is important to find white space in your day to spend it being mindful. - [All Jacked Up](https://www.walthampton.com/success/all-jacked-up/): Create and stick to a nourishing morning routine to give yourself the ability to show up strong. - [Just The Way You Want It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/just-the-way-you-want-it/): Now more than ever, it's necessary to create the work and life you want, just the way you want it. - [Do You Over Grip The Ax?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/do-you-over-grip-the-ax/): Being in control works. Up to a point. But surrendering to the magic of the Universe is even better. - [You Don't Really Want It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-dont-really-want-it/): If you find yourself not doing something you thought you wanted to do, you need to decide if you really, actually want it. - [About The 'R' Word](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-the-r-word/): Rest is a critical component of peak performance. Don't ignore it. - [Wretchedly Out Of Shape](https://www.walthampton.com/success/wretchedly-out-of-shape/): Your brain needs to be in shape to do deep work. - [About The Poop](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-the-poop/): To be productive you must protect your most important business asset, and that is you. - [Escape The Riptide](https://www.walthampton.com/success/escape-the-riptide/): The difference between dreams and goals is that goals are dreams with a deadline. - [Running For Your Life](https://www.walthampton.com/success/running-for-your-life/): The world needs people who are fully alive. What makes that happen for you? - [A Harsh Reality](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-harsh-reality/): Setting a big goal can be fun. Achieving it is a whole other thing. - [A Terrible Thing](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-terrible-thing/): Your life is a series of moments. These moments. Not future moments. Seize these moments. Live without regret. - [A New Guide For The BHAG](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-new-guide-for-the-bhag/): To achieve your important goals better, faster, easier, safer, you need a guide. - [Notice More](https://www.walthampton.com/success/notice-more/): Carrier-based fighter aircraft have tail hooks. You should have one too. - [Wishing For Easy](https://www.walthampton.com/success/wishing-foreasy/): Don't wish that it was easier; wish that you were better. - [My Blender Your Legacy](https://www.walthampton.com/success/my-blender-your-legacy/): You can do the busy work; or you can focus on work that will stand the test of time. You get to choose. - [Light And Hope Return](https://www.walthampton.com/success/light-and-hope-return/): The long slide into darkness is over. The Light returns. It is an inflection point. Will you seize this moment? What will you choose? What will you create anew? Inflection points can be exciting. They can push you beyond your comfort zones (which are called comfort zones… because they’re pretty damn comfy even when they’re […] - [Getting Separated](https://www.walthampton.com/success/getting-separated/): Relationships are great. Until they'e not. Sometimes you just need some space. - [Failure Is The Only Way](https://www.walthampton.com/success/failure-is-the-only-way/): No one really wants to make a mistake. But often it's the best thing you can do it you really want to succeed. - [On Being In The World](https://www.walthampton.com/success/on-being-in-the-world/): It’s a challenge. To live skillfully in the world. To navigate the inevitable minefields. To embrace the richness of this fleeting gift that is your life. I shared some thoughts recently with a group of law students. Thoughts on being a lawyer. The more I reflected on the message, the more I realized that the […] - [The Gateway To Abundance](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-gateway-to-abundance/): You think that you must work really hard to achieve extraordinary abundance. That's not true. There's a much easier way. - [Comfort Is A Lie](https://www.walthampton.com/success/comfort-is-a-lie/): The only certainty is uncertainty; the only constant is change. Make friends with discomfort. - [You The Inventor](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-the-inventor/): The way work was working wasn't really working. You have the opportunity to invent something new. - [The Meta Lie](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-meta-lie/): The Metaverse isn't real; virtual reality isn't real. They're places to escape the real. Embrace the real. - [Quitters Are Quitters](https://www.walthampton.com/success/quitters-are-quitters/): There's a recent trend that seems to be glorifying quitters. One article even went as far as to suggest that quitters are heros. They're not. - [Conditions May Vary](https://www.walthampton.com/success/conditions-may-vary/): The time will never be right to start that thing you dream of or imagine doing. So there's really only just one answer. - [Worn Down By The BS](https://www.walthampton.com/success/worn-down-by-the-bs/): It doesn’t matter how successful you are. Or how resourceful. Or how resilient you think yourself to be. You get worn down… worn out… By the minutia… the bullshit… No one is exempt. Because the work you do takes energy and emotion. And being an entrepreneur or business professional can be a lonely go. So… […] - [The Most Important Tool In Business](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-most-important-tool-in-business/): This is the most important tool in business bar none. - [Work Life BS](https://www.walthampton.com/success/work-life-bs/): There's really no such thing as work-life balance. Pursuing it is a zero sum game. Better to focus on this one thing. - [The Problem With The Strategic Plan](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-problem-with-the-strategic-plan/): Nearly everyone agrees that strategic planning is important. But there’s one huge problem: no one seems to take the time to do it. Leadership and Strategic Planning Leaders, in particular, know that they need to do strategic planning. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, the author, our friend and colleague Dorie Clark, says: Almost […] - [Avoid This Decision Making Mistake](https://www.walthampton.com/success/avoid-this-decision-making-mistake/): When making decisions, especially big ones, it's easy to fall into this common decision-making trap. Don't. - [How To Fix Covid Fatigue](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-fix-covid-fatigue/): If you are experiencing Covid fatigue, or if you're just plain tired, then this novel strategy is definitely for you. - [Weaponizing Time](https://www.walthampton.com/success/weaponizing-time/): Everyone wants more time. Everyone wants time management. But do you weaponize the time you have? Perhaps there's a better way. - [Avoid This Sin](https://www.walthampton.com/success/avoid-this-sin/): If you feel the call to take the trip, write the book, make the art, launch the product, build that exciting next chapter, do it now. Don't wait. Regret is a terrible thing. - [Injured](https://www.walthampton.com/success/injured/): Life changes in an instant, in an ordinary instant. The story you want to tell is: there's time. But there's not. There's only now. - [Too Late To Start](https://www.walthampton.com/success/too-late-to-start/): It's never too late to create the work and the life you really love, regardless of age or circumstances. It's never too late. - [Why Risk Is Important](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-risk-is-important/): It’s risky, you know. Being an entrepreneur. That’s what Ann’s mom said.  That’s what a lot of people say. But if the last year has shown us anything, it’s that business risk isn’t entrepreneurial. It’s actually something you’re not likely thinking about. When you’re ready to take the background and experience you already have and […] - [How To Start A Consulting Business](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-start-a-consulting-business/): We get these questions all the time… How do I start a consulting biz? How do I launch a coaching practice? Where do I begin? Not with business building. But rather with lifestyle design. You see, if you’re one of the rare ones who actually has the courage and the audacity to leave a career […] - [When To Hire A Business Coach](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-to-hire-a-business-coach/): If you’re asking the question, it may be past the time. That’s what Norm would say. Norm was my first sailing instructor. Norm was teaching me to reef the sail… how reduce the sail area when the winds got nasty. “When should I reef the sails?” I asked. “If you find yourself asking the question, […] - [About My Toilet](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-my-toilet/): The new toilet arrived. It wasn’t the “right” one. I sent it back. I’m going to need to live with this toilet for a long time. I didn’t want to settle. Settling is bad. And yet, I’m betting that you settle (at least from time to time)…in myriad circumstances… for a meal that isn’t right, […] - [Into The Raging Fire](https://www.walthampton.com/success/into-the-raging-fire/): Are you running headlong into the raging fire? You wouldn’t be alone. Lots of folks are. But do you really want to? If you’re not keen to go back to the hermetically sealed office; worried about being marginalized because you want to stay remote; tired of the same old same old; ready to create an […] - [Not The Most Important Step](https://www.walthampton.com/success/not-the-most-important-step/): Some people believe that the first step in any endeavor is the most important one. It’s not. It’s the step before the first step. Master the step before that first step. And you’ll be much more likely to achieve your goals. - [Avoiding Failure At Your Peril](https://www.walthampton.com/success/avoiding-failure-at-your-peril/): You don’t want to fail. That doesn’t feel good. But not getting it done is worse. There’s little risk when you hide in a process. It feels safe. But, really, what are you hiding from? - [Managing Expectations](https://www.walthampton.com/success/managing-expectations/): What do you do when your expectations are dashed? The project doesn’t go as planned. Someone let’s you down. You miss a target. You hit an obstacle. How do you respond? - [Why Community Really Matters](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-community-really-matters/): Do you have a community of peers? “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together,” the African proverb teaches. Here are 5 reasons why a community of peers matters: - [How To Become A Consultant](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-become-a-consultant/): Discover how to become a consultant. - [The Wellbeing Of No](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-wellbeing-of-no/): How good are you at no? No to the job that doesn’t satisfy anymore. No to the toxic relationship. No to the exhausting commute. No to the calendar that’s way too full. No is a critical component of business success. Wellbeing too. - [Your Evening Routine](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-evening-routine/): You have a morning routine. You do, right? What about an evening routine? It’s pretty important too. - [The Life You Really Want](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-life-you-really-want/): A fresh start. A new beginning. A blank slate. A complete reset. Words to describe this once in a generation opportunity. Will you stop and seize this moment? - [Not Happy](https://www.walthampton.com/success/not-happy/): Why am I not happy? I have everything. A beautiful house. A great job; an awesome income. Amazing health. Wonderful kids. A partner who loves me. Why am I not happy? ______________________________________________________________________________________________If you’re not happy, maybe it’s time to connect for a call. Email me: walt@walthampton.com - [Constrain Time](https://www.walthampton.com/success/constrain-time/): Work expands to fill a vacuum. Don’t allow a vacuum. - [Schedule Your Self-Care](https://www.walthampton.com/success/schedule-your-self-care/): I missed the memo. The one about Stress Awareness Month. But I got the one about Mental Health Awareness… Thing is… it shouldn’t be limited to just a month. Cause… it’s kind of the cornerstone principle… the thing that makes everything else possible. Just sayin.’ Here’s how to dial it in… - [Structure Your Weekend](https://www.walthampton.com/success/structure-your-weekend/): We’re big fans of the F-word. Fun. We like fun. We like taking time off. We like weekends. A lot. But over the course of the last 14 months, time has blurred. The boundaries between the beginning and the end of the day have become fuzzy… and weekends can easily dissolve into the rearview mirror. […] - [Why You Need To Meditate](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-you-need-to-meditate/): There is a looming crisis. A post-pandemic pandemic. Borne of the anxiety, the weariness and the grief. You’ll see extraordinary opportunities ahead. But to be ready, you’ll need to be well grounded; you’ll need to be resourceful and resilient. Meditation is a power tool that will help. - [You Are In Hospitality](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-are-in-hospitality/): Regardless of the business you think you’re in, you’re in hospitality. Or you should be. The great poet Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Be intentional with the experiences you create. Elevate the […] - [Pandemic Lessons](https://www.walthampton.com/success/pandemic-lessons/): What will you take with you? It wasn’t all bad. There are certain things you don’t want to leave behind. What are they? And how will you protect them? - [The Block In Your Suez](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-block-in-your-suez/): A massive container vessel has blocked the Suez Canal. It’s shut down the canal; and crippled the global supply chain. The economic impact is in the tens of billions of dollars… and rising. What’s blocking your Suez? And at what cost? No one escapes… everyone gets blocked. But don’t wait to get help. The opportunity […] - [Done Before](https://www.walthampton.com/success/done-before/): A lot of other people do that. It’s been done before. These are common objections I hear from smart folks who have a business idea that they’re drawn to pursue. And way too often, it stops them dead in their tracks. That’s a shame. Whatever your idea, the way you end up expressing it in […] - [About Your Morning Routine](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-your-morning-routine/): Successful entrepreneurs and business professionals all have morning routines. And there are some common ingredients. Who knew? - [Taming The Email Monster](https://www.walthampton.com/success/taming-the-email-monster/): If you feel as if email takes up way too much time in your life, try this simple system to tame the email monster. - [About How Badly You Suck](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-how-badly-you-suck/): When something doesn't work, you likely tell some pretty self-deprecating stories. What if the story isn't true? What if it's not about you at all? - [About The Wooly Mammoths](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-the-wooly-mammoths/): You're hard-wired to feel fear. But that fear that once kept you safe now just keeps you small. The world needs your light. Step out. - [There Is No Back Button](https://www.walthampton.com/success/there-is-no-back-button/): This is a once in a generation opportunity. What will you do with it? - [Move Your Cheese](https://www.walthampton.com/success/move-your-cheese/): Routines can make you more productive. They reduce error rate and decision fatigue. But they can be mind-numbing too. Especially now. It may be time to switch them up. - [Confidence Is Overrated](https://www.walthampton.com/success/confidence-is-overrated/): Confidence is elusive. A bit like motivation. If you wait for it, it will never come. But there is one way to get it. - [Buying Is Not Doing](https://www.walthampton.com/success/buying-is-not-doing/): There are certain things you can throw money at to solve... and you probably should. But in one area, that just won't work. - [You Were Duped](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-were-duped/): You thought it was going to be a new year with all that bad stuff behind you. But it looks a awful lot like last year. Here's what you need to do to stay steady. - [This Will Always Disappoint](https://www.walthampton.com/success/this-will-always-disappoint/): Motivation will never take you the distance. It's undependable. - [Why I Have One and You Should Too](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-i-have-one-and-you-should-too/): This one investment will yield a thousand fold. - [It Really Sucked](https://www.walthampton.com/success/it-really-sucked/): 2020 was filled with challenges. But there was good as well... Focus on the good. - [In The Darkness](https://www.walthampton.com/success/in-the-darkness/): It’s dark. It’s been a really dark year. It promises to be a long, dark winter. Yet… this week… we celebrate the return of the Light. And you… you have a job to do. - [Worthless](https://www.walthampton.com/success/worthless/): You need a plan for the new year, even if it goes to hell in a hand basket. - [I Dare You](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-dare-you/): During times of extraordinary challenge and change, it's natural to just want to circle the wagons; protect yourself; get through the storm. But maybe there's a better way. - [The Precious Pandemic](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-precious-pandemic/): It's tempting just to let the clock run out on 2020. It's been a pretty miserable year. But perhaps you shouldn't be so hasty. - [Gratitude, The Missing Link](https://www.walthampton.com/success/gratitude-the-missing-link/): Gratitude is trendy. Especially at this time of the year. But there may be a piece that you're missing. - [Not Enough Time](https://www.walthampton.com/success/not-enough-time/): People complain that there isn't enough time. But they have all the time in the world. The problem is how they end up using it. - [Staying Curious](https://www.walthampton.com/success/staying-curious/): It’s really easy to get stuck in your own way of seeing the world. We tend to surround ourselves with like-minded people, consume media that reinforces our beliefs, and avoid engaging with those who think differently. This feels familiar and safe. But it ultimately leads to more separation, isolation, and even loneliness. It also contributes […] - [Paying Through Your Nose](https://www.walthampton.com/success/paying-through-your-nose/): Your attention is your fate - [Enoughness](https://www.walthampton.com/success/enoughness/): Trapped for 4 days at nearly 21,000 feet, I pushed through hurricane-force winds and severe cold to reach Aconcagua's summit, only to find it hollow and unfulfilling. The achievement that I thought would provide meaning felt empty, revealing that true enoughness and purpose come from within, not from external accomplishments. - [Purpose Driven](https://www.walthampton.com/success/purpose-driven/): Purpose is a sense of wholeness that weaves the pieces of our lives together. - [Worry Worry Everywhere](https://www.walthampton.com/success/worry-worry-everywhere/): Fear is the predator. Fear limits. Fear paralyzes. Fear diminishes. Fear robs you of opportunity. With fear, you fail to live life fully. - [Worthless Success](https://www.walthampton.com/success/worthless-success/): Success is the highest expression of ourselves in the world, reflected in the way we share our gifts and the lives we touch. - [The Day The Music Stopped](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-day-the-music-stopped/): Life is way too short to be doing work that sucks your soul. If your heart is telling you that it's time for a new chapter, listen. - [The Big Problem With Freedom](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-big-problem-with-freedom/): Freedom is good. But there's a catch. It comes with a whole lot of work and responsibility. And the work never ends. - [Be Here Now](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-here-now/): Being present is a powerful antidote to the distractions of modern life. By making a conscious effort to be here now, you can find greater fulfillment and deeper connections with those around you. - [Being In A World Of Doing](https://www.walthampton.com/success/being-in-a-world-of-doing/): Worth is not determined by our productivity. We are valuable because of who we are, not just because of what we do. - [The Revolution We Need](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-revolution-we-need/): Just be kind. Let this be the legacy you choose, the path you walk, and the gift you offer freely, without reservation. - [Embrace The F Word](https://www.walthampton.com/success/embrace-the-f-word/): Life should be fun. Joy is your birthright. But this requires that you be mindful and intentional about embracing it. - [A Recreation Day](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-recreation-day/): When we take the time to renew ourselves, we are more productive, more imaginative, more creative, more flexible. - [The Rules For Starting Over](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-rules-for-starting-over/): You want to start over. You need to start over. But where do you begin?You begin at the beginning. Like when you first started out. - [Be Radical](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/be-radical/): Grounded leaders can remain steadfast in their purpose, lead with authenticity, and create a lasting, positive impact. - [It Will Hit The Fan](https://www.walthampton.com/success/it-will-hit-the-fan/): It's not a question of if; it's a question of when. Things will go wrong. You will get derailed. You need to have a plan. - [The Final Frontier](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-final-frontier-2/): Creating time and space for you is a cornerstone success principle. Nothing else is possible unless you do. - [Lost In The Museum](https://www.walthampton.com/success/lost-in-the-museum/): I got lost in one of the great museums of the world because I made a really bad decision. Don't make the same mistake I did. - [When The Madness Stopped](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/when-the-madness-stopped/): There was a moment last week when everyone stopped and looked to the sky. May the eclipse be a reminder of all we share. - [Taking The Easy Way](https://www.walthampton.com/success/taking-the-easy-way/): What if we didn’t have to struggle?What if we could trust the river, surrendering to the Great Flow of our lives? What if the easy way was The Way? - [Doom Porn](https://www.walthampton.com/success/doom-porn/): In a world that’s filled so much negativity, it’s necessary to take a step back and appreciate the beauty and wonder that is everywhere. - [Listen To That Nagging](https://www.walthampton.com/success/listen-to-that-nagging/): Listen to that nagging voice within you. It is the deepest longing of your heart calling you to your best life. - [The Bears Are Up](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-bears-are-up/): Springtime is the opportunity to begin again. The seeds we plant in springtime will yield a thousand fold when the harvest comes. - [Handcuffed To My Bed](https://www.walthampton.com/success/handcuffed-to-my-bed/): You can escape work you hate. I can show you how. - [For The Sheer Love Of It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/for-the-sheer-love-of-it/): If you are going to climb the ladder of success, make sure the ladder is against the wall that will bring you deep joy. - [The Seasons of Things](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-seasons-of-things/): There are seasons to things. All things. Interconnected. Locked in balance. Necessary one to the other. Trust in the seasons. - [All You Need To Do Is Stop](https://www.walthampton.com/success/all-you-need-to-do-is-stop/): Stopping is essential for going. - [Off The Tracks](https://www.walthampton.com/success/off-the-tracks/): Despite the most heartfelt resolutions, despite whatever the best intentions might have been, most folks give up on their New Year’s promises to themselves… right about now. But it's not too late! - [Be Like Flaco](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-like-flaco/): He captured their hearts; grabbed their attentions; and piqued their imaginations. Millions followed him. Why? Because Flaco broke free. - [You Will See Tigers](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-will-see-tigers/): There will always be reasons you tell yourself why now is not the right time to do the things you yearn to do. But now is all you have. - [Where Fun Goes To Die](https://www.walthampton.com/success/where-fun-goes-to-die/): For so many, there is no fun. Life is serious. Work is serious. Time away from work is serious. But life is too short not to have fun. - [SOSDD or DIY](https://www.walthampton.com/success/sosdd-or-diy/): It is easy to slip back into the slipstream of life where every day is the same as the last and this year is a repeat of last year. But it doesn't have to be that way. - [About That Lie](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-that-lie/): You tell yourself a lie: that there's time to do those things you dream of doing. Then you get busy doing other things. And time slips by. - [212](https://www.walthampton.com/success/212/): Never underestimate the power of just a 1º shift. - [Listening To Your Heart](https://www.walthampton.com/success/listening-to-your-heart/): Listen to your heart. It always knows the way. - [To Turn Again](https://www.walthampton.com/success/to-turn-again-5/): Take a moment to stop this week. Reconnect with the ground. Feel the earth turn back to the sun, back to the light. Be that light. - [Cancel It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/cancel-it/): Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. In fact, shoulding is a sign. A bad sign. - [How Do You Want It To Be](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-do-you-want-it-to-be/): We encourage our coaching clients and authors to do it. Getting clear on goals and objectives makes a huge difference. And raises the likelihood that you'll achieve those goals and objectives. - [Sucked Into The Vortex](https://www.walthampton.com/success/sucked-into-the-vortex/): Saying no to the non-essential allows you to be more fully present to what is most important. Make saying no your default response. - [About That Attitude](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-that-attitude/): When you focus on what you are grateful for, more wonderful things pour into your life, more to be grateful for shows up. - [Never Too Late](https://www.walthampton.com/success/never-too-late/): Dreams deferred are dreams denied. Do what you’ve always dreamed of doing. Do it now. While there is still time. - [That Lying Lizard](https://www.walthampton.com/success/that-lying-lizard/): The lizard brain says turn back: back to comfort, back to safety, back to what you know. The lizard brain lies. - [Darkness My Old Friend](https://www.walthampton.com/success/darkness-my-old-friend/): The season of darkness is upon us. We can rail against it. Or welcome it for what it offers. Embrace the seasons of your life. - [Your Halloween Costume](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-halloween-costume/): When you define yourself with a title, give yourself a label, tie an object to who you think you are, you make yourself small, you limit your (divine) potential. Maybe there's a better way. - [You Want This Superpower](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-want-this-superpower/): In a world saturated with noise, distractions, and the constant pull of technology, the act of genuinely listening has become a rare art. - [Ya Gotta Love It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/ya-gotta-love-it/): Love for what you do is the only thing that will sustain it. - [Start and See What Happens](https://www.walthampton.com/success/start-and-see-what-happens/): Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. — Goethe It didn’t matter that I had sealed the seams.  Or that we had a tub floor.  Or that I had put a tarp over the site.  Water was everywhere. The torrential rains had come just after […] - [The Secret Recipe](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-secret-recipe/): The ingredients for joy and meaning usually don't require a lot of time or money. They're usually pretty simple. - [The Things I Am Sad About](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-things-i-am-sad-about/): In our grief-phobic culture, we are called to tend to grief. To connect with sadness. To name it. To make friends with it. - [Achieve No Thing](https://www.walthampton.com/success/achieve-no-thing/): The quality of your action depends on the quality of your being. Be a human being and not just a human doing. - [Over and Done](https://www.walthampton.com/success/over-and-done/): The summer is over and done. Time to put your head down and get back to it. Not. - [Doctor No](https://www.walthampton.com/success/doctor-no-2/): Learn to say no to the things that really don't matter so that you have the resourcefulness and resiliency to say yes to the best. - [Handcuffed To The Bed](https://www.walthampton.com/success/handcuffed-to-the-bed/): I was trapped by the golden handcuffs. Yet all along, I held the key. The real problem was that I was afraid to let go. - [When You Are Lost](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-you-are-lost/): When you are hopelessly lost, you need to drop out of your head and into your heart, and listen. Because your heart knows the way. - [Add Water At Your Peril](https://www.walthampton.com/success/add-water-at-your-peril/): The magic, the majesty, the joy, the deep satisfaction in life is most usually found just beyond that place of comfort. - [Catching Dreams](https://www.walthampton.com/success/catching-dreams/): Your dreams are the call of your heart. Don't ignore them? - [You Could Be An owl](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-could-be-an-owl/): Create a business that will set you free. I can show you how. - [Bears Almond Milk and You](https://www.walthampton.com/success/bears-almond-milk-and-you/): If you really want something, go for it. - [Hanging By A Thread](https://www.walthampton.com/success/hanging-by-a-thread/): In the attention economy, you pay with an asset that you can never get back. Spend wisely. - [I Can Read Your Mind](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-can-read-your-mind/): How you spend your days is how you spend your life. Spend your time on what you value. Say no to all the rest. - [The Present Present](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-present-present/): Your full presence in this one and only precious moment is the greatest gift you can give. - [Dress Slowly](https://www.walthampton.com/success/dress-slowly/): When you are in a hurry, slow the action down. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. - [Vacate and Recreate](https://www.walthampton.com/success/vacate-and-recreate/): Take a vacation. A real vacation. Where you step out of the slipstream that is your life to reconnect with that deepest part of yourself. - [How To Burn Out Faster](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-burn-out-faster/): A lot of people want to avoid burnout. But not all. This one hack is guaranteed to help you and your team burnout a whole lot faster! - [Mindfulness and Your Shoes](https://www.walthampton.com/success/mindfulness-and-your-shoes/): Mindfulness is about being present in each and every moment of your life. Life is short. Don't miss a moment. Be here now. - [Rest For Success](https://www.walthampton.com/success/rest-for-success/): Athletes and entertainers know that rest and recovery are essential for peak performance. It would be good for the rest of us to know that too. - [Space The Final Frontier](https://www.walthampton.com/success/space-the-final-frontier/): When you give yourself the gift of quiet, when you open up that space, your sense of possibility expands. In that space you will see. - [Quite A Terrible Cost](https://www.walthampton.com/success/quite-a-terrible-cost/): You can try to do this if you want, but it comes at a huge cost. Because while you may believe that you can, you really can't. It's a myth. Multi-tasking. - [Why](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why/): Why? Why do you run? I get this question a lot. Especially when it comes to running long distances. I could give a George Mallory-like response when asked why he wanted to climb Everest: he said, “Because it’s there.” “I run because I can,” I might say. Which, like Mallory’s response, is shallow and stupid. […] - [Push Pause Right Now](https://www.walthampton.com/success/push-pause-right-now/): It's not possible to keep going 24/7/365. It's not sustainable. It essential to pause, to stop, to rest, recharge and renew. - [A Terrible Cost](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-terrible-cost/): Distraction robs you of your most precious resource, your time. It kills productivity and your capacity to do deep work. Don't do distraction. - [This Is Not A Job](https://www.walthampton.com/success/this-is-not-a-job/): If you want to be an influencer, do great work in the world. - [Lost With No Clear Way](https://www.walthampton.com/success/lost-with-no-clear-way/): If you find yourself feeling restless and a bit board, wanting more, know that you are not alone. I can help you find the path. - [The Beavers Are Busy](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-beavers-are-busy/): Every day, we have an opportunity to begin again; to create anew; to make our lives the masterpieces they’ve always been meant to be. - [When You Come To The End Of The Road](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-you-come-to-the-end-of-the-road/): Going all the time is not sustainable. Sometimes you need to stop doing and just be. Take a whole day away just for you. - [Be This Owl](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-flaco/): Flaco the owl broke free. You can break free too. Free of the hustle, the long hours, the overwhelm, the drudgery. I can show you how. - [A Deadly Sin That May Be Good](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-deadly-sin-that-may-be-good/): When you feel envy, it's often a siren call from deep inside you telling you that there's something missing, something that you want. Listen to it. - [When The Shit Hits The Fan](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-the-shit-hits-the-fan/): It's not a question of if; it's a question of when. When the shit will hit the fan. What do you need to do to be ready? - [Run Your Biz Like Climbing Ice](https://www.walthampton.com/success/run-your-biz-like-climbing-ice/): Avoid single points of failure in your business. - [Out Of Prison Finally](https://www.walthampton.com/success/out-of-prison-finally/): The single biggest time suck and source of stress in business is email overload. There are some simple practices that will set you free. - [When You Want More Than Average](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-you-want-more-than-average/): When you find yourself tired of average, and worn down by the naysayers, it's time to find a community that wants for your success. - [When Your Cart Goes Off The Tracks](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-your-cart-goes-off-the-tracks/): This is the time time of year when resolutions and goals tend to drop by the wayside. But don't despair. You can start again. - [Why SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) Really Matter](https://www.walthampton.com/success/why-sops-standard-operating-procedures-really-matter/): Standard operating procedures increase productivity and reduce error. They save time and facilitate training and delegation. In this short masterclass, you'll discover what they are as well as when and how to create them. - [About White Space](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-white-space/): If you want more time and less stress; if you want to achieve the things that matter most, then create more white space on your calendar. - [About That Porn Problem](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-that-porn-problem/): Doom is everywhere, all the time. And it's addictive. It can drag you down and wear you out. There's a better way. Awe is the antidote. - [What Is Your Heart's Desire](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-is-your-hearts-desire/): Those whispers that are in your heart, those dreams that you have, those projects you want to create, those places you want to go, the empires you want to build, the impact you want to make… they’re not random musings; they’re not accidents. They are the call of your Spirit, the Divine within you, showing you – telling you – the way. - [Punched In The Face](https://www.walthampton.com/success/punched-in-the-face/): You are the co-creator of this gift that is your life. You get to create the work and the life that brings you joy. Plan well this “one wild and precious life.” - [Manifesting BS](https://www.walthampton.com/success/manifesting-bs/): Manifestation is hocus pocus. Don't waste your time or money. Rather be the intentional creator of what you really want in 2023. - [Are You Naughty Or Nice](https://www.walthampton.com/success/are-you-naughty-or-nice/): Your most important list is not your to-do list; your most important list is your stop doing list. Stop doing things that don't serve you. - [Turn Again](https://www.walthampton.com/success/turn-again/): It's dark; really dark. Yet we celebrate the Winter Solstice, the return of the light. It is the turning point. Be that light in the darkness. - [In The Vortex](https://www.walthampton.com/success/in-the-vortex/): As the holidays approach, the pressures increase. There's so much the needs to get done. And a lot that doesn't need to get done. Say no more! - [My Inheritance Of Waste](https://www.walthampton.com/success/my-inheritance-of-waste/): Worry is a waste. Most of what you worry about will never happen. And in the meantime, worry will steal your joy. - [How To Be Unhappy](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-be-unhappy/): What you focus on you see. Focus on the bad, and you will surely see it. - [Doctor No](https://www.walthampton.com/success/doctor-no/): You only have so many yeses to give in your life. And saying yes all of the time leads to stress and burnout. Get better at saying no. - [Wasted Is Good](https://www.walthampton.com/success/wasted-is-good/): There is a lost art. An essential art. An art that unlocks the door to the deepest parts of yourself. It’s called: wasting time. Reclaim this lost art now. - [Hello Darkness My Old Friend](https://www.walthampton.com/success/hello-darkness-my-old-friend-2/): Change is the only constant. To live fully, deeply into each season of our lives: this is what we are called to do. - [About Your Costume](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-your-costume/): Every day you wear a costume, Not just on Halloween. But who are you beneath that costume? Who are you really? - [Either Love It or Leave It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/either-love-it-or-leave-it/): Love is the only thing that matters. - [About That Nagging Feeling](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-that-nagging-feeling/): That voice that calls you in the night?Listen to it. It is the creator spirit within you. - [A Vacation From The Vacation](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-vacation-from-the-vacation/): Have you ever felt like you needed it? - [About Your Rings Per Minute](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-your-rings-per-minute/): What happens when efficiency becomes more important than human connection? - [Be Messi](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-messi/): When the pressure rises, resist the urge to rush. - [The Revolution You Can Lead](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-revolution-you-can-lead/): It doesn't take grand gestures to make a difference. - [The Productivity Gap](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-productivity-gap/): Productivity isn't always what we need. - [At Your Age?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/at-your-age/): Saying yes to an adventure doesn’t need a permission slip - [Think About The F Word](https://www.walthampton.com/success/think-about-the-f-word/): You really should. Especially now. - [Lost In A Dark Wood](https://www.walthampton.com/success/lost-in-a-dark-wood-2/): Getting lost in the journey of life is worse. - [Turn Off The Spigot](https://www.walthampton.com/success/turn-off-the-spigot/): You're drowning in something you can turn off - [AI Won’t Save You From The Treadmill](https://www.walthampton.com/success/ai-wont-save-you-from-the-treadmill/): Speed doesn't mean freedom. - [Take The Vacation](https://www.walthampton.com/success/take-the-vacation/): You might be taking fake vacations without realizing it. - [Your Experience Is Worth More Than Your Information](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-experience-is-worth-more-than-your-information/): Yes, even in the age of AI. - [The Information Age Is Dead](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-information-age-is-dead/): The wisdom age is here - [Stop Waiting For The Plan](https://www.walthampton.com/success/stop-waiting-for-the-plan/): Sometimes you’ve got to take the first step. - [AI Will Steal Your Time](https://www.walthampton.com/success/ai-will-steal-your-time/): AI will give you time. Don’t let it take it from you. - [It's Not Too Late](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-not-too-late/): Here’s why your next chapter may be closer than you think. - [It’s Not Just a Job You Lost. It’s a World.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/its-not-just-a-job-you-lost-its-a-world/): Rebuild your next chapter now. - [You Are Not Unemployable](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-are-not-unemployable/): Learn how to reframe your experience and build a new next chapter. - [Soft In The Head](https://www.walthampton.com/success/soft-in-the-head/): Protect your mind at all cost. - [Use Your Words](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/use-your-words/): They matter more than you think - [Afraid](https://www.walthampton.com/success/afraid/): But what would you do without it? - [The Hidden Cost of Busyness](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-hidden-cost-of-busyness/): Focus, not activity, is what you actually need. - [Are You An Innie or An Outtie](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/are-you-an-innie-or-an-outtie/): And if you lead a team, this awareness becomes even more critical. - [For The Love Of It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/for-the-love-of-it/): You can do it too - [Crisis and Opportunity](https://www.walthampton.com/success/crisis-and-opportunity/): In every crisis there is opportunity - [AI Fear](https://www.walthampton.com/success/ai-fear/): Worried AI will replace your job? - [My Very Favorite Week of the Year](https://www.walthampton.com/success/my-very-favorite-week-of-the-year/): Did you notice the change, too? - [About That Lie You Tell](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-that-lie-you-tell/): You tell yourself the lie that there's time - [Life Is What Happens](https://www.walthampton.com/success/life-is-what-happens/): How are you doing with those intentions you set back at the beginning of the month? - [Cycles of Doom](https://www.walthampton.com/success/cycles-of-doom/): There is power in knowing when to stop - [Ladders and Walls](https://www.walthampton.com/success/ladders-and-walls/): Is your ladder leaning against the right wall? - [What Do You Really Want?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-do-you-really-want/): You’ll find out if you truly listen. - [Be The Light](https://www.walthampton.com/success/be-the-light/): Because light is multiplied when it's shared - [The Turning Point](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-turning-point/): You're not stuck. The door is always open. - [Step Out of the Fray](https://www.walthampton.com/success/step-out-of-the-fray/): Start the New Year right. Grounded, rested, and strong. - [Slow The Roll](https://www.walthampton.com/success/slow-the-roll/): This is what December is calling you to do. - [Pathway to Possibility](https://www.walthampton.com/success/pathway-to-possibility/): This is how gratitude opens new possibilities for you - [Planting For The Future](https://www.walthampton.com/success/planting-for-the-future/): Even when your confidence is shaky and your vision is blurry. Plant anyway. - [When You're Not Afraid](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-youre-not-afraid/): Because courage is not the absence of fear - [Hello Darkness](https://www.walthampton.com/success/hello-darkness/): Winter will come. But so will Spring. It is the rhythm of things. - [What Will Your Costume Be?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-will-your-costume-be/): What are you gonna be for Halloween? - [The Very Unsexy Secret To Success](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-very-unsexy-secret-to-success/): Big goals can feel overwhelming. Take one step; then the next. - [Are You Feeling Crispy Around The Edges?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/are-you-feeling-crispy-around-the-edges/): If you feel like your spark's dimmed, you're not alone. - [When You're Tired, Do This](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-youre-tired-do-this/): It's a simple solution, yet we often ignore it. - [Don't Be Zinc](https://www.walthampton.com/leadership/dont-be-zinc/): Protect your energy and well-being with real self-care - [Lost and Found Again](https://www.walthampton.com/success/lost-and-found-again/): No matter how lost you feel, you can find your way back. - [Stay Curious](https://www.walthampton.com/success/stay-curious/): Ask a question. Listen to the answer. - [Now More Than Ever](https://www.walthampton.com/success/now-more-than-ever/): Everyone needs a wise guide. - [When You're Feeling Weary](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-youre-feeling-weary/): How do you stay grounded in chaos? - [The End Is Near](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-end-is-near-2/): September can be your fresh start - [Your Most Important List](https://www.walthampton.com/success/your-most-important-list/): Want to reclaim your time and energy? A Stop Doing List will help you - [Questions That Change Everything](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-questions-that-change-everything/): How you spend your time reveals what you truly value. - [The Power of Doing Less](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-power-of-doing-less/): The first power principle of time mastery? Do less. - [You’ve Built a Great Career. Now Build a Great Life.](https://www.walthampton.com/success/youve-built-a-great-career-now-build-a-great-life/): Start saying yes to what truly matters - [How to Know You’re Ready for a New Chapter](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-know-youre-ready-for-a-new-chapter/): Here are the subtle signs. - [But I Don’t Know What I’d Do Instead](https://www.walthampton.com/success/but-i-dont-know-what-id-do-instead/): Searching for career clarity? Help is here. - [From Burned Out to On Fire](https://www.walthampton.com/success/from-burned-out-to-on-fire/): Here’s how to reignite your passion without burning it all down. - [Never Not Too Late](https://www.walthampton.com/success/never-not-too-late/): Think it’s too late for a career change after 50? It’s not. - [Fall In Love Again](https://www.walthampton.com/success/fall-in-love-again/): Most people dread Mondays—but what if you didn’t have to? When your work aligns with who you are, Monday becomes a launchpad, not a letdown. This post is a wake-up call for professionals stuck in careers that drain them. It’s time to reconnect with your purpose and design a life that energizes you. - [You Are Not Crazy](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-are-not-crazy/): Maybe something feels off because you're now ready for the next chapter. - [Is This All There Is?](https://www.walthampton.com/success/is-this-all-there-is/): If you ask this question, it might be time for a midlife career change. - [Take The Damn Vacation](https://www.walthampton.com/success/take-the-damn-vacation/): Rest isn’t a luxury. It’s a discipline. - [There Is Good](https://www.walthampton.com/success/there-is-good/): Focus on it - [Start With Love: Why the Right Map Matters](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/start-with-love-why-the-right-map-matters/): Sometimes, we end up unhappy because we follow the wrong map. - [Mindfulness Might Be Bad](https://www.walthampton.com/success/mindfulness-might-be-bad/): Mindfulness might not be for you if you're not ready to face what's right in front of you. - [Being Radical](https://www.walthampton.com/success/being-radical/): True leadership starts with groundedness. In a world of constant change, the most effective leaders stay rooted in their values and well-being. This piece explores simple daily practices that build stability, resilience, and authentic leadership from the inside out. - [Lost In A Dark Wood](https://www.walthampton.com/success/lost-in-a-dark-wood/): When you are lost find a guide. - [On That Last Day](https://www.walthampton.com/success/on-that-last-day/): You deserve a life that lights you up. - [Never Retire](https://www.walthampton.com/success/never-retire/): The goal isn’t retirement. - [Staying Steady](https://www.walthampton.com/success/staying-steady/): Stay steady in the storm - [About Your Music](https://www.walthampton.com/success/about-your-music/): Live your dreams now - [If I Call You Do Not Answer](https://www.walthampton.com/success/if-i-call-you-do-not-answer/): Our real presence is our complete attention - [Before The Clay Hardens](https://www.walthampton.com/success/before-the-clay-hardens/): It is never to late to begin again - [When The Music Stopped](https://www.walthampton.com/success/when-the-music-stopped/): It's never too late to create your exciting next chapter - [If You Were Not Afraid](https://www.walthampton.com/success/if-you-were-not-afraid/): What would you do if you weren't afraid? - [Fall and Bleed](https://www.walthampton.com/success/fall-and-bleed/): Whenever you push beyond your comfort zone, it's hard. - [How To Stay Steady](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-to-stay-steady/): You can stay steady in times of challenge and change - [Stopping](https://www.walthampton.com/success/stopping/): Stopping is essential - [We Have The Gym Back](https://www.walthampton.com/success/we-have-the-gym-back/): You don’t need to wait for the new year to begin again. - [Ten Thousand Hours Of Resting](https://www.walthampton.com/success/ten-thousand-hours-of-resting/): You need to learn to rest - [Guard It Well](https://www.walthampton.com/success/guard-it-well/): Because it's like a currency - [Nonrefundable](https://www.walthampton.com/success/nonrefundable/): You can always make more money. But you can never make more time. - [The Best Is Yet To Come](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-best-is-yet-to-come/): Stop waiting for the perfect moment, stop letting fear hold you back. The clock is ticking. - [How You Really Want It](https://www.walthampton.com/success/how-you-really-want-it/): Focus on how you want your life to be - [Claiming It For You](https://www.walthampton.com/success/claiming-it-for-you/): Focus on what it is that you really want - [It Is The Turning Point](https://www.walthampton.com/success/it-is-the-turning-point/): Every moment is the opportunity to begin again - [That Giant Flushing Sound](https://www.walthampton.com/success/that-giant-flushing-sound/): Avoid getting sucked into the vortex of time - [Not Too Late](https://www.walthampton.com/success/not-too-late/): It's never too late to do what you dream of doing - [A Disruptive Discovery](https://www.walthampton.com/journeys/a-disruptive-discovery/): Stay curious - [What He Made Me Do](https://www.walthampton.com/success/what-he-made-me-do/): Action is the antidote to despair - [Into This Darkness](https://www.walthampton.com/finding-the-way/in-this-darkness/): As the days grow shorter and shadows fall earlier, the changing seasons remind us of life’s inevitable shifts. Some find warmth in the long, dark evenings, while others yearn for endless daylight. Yet, as Jim Rohn taught, while we can’t change the seasons, we can change ourselves. Winter may challenge us, but it’s also a time to grow stronger and prepare for the spring that always follows. Embracing each season with courage and an open heart allows us to live fully, trusting that renewal is always near. - [I Want To Notice More](https://www.walthampton.com/success/i-want-to-notice-more/): Slow down and notice more - [The Danger of White Noise](https://www.walthampton.com/uncategorized/the-danger-of-white-noise/): The constant buzz of world events—wars, crises, and political noise—can feel overwhelming, tempting us to tune out entirely. But while setting boundaries is healthy, complete disengagement is risky. Democracies need citizens who stay informed, think critically, and participate. Instead of letting white noise drown out what’s important, we can choose to be present, filtering distractions to focus on the issues that matter most. In turbulent times, resilience and responsibility are essential—not to absorb every headline, but to stay engaged where it counts. - [The Hubris Of The Now](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-hubris-of-the-now/): The hubris of the now create illusion - [Magic In The Starting](https://www.walthampton.com/success/magic-in-the-starting/): Start out and see what happens - [You Are Not Your I Am](https://www.walthampton.com/success/you-are-not-your-i-am/): We often introduce ourselves with our job titles, but are these labels truly who we are? Your identity is more than your occupation. It's a complex tapestry of talents, interests, and experiences. By loosening the grip on your job title, you open yourself up to a world of possibilities. Discover who you are beyond your career and unlock your full potential. - [The Why Behind Your Why](https://www.walthampton.com/success/the-why-behind-your-why/): Feeling stuck? Your why is the missing piece. Find it, and watch your goals soar. Remember: Your 'why' is your North Star. It guides you, inspires you, and fuels your actions. So, what's yours? - [A Terrible Thief](https://www.walthampton.com/success/a-terrible-thief/): There’s no way you can justify it. Yet you indulge it in nearly every minute of every day. Distraction. Distraction is a thief and a killer. It robs you of your focus, your attention, and your precious time. It robs you of the capacity to read, write, and reflect. It robs you of your ability […] - [No No No](https://www.walthampton.com/success/no-no-no/): If we want to go the distance, we need to say no. - [Avoiding Whack A Mole](https://www.walthampton.com/success/avoiding-whack-a-mole/): Practices to consider before September gets too busy ## Pages - [Vacate and Recreate](https://www.walthampton.com/vacate-and-recreate/): Take a vacation. A real vacation. Where you step out of the slipstream that is your life to reconnect with that deepest part of yourself. - [Blog](https://www.walthampton.com/blog/) - [](https://www.walthampton.com/bys/): [et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] Here Is Your First Training Video     DOWNLOAD These Worksheets for Your Homework! Click HERE! [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column] [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section] - [Programs & Workshops](https://www.walthampton.com/programs-workshops/): Throughout the year, I offer training programs and workshops customized to meet the specific needs of your organization or association.  They include: Leadership (Principles of Leadership, Communication & Empowerment, Delegation, and Mindful Leadership) The Principles of Sustainable Peak Performance The Power Principles of Time Mastery The Power Principles of Executive Wellness The Power of Planning […] - [Downloadable Resources](https://www.walthampton.com/downloads/): Downloadable Resources - [Upcoming Events](https://www.walthampton.com/upcoming-events/): Join Us! HOW TO HAVE IT ALL IN 2014 Are you finally ready to   Lose the weight? Find the perfect mate? Get the new job? Write that damn book? Start the new biz? Launch that new product? Book that magical vacation?   PLEASE don’t let another year slide by. Life is way too short […] - [Create The Work You Love](https://www.walthampton.com/work-you-love/): Create The Work You Love - [Peak Performance Summit](https://www.walthampton.com/peak-performance-summit/): Peak Performance Summit - [Terms and Conditions](https://www.walthampton.com/terms-and-conditions/): Terms and Conditions - [Speaking (Virtual & Live)](https://www.walthampton.com/speaking/): Speaking (Virtual & Live) - [Coaching](https://www.walthampton.com/coaching/) - [Thank you!](https://www.walthampton.com/thank-you-journeys/): Thank you! - [Return Policy](https://www.walthampton.com/return-policy/): We want you to be happy with your purchase. If at any time you are dissatisfied with your purchase, you may return it to us for a full and complete refund. If there are any questions regarding this return policy or your purchase you may contact us using the information below. www.walthampton.com P.O. 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Please feel free to contact me at any time: - [Leadership Training](https://www.walthampton.com/training/): Leadership Training - [Adventure Photography](https://www.walthampton.com/adventure-photography/) - [Home](https://www.walthampton.com/) - [Blog-old](https://www.walthampton.com/blog-old/) - [Resources](https://www.walthampton.com/resources/): There are places I go on a regular basis for inspiration that I would like to share with you. Of course, I am an avid reader and often reference books I am reading in my weekly blog.  There are certain books, though, that I seem to return to again and again: A Path With Heart by […] - [About Walt](https://www.walthampton.com/about-walt-2/): Walt Hampton is a writer, speaker, coach and adventure photographer. He is a high altitude mountaineer and a blue water sailor. His message is this:  Live deeply. Live fully.  Love well. Find adventure and joy.  Rediscover the fun in your life. Revel in audacious possibility.  Give to the world the gifts that are yours alone […] ## Optional - [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/www.walthampton.com/mcp) [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)