Plan

I periodically reread the classic texts that shaped my education and my work. The reasons vary; I’m curious about how they’ve held up over time and what I find now with over twenty years’ experience. One of those texts is The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering by Frederick P Brooks, Jr. It was a […]

It’s a rare week that the plan I created on Monday morning isn’t completely rewritten by lunchtime. It’s tempting to try to follow my cat and curl up in the dark recesses of a tote bag because it can feel overwhelming. Here are three tips I use to keep moving forward with my original plan […]

I often employ a counter-intuitive approach to help clients bring greater awareness and access to the depth of content on their websites. No matter how we plan, it’s a challenge for many solo and small businesses to even know what they’re going to create at the start. My method recommends creating this content however it […]

I know you’re bombarded with tips that claim to unlock the one perfect way to work right now, I am too. Those articles and social media posts make it challenging for me to write about the topic. I cry BS on the snake oil cures of productivity. Life (and work) is a process, a journey […]

Planning in uncertainty is a challenge I don’t enjoy facing. There are things I’ve learned to do to help me create a path forward when faced with multiple unknowns. Here is what I do to help me from feeling overwhelmed as I try to think beyond the immediate moment. These actions all take about an […]

When the world, especially the world of my small business, feels overwhelmed by chaos I choose to focus small. It’s not a narrowing focus to the exclusion of the big picture. It’s a reminder that if I plan and work on a small task it proves there is one little thing I can control. This […]

For years I’ve scheduled regular planning sessions and each project received detailed next actions. This allows me to identify the work that needs to be done and think about the required tasks. My challenge, however, was to find a way to view them so I could acknowledge project progress and work with my to-do list. […]

This weekend, Tropical Storm Fay brings heavy rains, high winds, and potential tornadoes to the Mid-Atlantic Region while simultaneously the COVID-19 pandemic infection rates are not controlled across the United States. But wait, there’s more! According to the NOAA Weather Prediction Center, there is “enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms moving across the northern Plains today” […]

It’s hurricane season, wild fire season, and ongoing social justice reform & pandemic season. For years I’ve recommended reviewing your disaster preparedness plan at regular intervals. With everything that’s happening this year and new procedures in place as business begin to reopen, it’s a very good time to do this! First, if you’re curious about […]

First things first: Black lives matter. I found How to be an Antiracist (library availability) as well as Me and White Supremacy (library availability) to be two good places to start learning. I’m reading The Torture Letters (library availability) to better understand how we arrived at current events. My experience is that during national/global crisis […]