Marty Nemko's Blog, page 188

Reducing Stress: What has worked best for my clients

If you're prone to getting stressed, even overwhelmed, you might find the techniques I offer in my Psychology Today article today helpful. They're the ones that have worked best for my clients.

Should You Live in or Away From a Metropolis?

My Psychology Today article today explore the pros and cons of living in or away from a metropolitan area.

Rewards and Punishments: The art of using them to motivate you

Ideally, we’d all be motivated just by intrinsics: the internal drive to do what’s right. Alas, we’re not. After all, think of how many people wouldn’t show up to work unless they received an extrinsic: pay. Think of how many students would work less hard if there were no grades. Might even some spouses make less effort if it weren't for fear of a painful, expensive divorce?

My Psychology Today article today offers thoughts on how to personalize the use of rewards and punishments to motivate you to do what you should do but are resisting.

Lessons for Today from Old-School Professionals

If you've tried to get services from a physical or mental health provider, or from your cable or phone company, getting an appointment, let alone service can be maddening. I want to give a shout out to my dentist, who puts patients first, money last. That's my Psychology Today article today. 

 

Efficient Practicing: 3 steps to improving your performance while reducing practice time

Everyone knows that unless you’re a natural, you need to practice, whether it's a counseling technique, how to respond to a complaint, or perfecting a sales or fundraising pitch. But many people practice inefficiently. My Psychology Today article today should help.

“Will I Ever Find My Passion?” 9 questions that may unearth yours

I have a client who’s an engineer and feels he’s just going through the motions, afraid  that his career will always be humdrum. He asked, “Is there any chance that at my age, I’ll find my passion and make a living at it?”  My Psychology Today article today offers nine questions that may unearth your career passion.

The Art of Delegating: Making the most of this tool for overworked managers

Many of my clients who are managers complain of being overworked. No surprise, we discuss what and to whom they might delegate.

My Psychology Today article today offers a model that has worked well for my clients.

Do It Now: The commencement address I’d give today

Uncertainty has always reigned. COVID is merely the latest example. Who would have expected the Black Plague? The Holocaust? And what’s next: bioterrorism, cyberterrorism? 

Hey, today, yes, June 1, 2021, your graduation day—and this is really true—an asteroid that could be as big as the Eiffel Tower is, as I speak, zooming past, hopefully past, the earth. And that’s just today's threat du jour.

Of course, there’s benefit to planning, even long-term planning, but the fragility of life, with tomorrow promised to no one, invites us to perhaps do it now. My Psychology Today article today offers some ideas that you might want to do now, even if you're not a new graduate.

Attaining Mastery: How to gain "a feel for it"

The difference between competent and excellent is feel: a feel for when and how to say what, when and how to touch your romantic partner, when and how to play the next note, how firmly to press the scalpel.  My Psychology Today article today describes how to gain feel: at the essence of mastery.

Eating a Cinnamon Roll: Bite-by-bite thoughts on diet, decision-making, rationalization and catastrophization

I’ve gotten into a bad habit these last two days. After finishing my daily hike, I end up too close to Johnny’s Donuts. In the past, I’ve usually resisted but the last two days, I got a cinnamon roll, a big one. I’m too scared to Google-search to see how many calories, carbs, and sugar that cost me.

My Psychology Today article today tells you the thoughts that, ahem, rolled through my brain as I was eating it.