Hurricane Sandy was barreling towards the coast and the news reports were grim. This would be the worst storm to hit the Northeast region since,…
Success Strategies
Take Your Life Back
The waiter was halfway through taking my family’s order when his manager called him away. “Where did the waiter go?” Sophia, our seven-year-old, asked. Daniel,…
Why now is a good time to invest in yourself
How to Get a Raise When Budgets Are Tight
Tips on how to respond to workplace negativity
Working With People You Don’t Like Video
The Reverse Psychology of Temptation
“Oh this is delicious, Peter. The ice cream is homemade, the perfect consistency, And this lemon cookie on top, mmmmm. Are you sure you don’t…
Protect Your Sweet Spot
Who Are You Really Mad At?
A man and two children, a boy about nine and a girl about seven, were walking ahead of me in silence. The boy looked up…
The Secret to Motivating People
How to Manage Stress, and the Difference Between Arrogance and Confidence
What’s On Your To-Don’t List?
When the first iPad came out, I bought it, became obsessed, and, within two weeks, returned it. Why did the obsession wear off so quickly? It…
A Super-Efficient Email Process
“Here’s my problem with email,” Jane*, a lawyer friend of mine told me recently, “I open Outlook expecting to quickly check my email, but then…
Coping with Email Overload
A few weeks ago, I returned from a week-long technology-free vacation with my family. No computer, no phone, no email. When I got to the…
How to Respond to Emotional Outbursts
“Please, Daddy, please? Can we open our presents from you now?” It was the third night of Hanukkah and my wife Eleanor, our three young…
Do You Need a Checkup?
I had been feeling a little odd; a number of minor physical discomforts were leading me to feel anxious about my health in general. And…
How to Attend a Conference as Yourself
I often feel awkward when I go to a conference. Reluctant to sidle up to a stranger and introduce myself, I roam, like I did…
How to Start the Big Project You’ve Been Putting Off
I want to write a screenplay. I wanted to write one last year, but other work took more time than I expected, and I kept…
The Biggest Myth in Time Management
Brad* is as hard a worker as anyone I know. He’s not just busy, he’s keenly focused on getting the right things done. And it…
Keeping Resolutions: How to Focus on What’s Important
Your Problem Isn’t Motivation
“Peter,” my friend Byron emailed me a few days ago. “I haven’t been diligent about working out over the past five years and I’m trying…
The Power of Workplace Do-It-Yourself
Plural Investments*, a hedge fund started several years ago, had a problem. They needed art on the walls of their New York City offices. It…
Restore Yourself to Your Factory Default Settings
My wireless connection to the internet had suddenly stopped working. At first I was frustrated — I had been in the middle of browsing some…
Want to Succeed? Stop Trying So Hard
“What’s eight times eight?” I asked Isabelle, my 9-year-old daughter who was practicing her times tables. Her eyes glazed over. We were on a plane…
The Right Way to Come Back From Vacation
“Daddy, come look at our island! Quick! Before it disappears!” We were in Bluffton, South Carolina playing on a sandbar that emerges only at low…
Three Questions that Help Me Live a Fulfilling Life
I am on a plane with my wife Eleanor as we fly back from our once-a-year-without-children vacation. It was, for us, the perfect week. After…
How to Stay Focused on the Important Things
“I want to pass something by you,” I said to my friend Jori* who has lost 80 pounds over the past six months. “Our ability…
TEDx Flint: Peter Bregman Talks About Living with Your Hands off Your Ears
Personal Branding Interview: Peter Bregman
Today, I (Dan Schawbel) spoke to Peter Bregman, who is the author of Point B, a consultant and blogger at Harvard Business School Publishing. In this interview,…