Projects Pivot

Hi Reader, In 1931, Albert Einstein wrote an essay titled The World As I See It, in which he reflected, “A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of others, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.” I’ve always loved this quote because, to me, it’s a simple reminder to be kind to one another, a value that for many of us we inherited from those who came...

Hi Reader, Did you know the average person has between 10,000 and 70,000 thoughts a day? I think it’s safe to say that those of us leading projects sit on the higher end of that scale, closer to 70,000 thoughts per day. Between deadlines, talkative stakeholders, and the occasional “Did I send that email?” or “Where are my keys?” moments, our minds rarely rest. But the real question is how many of those thoughts are you actually aware of? And how many are actually helping you? The monkey mind...

Hi Reader, “Every single day, you are actively sabotaging your wellness, your performance and your relationships.” Shirzad Chamine, Author Pretty strong words, right? But many of us are sabotaging ourselves without even realizing it. Why? Because instead of running our own minds, we let our minds run us. I often have a little voice in my head that says, “You’re terrible at presentations.” Or even worse, “You’re doing a lousy job at managing this project.” That voice feels convincing. But when...

Hi Reader, I once had a colleague who was always contrary in team meetings. She would constantly bring up potential problems and issues with whatever we talked about. Yet, she did it with a smile and a mischievous glint in her eye. At first I thought she just liked being difficult, but over time I realized she was doing us a huge favour. She was spotting risks we might have overlooked, and in her own playful way, she had become our team’s very own Devil’s Advocate. History of the Devil's...

Hi Reader, Last weekend I stayed in a tiny home for the very first time. It was small, cozy, and charming, yet had everything I needed. Life felt wonderfully simple. My friends and I have been challenging each other lately to cut out unnecessary clutter and live with a little more lightness. None of us plan on moving into a tiny home full time, but the experience gave me a glimpse of minimalism. It was both grounding and powerful. A day later, as I was looking out over Lake Huron surrounded...