My Notebook features over 600 posts across over twenty years, covering everything from movies to ethics to personal stories to random links. Browse recent Notebook entries below, or use the category buttons or search to go deeper.
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Practice Makes Progress
“Practice makes progress” As a lifelong perfectionist (and as someone living with OCD – yes that was diagnosed by a psychologist, not TikTok) this phrase hit me hard when my excellent career coach Martha Schmidt shared this with me earlier today. Many of you are probably well familiar with this advice by now.…
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You can’t “hire perfectly” anyway, so stop having 6 rounds of candidate interviews.
In supporting friends and former colleagues who are job hunting for tech industry roles over the past several months, I’ve heard multiple stories of people enduring 3, 4, and sometimes 6 rounds of interviews. This misguided attempt at “hiring perfectly” has to stop. As a friend once told me, “we’re not doing brain…
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My Mantra for 2025: Try the simple solution first
Each calendar year, I choose a personal mantra to keep to-of-mind and influence my thinking and decision making (past years’ mantras are here). In 2025, my mantra is Try the simple solution first. This one really gets to me. To my habit of looking for the most mysterious and complex explanations for everything…
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My top 5 favorite albums of 2024
2024 was a huge year for women in music. Dua Lipa and Kacey Musgraves stood boldly for non-ironic positivity, a powerful choice in a dark timeline. The sexuality of Chappel Roan and Sabrina Carpenter was so unabashed as to force us to take it in as normal human emotion and experience, a welcome…
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How Harris Can Build on Momentum and Win the White House
Vice President Kamala Harris has slim odds to win the 2024 US Presidential race. By being genuine and playing her own game, she just might have a chance to win.
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Season 22
Twenty-one years ago today, I posted for the first time on this blog. A lot has happened: My wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary last year; we have two nearly adult children; I’ve moved twice; changed jobs a few times; traveled quite a bit, and seen much joy and heartache. In…
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My 2024 Mantra: Holding Myself Accountable First
Each year, I choose a personal mantra to help guide and influence my thoughts, words, and actions for the year. For 2024, my mantra is “Holding myself accountable first”. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Before reacting in anger, blame, resentment, or when dealing with a challenge or a goal, I want to try…
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What’s changed since Planes, Trains & Automobiles was released 36 years ago
As we do each year we’re once again watching the classic (and my favorite movie of all time) Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Released on November 25 1987, the movie is now 36 years old. It’s fascinating to see how many bits and pieces of daily life in America have changed in just three…
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My Notion wishlist, March 2023
I love and use Notion throughout my day to manage my personal tasks and goals, keep a journal, and much more. As a daily user and big fan, I’ve been building a wishlist of improvements I’d love to see Notion implement in 2023. Since I built my own personal Notion journal/task/goal tracker system…
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Movement Creates Motivation
Each year since 2021, I’ve chosen a mantra to help focus my mind for the year. In 2022, it was “I have no enemies”, inspired by a dharma talk by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. This mantra was largely inspired by the atmosphere of vitriol and tribalism in communities, the media, and the…
