Another Year Around the Sun; Focus for 2023

I celebrated my birthday last week. The older I get, the more I realize there are only a handful of things in life that are truly important. Since my birthday falls in early January, it is a great time to reflect on what went well and what didn’t the previous year, and to set intentions for focus for the upcoming year. Prior to writing this post, my daughter, a high school senior, asked me to proofread a college scholarship essay. I may be biased, but it was wonderful. She gets it. It helped me realize that maybe I am doing

Ending the Year with New Habits

How is it already December! It was 4th of July just yesterday. As I sit here by the lights of my Christmas tree, I reflect on what I’ve accomplished this year, what I haven’t and what I should do heading into the new year. I’m reminded of an article I read a few weeks ago on social media by House of Investors that identified 7 Habits That Can Fix 80% of Your Problems. Here is the list: 1) Create a morning ritual 2) Do a social media detox 3) Have non-negotiable (20-minute walk, no food 2 hours before bed, etc.)

Student Leadership – How are You Leading Today?

Student Leadership – How are You Leading Today? Around fall, each year, I typically spend some time with student leadership groups and facilitate activities to help them with their next right thing. (For reference, The Next Right Thing, is a book we love at HPC!) These students are involved in so many areas and often hold leadership roles that help them prepare for future leadership opportunities.  Last month, I also had the opportunity to judge student scholarship applications for a non-profit. I’m amazed at what all the students in our community are involved in. Student leadership is not just for

Board Service; What is my role?

Over the past few months, we’ve had several requests to facilitate training for boards of directors. Just last week, I met with a relatively newly formed board. They were receptive, attentive, and appreciative of the nuggets of information I shared. Source: National Council of Nonprofits   Board governance is the primary purpose of a board. They aren’t tasked with handling the day-to-day activities, such as staffing. Every training I’ve done has been organized by a competent, engaged director hired by the board. Boards should focus on the mission of the organization, be transparent and make financial decisions that are in

Atomic Habits: A Book Review

As summer turns to fall, and the busyness of the last quarter of the year approaches, habits have been on my mind. I recently had a routine doctor’s appointment where my blood pressure was slightly high, and my weight had increased more than I’d like. Following a conversation with my doctor, I reflected on a book I’d read recently about “atomic” habits.  The book is called Atomic Habits by James Clear. Clear said it best in this quote: “The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.” Atomic Habits is a practical guide with