After five months, it is past time to explain the subject of the 52 Steps Forward blog – pursuing a fulfilling life. This omission became evident when a faithful reader, colleague, and friend revised his LinkedIn profile to add he is pursuing a meaningful life. I chided him about his word choice, and he pointed out I had not told him why I chose fulfilling and what it meant. After hours of...

Many of us start the day leaping out of bed as if shot out of a cannon. Running through our minds is a myriad of obligations and we send our brains into overdrive by checking phone messages and “consulting” social media. We also know how we start something is typically how we do it. If your workout starts sluggishly, the result will probably be mediocre, and you likely approached it improperly...

I come by it honestly as entering the sixth decade moves me into the province of the crotchety and curmudgeonly. This milestone inspires reflection but not the creation of a “what I must do before I die” list. Nor am I about to deliver the typical old man’s speech, but this message is more personal than most. Reality Sets In When I informed people of my upcoming 60th birthday, I was inviting and...

What do I Mean? It is too easy to pursue the avalanche of “opportunities” coming our way from within, family, work, and friends that take us away from doing what we previously determined to be most important. We discover the most troublesome enemies of accomplishing our goals are not obvious time wasters like social media but virtuous activities we enjoy doing. To be diverted, you must know what...

Under the Light of Day Most of our self or external criticism cannot withstand the simple but often unasked question, “Is it true?” An objective self-assessment casts aside negative beliefs and their harmful consequences. A friend recently attended a high-brow executive leadership program at Yale University and I requested a meeting to discuss one of my serious issues. Before we could take our...