“It’ll be better when I’m done.” This was my mantra during grad school. Every time I was stuck at the lab until midnight. Every time I had trouble paying the bills. Every time I watched a friend in “the real world” get promoted. I had […]
Year: 2018
Midterm Rehab Secret 8: You Can Control an Irregular Income
I was terrible with money for most of my college career. One of the excuses I made for myself was that I didn’t have a regular income. How could I be expected to stick to a plan when my paychecks varied dramatically month to month? […]
Midterm Rehab Secret 7: You’re not Too Busy to Build Your Career and Network as a Student
The worst time to dig a well is when you realize you’re thirsty. As a student, I hated networking. Hated it! I realize now that I had two issues: I was trying to fit their mold. I felt that I had to be manipulative. Both […]
Midterm Rehab Secret 6: It Takes More than Good Grades to Start Your Career
We develop two types of skills: Technical and Professional. Technical skills are those required to do a job. They’re how a person turns raw input into the output that their customer wants. Journalists turn events into stories. Engineers turn requirements into specifications. Poets turn words […]
Midterm Rehab Secret 5: You Can’t Afford to Wait to Make a Plan
I want to help students live their lives on purpose, by getting control of their time, money, and careers. I want to help them live good stories. Why? Because I faced crises in each of these areas and found no one who could help. There’s […]
Midterm Rehab Secret 4: Budgeting Gives You Freedom, Not Restriction
“No.” It doesn’t matter whether we are fourteen months, fourteen years, or even older. We hate the word “no.” We don’t want to be told it. We don’t want to tell it to people. We certainly don’t enjoy saying it to ourselves. And that’s what […]
Midterm Rehab Secret 3: YOU Decide How Long You Spend on a Task
“It took longer than I thought it would.” Those are the only words I am forbidden to speak to my wife… and for good reason! As a young graduate student, time management was my biggest weakness. I would head off to school every day with […]
Midterm Rehab Secret 2: You Don’t Have to Do It All
“Where were you yesterday?” “I was studying for an exam.” “But you said you’d be there. You were supposed to run the event! Thankfully someone else was there to step up.” Six nights a week. That’s how many commitments I had taken on as a […]
Midterm Rehab Secret 1: It’s Not About How Smart You Are
Another cup of coffee. That’s what I needed. I’d been working on my thermodynamics homework for.. how long was it now? One more. I had one more problem to solve. As I waited for the fresh cup to brew, I heard something that I only […]
This Secret About Stress Changed Everything for Me
I finally figured out how to put words to something I’ve known for years: Busyness is not the cause of your stress. In fact, you’re no more or less busy than anyone else. Every person on this planet will spend every moment of their lives… […]
