http://www.nepconsulting.org/caseinterviews daily 0.75 2018-06-03 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/580d4ad6ff7c505c4eda9735/1527950868936/ Case Interview Tips https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5b13ef756d2a73dbd1f7ff15/1528033226871/Market+Entry.gif Case Interview Tips Practice Cases from Wharton 2008 Casebook Case 10: Organic Pizza Crust [Easy] Case 11: Traffic Signal Company [Medium] Case 15: Loonilever [Hard] https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/580d5247e3df28929eb08aa3/1528032676112/Profitability.gif Case Interview Tips Practice Cases from Wharton 2008 Casebook Case 17: Accenture: Mosquito Repellant [Easy] Case 16: McKinsey: BevCo [Medium] Case 7: BCG: Jamaican Land Investment [Hard] https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5b13ee918a922d2bc9f87497/1528032919968/Outsourcing+Framework.gif Case Interview Tips Practice Cases from the Ross 2007 Casebook and Wharton 2008 Casebook Case 4 (Ross): Airplane De-icing [Easy] Case 2 (Wharton): BCG - China Outsourcing [Medium] https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5818dabf37c5813ad8dc7db4/1478024069194/Case.jpg Case Interview Tips http://www.nepconsulting.org/fit-questions daily 0.75 2018-06-03 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5818f281ebbd1ac01c27048f/1478029995748/Fit+.jpg Behavioral Interview Tips http://www.nepconsulting.org/home daily 1.0 2018-09-01 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5b12a920758d46e0d025570b/1527949607745/Screen+Shot+2018-06-02+at+10.26.05+AM.png Obtain Your Dream Life http://www.nepconsulting.org/testimonial daily 0.75 2018-05-18 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5b115c79aa4a990c8a87d282/1527864450204/unnamed-3.jpg Testimonials http://www.nepconsulting.org/resume2 daily 0.75 2020-09-02 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5b12aaf5f950b792dfe0c83c/1527950076494/Screen+Shot+2018-06-02+at+10.34.16+AM.png Resume and Cover Letter Tips https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5b12a2a3758d46e0d02461d4/1527947943149/Resume+Template+School.png Resume and Cover Letter Tips https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5b12a610f950b792dfe00c83/1527948821157/ Resume and Cover Letter Tips https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5b12ab33758d46e0d025a978/1527950136065/Screen+Shot+2018-06-02+at+10.35.11+AM.png Resume and Cover Letter Tips https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5b12a6fd8a922da0502de201/1527949057232/Resume.jpg Resume and Cover Letter Tips http://www.nepconsulting.org/blog9 daily 0.75 2019-11-09 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5d6c707298811e00018ad309/1573315548777/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/blog2 daily 0.75 2019-11-09 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d22876/1567992580722/Ice+Cube.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d22862/1567992063403/Habit+Loop.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d22870/1567992429493/ Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d22879/1567992673386/Bad+Habits.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d22858/1567991857360/Sad+Face.jpg Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d22868/1567992282020/ Blog TOBI’s GUILT FOR HIS BAD HABIT https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d2286d/1567992346262/Reading.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d2285f/1567991969443/Brain+Activity+Response.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d22873/1567992516901/Exercise.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d22855/1568595619750/Habit+Loop.png Blog - The Habit Loop https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d2287c/1567992752388/Alcoholics.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d2285b/1567991931219/Hawaii.jpg Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d22865/1567992188654/Tobiy%2BBeach%2BNew.jpg Blog TOBI’s POST TREAT GLOW https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3dce8290d7830d22816/1567387762507/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/blog1 daily 0.75 2019-11-09 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3e794d2ca4234aa9259/1568595729306/Fixed%2Bvs%2BGrowth%2Bmindset.jpg Blog - Fixed vs Growth Mindset https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3e794d2ca4234aa925f/1567389512273/Mindset2_updated2.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3e794d2ca4234aa925c/1567388048467/Mindset1.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3e794d2ca4234aa9265/1567388144470/Mindset4.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3e794d2ca4234aa9262/1567388114486/mindset3.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3e794d2ca4234aa91f3/1578257528009/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/blog3 daily 0.75 2019-11-09 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3f7913dc6206ebd40a2/1568596049643/noun_Praying%2Bhands_2104763.jpg Blog - Mindfulness https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3f7913dc6206ebd40ab/1568600126425/Copy+Machine.jpg Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3f7913dc6206ebd40ae/1568600163836/Baby+being+mindful.jpg Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3f7913dc6206ebd40b1/1568600194554/Table+1.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3f7913dc6206ebd40b4/1568600243723/Table+2.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3f7913dc6206ebd40a8/1568600095399/Popcorn.jpg Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3f7913dc6206ebd40a5/1568599919028/puzzled-dog.jpg Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e3f7913dc6206ebd4076/1567387762507/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/blog4 daily 0.75 2019-11-09 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9fad/1569200243892/Peak+End+Rule.png Blog - Bias: Peak - End Rule Description: We tend to remember the enjoyability of past experiences based on how we felt at the peak (best or worst) and how we felt at the end. Scientific Study: Prior to general anesthetics, a study was done that measured men’s assessment of colonoscopies. In the control group, men had a normal colonoscopy and in the experimental group, men had a normal colonoscopy plus after the exam was over, the doctor left the instrument in place for a short time, which is still unpleasant, but not as much as the procedure. While both groups had the same peak experience, the men in the experimental group had a milder end experience, which led them to rate the procedure as less unpleasant than the control group and more likely to comply with the follow-ups. How it applies to you: Because we tend to only remember the peak and end of an experience, our memory is skewed. One of my friends is trying to get over a break-up and constantly talks about the peak of their relationship – when they were madly in love, cooking dinner together every night, spending summers at the beach house and forgets all the conflicts that were interspersed throughout the relationship. I find it helpful to keep a journal and write about how I am feeling on a regular basis, so I can go back and truly understand how I felt during a time period, instead of trusting my memory, which often idealizes or catastrophizes a situation. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9fb0/1569200300692/Availbility+heuristic.jpg Blog - Bias: Availability Heuristic Description: We tend to recall information that is more “readily available” in our mind, which are things that we have recently heard about or that are vivid in our memory. Scientific Study: Subjects were asked to estimate the number of deaths per year that occur as a result of various diseases, car accidents, natural disaster, electrocutions, homicides, etc. The number of deaths per year from vivid causes of death (accident, homicide, tornado, flood, fire), that are constantly published in the media, were overestimated. However, more mundane causes of death (diabetes, asthma, stroke, tuberculosis) were underestimated. How it applies to you: When we are making a career decision, partner decision, etc., – we often think about what is most readily available in our memory – which is why we end up working in fields that our family and friends work in and end up marrying people like our opposite sex parent and exs. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9fbf/1569200681607/Many+Choices.jpg Blog - Bias: More is Less Description: An additional option makes it more difficult to make a choice Scientific Study: In a study, doctors in the control group were presented with a case of a man suffering from osteoarthritis and asked whether they would prescribe a new medication or refer the patient to a specialist. 75% recommended the medication. In the experimental group, doctors were presented with a choice between two new medications or referral to a specialist. Now, only 50% went with either medication and 50% (double the control group) went to a specialist, thereby avoiding making a decision. How it applies to you: In some cases, it is beneficial to constraint the number of options that you look at. In people’s job search and dating, they tend to believe that the more data points, the better. However, many choices may prevent us from actually pulling the trigger to accept a new job or to settle down with someone. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9fb9/1569200020921/A+and+B.png Blog In experiment 1, subjects were asked to imagine they are a physician working in an Asian village and 600 people have come down with a life-threatening disease. You have two potential treatments: *Treatment A will guarantee saving 200 people *With Treatment B, there is a 1/3 chance that you will save all 600 people and 2/3 chance you save no one. The majority of participants choose treatment A, even though the expected outcome is the same for treatments A and B https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9fa7/1569198112732/Satisficers+and+Maximizers.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9fbc/1569200603722/C+and+D.png Blog In experiment 2, new subjects were presented with the same circumstances, but two new treatments *Treatment C will kill 400 people *With Treatment D, there is a 1/3 chance that no one dies and 2/3 chance that everyone will die. The overwhelming majority chose treatment D, even though the expected outcome is the same for treatments C and D How it applies to you: Many people talk about “golden handcuffs,” – the pay and prestige of a job makes it difficult to switch and this is because of prospect theory. In your current job, you continue to acquire things which become yours. If you were to take a lower paying job, the loss of these nice things would inflict significant distress on you. To avoid this loss, people stay in their jobs, even though the incremental things they can buy with their increased salary will only provide a marginal improvement to their happiness. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9fa1/1569197720868/Decision+Making.png Blog - Decision Making https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9fb3/1569199389900/Anchor.png Blog - Bias: Anchoring Description: Humans constantly look for a point of reference to compare themselves and products to. Seeing an anchor point tells humans how to interpret something else relative to the anchor Scientific Study: Restaurants often put a very expensive wine on the menu to serve as your anchor point. Once you see this, the middle of the tier wine looks like a good choice, which is still significantly more expensive than the cheap wine, which helps them drive sales. How it applies to you: If you want to get someone to do something, first state something outlandish, but plausible and then state something more reasonable. Because you have anchored someone to the outlandish but plausible event, they will happily comply with what they perceive to be a much more reasonable option. In order to get your family or roommate to do chores, start with something outlandish (vacuum twice a day) and then settle on something reasonable (mop the floors once a week) https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9fa4/1569197939172/Scale.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9faa/1569200172838/Magic+8+ball.jpg Blog - Bias: I know what I want Description: We tend to think we know what we want and how we will feel in a future state event, but when the event comes to fruition, we often choose the opposite of what we anticipated Scientific Study: People were asked if they would want to decide their treatment if they got cancer and 65% of participants said “yes”. However, of those who do get cancer, only 12% of them want to decide their treatment. How it applies to you: Whenever you find yourself anticipating how you would react or feel in a certain circumstance, go do something else because this is a futile exercise. This is especially true if we want to be more mindful – being mindful takes into account the context of a situation and we cannot anticipate the context of future situations. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9fb6/1569200393452/prospect-theory.png Blog - Bias: Prospect Theory Description: Humans tend to be risk-adverse (i.e., we prefer certainty) in terms of gains and risk-seeking in terms of losses. Losses hurt more than gains benefit, people get less satisfaction out of each additional unit gained and people feel less pain for each incremental unit of loss. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e40059401f78176a9f98/1567387762507/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/blog5 daily 0.75 2019-11-09 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e408af9d520b7a498bde/1569806320958/Positive-Emotions-and-Negative-Emotions-Emoji.jpg Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e408af9d520b7a498bdb/1569804873486/Analysis%2B%2526%2BSynthesis.jpg Blog - Analysis and Synthesis https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6e408af9d520b7a498bd8/1567387762507/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/blog6 daily 0.75 2019-11-09 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc72cd1b9580a7364ee1c22/1573334241382/noun_Community_1820669.jpg Blog - Social Connections https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc72bef09cdf43d6db2f965/1573334010737/IMG_0239.jpg Blog MY NANA https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc6ec857cdf127e9988ae02/1573315548777/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/blog7 daily 0.75 2019-11-09 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc72b80913dc6206ec38f9e/1573315548777/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/blog8 daily 0.75 2019-11-09 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc72dfe59401f7817711666/1573315548777/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/blog10 daily 0.75 2019-11-10 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc7475caf9d520b7a5268de/1573945365693/ Blog - … and specifically, their attachment figure . https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc744d2b9580a7364f03174/1573945365675/10+-+fixed+vs+growth.png Blog - Running a marathon demonstrates growth mindset https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc747e2af9d520b7a527350/1573945365698/Competition.png Blog - Social comparison can help you run faster https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc747a659401f7817735e03/1573945365696/Difficult+Conversation+Internally.png Blog - The marathon may require some difficult conversations with yourself https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc7465080e6ab4d111506b5/1573945365683/Mute+Pain.png Blog - Mindfulness can mute pain for runners https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc745c17cdf127e9990dd80/1573945365678/Habit+Positive.png Blog - To make their training easier, runners develop new habits … https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc746c680e6ab4d11150ea4/1573945365688/Pacers.png Blog - Pacers have it the worst https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc74685492ddd0f8b86f227/1573945365685/Peak+End.png Blog - Runners perception of the race depends on the peak and the end https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc746f3913dc6206ec600bb/1573945365690/Community.png Blog - Runners rely on the community to get them through the race… https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc7ff5faf9d520b7a5c3680/1573945365680/Habits+Updated.png Blog - … and also break other habits https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dc72f8faf9d520b7a504d06/1573315548777/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/11-goal-setting daily 0.75 2019-11-19 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dd0837339d8ba0c239434a6/1574636365950/Goal+Setting+Framework.png Blog - Running a marathon demonstrates growth mindset https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dd162536d59eb44eaeb5cb8/1574636366004/Sprint.png Blog - Goal Sprints https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dd3faa2f904181441e5f7bf/1574636366000/Table+Goals.png Blog https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dd1441c39d8ba0c23a0bf53/1574636365958/Bet+Big.jpg Blog - Bet Big Once you’ve done your prototyping and demonstrated to yourself that you indeed want something, go big! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dd2115bd6c0de799e4d3ce5/1574636365961/systems-vs-goals.jpg Blog - Goals should focus on processes, not outcomes https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dd1417039d8ba0c23a096ee/1574636365955/noun_test_2049696.jpg Blog - Prototyping So now you decide to pursue your “wants” and the first idea that pops into your head becomes your North Star and you become fixated on it. Maybe it’s your career path – you think you must be in a certain new field (e.g., I’m switching from Finance to Tech) or maybe it’s the image of your significant other (e.g., I am going for ambitious, funny, outgoing brown-haired guys, after your blonde ex) https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dd0809db1497a3f86dc3f7c/1574636365948/Goal%2BSetting.jpg Blog - Goal Setting https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dd13e4f39d8ba0c23a066dd/1574636365953/Celeste+and+Perry.jpg Blog - Tension Between What You “Should” Do and What You “Want” To Do I’ll never forget the scene in Big Little Lies when Celeste finally decides to leave her abusive husband. She says to him “I kept saying – come on Celeste, you can do it – he’s going to change, you’ve got to stay, it’s going to be good for the kids, stay for them … and now I have to leave.” Hopefully, everyone’s problems are much less severe than this abusive relationship, but the scene highlights an important point – many of us continue doing something because we feel like we should be doing it, but deep down, we know that it isn’t the right thing for us. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5dd08015b9f8cf5cdf6ff3cf/1573315548777/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/12-what-i-learned daily 0.75 2019-11-25 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5ddb10af460bea39444eab33/1574637750785/image3.jpeg Blog - Just Roll with It https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5ddb1417b53adb35ea9bc082/1574638627507/noun_Fans_1914936.jpg Blog - People are supportive when you try something new https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5ddb297eee3ebb607aeee8bf/1574644098971/Motivation2.png Blog - Motivation Wanes https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5ddb0e58a46d122f38375561/1574637182062/Nike.jpg Blog - Just Do It! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5ddb1164b53adb35ea9b6ae8/1574637932423/noun_Writing_1840959.jpg Blog - Writing is a great way to learn and assess your beliefs https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5ddb0bf38f514102b460eb88/1574636535919/noun_learn_1125799.jpg Blog - What I Learned https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5ddb0b4d460bea39444dfd2c/1573315548777/unnamed-3.jpg Blog http://www.nepconsulting.org/2019-favorite-quotes daily 0.75 2020-01-05 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e0d520a45b7b1420869eab8/1577931394058/Zoom+out.gif 2019 Favorite Quotes - “Stop focusing on this and focus on that” – Amanda Bisk, my Active Escape Coach in Bali During my Bali fitness retreat, Amanda would always tell us to get out of our head (“this”) and focus on our surroundings (“that”). During workouts, it was easy to have blinders on and be engrossed in how hard the workout was, how hot Bali was and how stuff from home was still lingering in my mind. However, once I looked around, I was able to have more perspective. I remember seeing (1) the Bali ocean, (2) my teammates working out hard and (3) Amanda cheering us all on. These images allowed me to: (1) Be more grateful that I was physically and financially able to attend the retreat in beautiful Bali (2) Be inspired by my fitness teammates who were also challenging themselves with the workout, which gave me inspiration to continue with the workout; it reminded me that we aren’t in this alone (3) Be okay that I wasn’t going to solve any problems in America from Bali, especially those related to other people. I would have to wait until I was back home and could talk to the other person involved. Tomorrow, instead of automatically going through the motions of your commute, look up and around; I think you’ll find it helps provide perspective. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e0d53cc014e1a25d2e02ca6/1577931740661/Change.gif 2019 Favorite Quotes - “The nature of life is change; the nature of humans is to resist change” - Elizabeth Lesser As someone who loves stability, I try and hold onto everything and want it to stay the same – in terms of my job, my friends, my workout routine and my lunch (thank you JustSalad for over 150 lunches in 2019!). Throughout the year, I found myself wishing that I could return to January and February 2019, a time that I have idolized in my mind as being so care free. However, since February 2019, life circumstances changed related to my work, my family, my friends and my physical body, which have forced my actions to evolve. I have started on the journey of learning how to accept that everything in life is just a phase and that nothing will stay the same forever. It helps make bad things easier - being busy at work will eventually end, the sorrows of a break-up will eventually subside and the tension with your family will eventually pass. It also helps you enjoy good things more and be grateful for them. In 2020, I am looking to lean into change more - so if we grab lunch together, don’t let me convince to you to go to JustSalad! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e0d57238818570cab8ede45/1577932595583/Plane+Flying.gif 2019 Favorite Quotes - “When you get on a flight, you assume you’ll end up in the right location; do the same with your life” – Dan, random guy I met at the airport Despite what we’re told as little children, I love talking to strangers. You can learn so much from people with different perspectives because we tend to surround ourselves with people who are just like us. While I was at the airport waiting to fly to Bali, I started talking with Dan, who was headed to the Maldives for a wedding. He was talking about how he was planning on quitting his job 2 months later, but then over the summer, decided he couldn’t take it anymore and needed time to reflect. He’s done numerous prototyping conversations and determined he wants to do operations at a financial services company, but didn’t think he wanted that going into the prototyping conversations. He’s been interviewing and not getting the desired responses, but he was still optimistic. He told me “When you get on this flight, you’re assuming you’re going to end up in Bali. You have to assume the same with your life – you have to assume you’ll get to where you want.” It made me think about all the time in life I spend thinking about how I am not going to get to my desired destination, in terms of relationships, career, self-confidence. Imagine what we could achieve if we funneled this energy into positive thoughts about our long-term destination. Every time something doesn’t go according to plan, I have been reminding myself that it’s part of the process and that I will ultimately end up in the right destination. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e0d494cca0564159deef8f5/1577929049333/Thinking.gif 2019 Favorite Quotes - “The most powerful form of hard work is thinking clearly. Designing a winning strategy may not look very active, but make no mistake: it’s very hard work” – James Clear When I initially reflected on 2019, I got down on myself. I felt like I hadn’t accomplished much - there were few new shinny objects to point to. But when I looked closer at the year, I realized that I’ve started putting processes in place to help me live my best life — I’ve learned how to have difficult conversations with co-workers and friends to build deeper connections, I’ve learned how to write and communicate better to express my thoughts and I’ve learned how to allocate my time better so that I am not constantly exhausted. While these improvements are helping me design a long-term winning strategy, they are more difficult to detect and therefore, more difficult to celebrate. While none of these processes have led to shinny trophies in 2019, the compounding of these processes over many years will ultimately lead to the outcomes that I want. By shifting my mindset to focus on how I’ve learned to think more clearly (process) instead of evaluating the number of shinny objects I have (outcomes), I was able to more clearly see my accomplishments over the past year. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e0d54b0ca0564159df08d24/1577931960039/Waiting.gif 2019 Favorite Quotes - “If you are waiting for someone or something, you are doing it wrong” - How To Get Sh*t Done So many times we are waiting for someone to validate us in order to go after what we want in our careers, relationships, etc. How many times have you heard … “Once I get that promotion, once I get that degree, once I look at certain way, once I run the race, once I ….” I always walk into the new year reminding myself that my life is up to me. It’s scary to take accountability – you have to make decisions and you might make the wrong decision or people might not be supportive of your decision. It’s much easier to say you have to wait for external approvals and therefore, you don’t have to take accountability for your life. I often fear getting off the typical “successful” path of Penn, Consulting, Private Equity, but at the end of the day, I know I want to start my own company and I need to chase that dream, instead of saying I need to achieve X, Y and Z milestones before I can get there. You don’t need anything but your own conviction to get the life you want! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e0d487d3ee7795ac7fb454e/1577928841168/Skipping.gif 2019 Favorite Quotes - “Your brain got you into this mess, so why would you use it to get you out of this mess – try walking, skipping or smiling instead” - Steve Aguirre At a Leadership Event, Steve talked about how our brains often get us into trouble – we overanalyze, we catastrophize, we try to predict the future. Then, we try to use our brain to rationalize ourselves out of the trouble our brain just got us into. Throughout the blog, we’ve talked about ways to shift your mindset to calm these thoughts, but sometimes we’re too exhausted or have dug ourselves in a bit too deep for these tactics to work in the moment. In those cases, there is an easy solve – focus on the body! At the event, Steve had us shake hands with others, smile at others, hug others and skip around the room. No matter what mood everyone came into the room with, we were all smiling by the end of this exercise. Steve said that it’s physically impossible to be sad while skipping – I haven’t thoroughly reviewed the scientific literature, but I’m going to take his word for it. I’ve been trying to incorporate this lesson into my life by taking more walking breaks as a way to address challenges. It’s always the case that when I feel like I don’t have time to take a walking break that the walking break is the utmost important. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e0d4d5d3ee7795ac7fbee51/1577930086159/Bye.gif 2019 Favorite Quotes - “Closure is an extraordinary compelling fantasy of mourning: it is the fiction we can love, lose suffer and then do something to permanently end our sorrow” – The Examined Life Everyone experiences pain – whether it’s the death of a friend or family member, loss of a romantic partner or friendship, passing of a previous part of your identity (e.g., I sometimes mourn the old Nicole who went to Tone House 5x a week and let nothing get in the way of her workouts). We tell ourselves – “okay after a year, I’ll have fully suffered and I’ll end up on the other-side and never think about this again” …. wouldn’t that be nice. A scent, a picture, a song, a memory, will bring back the pain of these events. These people and former versions of ourselves will always be with us and we will never fully overcome this sorrow, but we can learn to manage better. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e0d5990192cf25f6948bd21/1577933205292/ 2019 Favorite Quotes - “People Change People” - Me Yes – I am including a quote from myself on my favorite quotes of the year! When I asked people about their resolutions, I often heard: “I want to be more self-confident”, “I want to change jobs or start a company”, “I want to meet my significant other”, “I want to explore my creative side more”. If you want these changes, you need to surround yourself with the right people - you cannot achieve these things by yourself in a vacuum. Self-Confidence: How is it that it is so easy to see the potential and strengths of other people, but we get so down on ourselves at times? When I’m down, having friends who will empathetically listen to me and support me helps me work through it. Also, this year, I have made friends who are more confident in themselves and this energy has rubbed off on me. Having the right tribe provides support and inspiration to love myself more. New Job or Start a Company: Many people get their jobs through weak ties - acquaintances who are in your network. I talked to someone at the gym and he ultimately helped me get an interview at the company I currently work at. Instead of spending time on job board sites, spend time reconnecting with people who can put in a good word for you at their company. Although I haven’t started a company, I have grown Women’s Brunch, a quarterly event I host to connect women. I’ve found that talking to different types of people in different industries helps me get feedback and new ideas to refine the Women’s Brunch concept going forward. Getting the support and perspectives of others will help propel your career success. Significant Other: One of the best things I did in 2019 was go on dates with a bunch of different men - one was a song writer, one did stand-up comedy on the side, one was from Turkey, etc.. Exposing myself to all these different types of men helped me get a clearer sense of what I want in a significant other and it’s completely different than what I thought I wanted. Meeting different types of people helps you get perspective on what values are actually very important to you instead of what you think is important to you. My Creative Side: If you want to take up a hobby (e.g., explore your creative side, learn how to rock climb, learn how to cook), find a buddy to do it with who will hold you accountable. A study found that when we are with friends, we view challenges as less scary. In the study, when asked to climb a hill, students who were standing next to a friend thought the hill looked easier to climb and gave lower estimates of the steepness compared to being alone. The longer the two friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared. You don’t have to tackle new things alone - bring a friend along for the journey. Not only will it seem less scary, but it will help you stay committed and help you two build a deeper connection. *** Overall, I hope that in 2020, you meet people and deepen relationships with people who support you, encourage you and open your eyes to new perspectives to help you achieve your goals. And that you can do the same for them! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e0d4bf9192cf25f694717ae/1577929734672/Awards.gif 2019 Favorite Quotes - “The very best are usually great at many things because they translate mastery from one category to another” – Ramit Sethi The media constantly bombards us with propaganda that if you’re good at one aspect of your life (e.g., your job), you’re lacking in others (e.g., relationships, hobbies) because you don’t have time to invest in these other parts of your life. And while time is limited and our most precious resource, many things in life require the same processes. -If you are a good manager, you will be a good parent because you know how to motivate people, coach them and give them a leash to explore, but not totally go off the rails -If you are a good listener with your friends, you will excel in your career because you will have the patience to listen to the stakeholders and solve the right problem -If you are good at managing your work schedule, you will be good at coordinating other aspects of your life -If you are disciplined with maintaining a budget at work, you will be able to effectively budget in your personal life -If you know how to ask for what you want in a romantic relationship, you will be able to leverage these skills to ask for a promotion James Clear (previous quote) and Ramit Sethi (this quote) remind me to focus more on developing replicatable processes to craft a well-rounded fulfilling life. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e0d4358a5b0832cb7a1ba31/1577927514266/unnamed-3.jpg 2019 Favorite Quotes http://www.nepconsulting.org/signup daily 0.75 2020-01-05 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580aadcce6f2e1703660bc50/t/5e124d13749ef14481e7c5fa/1578257697831/shutterstock_96845341.jpg Blog