As we approach the holidays, we thought it was important to recognize the importance of taking breaks. This year especially, we’ve been working really hard, whether in school or at our jobs, to keep pushing forward during times of uncertainty. We need time to rest, relax and refocus, and holiday breaks can give us the time we need to do that. 

Taking a true break can be easier...

We all are familiar with the question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”. It’s a hard question to answer, especially if we haven’t put a lot of thought into the idea. Many times our answer is “I’d like to be doing…” or “I hope that…” which can leave room for doubt and lack of clarity. 

Does anyone really know what...

Everyone has something they are good at without trying too hard. It might be athleticism, it might be math, it might be singing, or learning a new language. But many people make the mistaken assumption that those things are all they can be good at, that they will never be as good at anything else. 

Let’s use the athletic example. Say you play soccer in college. How many years...

You’ve likely heard the saying “pay yourself first” before. It's one of the most important pieces of financial advice you can follow. But many of us don’t listen. We cover our expenses and then our savings are an afterthought. 

This also translates to other areas of life. How many times have we had projects due for others that we prioritize over the work we...

Imagine you are in a job interview. The person across the desk says, “What values matter most to you?” If you’ve never thought about your core values before, this can be a really challenging question. Taking time to understand what matters to you and what your driving principles are can help you grow and move forward in many ways. 

You can better understand if a job...

Someone asked me this once, and it forced me to stop and think hard about the answer. I always considered myself a great multi-tasker and someone who was able to manage a ton of things at the same time. I assumed that my awesome multi-tasking skills meant that I had also had awesome prioritization skills. But was I actually prioritizing or was I just spinning in circles trying to get everything...

By: Michael Matucci, Transformational Mentor and Performance Coach, Encompass University

I stepped off the plane with a James Bond-like bravado, forged while living for six years in various cities in Europe, becoming fluent in several languages, and working in dozens of countries in Africa, central America, as well as the Old Continent. Even a sporadic sleep on the red-eye was a mere stretch or...

The saying is true: we are our harshest critics. We will always be the most judgmental of ourselves and our own actions. That can be a great motivating factor. But it can also add a lot of pressure on ourselves that may push us to burn out. This can happen in athletics, academics and our professional lives as well. 

Imagine you are looking for a new job. You’ve applied to dozens of...

Failure is not a word we like to embrace. Failure is negative. Failure is equated to losing, not achieving the goals you set out to achieve. But failure can be a positive thing when you change your mindset to learn from it instead of run from it. 

It’s not an easy task, but life is a lot more exciting and enjoyable when you are able to look at failure as a learning opportunity. But...

This year has been a test of patience and faith. We've lost so much control over our routines, how we work and spend time with family, where we can go and what we can do because of the pandemic. But we haven't lost control of everything. 

We still have control over our actions, our mindset and our temperament. We can control whether we choose to stay home or go out. We can choose...