I'm always amazed when I stroll the aisles of one of those warehouse superstores. Whether it's a Costco, a B.J.'s Wholesale Club, a Sam's Club, or a MegaGiant SillyMart, I tend to wander around with my neck straining toward the high ceiling. Where else can you find three neatly stacked pallets each brimming with Family Size boxes of Chex cereal? What's that? You need 40 pounds of Vlassic pickles for $10? Better get your butt over to the superstore. Sometimes I pop into a superstore even when I just need a few items. There's something comforting in knowing that as a consumption-driven American, I can make a shopping list that includes a High- Definition television, snow tires, Whoppers malted milk balls, and an AT&T Go Phone and only have to make one stop. (Take that, Iceland!) Last week, I stepped through the superstore's glass doors in search of my bounty. (No, not the paper towels. I'm a Brawny man, thank you, and I buy mine in the 200-roll pack.) My mission on this fateful day: crackers. Any schlub can go to your ...

Friend of the Blog @Sauccygrl looks fuly prepared for her first triathlon tomorrow, complete with KAED celebration shirt! Way to go, @Saucygrrl!

Man, I did not want to get up this morning. I stayed up a bit later than I had wanted watching the Women's Beach Volleyball Gold Medal match. (USA! USA!) When the alarm went off at 5:15AM, I squinted through bleary eyes and thought to myself, "You have got to be kidding me." Just a few hours prior, I had been looking forward to waking up. After watching Misty and Kerri dominate, I was thinking ahead to a brisk 5-mile before breakfast. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but when I was staring down the barrel of a snooze button it seemed like a bigger challenge than a 6' 3" Chinese shot blocker. A bit of backstory seems in order. I'm not a great runner. I don't enjoy running so much as I enjoy having ran. Even so, one of my life goals is to complete a marathon some day. Last weekend, I completed the 7-mile Falmouth Road Race. I figured I'd build on that momentum by incorporating some longer runs into my weekly routine. Therein lies the rub down. In the future, I want to complete a 26.2-mile run. Up to now, I've been running 3 miles or so ...

In a conversation today, an associate shared his philosophy on what it takes for teams to succed in business. The acronym he used to remind himself of key ingredients was easy enough to remember: FAA No, he wasn't talking about the government agency in charge of airplanes. He was referring to a need for "Focus, Alignment, and Accountability". He made a compelling argument that any employee needs these things to be successful in his or her job. The more I pondered the FAA, I wondered how a government agency can allow airlines to regularly lose my luggage. The more I pondered the other FAA, the more I realized that these are essential elements for anyone who wants to achieve success in life. Lift your tray table, fasten your seatbelt, and check this out: Focus. You can't do it all. You're allowed to have a hundred things you'd like to accomplish in life, but to make meaningful progress, you'll need to prioritize a few first. Once you select the most worthy goal for action in the here and now, you need to keep that goal at the forefront until it's complete. Alignment. Make sure your goals line up with your personal values. If you've taken on a goal that is ...

  "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson ## Leave it to T.J. to pull double duty. I think this quote nicely demonstrates what lies behind both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. How many times have you seen someone who you thought could be tremendously successful if only he or she had a better attitude? Since the beginning of time, it seems, the sages have quipped on the importance of having a proper mindset for success. Tommy goes a bit further, though, and points out the distrastrous consequences that await those who are prone to negativity. An entire branch of psychology has now begun to examine the benefits experienced by those who "accentuate the positive". The founder of Positive Psychology, Dr. Martin Seligman, recently served as the President of the American Psychological Association. While behavioral scientists get their nerd on, it's comforting to know that another American President observed this uncommon sense more than 200 years earlier. If you're heading to the Coaching and Positive Psychology Initiative at Harvard University on September 26 & 27, you'll certainly learn much more on ...

I witnessed two memorable athletic performances yesterday - both of them of the aquatic variety. The first was Michael Phelps' shattering any and all Olympic achievements when the US relay team helped him win his 8th gold of the 2008 Olympic Games. Millions of people stayed up late to witness this bit of history and cheer along the 23-year old Phelps in his quest for Olympic immortality. The second event was seen by far fewer people, but it left an impression on me nonetheless. Yesterday saw Race Day at the Craigville Beach Association near my home on Cape Cod. Groups of kids 5-years old and under, 6 to 9, and 10 and over competed in a variety of swimming and beach races and competitions. Even some adults (including my lovely bride) got in on the act. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="500" caption="Noodle Race"][/caption] What amazed me was the sheer joy and determination these young kids demonstrated. As the youngest group gathered in the chute before the starting gun, they were giggling and abuzz with excitement. They were absolutely living in the moment and ready to take on the course. Their mission? Get on a floating noodle and flail about over a distance of about ...

This week was not one of my best. I could pretend that wasn't the case, but what's the use? I guess it was just one of those weeks. I was distracted and tired and frustrated all week. The more I looked at my "To Do" list, the more I felt like renaming it my "Screw This" list. Even things I normally enjoyed doing seemed like a burden. I want to do well in school, for example, but I couldn't get into this week's lesson on mixed design analysis of variance statistical procedures. (I know - Who wouldn't be excited by that?) I wanted to get organized at work, but I lacked the oomph to make even the simplest plans for getting ahead. Everything was a struggle, and by Wednesday, I was already showing the signs. Slumped shoulders. Slight frown. Not a good look. I'm not proud of having had such a dour week, but I realize that it happens to us all from time to time. Still, when one strives to be a motivational force in the world, a proponent of positive psychology, and a self-help aficionado, he or she cannot sit idly by for too long. I started by asking myself probing ...

Great post over at Lifehack.org about the 10 skills needed for success. Worth at least a quick review, and then, perhaps, some deep thinking and self assessment. Can you identify your strengths and weaknesses? Can you find ways to build the skills you need? Can you share your strengths with someone else to help them achieve? Of course you can. You KAED!

This week, I'm in Dallas, TX at the August Capella University Colloquium. This is my final residency for my Psychology PhD program, and collquium is a great time to get re-energized, learn some great new things, and exchange ideas with new people. For me, that's where the problem can often set in. I'm not a naturally social guy. With small groups or close friends, I can interact well, but I'm still shy and not-so-good at the whole networking thing. The prospect of spending a week with a few thousand folks is something I admit that I don't always relish. Here's the rub: Failing to network and meet new people could put my future goals at risk, and is therefore unacceptable. Hmmm. What's a shy guy to do? I can't simply not be a bit on the shy side. It wouldn't be terribly helpful to just pretend that I'm naturally gregarious. Still, I need to do a better job of opening up and meeting some new folks. Sharing ideas, stories, support, business cards, and a meal or two may really help me today and tomorrow. I decided to give myself a constructive personal challenge. My micro-goal is to have substantive conversations with three new people every ...

Have you ever had one of those days? A day where nothing seemed to go right? I hate those. Last weekend, I found myself in Amsterdam. So far so good, right? While it's true that two of Amsterdam's biggest draws - hookers and hash - are completely wasted on me, it's still regarded as a wonderful and classic European city. There are dozens of museums, picturesque canals, and the world's tallest people. So I had been looking forward to visiting The Dam for some time. The moment I arrived, all hell broke loose. I walked out of Schipol Airport and looked up at an ominous sky. I had heard the weather was going to be unfavorable, but I've spent some quality time in London, so I felt prepared for the worst. I hurried toward the taxi queue, anxious to drop off my ridiculously large (and fire engine red) suitcase at the hotel. I asked the cabbie to take me to the Marriott, and he exploded. (Think of a Dutch Robert De Niro. Not pretty.) Apparently the trip was too short, and I had offended him. After several tense minutes, I commandeered a different cab (whose driver curiously wielded a MacBook) and I ...