PSA: Your weight is the least interesting thing about you.

I weigh myself most weekday mornings. I’m not trying to gain or lose, it’s just something I do. 

Today I stepped on the scale and didn’t like the number I saw. 😧

Intellectually I knew last night’s soy-sauce soaked sushi was likely the reason for the increase, but I still felt a fleeting moment of panic.

Until I quickly reminded myself what my sister told me long ago: my weight is the least interesting thing about me. 

That number on the scale is information and nothing else. 

I don’t weave my weight into conversations. “Hi my name is Michelle and I weigh xxx!” 

It’s not on my resume, nor on my LinkedIn profile. (Can you imagine? 😆)

It doesn't reflect my worth, intelligence, or personality.

And dammit…that number certainly doesn’t determine my mood. 

Here are the numbers I focused on instead today:

• The number of miles I ran this morning in prep for an upcoming race (7)
• The number of smiles I collected on my run (12)
• The percentage of effort I put into two projects (100%-- ok, maybe 94%)
• The amount of quality time I got with my son on his day off. We watched a show together, played a game, and just hung out. 🥰

Those were good numbers!

As for the number on the scale, whatever it is, I can guarantee that it's the least interesting thing about me and the last thing I want dictating my day.

So what is the most interesting thing about me? I guess that's subjective! But at least we know what it is not!

I know this post doesn’t fit with my traditional head-tilt content. I’m okay with that. Maybe it’s just a public reminder to myself, but I’m feeling it might land for sometime else, too. ☀️

Let’s focus on numbers and things that really matter. ❤️

Head Tilt #69: Start with your socks

Similar to when I was ten years old, I received a pair of toe socks for Christmas.

 

Toe socks!

I love them. 🥰

 

As a runner, I am often concerned with:

• my shoes (Mizuno)

• my running gear (Lulu, GapFit Breathe, Yogalicious)

• my hydration (Nuun)

• my route (ocean cliffs) and 

• my playlists (to match my mood and goals)

 

What I’ve learned through blisters and black toenails is that my socks are one of the most essential ingredients of a good run.

 

And it’s not just the socks themselves, it’s how I put them on.

 

If I hurriedly shove my feet in my socks and lace-up without a thought, I’m bound to feel discomfort around mile two or three. If I’m stubborn (often) and don’t stop to fix the misplaced seam, bunching or sliding, I pay for it later with pain.

 

My new toe socks, specifically made for runners, stay in place, are impossible to put on in a hurry, and keep my toes from hanging out together in the Blister Bar.

 

I love them so much and have already ordered four more pairs!

 

Beloved American basketball coach and Hall-of-Famer, John Wooden, knew all about the importance of socks. 

In a Newsweek interview years ago he said,

 

“I think it's the little things that really count. The first thing I would show our players at our first meeting was how to take a little extra time putting on their shoes and socks properly. The most important part of your equipment is your shoes and socks. You play on a hard floor. So you must have shoes that fit right. And you must not permit your socks to have wrinkles around the little toe--where you generally get blisters--or around the heels. It took just a few minutes, but I did show my players how I wanted them to do it.”

 

Can you imagine the players on that first day? They were undoubtedly amped to learn from the best! And Wooden told them how to put on their socks...

As with running and basketball, it is the attention to the little things in our lives that makes the big things possible.
 
So my question for you is,

What are the socks of your relationship/family, your work success, and your self-care?
 
What are the seemingly small but extremely important things that success requires?
 
🧦 The “socks” of my relationships/family are love and open communication.
🧦 The “socks” of my work success are autonomy and trust.
🧦 The “socks” of my self-care are sleep and running.

 

When these fundamentals are in place, success is that much closer.

 

What are your socks?

 

Is it time to order some more?

Head Tilt #68: Permission to Play

Wings that light up and change colors? Heck ya! 

It was love at first sight.

 

On Monday I spied the color-changing wings on a guest at Disneyland.

I immediately coveted them.

 

The rational me said: What would I do with them? They aren’t practical for a professional adult. (I am pretty sure they are intended for children.) As with most Disney memorabilia—they’d be fun in the park, but then what?

 

Luckily, the playful me countered: WHO CARES?!

 

Playfulness partners with presence. It lives best in the now.

 

When I temporarily parted ways with my family to save spots for the parade, I happily (sneakily) purchased a pair of the wonderful wings, turned them on, attached them to my back, and waited an hour on Main Street by myself (and with the hundreds of others waiting for the parade).

 

When my family joined me, they smiled and laughed. They weren’t surprised at all.

When I am at my best, I am playful.

 

Dr. Brene Brown teaches that we need to take time to play in order to live better and work better. “Cultivating Playfulness” is one of her tenets of whole-hearted living.

 

The research of Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play (how can I work there?) concludes that play promotes mastery, helps us deal with difficulty, and is essential to the creative process, and job satisfaction.

 

I bring purposeful play into the training room. I have prompted executives to create giant bubbles on breaks, I set colorful fidget-widgets out on all tables (pre-Covid), and I find creative ways to insert play into long training days, no matter if the topic is customer service or conflict management.

 

And with great intention-- before I get dressed for a training day-- I choose something from my collection of playful jewelry, pins, and tokens as a reminder not to take myself so seriously.

 

Upon reflection, I guess I take playfulness seriously.

 

If you are hesitant to play, the research is clear: It’s a must for adults. We all have permission to play!

 

My questions for you are:

 

How do you cultivate playfulness in your personal life?

 

How about your professional life?

 

After all we've been through, let’s all commit to bringing more play to our lives this year. 🎉 🎉

For more on Play, check out this Disney post

Head Tilt #67: Tell stories like Pixar

Yes, I am re-purposing this springtime pic from Pixar Pier :)

Most everyone knows that folks at Pixar are the best storytellers around. 

(And if you've read my blog, you know I am a big Disney/Pixar fan!)

But did you know that you can tell stories about your talents, business, or product in the same way that they do? And that you can do it in under a minute? 

Revealed by former Pixar story editor Emma Coates, each Pixar movie follows a six-step storytelling sequence. It's called the Pixar Pitch. It is memorable, concise, and has momentum that keeps everyone engaged. 

Here is their storytelling formula: 

1. Once upon a time...

2. Every day...

3. One day...

4. Because of that...

5. And because of that...

6. Until finally...

You can plug the storylines from Toy Story, Cars, or any of the Pixar greats into this template and see for yourself. 

Because I am always trying to bring a little Disney/Pixar magic into my work, here's how I use the Pixar Pitch to tell a story about what I do.

Once upon a time, there was a company where people were promoted to leadership positions, but they didn't receive any formal leadership training to support them with their new responsibilities. 

Every day, people who were very talented in their area of expertise now juggled the challenges of motivating and coaching others toward success. Some were effective leaders, but they weren't sure exactly how they did it. Many were not effective leaders; employee engagement was down, and employee turnover was up.

One day, longing to improve, the company hired me to deliver a well-researched and respected leadership program that was tailored precisely to their needs. 

Because of that, people learned the ins and outs of leading others. Through dynamic instruction, group activities, and application, they were taught how to build trust, coach others, manage conflict, and give impactful recognition and feedback. They created realistic plans for driving engagement, delegating with purpose, setting performance expectations, and tracking measurable goals. 🎯 (They even had fun along the way!)

And because of that, the company's teams were more cohesive and productive. Business results skyrocketed! 🚀

Finally, all the leaders in the company, and any who were promoted into leadership roles from that point on, shared both a common language for discussing leadership and practical tools for getting great results.

Okay, I admittedly don't start my conversations off with "once upon a time," but with a few tweaks and personalization, this sequence helps tell a memorable story.

I encourage you to have fun with it and see if you can bring a little Pixar magic to the stories you tell about your skills, product, or company. 🪄