We’ve all engaged in passive-aggressive behavior at some point, consciously or unconsciously.  It’s easier to avoid expressing our feelings or confronting someone and just signal to them in other ways that we aren’t happy about something they did, didn’t do, said or didn’t say. If left unchecked, this behavior can become our default to expressing negative feelings, and we can use it to manipulate other people to our desired outcome without making our position known and having open and honest discussions. Learn how to keep your own passive-aggressive behaviors in check and identify and stop those of others.

Let’s get out of our heads, off our devices and pay attention to the physical world around us. And, when we notice something positive about someone, let’s not be afraid to give them a warm and sincere compliment and spread the kind of kindness that fuels optimism.

Did you know that setting and maintaining healthy boundaries is a form of self-care, just like eating healthy and exercising?  These boundaries protect your mental well-being and limit your exposure to unnecessary stress, the resulting production of adrenaline and cortisol by your body and the emotional and physical fatigue that follows.

I have been asked by several people recently how I manage to wear many hats (marketing executive, human resources executive, blogger, mom, wife, friend, volunteer, etc.) and still maintain a healthy lifestyle.  My answer may surprise you. 

Owning up to your mistakes is not easy, but the more you hold yourself accountable, the more you will grow personally and professionally.  You will quickly learn that admitting and learning from your mistakes is a sign of strength and self-awareness, paving the way for greater consciousness, better relationships and a more fulfilling life.

Decorating the office for the holidays adds color, fun and all the seasonal feels to the work environment. In addition to decorating, it can be fun to create office activities around holidays. Not only will people look forward to them, but if you decide to forgo one or do something different, you will hear about it because unbeknownst to you they become joyful work traditions.

Get to know the learning styles of the people you work with often, so you can incorporate different ways for them to engage in meetings.  Everyone in the organization brings their unique experience and perspective to the table.  Drawing that out in a way that is natural to them is imperative to help the team arrive at the best path forward.

Did you know that clutter in your workspace can impact your mental health?  It can cause anxiety, make you feel overwhelmed and disrupt your concentration, essentially impeding your workflow. Learn the "Cash," "Dash," "Stash" and "Trash" method to keep your workspace functional and your mind clear.

One of the most commonly reported social fears is public speaking.  If you are among those who get anxious at the thought of speaking in front a large group of people, trust me when I say that you can overcome your anxiety and become a great public speaker. Don't let fear silence your voice.

Use your intuition along with your intellect to guide your actions.  It’s a process to learn to trust yourself, but it can be one of the best gifts you give yourself.  In fact, it’s very likely that you have the answers you’ve been looking for all along.

Learning to use our smartphones effectively may just be the most important lesson of our time.  We should be able to take advantage of their many benefits without it adversely affecting our downtime, mental health, relationships and ability to take part in everyday life.  Committing to conscious phone usage is a great place to start!

The next time you have the urge to call, text or message your boss for help, ask yourself if it is truly something you can’t figure out on your own. If it isn’t, ask away, but if you do have the tools to tackle it on your own, give it a try. Believe me, your proactiveness will be noticed, and when you make your manager’s life easier, you will be rewarded.

Always having something to look forward to will fuel your positivity and get you through the tough stuff.  Research has found that just the anticipation of doing something you enjoy will elevate your mood, reduce stress and create happiness in your life.  

Do you ever stop to think about what you’ll be like in the next 10 or 20 years?  What will you be doing?  How will you feel?  Where will you be living?  If you haven’t, you should give it a try. When you see your future self, you are training your brain to create a visualized reality. Over time, you make gradual subconscious changes in your life toward your visualized reality, so when you do eventually experience it in real life, your brain believes you have already done it.  As a result, you don’t fear, fret or worry.  Instead, you embrace, embody and enjoy, like it was always meant to be.

We all have off days, rough days, stress days, zero motivation days…but don’t let them impede your progress. Instead, give yourself a mental out and show up or get started.

There is a deceptive comfort in holding on to your perfectionism. You’ve done things a certain way most of your life, and it seems to have worked well for you. But, I bet you haven’t stopped to think about what it has cost you…time, health and new opportunities. There is another way, and trust me when I say, you can get the same outcomes without the wasted time, unnecessary stress and avoidance of opportunities. The key is learning to be present over perfect.

When faced with a decision, we often overthink the situation to our own detriment. We pump our system with self-critical thought patterns that we somehow believe despite them being wildly inaccurate and fear based. Once you begin calling out negative thought patterns and disputing them, you’ll cancel out the fear-driven noise in your head, so that your quieter inner voice can come through more clearly. Recognizing, trusting and following this voice will make decision-making easier and life much more peaceful.

A significant part of my job is hiring people, which involves interviewing. I’ve been asked by countless individuals how I’m so successful at hiring the right people and retaining them. A lot of what I do pertains to company culture fit and comes intuitively to me, however being hounded about my process has forced me to sit down and analyze what I do and why.  I’ve come up with some unconventional advice for those sitting on both sides of the interview table.

The habits of over apologizing and qualifying our contributions may seem subtle, but in constantly seeking approval, permission or validation, we are diminishing our own power. We are weakening our impact. We are invalidating our ideas. And, we are slowly making ourselves insignificant.

By not engaging and remaining silent, we prevent ourselves from becoming worn out emotionally and are better able to preserve our patience and tolerance of those who think differently than we do. Non-engagement enables us to watch, learn, see and understand from a neutral perspective without being judged and sucked into drama. Then, we can use our energy on what truly matters to us and choose where, when and how to engage to make a meaningful and lasting impact.