Questions to Ask Yourself at the New Year

At the New Year, we're urged to reflect. That may be easier if we have prompts to trigger our thinking. 

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer prompt-questions for each of life's big decisions: job, career, relationships, money, recreation, and The Big Picture.

Give and Take with Adam Grant, Top Contrarian Self-Help Expert

Adam Grant is the youngest tenured professor at Penn/Wharton and has been rated its best teacher for four years in a row, Also, he writes regularly on work and psychology for the New York Times.

In February his new book will be published, Originals: How non-conformists move the world. The publisher sent me an advance copy.

In the book, Grant forwards a number of contra-intuitive recommendations. In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer few of those, followed by my reactions.

New Year's Eve and Day for the Psychologically Vulnerable

If life is chipper, it's easy to bring in the New Year joyously. But if your life is less than, well, bubbly, and especially if you're psychologically frail to begin with, bringing in the New Year can be depressing or anxiety-provoking.

As usual, a how-to article can't turn a pained person into a joyous one who will revel in 2016's arrival but perhaps one or more of the salves in my PsychologyToday.com article today might help.

"I Don't Want to Bring My Baby into This World:" What's ahead in 2016 and beyond

The frivolity of a Christmas party gave way to quite a discussion about the future. I describe it in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

In Praise of New Year's Resolutions

New Year's resolutions, like affirmations, have gotten a bad rep because most get broken.

But I'm a believer in setting goals and objectives. Without them, we rely too much on serendipity.

So today's PsychologyToday.com article encourages readers to make one or more resolutions. And to that end, I share my own resolutions for 2016.

My Career Coaching Clients' Year-End Musings

Here at year-end, I've asked some of my career coaching clients to take stock. In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I post some their musings.

Anatomy of a Career Counseling Session

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I demonstrate a few elements of my typical process with a client who wants to change careers.

Silent Night, Lonely Night

Christmas songs tend to be sappy, belying many people's Christmas reality.

As a tiny antidote, for my PsychologyToday.com post today on Christmas Day, I've rewritten the words of Silent Night for those who feel lonely at Christmas. HERE is the link.

Should You Be a Generalist or a Specialist?

I recently debated legendary education evaluator, Michael Scriven on whether we should encourage young people to be specialists or generalists. 

I post the transcript of that debate as my PsychologyToday.com article today.

CreamNog: A Christmas Story

For my PsychologyToday.com article today, I thought I'd write a little Christmas story in honor of the season.  It's called CreamNog.

HERE is the text.  

If you'd like to hear me read it aloud, click HERE.

The Case for Trusting Your Common Sense over Experts

We all long for people we can trust. So we're discouraged when we see how often experts are wrong. 

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I argue that we're wise to think twice before letting experts trump our common sense.

What I'd Tell My Teenager About Earning, Spending, and Saving

What I'd say to my teenager about money: earning, spending, saving. That's my PsychologyToday.com article today.

What I'd Say to My 16-Year-Old About Relationships and Sex

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer the mini-talk I'd give to my 16-year-old about romantic relationships and sex.

My Advice to a 16-Year-Old Trying to Figure Out What She Wants to Be When She Grows Up

In each installment of my daily PsychologyToday.com series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.

Today, I offer a 16-year-old advice on how to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up.

My Advice to a Baseball Player in a Slump

In each installment of my PsychologyToday.com daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.

Today, I offer advice to a baseball player who's in a slump. It may be of value to anyone who's on a bad streak. 

Advice to a 72-Year-Old Who is Unsure Whether She Should Retire

In each installment of my PsychologyToday.com daily series, I respond to a composite letter asking for my career advice.

Today I offer advice to a 72-year-old who is unsure whether she should retire.

My Advice to a Person With Depression Who Then Got Cancer

In each installment of my daily PsychologyToday.com series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.

Today, I offer advice to a person with depression who then got cancer.

My 10 Workplace Predictions for 2016 (TIME.com)

I'm pleased that TIME has again published my annual career and workplace predictions.

It's in TIME.com's Ideas section. Here is the link to My Workplace Predictions for 2016.

My Advice to an Older Worker Who Was "Laid Off"

In each installment of my daily PsychologyToday.com series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.

Today, I offer advice to a 53-year old who was "laid off."

Advice to a Lawyer With an Anger Problem

In each installment of my daily PsychologyToday.com series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.

Today, I offer advice to a lawyer with an anger problem. 

My Advice to a Weary Entrepreneur

In each installment of my daily PsychologyToday.com series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.

Today, I respond to a letter from a weary entrepreneur.

My Advice to Someone Who's Tempted to Give Up His Idealism

In each installment of this daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.

Today, I respond to someone who opened a produce market in an underserved community. But his experience there is tempting him to give up his idealism. 

My Advice to a Happy Cabbie and Uber Driver Who's Pressured to Aim Higher

In each installment of my daily PsychologyToday.com series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.  

Today, I respond to a cabbie and Uber driver who's feeling pressure to pursue a career with more status.

Advice to a Burned-Out Physician

In each installment of my PsychologyToday.com daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice. Today, I offer advice to a burned-out physician.

My Advice to a Porn Director Whose Girlfriend Found Out What He Does for a Living

In each installment of my PsychologyToday.com daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my advice.

Today, I offer advice to a porn director's girlfriend found out what he does for a living and says, "Quit or else." 

Advice to Someone With a Bad Boss

In each installment of my daily PsychologyToday.com series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.  

Today I respond to someone asking what to do about a bad boss.

Advice to a Former Olympian Who Needs a Career

In each installment of my daily PsychologyToday.com series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.  

Today's offering is advice to an Olympian who needs a career.

My Advice to a Divorcing Person Who Loses By Making Money

In each installment of my daily PsychologyToday.com series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.

 

Today's offering suggests careers for a divorcing person who is very social and psychologically oriented. 

Advice to a "Powerless" Manager

In each installment of my PsychologyToday.com daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice. 

Today's offering is my response to a manager who feels powerless.

Quickie Video in Which I Describe My New Book, The Best of Marty Nemko

Here's the under-2-minute video I just recorded that describes my new book The Best of Marty Nemko: The best 60 of my 3,000 articles for your worklife, personal life, and for making a difference. 

Those articles previously appeared on TIME.com, TheAtlantic.com, WashingtonPost.com, PsychologyToday.com, etc. It's available on Amazon.com for $12 for the printed version, $8 for the e-book. HERE is the link.

Letter from an Apparent Victim of a Vendetta

In each installment of my PsychologyToday.com daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice. 

In today's offering, I respond to a person who thinks a coworker is out to get her.

Letter from a Musician Ready for a Divorce from Wedding Gigs

In each installment of this daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice. Here is today's offering.

Letter from a Burned-Out Teacher and My Response

In each installment of my PsychologyToday.com daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice.  

Today's offering is my advice to a burned-out teacher.

Letter from a Therapist: "I'm Successful but Not Effective"

In each installment of this daily series, I respond to a composite letter asking for my career advice. 

Today's offering is my response to a letter from a psychologist who feels he's an imposter.

A Letter from a Man Who Talks Big, Does Little, and Hates Himself

In each installment of this daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice. Here is today's offering.

Letter from a Nurse Who Accidentally Killed A Patient

In each installment of a daily series in PsychologyToday, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my advice.  

Today's is how a nurse might deal with having accidentally killed a patient.

My Career Advice to a Dejected Liberal Arts Graduate

A college graduate did everything she could to land a good job after college graduation but the best she could get was to be a clerk at a car rental agency. 

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer some advice. 

My Career Advice to a Struggling Actor, Now 28

My career advice to a struggling actor, now 28. That's today's installment in my PsychologyToday.com series in which I respond to composite letters complaining about worklife.

Escaping from Golden Handcuffs: Letter from a "Trapped" Government Employee

This is today's installment in my PsychologyToday.com series of composite letters of complaint about one's worklife and my responses.

A Letter from a High School Student Who's Scared About College

Today, I start a series of PsychologyToday.com articles that present a letter that's a composite of complaints I've heard. After each, I offer my response.  

Today's letter comes from a high school senior who's scared about the cost of college and what to major in. 

In Praise of Seriousness

America is the land of upbeatness: Whether political candidates, workplace norms, or in social gatherings, upbeat and chipper are rewarded, seriousness and soberness denigrated--"Debbie Downer."

Much can be said in favor of being upbeat: Especially in challenging times, an optimistic view is usually welcome. And upbeat people make others and themselves feel good.

Who could argue against all that? I could, and do so in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

Could the Reduction in Good Jobs Actually Be Good for America?

Automation, dysgenic birth rates, high immigration rates of unskilled people,  the ballooning cost of hiring an American, and globalization will dramatically cut the number of good jobs in the U.S. 

 

As a result, most Americans will have to live much simpler, less materialistic lives. Some will rebel--e.g., violent revolution may be possible. Less aggressive people will replace the time they would have spent in paid work in volunteerism, relationships, and in creative output, e.g., writing, painting, singing, community theatre. 

 

Is it thus possible that quality of life, net, in the U.S. will be better as a result?

Negotiate with ISIS?

There's consensus that the only way to deal with ISIS is to bomb the hell out of them. 

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I propose adding another approach. 

Addressing Information Overload

So much information is available, curated, with just a one-second Google search.

You'd think having all that knowledge at our fingertips would make us feel more secure.

Yet it makes many people feel less secure and more overwhelmed. They suffer from data overload.

How might we be informed without feeling overwhelmed? In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer two options plus a way to make peace with our inevitably incomplete knowledge.

Finding a Career

My PsychologyToday.com article today offers an excerpt from a first career counseling session with a newly retired 50-year-old firefighter. (I've changed irrelevant details to protect his anonymity.)

Perhaps you might find the techniques I used with him to be useful to you or to someone you care about who's trying to choose a new career.

Is There Pure Good?

Even ISIS's horrific acts have a silver lining. They remind idealistic policymakers that one of their foundational assumptions is wrong: that everyone is well intentioned.

That dose of realism may ultimately improve policies so they better incorporate the full range of humankind's behavior.

So if even such base evil as ISIS has an upside, can there be pure good?

As a thought experiment I listed 10 things that, at first blush, strike me as a pure good. For each, I've tried to think of how even they aren't a pure good. To the extent I was able to do that, I strike a blow for relativism, for embracing the gray-areaness of most things and a blow against absolutist black-white thinking.

I've ended up concluding that six of the ten aren't pure goods. I describe my thinking about all of them in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

My New Book is Out: "The Best of Marty Nemko"

My new book, The Best of Marty Nemko: The best of his 3,000 articles on career, living, and making a difference is now available both in e-book and printed book.  If you click on this picture of the cover, you can read the small print.

And HERE is the link to it on Amazon.com.  

A Workover: She Has Lost Her Motivation to Look for a Job

On my NPR-San Francisco radio program,  I do Workovers: Callers call in with a career problem.

I've been posting edited transcripts of Workovers that might interest Psychology Today readers. 

Today's is my exchange with a woman who has lost her motivation to look for a job.

Why Men Don't Listen to Women

Many women complain that men listen poorly to them, especially when they want to "process" something. Such women often claim that men are not in touch with their feelings. 

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer other explanations. 

The Case for Staycations

Sure, if you're dating, a staycation can't compete with 7 days, 6 nights in Hawaii. But otherwise, I wonder if people who tout vacations suffer from selective memory. I attempt to remedy that in my PsychologyToday.com article today. .

Do You Feel Misunderstood?

Many people feel misunderstood. My PsychologyToday.com article today offers ways to address that.