Working in Hades (With Wi-Fi) I don't know who needs to hear this, but if it's hot enough that your coffee is cooling slower than you are heating up, it might be too hot to work. The weather app says it's 98 degrees. My body says it's approximately the surface of the sun. You sit down to answer…

Working in Hades (With Wi-Fi) I don't know who needs to hear this, but if it's hot enough that your coffee is cooling slower than you are heating up, it might be too hot to work. The weather app says it's 98 degrees. My body says it's approximately the surface of the sun. You sit down to answer…

Have your coffee refilled a few times

Brunch: The Most Important Meeting You’ll Have This Week I love brunch. Not because I'm fancy. Not because I know the difference between a mimosa and a bellini. And definitely not because avocado toast somehow costs the same as a small appliance. I love brunch because it's one of the few places…

America Is Like That Older Brother Tomorrow, America turns 250 years old. That's a pretty big birthday. You know what America reminds me of? An older brother. You know...the one who constantly gets on your nerves. The one who borrows your stuff without asking. The one who argues with you over the…

Super Tip Thursday: 3 Quick Tips for Hosting a Successful Small Brunch at Home Hosting brunch doesn't have to be stressful. A little planning goes a long way! ☕ 1. Keep the Menu Simple Choose 4–5 easy items instead of trying to impress everyone with a huge spread. Think fruit, pastries, eggs,…

Super Tip Tuesday: The Junk Drawer Rule A junk drawer should not be a place for everything you don’t know what to do with. It should be a small home for useful little things you actually need. Here’s the tip: give every item in the junk drawer a category. Use small containers, trays, or dividers…

The Healing Power of Just Talking We often think life-changing moments have to be dramatic. A promotion. A wedding. A cross-country move. A major accomplishment. But sometimes, one of the most powerful things that can happen in your day is simply having a really good conversation with a friend.…

The Price of Silence: When Someone Knows They’re Taking Advantage of You There comes a moment in many of our lives when we realize something we never wanted to admit. Someone is taking advantage of us. Not because they accidentally crossed a line.Not because they misunderstood our intentions.But…

I Accept You. I Just Don’t Have to Stand Here. One of the most freeing things I have learned is this: I can accept people for who they are and still decide they are not good for me. That sounds simple, but it took me a while to really understand it. For a long time, I thought acceptance meant…

Me and Me: A Men’s Mental Health Month Reflection There are two of me. There is the me everybody sees. The one who answers the phone. The one who shows up. The one who keeps working, creating, caring, helping, laughing, fixing, and moving. The one who says, “I’m fine,” even when fine is not…

Why Getting Organized Will Change Your Mood for the Better Let’s be honest: clutter has a personality. It sits there. It stares at you. It whispers, “Remember me?” every time you walk past that pile of papers, that mystery drawer, or that chair that somehow became a closet. And before you know it,…

It's always a pleasure to talk with @jameslottjr.bsky.social about my books... and this time he digs deep into MURDER BY DESIGN. www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6WS...

I Cannot Manage Your Feelings and Mine at the Same Time There comes a point when you have to say it plainly: I cannot manage your feelings and my feelings at the same time. Especially when you are the one who did something that hurt me. That is a hard truth, but it is a necessary one. Because too…

When the Roles Reverse with Your Mother There is something deeply confusing about needing your mother and realizing she cannot fully be a mother to you anymore. Not in the way you remember.Not in the way you may still need.Not in the way your heart wishes she could. And then, somewhere along the…

Mourning a Father Who Is Still Alive There is a kind of grief that does not always get talked about. It is the grief of losing someone who is still alive. My dad is alive. He is somewhere in this world, breathing, living, existing. And yet, in many ways, I have had to mourn him as if he were gone.…

The Moment You Realize How Much You’re Carrying There is a strange moment that happens sometimes. You are going through your day, doing what you always do. Answering the calls. Paying the bills. Checking on people. Handling work. Managing your health. Taking care of family. Figuring out money.…

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#Science! Works for me. Art IS.

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T.H.U.R.S.D.A.Y. — The Push Forward T — TenacityThere was a Thursday I wanted to quit the week early. I felt behind, tired, and over it. But I stayed with it—and something shifted. That day reminded me: tenacity isn’t loud… it’s just not giving up. H — HonestyI had to be honest with myself one…

W.E.D.N.E.S.D.A.Y. — The Midweek Check-In W — WellnessOne Wednesday, I hit a wall. Not physically—mentally. I was doing everything, showing up everywhere, saying yes to it all. That day I realized: if I don’t check in with my wellness, nothing else works. Now Wednesdays remind me to pause and take…

T.U.E.S.D.A.Y. — Keep It Moving T — TrustThere was a Tuesday where nothing seemed to be working. Emails unanswered. Calls going nowhere. I almost scrapped the whole day. But I kept going—and by the afternoon, one response changed everything. That day reminded me: trust the process, even when it’s…

M.O.N.D.A.Y. — A Fresh Start M — MindsetI woke up one Monday already tired… before the day even started. Nothing had gone wrong yet—but my mindset was already expecting it to. That day taught me something: the way we start the day quietly shapes how we experience it. Now I pause, breathe, and…

I Do a Lott… But I’m Not Doing Everything There was a time when I thought every talent, every idea, every opportunity had to turn into income (It's VERY LA to do so) . If I could do it, I should monetize it. If I enjoyed it, I should build a business around it. If people liked it, I should scale…

When Friends Disappoint You (And You Finally See It Clearly) There’s a different kind of disappointment that hits when it’s not a stranger…but a friend. Not an acquaintance.Not someone distant. A friend. It’s Not Even About the Favor Here’s the thing. It’s rarely about the favor itself. It’s about…

Letting Go of Being Everything for Everyone There’s a quiet kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from work…It comes from being the one. The one people call.The one who shows up.The one who fixes it, figures it out, holds it together. For a long time, I wore that role like a badge of honor. “I got…

Giving Up Is Easy. Regret Is Hard. Let’s just say it. 👉 Giving up is easy. It’s quick.It’s quiet.It doesn’t require much explanation. You just… stop. Stop trying Stop showing up Stop believing it could work And for a moment? It feels like relief. 😌 The Comfort of Quitting There’s a strange comfort…

✝️ “Into Your Hands” — An Easter Reflection “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”– Jesus There is something deeply powerful about letting go. Not quitting.Not giving up.But surrendering. And if we’re honest…that’s one of the hardest things to do. We live in a world that tells us: Hold on…

Before You Leap There is a moment—quiet, almost invisible—between impulseand action. Most people miss it. They rush past itlike it has nothing to offer,like speed is strength,like movement is always the answer. But that moment?That breath? It is everything. Take it. Let your lungs fillwith…

Why Rest Is Part of Productivity (Even When You Don’t Believe It) Let me go ahead and say it, because I KNOW somebody needs to hear it: 👉 Rest is not the enemy of productivity. I know.I KNOW. Because for the longest time, I thought: If I’m resting, I’m falling behind If I slow down, I’ll miss…

Working Smarter, Not Harder… Is Still Work 😩 (And I’m Tired!) Let’s talk about this phrase that people LOVE to throw around like it’s the answer to everything: “Work smarter, not harder.” Now don’t get me wrong—I get it. I LIVE it. I TEACH it. I am the president, CEO, and spokesperson of “let’s…

How My Day Started Like a Disaster Movie… and Ended Like a Feel-Good Comedy You ever have one of those mornings where you wake up and immediately think: “Oh… today is going to be one of those days.” Not because anything big has happened yet—but because your spirit already knows. Yeah. That was me.…

Second Chances Start With Honest Reflection There’s a difference between giving someone a second chance…and giving a situation a second look. Too often, we rush into forgiveness or reconnection without asking the harder question:What actually happened here—and what was my role in it? Second…

“Full Room, Empty Hands” by James Lott Jr (Exclusive to this Blog) There are nightswhere the room is full—laughter bouncing off walls,glasses clinking,someone always talking. And I am there. Smiling at the right moments,nodding like I belongto every story being told. If you looked at me,you’d…

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💬 Not Every Date Has to Be “The One” — And That’s Okay Let’s normalize something right now: You can go on a date…Have a perfectly fine time…And still walk away thinking, “Yeah… not for me.” And guess what? 👉 That does not make you a bad person.👉 That does not mean you wasted your time.👉 That does…

Booked on Purpose: Working Smarter (and More Intentionally) in the Gig Life There’s a myth about gig work that says you have to say yes to everything. Every client. Every opportunity. Every “quick project.” Every guest suggestion. Every last-minute ask. Because what if nothing else comes? But I’m…

Friendship Is Back on the Calendar: My Year of Showing Up (In Person!) This year, I’m making a decision that feels both simple and revolutionary:I’m investing in my friendships—and I’m doing it in person. Not just texts.Not just “we should catch up soon.”Not just liking each other’s posts and…

Super Thought Monday: What If You Could Find Moments of Happy? What if happiness wasn’t a destination…but something you could find in small moments? Not the big, movie-moment happiness.Not the kind that requires everything in your life to be perfect. Just moments of happy. That’s something I’ve…

Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine We’ve all heard the phrase “laughter is the best medicine.” It’s one of those sayings that sounds simple—almost cliché—but the truth behind it is powerful. In a world filled with stress, responsibilities, and constant noise, laughter can be one of the most…

2 and a Half Month Check-In: Reframing Things So Far Is Helping Me Navigate Everything It has been about two and a half months since life shifted in a way that forced me to slow down and look at things differently. When change hits—especially the kind you didn’t plan for—it can feel like…

When Friendship Changes: Navigating Relationships During Personal Transformation Friendships are some of the most meaningful relationships we experience in life. They are built on shared moments, mutual understanding, and the comfort of knowing someone sees us as we are. But what happens when one…

The Work Is Never Finished (And That’s a Good Thing) One thing I’ve learned about myself over the years is that I am deeply self-aware. Not in the sense that I have everything figured out—far from it—but in the sense that I am always paying attention to who I am, how I move through the world, and…

How a Cancer Diagnosis Re-Energized My Creativity There are moments in life that stop you in your tracks. Moments when everything you thought you understood about your life suddenly shifts. A diagnosis can be one of those moments. When I heard the word cancer, the world felt different almost…

What Being a Girl Dad Has Taught Me About My Other Relationships Being a girl dad changes you. Not in some dramatic overnight way, but slowly, quietly, in the way water shapes stone. You start to see the world differently because you are responsible for helping shape how a young woman sees herself…

How I Started Loving My Living Space Again There was a time when my home felt more like a headquarters than a haven. It was where I worked, created, planned, handled responsibilities, and kept everything moving. It functioned well. It served its purpose. But somewhere along the way, I stopped…

57 Is Not the Beginning of the End — It’s the Beginning of the Truth Two months from now, I turn 57. That number feels different than 47 did. It even feels different than 55 did. There’s something about late 50s that whispers instead of shouts. It doesn’t ask for permission anymore. It just tells…

Sort Out Sunday: Organizing the Feelings Behind the Clutter We often talk about organizing closets, offices, schedules, and storage units. But today, let’s organize something deeper. Your feelings. Specifically — the feelings about how you became disorganized in the first place. Because here’s the…

When You See Yourself in the Dream There’s something powerful — almost electric — about seeing someone who looks like you thriving in a space you’ve always wanted to enter. It does more than inspire. It affirms. For many of us, growing up meant flipping through magazines, watching television,…