Matt Cohen
Product & Engineering Leader, Mentor, and Coach
-
Hidden words and phrases
I explore hidden words and phrases we use often when we communicate, and how these may contribute to negative self talk.
-
You are chosen
When having a tough day or moment, remember this; Not everyone got to wake up this morning. You were chosen to wake up, today. Make the most of it.
-
Habits and Riding the Bicycle
“Building a habit takes repetition” is what they say. It’s true! Some people say it takes 21 days to cement a habit. Naturally, building a habit in this way leads to building a “streak” of repeated action, done consistently at the desired cadence (daily, weekly, etc). What happens when the streak breaks? Leo Babauta of […]
-
Opening a Window
My office is in a converted loft in our home. I have the entire roof area as a workspace, which helps with focus and separating my working time from family and personal time. My loft office (“lofftice”) gets really warm on most days, and particularly warm during the Summer months. Thus begins the deep scientific […]
-
No Surprises
I use a “no surprises” approach to life, work, change management, and decision making. Read on to apply this to your own day to day.
-
Embrace versus conquest
“It’s always easier to swim with the river’s current than against it.” This quote, and others like it, are likely quite common and known to most of us. The sentiment behind this quote is one of collaboration, working together, and embracing change or difference, rather than resisting it. A similar concept which has come up […]
-
The simple thing about complex things
It always seems impossible until its done Nelson Mandela When reflecting on my day, I find often recurring themes or recurring lessons and advice. The reflection is often clearest when the same themes show up in various spheres of life. The latest such theme is that a task or project seems complicated not purely by […]
-
Responding versus Reacting
When confronted with something new or unexpected, we have a choice; do we react, or do we respond? There is a distinct difference, which I’ll unpack below. In new or unexpected scenarios, it is very common to react. This is most commonly visible in lashing out or responding with angst and stress. Our muscles tense, […]
-
Lean In
I’ve often advised people to “lean in”, to “eat that frog”, and to focus on addressing the thing that is most troubling them. Whether a conflict, a fear, or something else, leaning into it is far more effective at addressing the concern than is leaning away. I found myself offering this feedback more frequently lately, […]
-
On Purpose
For as long as I can recall, the phrase “on purpose” has been a colloquial phrase said to mean “consciously” (as in, “I consciously ate the piece of cheese” / “I ate the piece of cheese on purpose“). I’ve recently redefined “on purpose” for myself to mean (in simplified form) “with intention”, and with a […]