#49 Try This Method to Answer Small Talk Questions

This week, I had a brief email exchange with a coworker Sarah. After we are done with the business, she asked me, "How are things going on your end?" Have you ever feel you can have so many versions of answers to this question? Depends on where it's asked / who asked it / how...

#32 How to be happy and successful as an introvert in an extroverted workplace

I am an introvert. Source: https://www.yaoyaomavanas.com People don't know it or don't believe it. Cofounder of the consulting club in college; management consultant; MBA; marketing: my entire resume says capital E Extroversion. I have done--and love doing "extroverted" things: Public speaking: in grad school, I spoke once about why we should do less small talk...

#31 How to Know What You Stand For: As a Writer, a Worker, or a Human Being who Wants to Leave a Legacy

I have a full-time job and I love my job. On the side, I am also a blogger. I started posting since 2007. "What do you write about?" is the single most common questions I got every time I say I blog. Unfortunately this simple question doesn't come with simple answer. Before we get into...

Download 30 Day Interpersonal Challenge PDF

Now you can download fillable PDF from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vIkMx4O4XKFF-ixAF-uSf35sklQagjfa/view

#26 The Bright Side: Having In-laws from the Other Side of the World

Happy Fourth of July! This past weekend, I met Jason’s dad Jack and step mom Lizzie for the first time. They are from Midwest, and have never really talked to anyone from China. Jason once told me that he is a little worried if we will all get along. Day two, four of us went...

#14 Make a List: 13 Questions that I want to Ask You (2/2)

Jason loves reading. Me too. Bookstore date is our first date, and second date, and third date. This weekend we went to Barnes and Nobel (probably for the 30th time together?) Jason (as a data scientist) shared an idea, “What would it look like if I cluster all the 380 books that I have read?...

#11 Those Painful Gifts: Feedback

Last week, I accidentally woke Jason up in the middle of the night. The first sentence he said was, “How are we doing??” Human beings are hungry for feedback. We want to know “How am I doing?” “Do I matter?” (Some people, such as Jason, want to know even unconsciously) Feedbacks are gift. But feedbacks can...

#10 Those Painful Gifts: Engagement ring shopping

Very often, when my friends tell me about their real life, it is hard to believe that it is the same person, same life as I see from their social media posts. Dream is free. Hustle is sold separately. I am a big advocate of sharing hard or unpleasant life experiences and how they have...

#08 One Habit for Deeper Connections: Be Awkward First

“What’s your personal philosophy?” Last month, I attended High Performance training offered by my employer. Everybody was encouraged to take 25 minutes to answer this question. The point behind this practice is: We make the work place more productive, more purposeful and happier by bringing our whole selves, and we help others see our whole...

#05 One Habit for Relationship: Weekly 1-on-1

This week — I am doing something different. Because Jason and I love to create things together, he has offered to be a guest writer for my 52-weeks-of-writing project. Here is Jason’s writing: “Today at the restaurant… it made me nervous when you asked to split the check. Of course I am fine with splitting the check,...