She was born straight into it. Not having an idea about what it would be like or why. As a young wide-eyed child, she didn’t know that her father never wanted to have children. She didn’t know that she was different than her mother. How could she have known?

The family was constantly on the move. Her father’s job determined where they would go next. All she knew was that nothing was forever. Everything was to be left behind at some point.

She did not know that she was hyper-sensitive, that she fully took on the emotions and energies that…

Going to the office every morning at 9 AM just because that office policy was decided by someone decades ago, seems…well, extremely old-fashioned to say the least. Not only that, it no longer makes any sense.

We are now living in the digital age, in the sharing economy and in the knowledge economy. What you can offer an employer is all in your head. That’s where you keep your expertise, your skills and your experience. It goes with you wherever you go. And yet, you are constrained by office walls that have no meaning for the services you provide. …

I’ve worked in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment for many years now. Decades, in fact. I am also your typical perfectionistic high-achieving female who thinks that no task is impossible and no workload is too heavy to manage. I am a people-pleaser who wants to over-deliver. The classical recipe for burnout, in other words.

I always get too engaged in everything. I want to solve every problem. Straighten out every injustice. Get the last word on every topic. And speak the most and the loudest at every meeting. I know it’s annoying, but I can’t help myself. I simply can’t…

I really want to go to the gym, but I have such a headache. I would love to come to your party on Saturday, but my parents are visiting this weekend. If I had the money, I would take a year off and travel the world. If I was twenty years younger, I would start over with a completely different career and life.

Recognize any of these excuses? We have all said or thought something along these lines in different situations in our lives. But excuses don’t really exist. I mean, they are nothing but lies, really. It’s actually strange…

No doubt we all have romantic dreams of walking hand in hand with that perfect special someone in the sunset. Of having an amazing dinner together. Spending a day on the beach in each other’s arms. Of finding that deep connection with another person. I certainly have these dreams too. But the way I think about all of this has completely changed.

First, let’s back up a bit and let me tell you about this place. The most romantic place on earth. No, it’s not Paris. It’s not a tropical island in the South Pacific or the Caribbean. I have…

I was always looking for the easy answer. Even before concepts like life hacks, quick fixes and get-rich-fast schemes (and scams) even existed. Or at least before we had all heard of them. Even before the infinite source of wisdom and opportunity called the internet was invented, I was in constant search for my passion, for an easy way to make a living and for the meaning of my depressing life.

I was stuck in the frustration of not knowing what I wanted or what direction to head in. How could I get anywhere without having a map of where…

This summer, I spent my holiday in Liguria in Italy. I was just around the corner from the rich and famous sitting on their boats in the tiny harbor of Portofino. This used to be the secret hideaway for people like Madonna, George Clooney and Robert de Niro. Even just window-shopping in Portofino makes your wallet feel lighter.

This place is so posh, there was a red carpet rolled out through the entire town. Actually, not just through town, but connecting three small Liguria towns, ending in Portofino. Probably some kind of red carpet world record. It must have been…

I’ve always tried to keep work and the rest of my life separated as much as possible. I try to avoid checking emails in the evenings and weekends and I generally get annoyed when work tasks spill over into my free time.

Don’t get me wrong, I work hard, I am professional and I am a high-performer. I take my job very seriously, don’t miss deadlines and often achieve more than what is expected of me. But nonetheless, it’s a job — it’s not who I am.

I have been working for more than twenty years now, but no matter…