So it’s like this: The human quarters at Londolozi game reserve are cordoned off by a thin electric wire, which doesn’t do much to discourage antelopes and monkeys—or for that matter, lions and leopards—but which does keep elephants from wandering in.

At least, that’s the idea.

More than a year ago, one bull elephant figured out how to pull down the wire and get into the camp, where he binges on the lovingly tended flower and vegetable gardens. He became such a regular visitor that the Londolozi residents took to calling him “Night Shift.”

Months ago, in an attempt to keep the [...]

Once again yesterday, I got a lesson from my son, who’s been practicing ballroom dance in his man-cave.

Lately I’ve been happily devouring Chip and Dan Heath’s book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard. The Heaths’ advice is enlightening on many levels, and has added some gangbuster techniques to my coaching tools. See how you like this one.

The Heaths suggest that it’s crucial to look for “bright spots” where we’re already succeeding, then replicate those results in other areas. Most of us look for “dark spots,” in our own lives, in our loved ones’ lives, in the world generally. As you may know, the reptile portion of our brains is tuned to danger, [...]

This week I recalled a procedure that once regulated my life. I call it “Minimum Days.” A more accurate title would be “adrenal burnout recovery days.” Lately, I’ve come to believe almost everyone needs it from time to time.

Here are some symptoms of adrenal burnout, all of which were ragingly evident for me these past few weeks. See if they describe you, too:

• You wake up every morning not because you’re rested, but because “it’s time.” • Absolutely nothing sounds interesting except sleep. If you won the lottery, it would make you want a nap. • People keep genially [...]

Yesterday I looked at my fancy-schmancy online calendar and realized it contained less free time than a maximum-security prisoner gets to wander around the yard stabbing people. I also noticed my growing inclination to stab people myself. TIME TO DECLUTTER!

It’s no coincidence that my computer screen is a blizzard of open documents, and that my bathroom drawers are collapsing under the weight of soaps and supplements. The way we do anything is the way we do everything. So to put my mind in cleanup mode, I’m turning to my friend Peter Walsh, declutterer extraordinaire, for inspiration.

I last saw Peter [...]

The past six weeks have been a time of joyful but relentless activity for me. I attended celebrations in ten different cities, with literally hundreds of wonderful people. At times, it was like taking a refreshing shower… under Niagara Falls. Everything must be done in moderation, as a wise friend once told me — including moderation. So occasionally, I schedule periods of extreme activity into my schedule. This time I think I went just a touch too far.

A few years ago I landed in the hospital. No, correction: I actually landed on the floor of the Phoenix airport, en [...]