In this show, we use an example of Ian’s horrendously bad golf game to illustrate a common problem people face in their careers. Self–handicapping is a cognitive strategy by which people avoid effort in the hopes of keeping potential failure from hurting self-esteem.

• You can’t change if you won’t admit that you are unhappy
• Are you self-handicapping or just controlling the narrative?
• Your network can’t help you if you are not honest about what you want
• Why people say silly things like “Money doesn’t buy happiness.”
• Do you spend time around people who think small?
• How much of your professional network resides within the same company?
• Your network won’t help you until you agree to be vulnerable
• Why your ego is more important than your goal
• It is easier to list your accomplishments than articulate your goals (rearview versus dashboard)
• If you are not willing to share your goal, you’re not serious about it
• The power of making public predictions