The Art of Getting Unstuck

The Spanish Vase Years ago, I was in Seville, Spain, wandering through a ceramic shop with a friend. I fell in love with two vases but only had space for one. I agonized over the decision, analyzing every detail, convinced there was a right choice. Finally, my friend said: "Amy, you act like there’s one right vase. There isn’t. Whichever one you choose will be the right one. You’ll forget about the other one." She was right. I picked a vase. We'd barely left the shop before I forgot about the...

Singapore There’s a bar in Singapore with no menu. Instead, you tell the bartender how you want to feel, and she makes a drink for you. Looking to feel inspired? Refreshed? Intrigued? Relaxed? There’s a drink for that. Imagine if life worked like that. Instead of scrolling endless options—jobs, apartments, partners, Netflix queues—we’d start with what actually matters: how we want to feel. But (here comes the villain! 🤣)… that’s not how the world works. The world drowns us in choice. It’s a...

Welcome to the lab! (no white coats required🥼) Anyone who’s joined my coaching or courses knows: I’m obsessed (in a delightfully quirky way 💁🏼♀️) with experimentation. I’ve seen its transformative effects—first in companies, then with my clients (and yes, I was my first client!). This newsletter? Also an experiment. Nine months ago, I kicked it off with the unintuitive truth that action creates clarity—you have to start to see where you're going. I’ve loved it! But something’s missing. My...

2014 at IDEO Singapore: Gathering outside the office door on Chinese New Year to roll the pineapple! 🍍 Happy Friday and Happy Chinese New Year! I used to love these celebrations when I lived in Singapore. I delighted in digging into what the animal of the year meant and enjoying the food and festivities at the local hawker centers (next level food courts). At the office, we'd gather outside the door for the traditional "rolling the pineapple" across the threshold, which was meant to welcome...

Leaning into the beat at a Bossa Nova concert Happy Friday, I missed you all last week, but the truth is I was having a Coyote moment after running straight through the New Year into my new house and new course. And I had no creative capacity left. And I never want to send these newsletters *just* to send them. But -- after a good amount of bingeing mindless TV, creative capacity is restored! This week, I write about how easy it is to miss the tug of a sleeve and why it's worth turning...

Happy new year (except to those who stop celebrating after the third)! First, my heart goes out to all those in Los Angeles, whether they're displaced, home and worried, or on the front lines (I know someone in every category personally). I'm a big fan of World Central Kitchen for their work in disaster zones (displacement = liminal zone, and no one knows better than we do how tender those times are). They're in LA already. If you're looking for a way to contribute, join me here. Liminal...

Let me be the first to wish you a Happy New Year! I started this newsletter this year, and it's been such an honor and a pleasure to write it. Thank you to everyone who read, clicked, shared, and commented. Your support meant everything! I end the year with a gift and an ask: The gift If you're seeking change of any kind in your life in 2025, I made this reflection activity for you. Find a quiet spot, 15 minutes, and enjoy. The ask Sharing means all the world to a small business. Here are...

Hi all, and especially those of you in the liminal zone, If you've felt like everything's happening slower than you wish for, you're not alone. I just moved into my new home after I got displaced by the hurricanes, and it feels like I'm moving like molasses lately (Can molasses also be frenetic? Asking for a friend 🤣). I'm in Connecticut for the holidays, but before I left, I was at dinner with friends in Florida (where we are all, collectively in the liminal zone) and we were all saying a...

Hi Reader!!! I'm playing with a new format for content below. LMK what you think. But first, ICYMI, The Art of Getting Unstuck begins December 31st, and the doors are open. If you like what you read in my blog, this is that times a gazillion (an exact number ;). Here are some of the questions the program has helped people with: How can I be an entrepreneur when I have a family to provide for? I want a new life but I'm not sure what it looks like and there are so many paths. How do I begin? I...

Scarcity mindset can be so easily triggered... Hi Reader, Short but sweet one this weekend: still in near-peak liminality myself. I just signed a lease for a new apartment post-hurricane, but it's totally empty so I'm off to thrift. Wish me luck! This week on the blog, I address a conundrum prompted by a coaching conversation: what do you do when you've identified your dream but it feels like you may need to settle for something less because you'll run out of time to get there? This is...