Craig Dial, Author at Stop Coping

Consider

August 22, 2025 by Craig Dial

Close up of an elderly gorilla, with an expression of thoughtfulness.

Do you become more capable by “should-ing” on yourself?

Does feeling like you’re constantly doing things you “have to” create the results you want?

You chose to read this. That’s a win. A Win is an Intention met. In that light, you’re winning all the time. It probably doesn’t feel like it. Don’t Celebrate You have been told things like “don’t rub it in” and “you shouldn’t celebrate” growing up. You’ve felt awkward and uncomfortable when being happy about … Read more

Changing

August 26, 2025August 20, 2025 by Craig Dial

Several cocoons and a monarch butterfly clinging to the underside of a table.

“Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I am changing myself.”

— Rumi

Needs and Wants

August 19, 2025 by Craig Dial

Feeling needs adds stress to your life about things that are not essential to your existence. Turn that stress into power and peace by focusing on wants.

Should I Stay or Should I Go

August 26, 2025August 18, 2025 by Craig Dial

A woman with long blonde hair wearing a blue and white floral print shirt and jeans, carrying a small suitcase. She stands on a gravel road that bisects a prairie, with the horizon in the distance.

Ever think about leaving the place you’ve been working? End up singing The Clash in your head? “Should I stay or should I go now?” Sometimes you’ve left. Others, you’ve stayed. It can be hard to know what you want to do. There are benefits to knowing all the people, the products, the company. And … Read more

Friday

August 26, 2025August 15, 2025 by Craig Dial

Is your Friday anticipation about fun, or about escaping? That could be a sign of feeling Obligation – “have to, don’t want to.” Learn how to turn that back into freedom, choice, and power.

Correcting Lenses

August 26, 2025August 13, 2025 by Craig Dial

A pair of glasses being held up in front of an eye chart. You can see through the lenses to the shapes and letters clearly. The rest of the chart outside the lenses is blurry.

your correcting lenses invalidate others, and make them “incorrect.” That’s a terrible place to put another human being.

The Waste of “Wrong”

August 26, 2025August 12, 2025 by Craig Dial

A traffic sign, red with white lettering, announcing "Wrong Way"

“That was wrong” What percentage of your time do you spend thinking about what’s wrong with your performance? With you? Any number greater than zero is waste. This feels counterintuitive. Maybe even “wrong.” Consider – by the time you observe your performance it’s already happened. Therefore, it cannot be changed. The past is past. “Wronging” … Read more

Sprinting Past Your Life

August 26, 2025August 11, 2025 by Craig Dial

An empty track with a lane of hurdles facing the viewer

Are you constantly managing lists of things to be done? Marking one thing off just to add two or three more? Do your lists ever get shorter? Do you take any time to acknowledge and celebrate completing each item, or just sigh briefly and move on to the next one? Are you often “working” on … Read more

Escaping Room 12A

August 26, 2025August 7, 2025 by Craig Dial

Still from the Monty Python sketch "Argument Clinic" featuring Michael Palin and John Cleese having an argument while seated across from each other at a desk.

Room 12A As a new ScrumMaster, I spent more time than I’d like to acknowledge stuck in room 12A, having the Monty Python argument sketch about what is and isn’t Scrum. “No it isn’t!” “Yes it is!” “No it isn’t!” (Do an online search for “Monty Python Argument Clinic sketch” if you’ve no idea what … Read more