Success: The Most Addictive Drug of Our Time

Have you ever thought that "success" works like a drug? We chase promotions, pay raises, and fancy lifestyles. We get high on achievements and consumerism. But it never lasts. The title becomes routine, the expensive purchases gather dust, the bigger income dissolves into bills. Then comes the crash — the burning emptiness that drives us looking for the next hit. This is not ambition. It’s a dependency.

Viktor Frankl, in Man’s Search for Meaning, wrote about the “existential vacuum.” The hollow silence inside us when external rewards stop working. That vacuum is a withdrawal symptom of “success" addiction at work. It shows the disconnect between what we are doing and what truly matters to us.

How do we know what matters?

There’s no magic formula that can reveal the meaning of our work. But we can learn to recognize our true values in two ways — by looking backward and by listening inward.

Who do you really see in your team? 

As Goethe put it, when we see people only for what they are, we make them worse; but if we look at them as they ought to be, we help them become better. 

This perfectly describes the true purpose of leadership: to develop what is best in people and guide them toward what they are meant to become — whether in business, professional sport, or creative work. 

Why is understanding this important for you as a leader? Because the way you look at people shapes not only their productivity but also the entire culture of your organization. To fully unlock individual potential and achieve truly remarkable results, a person’s inner world must change — they must adopt a new vision of themselves and of others. In this process, the leader plays a decisive role. 

Anxiety: The Message You Keep Ignoring

Logotherapy shows it’s not just fear, but a guide to meaning and growth.

We usually think of anxiety as something purely negative: a disorder, an error in our system that has to be fixed.

The founder of Logotherapy, Dr. Viktor Frankl, saw it differently. For him, anxiety wasn’t just a symptom to push down. It was an important message about our sense of freedom and responsibility.

Burnout is not just tiredness — it is the absence of meaning

Acknowledging the void is the first step toward reclaiming motivation at work

Most of us have been there. Burnout is a hard, frustrating, and painful experience. Anyone who has faced it knows how complex and multi-layered it is. When asked what caused it, we usually name surface reasons — too much work, difficult managers, toxic environments. But these are not the root causes. They are irritants that add pressure until the psyche rebels through aggression, addiction, or depression.

The deeper cause of burnout is the loss of meaning in what we do — what Viktor Frankl called the existential vacuum.

Overcome Travel Phobias with Paradoxical Intention

Turning Fear into Freedom with Viktor Frankl’s Insight

For years, I struggled with travel anxiety. The night before departure, I couldn’t sleep. I was afraid of being late to the airport, of forgetting something at home, of not being able to speak a foreign language, or of not knowing how to ask for help abroad if I needed it. To cope, I developed phobic avoidance: I simply tried not to travel. I almost never went on leisure trips, even though I was fascinated by the stories of those who did.

This went on for decades until I realized how much I truly wanted to see the world and experience life outside my comfort zone. That was the moment I decided to face my fears and develop healthier ways of coping.

Stop Drowning in Your Own Thoughts

Sometimes, to get what we want, we have to do the opposite.

In swimming, if we focus on staying afloat, we sink; if we relax and breathe, the body floats on its own. The same is true for our inner world. Desperate efforts to achieve a desired state often backfire. Take insomnia: the harder we try to fall asleep, the more awake we become. But if we focus on staying awake, boredom sets in and sleep arrives naturally.

In logotherapy, there is a tool for situations like this: dereflection. Its essence is simple — when fixation makes things worse, shift your attention away from the outcome. This doesn’t suppress the problem; it allows natural processes to unfold.

Existential Coaching: What It Is and How It Can Help?

Most of us live on autopilot, avoiding true contact with ourselves through work, family, or the pursuit of success. Existential coaching is for those who are tired of imposed values and superficial solutions. It’s for people who want to rely on themselves, build honest relationships, and live a fulfilling life. This isn’t philosophy or psychoanalysis — it’s practical work that can truly change the quality of your living.

What is the real benefit of existential coaching?

Reducing inner alienation and suffering. Becoming aware of your own values and stepping away from "other people’s scripts" lessens inner conflicts, anxiety, and emptiness. You learn to be yourself and move toward authentic self-realization.

Regaining energy and zest for life. Living according to your true values releases creative energy and brings back genuine engagement. Life stops feeling hollow, and you rediscover interest and presence.

Gaining inner resilience and grit. Conscious values become your support in times of crisis and change. You depend less on others’ opinions, finding the strength to stand your ground when facing challenges.

Living a mature and fulfilling life. Accepting freedom and responsibility leads to emotional maturity. Stepping out of the victim role and taking responsibility for your choices turn freedom into a real source of strength and fulfillment.

Building conscious, deep relationships. Only honesty with yourself allows you to create real, non-dependent, non-manipulative connections with others — in love, friendship, and work.

Going beyond mere survival. Life turns into creative exploration and a search for your own meaning. Chronic detachment gives way to a feeling of authorship and purpose.

Existential coaching is a mature alternative to restless self-avoidance or shallow psychological fixes. It’s a path to reclaiming real life — with personal meaning, energy, and maturity. This path demands honesty and courage, but offers a priceless reward: inner freedom, stability, and the opportunity to live your own story.

If you feel a deep desire for change and dissatisfaction with the superficial in your life, perhaps now is the time to try existential coaching. Find the courage to discover what it means to be yourself and to truly live.

What Can Coaching Offer to Successful People?

Success often comes with unique challenges—even the highest achievements can be accompanied by feelings of stagnation, imbalance, or following a path that isn’t truly yours. In such cases, coaching helps restore satisfaction with one’s accomplishments by reshaping the approach to goal-setting and the means of achieving them.

Mindset plays a crucial role in how we set new goals and overcome difficulties. Research by Dr. Carol Dweck on the "growth mindset" shows that viewing challenges as opportunities for development fosters resilience and builds a habit of continuous improvement. Coaching helps cultivate and deepen this mindset, turning obstacles into stepping stones toward personal goals. Additionally, it encourages a conscious approach to goal selection, aligning them with one’s core values. Big goals take time, and ambition alone is not enough to achieve them—this is why they must be closely tied to personal values.

For successful people, coaching is particularly effective in the following situations:

• Breaking Through a Plateau. After a period of steady progress, growth can slow down. Coaching helps reignite interest in goals and establish new success criteria.

• Overcoming Mental Barriers. Obstacles such as perfectionism, imposter syndrome, or fear of failure can hinder development and lower overall life satisfaction. Coaching helps address these barriers and find joy in the process.

• Developing Leadership and Communication Skills. As your career advances, learning to effectively interact with people and lead them becomes increasingly important. Coaching enhances emotional intelligence, empathy, and communication skills.

• Finding Balance and Fulfillment. Achieving professional success is one thing, but true fulfillment comes from aligning success with your core values. Coaching helps clarify these values and set goals that align with them, creating a balanced and fulfilling professional life without burnout.

Ultimately, coaching opens the door for successful people to reach new levels of harmony and satisfaction with their achievements.

Ready for your next breakthrough? Coaching could be your key to the next level.

New Beginning or a New Distraction?

For some of us, starting a new activity is a major step forward in our developmental path. It’s a remarkable achievement in its own right, well deserving a celebration.

However, for many others, seeking novelty is just a sophisticated form of distraction. Whether it's a new sport, hobby, study, diet, or a romantic date, what matters is the bottom line. If our shiny new endevour doesn’t make us better, if the long-term effect of our efforts is close to zero, then instead of progress, we are holding ourself back.

To get over this, learn to tell yourself the truth about your real intentions, whether sweet or bitter. Learning to be honest with yourself will make you stronger and help pave the way to your true calling.

If you feel like you need a bit of a nudge or support to get where you truly want I'm here to help.

Using Motivational Interviewing in Daily Management

Effective leadership is not just about delegation and decision-making—it also requires understanding and motivating your team. One powerful tool gaining popularity in modern management is Motivational Interviewing (MI). Originally developed for psychological counseling, MI has proven to be highly effective in workplace settings as well.

At its core, MI helps employees find internal motivation by focusing on why they themselves might want to make a change. The key is not the consequences or benefits—those will follow later. What matters most is understanding what drives a person and the values behind their choices. When used correctly, MI can be a swift process, but it requires courage, patience, and a sincere desire to help.

Incorporating MI into a management style is based on the following key principles:

• Expressing Empathy – Show genuine interest in employees’ perspectives and concerns. Active listening and understanding their viewpoints help build trust and create a supportive environment.

• Creating Discrepancy – Help employees recognize the gap between their current situation and their desired future. This awareness encourages personal and professional growth.

• Managing Resistance – Instead of applying pressure, acknowledge resistance and explore its root causes. This approach minimizes conflicts and promotes collaborative problem-solving.

• Supporting Confidence – Foster employees’ belief in their ability to achieve their goals. Recognize their strengths, celebrate successes, and encourage their drive for growth.

Example of a Conversation Using MI

Manager: “I’ve noticed that you’re not excited about the upcoming changes in the workflow. What are your thoughts on this?”

Employee: “I don’t want to change anything in my work. I’m comfortable with the way things are, and I’m getting good results.”

Manager (Empathy): “I hear you — change is never easy. Can I ask you, what do you like most about the current process?”

Employee: “I’m used to it; everything runs on autopilot now, and I don’t have to worry about my duties.”

Manager (Internal Motivation): “I see why the current process works well for you. But if you could improve something at least something in it, what would it be?”

Employee: “Well, if I had to do less paperwork or if my annual performance improved, I might be more interested in changing the process.”

Manager(Deepening Motivation): “Why are these two factors important to you?”

Employee : “I don’t like paperwork, and a good annual result could mean a bonus or a salary increase.”

Manager (Clarifying the Problem): “I understand your priorities, and the new process is exactly designed to reduce bureaucracy and increase productivity. What concerns you most about adopting it?”

Employee: “Mainly, I just don’t have the time to learn a new process.”

Manager(Offering Help): “Do you think a training seminar and a team-building session could help, so the whole team can discuss and learn the new process together?”

Employee: “Yes, I think that could help. I enjoy spending time with the team outside of work. Let’s give it a try.”

In this example, the manager applies MI principles to help the employee identify internal reasons for resistance and find motivation for change. Discussing both motivation and obstacles provides a broader perspective and supports an informed, thoughtful decision.

For more insights on Motivational Interviewing, explore books by Michael V. Pantalon or William R. Miller. Try using this method in practice, and let me know if you’d like support in mastering it!

Why is It so Hard to Step Out of Our Comfort Zone?

We all have tried to stretch our limits at some point. But what was the result of those efforts last time? Have you achieved that transformation you have dreamed of?

If not quite then don’t rush to blame yourself for not being persistent enough. It takes more than just a plan and a strong will to escape the gravity of the comfort zone. To do it right we have to understand the mechanics of this powerful phenomenon. 

1. First of all, the comfort zone is a good place to be, it gives us confidence, security and a feeling of being in control of our life. For the majority of people, those are the cornerstones of a good life and we don’t want to risk losing them even at the price of giving up on our dreams.

2. Second, we instinctively prioritize short-term gains over long-term ones due to various psychological factors. In simple terms, we prefer to eat an apple today than wait until it grows into an apple tree. It made sense for our furry ancestors but we can do much better by understanding how the brain works and developing individual strategies for overcoming our instincts. There is a great book covering that topic in the detail “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman.

3. The third and perhaps the most powerful factor is the fear of the unknown or neophobia. Our minds are tirelessly trying to keep us safe by avoiding new and potentially dangerous situations. This is a nice feature to have if you plan to evolve but it also gives us anxiety every time we face changes. You can read more about overcoming neophobia in Susan Jeffers’s book “Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway” 

Leaving your comfort zone is hard and failing to do so doesn't mean you are weak or lazy. Our nature is pulling us back to the good old days in the African savanna where among many things we’ve learned to enjoy the moment and procrastinate with future-oriented tasks. In order to succeed with the change we must understand the internal strengths and limitations of our character and develop an individual strategy for moving further. To a certain extent, it can be done individually but there always will be blind spots in our worldview that only other people can notice. Seeing yourself through the eyes of an unbiased person is one of the best gifts we can give to ourselves. So next time you plan changes in life don’t hesitate to seek support from professional coaches and supervisors.  

Finally, there is good news for all of us, we have come a long way to get where we are now. Therefore we absolutely know how to move forward. Don’t forget to keep it in mind and good luck escaping your comfort zone!

How Socratic Questioning Helps Make Better Decisions?

Socratic questioning is a form of critical thinking, which was invented by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates and is characterized by the use of open-ended questions to reveal what is known about the subject and examine general assumptions. 

Nowadays, Socratic questioning is widely used in business coaching as a way to help clients gain insight into their thoughts, feelings and actions. A coach using this method will ask a client series of open-ended questions to identify any limiting beliefs that may be holding them back.

Socratic questioning is used to help clients:

1. Understand their thought patterns

2. Uncover their values and goals

3. Reflect on their experiences and emotions

4. Find their own solutions to the challenges

5. Examine the evidence for their beliefs

6. Recognize patterns in behaviors

It can also be an effective tool for generating new ideas and exploring potential solutions. The coach's role in this process is to guide and facilitate the conversation, rather than provide answers or advice, this allows clients to come to their own understanding and conclusions.

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of getting rid of unjustified assumptions and limiting beliefs when making long-lasting decisions. As American philosopher Lewis Fordsworthe famously said  “Assumption is the mother of all mistakes”. If you want to make sure you are making an informed decision use Socratic questioning or its modern form of Business Coaching to deepen your understanding and avoid costly mistakes.