A common excuse I hear for not setting goals, building mastery or sticking to important habits is the phrase, “I’m just not motivated enough.” I wonder whether these people believe motivation will simply fall from the sky and strike them. As if sitting and doing nothing was the best way to break a cycle of […]
Archives for March 2010
Could You Sell Who You Are in 30 Seconds?
Life is an elevator pitch. You sell your skills when you want a job. You sell your products when you want business. Heck, even asking for a date is selling, except you’re selling yourself. The biggest problem in communicating yourself in any domain is simply time. You have an entire life history, interests and a […]
Pragmatic Optimism: How Your Fears and Doubts Can Allow You to Succeed
Deep down, I’m a die-hard optimist. I believe the world is getting better and that the pursuit of the ideal life is possible and worthwhile. While I disagree with a lot of current self-help, I embrace the core premise: that we can become better people. But, as optimistic as I am about the pursuit itself, […]
Why Goal-Setting Can Leave You Miserable
There are really only two reasons to set a goal: instrumental reasons and experiential reasons. When you set a goal for instrumental reasons, it is because the object of the goal will improve your happiness, lifestyle or contribute to some larger purpose. For example, if you’re incredibly overweight, changing your lifestyle may add several years […]