A deep dive into the psychology of motivation.
Archives for 2025
Organization – Day One
I’m heading into the eleventh month of my year-long Foundations project. This month’s focus is organization—getting a handle on your physical stuff to maximize the benefits those things provide while minimizing their ongoing costs in terms of tidying, storage and money spent. Those interested can check out my previous ten months here: fitness, productivity, money, […]
Focus – Month-End
Reflections on a month spent researching and improving my ability to focus and prioritize.
The Attentional Junk Food Hypothesis
A recurring theme in my ongoing Foundations project is evolutionary mismatch. This is the idea that our bodies and behavior were designed for a different sort of environment than we live in today. Since evolution is slow, we haven’t had time to adapt new instincts that safeguard us from novel dangers. Exercise is an example. […]
I'm a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcast host, computer programmer and an avid reader. Since 2006, I've published weekly essays on this website to help people like you learn and think better. My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more. I don't promise I have all the answers, just a place to start.