I’ve said a lot of things on this blog over the nearly ten years since I started it. During that time, I’ve written thousands of articles. Most of them directly or indirectly express my beliefs about the world. I’ve talked about psychology, learning, philosophy and which techniques I think work and which don’t. Unfortunately, a […]
Three Ways to Fix a Stubborn Habit
Fill in the blank: I know I should do ______, but I just can’t seem to stick to it. I’m sure most people could fill a long list of things to fit that sentence. Maybe it’s exercise, eating right, getting more sleep or even just flossing. Sometimes those complaints are not genuine desires for change. […]
How Much Stress Do You Need for Success?
A lot of anxiety in life is both unwanted and involuntary. Often when I have an early morning flight, I can’t sleep deeply. The worry about sleeping through my alarm clock has me waking up involuntarily, every hour or so. Even when I should have enough sleep to feel rested, I wake up groggy. I […]
How I’m Continuing to Learn (and Hopefully Master) Chinese
I spend a lot of time writing about learning in intense bursts. Part of that is for efficiency’s sake—doing a short project forces me to think hard about how to learn more efficiently. Part of that is that a short project is more interesting to write about. But most learning doesn’t take place over an […]
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.