Free is a special word in the human language. The idea of getting something without money causes people’s brains to fall out. People unwittingly waste hours of their time and thousands of dollars because they’re seduced by “free”. But, as economists will tell you, even if something won’t cost you a dime, that doesn’t mean […]
The Magic of Small Steps
Contrary to popular opinion, most great achievements did not start out with a master plan or moment of inspiration. They began as small steps. Each step was ordinary. But they accumulated into something more. More than goal-setting, courage or positive thinking, self-improvement is the magic of small steps. I’m frequently asked where I got the […]
Friday Links 09-02-06
From the Web Have We Lost Our Tolerance for Boredom – In an interesting article, Cal refutes the basic premise I argued in Boredom is the Enemy. While I argued that we tolerate too much boredom, Cal claims the opposite, we tolerate too little. I think much of the disagreement comes down to how far […]
Fear of Loss
Fear of losing what you already have has a bigger impact than fear of failure. Starting a business wouldn’t be nearly as daunting if it didn’t bear the risk that you might not be able to get your old job back when you quit. People stay in broken relationships for fear of not finding anything […]
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.