Several weeks ago I had the privilege of hearing an unusual motivational speech. It wasn’t in a seminar, but in a computer science class. The speaker wasn’t Tony Robbins, but a professor Michael Zapp. Zapp interrupted a lecture on heap-sorting to share a valuable life lesson: the virtue of being a geek. Geeks are people […]
Friday Links 08-04-25
From the Web The Zen Valedictorian – Cal Newport’s advice for being relaxed without curbing your ambition. Although the advice is aimed towards university students, the productivity tips can apply to almost everyone. The motto? “Do Less. Live More. Get Ahead.” What NOT to do When Changing a Habit – Another great post from Leo […]
Keep a Journal to Solve Tough Problems
The common idea of a journal is a slightly more masculine diary. A book where that stores what you did each day, and how you felt about it. While this method of journaling is fine, it completely ignores the real benefit of keeping a journal. That benefit is being able to solve tricky problems. I […]
Why Productivity?
I write a lot about productivity. While I like to tackle other subjects, how to get things done is a main one. After two years of writing here, I’ve noticed that there seems to be two different types of people who become interested in productivity. The first category is for people who are trying to […]
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.