A good job pays well. A great job fills you with a sense of purpose. A meaningful career is something most of us want, even if it can be hard to create. What makes a career meaningful? I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ve come to two very different possible answers. Although they might seem […]
#1000
This is the 1000th post I’ve written for this blog. A little over 8 years ago I typed the first post for the blog. I was young—I hadn’t even had my 18th birthday yet. And I was full of enthusiasm, if lacking in experience. Originally I hadn’t planned on being a writer for a living. […]
Never Be Too Pleased With Your Past Work
Out of the thousand articles I’ve written, there are few that I genuinely like. Most of those I feel are mostly correct or useful, upon reflection, are still lacking in a lot of ways. Sometimes they’re too wordy, the research is too sparse or there are obvious counterarguments I ignored. I feel the same way […]
What’s Your Growth Ratio?
If you’re running a business, you’ll often find your time split between two types of tasks. The first are maintenance tasks—these are the activities that sustain, but don’t substantially improve, the underlying business. The second are business development tasks that fortify the assets that generate your income. Your growth ratio is simply the hours you […]
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.