School is mostly about giving the right answers to questions. Life, in contrast, is mostly about asking the right questions to begin with. Growing a business while attending university let me see some of the differences between the two worlds as I stepped through them in parallel. More than anything, I feel the biggest difference […]
Don’t Know What You Want?
Bunker Hunt supposedly had a two-step policy for success: Figure out what you want, and the price you’ll have to pay to get it. Resolve to pay that price. I guess his philosophy is a bit more nuanced in implementation, but taps on a common theme in life-advice, that the first step to achieving anything […]
Does Dreaming Smaller Result in Living Happier?
How much is enough? What level of monthly income is enough? What level of fitness is enough? How good a relationship is enough? How much success and impact on the world is enough? We, as a culture, rarely ask these questions. The dominant viewpoint is always maximization: don’t ask what’s enough, but ask how to […]
Fear is Good
Fear is the enemy. At least, that’s what we’re told. Pick up just about any book from starting a business to getting in shape, and fear is the villain. It’s the obstacle every success must overcome and the reason behind every failure. But what if fear is good? Depression, Fear and Nature’s Not-So-Subtle Hints If […]
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.