If you were given a room of 200 people, and only had time to ask one question about each person, which question would you ask to guess whether or not they would be wildly successful in life? The obvious candidate questions would be, “are you smart?”, “are you ambitious?”, “hard-working?” But, as I think about […]
Don’t Follow Your Passion, Do Less to Achieve More and The Magic of the Failed-Simulation Effect
For the few readers who don’t already know, one of my favorite bloggers is Cal Newport. Cal just published a new book which tackles the question of what does it take to be remarkably successful and still have a remarkably enjoyable life. I recently had a spoke with Cal talking about ideas such as: Why […]
Here’s What’s Wrong with Self-Help
“I’m not really into that personal development stuff.” A friend said this to me the other day. I found it interesting not because it’s unusual to say, but because it’s common. I know many people who wouldn’t be caught dead walking around the self-help aisle of a bookstore, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have […]
You Can’t Set Goals to Fix Your Flaws
I used to think with enough hard work and ambition, you could achieve the things you want. I don’t believe that anymore. Instead, I believe you can only achieve goals from pursuits you enjoy. Self-improvement works best when it maximizes who you already are–not trying to erase every flaw you see in yourself. Over 90% […]
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.