It isn’t hard to accidentally overload your schedule. It starts by making a few commitments, months in advance. Those commitments get pushed back and rescheduled until you need to face all of them at the same time. Working through an overloaded schedule without burning yourself out isn’t easy. I’m currently going through my own mini-overload […]
Do You Need More Effort or Better Opportunities?
One way to split up the world is to divide areas of life into those that need opportunities versus those that only need effort. For example, imagine you are writing a book. Writing a book is mostly a matter of effort. Having a stroke of creative genius helps, but ultimately finishing is about putting in […]
Do Things to Do Them
How much do you enjoy what you do? Not just your work, but all the activities you spend time on. I think genuine enjoyment comes from something other than a payoff. And if you strip away all the little payoffs from what you do, you’re left with the joy it brings you. Here are some […]
What’s Your Exit Strategy?
It’s nearing the end of the school year. And for many new graduates, the stress of trying to pass final exams will be replaced by an even bigger worry: figuring out what to do after getting their degree. I’m not graduating yet, but I think this post-grad crisis represents a more general problem all of […]
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.