Sometimes the boring skills in life turn out to be the most important. Case in point: the market for being really good at Excel is much larger than you think. I have a friend who does lucrative consulting work mostly on his ability to be better than you at Excel. Machine learning is trendy, but […]
How to Become More Curious
Learning is a lot easier when it’s interesting. And it’s interesting, to a large extent, because you’re curious about the subject. Yes, the carrot of career opportunity and stick of exam failures can motivate. But if you really want to learn something, nothing beats curiosity. Yet it’s boredom, not curiosity, that dominates student life. Research […]
Are You Missing This Essential Foundation for a Good Life?
Recently, I shared my list of foundational practices—the basic things everyone should do to live better. Of course, my choices are personal. Your list might differ a little from mine. Most people, however, tended to agree with my choices. Foundational practices should be obvious. If they weren’t, there would be some controversy over how useful […]
Live Chat on the Science of Motivation (and Q&A)
This week I’m going to do a live conversation discussing some of the findings in my recently published Complete Guide to Motivation. The conversation is going to be held at 2pm Pacific Time on Friday, November 20th. The presentation will be free to attend. It’s not a pitch or warm-up to any kind of product […]
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.