A common misunderstanding is to confuse an effective strategy with a merely effortful one. Effective strategies are usually effortful. It’s rare that something is both effective and effortless. If you’re doing the real thing, it’s going to require some work. But the real thing done slowly and patiently is still the real thing. A fake […]

Our podcast has now reached 100 episodes! To mark the occasion, I recorded a conversation with my good friend, Cal Newport, author of the bestsellers Deep Work, Digital Minimalism and So Good They Can’t Ignore You. · Some of my favorite parts: 5:45 – What are the biggest misconceptions about becoming an author or academic? […]

A month ago, I started learning my wife’s native language, Macedonian. To do that, we’re only speaking Macedonian at home with each other. Here’s a brief video with subtitles sharing the progress I’ve made so far: I also recorded a longer lesson with my tutor, Jovan, to show what a typical lesson looks like for […]

In my previous essay, I argued that much of success boils down to a simple maxim: do the real thing and stop doing fake alternatives. Always start by asking yourself: “How would I do this, if doing it well were all that mattered?” Now, you might object: You don’t have enough time. You have a […]