People often get accused of seeing the world the way they want it to be, rather than how it is. This kind of optimism-bias, is supposedly pervasive, and it takes bold truth-tellers and skeptics to show people the light. I’m not sure I agree. It’s certainly true that we don’t see things exactly as they […]
The most important skill you can learn
What is the most valuable skill you can learn? Computer programming? Another language? Communication skills? Instead of these, and other popular answers, I’d like to suggest it’s something we don’t even teach in schools: The most important skill in life is being able to set goals and make them a reality. Ask yourself, how often […]
How Important is Growth?
There’s two common ways you can approach working on your goals and habits: The first is progressive. This is where you start off easy, but make it a little bit harder each time, until you can eventually do very difficult things, with a lot less effort. The second is consistent. Do the same thing, with […]
Games Worth Playing
The most important choice you can make in life is deciding which games you’re going to play. Life is full of games. There’s the getting-in-shape game, the climbing-the-corporate-ladder game, the saving-enough-for-retirement game and the get-married-and-have-kids game. Like all games, these all have objectives, rules and players. Sometimes the games are strictly well-defined, like the becoming-an-Olympic-athlete […]
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.