“Focus on your strengths,” is now standard advice. Along with “be yourself” and “follow your passions”, it is one of those snippets of wisdom we rarely question. Unfortunately, it’s also wrong in enough cases to be worth questioning. A better question to ask would be: when should you focus on your strengths? If you understand […]
Staying in School Forever
There’s no point to staying in school forever, but there are times when a longer learning period will benefit your personal learning and growth.
Subscription Popups: Your Thoughts?
My design team and I have been experimenting with an in-window subscription pop-up for ScottHYoung.com. This is where an in-window display (like the image above) asks if you’d like to join a free newsletter. They have been increasingly popular on the blogosphere, arguably because they work well–they turn casual visitors into subscribers. I was reluctant […]
Routine is the Enemy of Good
Success in life is largely a matter of being good at things. Being good at things is largely a matter of pushing yourself to the edge of your incompetence. Your strength improves most by lifting the weight you can barely lift, and that principle applies well beyond fitness. What amazes me isn’t that this system […]
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.