I’m in the middle of reading The Count of Monte Cristo, when I stumbled onto an interesting paragraph. The book, for those of you who aren’t aware, is about Edmond Dantes a young man who is falsely imprisoned in a dungeon for fourteen years before escaping and plotting his revenge on the men who took […]
The Key to Motivation: Forget Goals, Focus on Projects
If you want to accomplish anything, doing a lot of stuff is a good place to start. All else being equal, someone who does a lot more will end up more accomplished than a slacker. One of the things that has helped me in the “doing stuff” department is a focus on projects over goals. […]
Can You Live With the Worst Case?
A great deal of self-improvement advice is based on one principle: if the cost of failure is low, taking action and making mistakes beats doing nothing. This isn’t motivational hype, it’s common sense. If the upside is great, and the downside is minimal, why not roll the dice? Unfortunately, few people actually ask themselves what […]
You Don’t Need to Be an Expert
Don’t let a lack of expertise hold you back. It’s unfortunate, but many people believe that they need a degree and years of experience before they can start doing something important. While there are a few extreme cases this is true, for the vast majority it’s a complete lie. I started this website when I […]
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.