A recently popular subject in the self-improvement genre is focusing on your strengths. The idea is that a jack-of-all-trades is a master of none, therefore you should ignore your weaknesses and build on your strengths. If you’re good at history and bad at chemistry, the supporters argue, you should focus on becoming the best historian […]
What’s Your Exit Strategy?
It’s nearing the end of the school year. And for many new graduates, the stress of trying to pass final exams will be replaced by an even bigger worry: figuring out what to do after getting their degree. I’m not graduating yet, but I think this post-grad crisis represents a more general problem all of […]
How to Sell Your Ideas Like a Movie Producer
So you have a great idea. It’s the idea that will change the world, eliminate poverty and make you a million bucks. The only problem: when you talk about your idea, you only get blank faces looking back at you. You’ve probably been in a situation where you need to communicate an original idea. You […]
How to Speed Up Highly Creative Tasks
Writing an essay, designing an interface or coming up with an elegant solution for a software problem isn’t easy to do. Highly creative tasks can sometimes require days of thinking before the lightbulb switches on. Before that inspiration, however, it is easy to procrastinate, distract yourself or stare at your computer screen for hours. 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.