First, there’s generic advice. The kind that fills books and graduation ceremonies. It represents the advice-giver’s accumulated wisdom, but it’s not directed to an individual. Confucius shared general principles of good living, not just advice for one person. Steve Jobs spoke to the entire Stanford convocation, not just one graduate. The advantage of generic advice […]
Does Enjoyment Trump Efficiency?
I had a conversation with a friend once who complained about his lack of success with women. Yet this same person rarely did anything social, preferring to do solo activities or hang out with the same group of friends. It may seem crazy that someone can want to change an element of their life badly, […]
Unconventional Meet-up in Winnipeg and Do You Need School?
Last week I got a chance to talk with Josh Kaufman about his new book, The Personal MBA. The book challenges the assumption that you need an expensive business school education to succeed in business. Instead, he’s been working with thousands of people to make it possible to get an MBA-quality education–without the tuition costs. […]
Ruthless Focus and the Art of Saying No
Goal-setting isn’t about adding more work. It’s about ruthlessly saying no to everything else. Productivity isn’t defined by how much work you do, but the amount of work you ignore. I’m a big fan of the 30-Day Trial system for changing habits. I’ve used it to rewire my health, work and lifestyle. One of the […]
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.