In his book, Stephen Covey split the seven habits of highly effective people into two categories: personal and interpersonal habits. He felt that the personal skills came first. Communicating goals with another person isn’t useful unless you have the discipline to act on those goals. Personal excellence comes first. I think this a point that […]
How to Stay Motivated in Long Projects
At some point in every long project, you’ll hit a motivational rock-bottom. A bad day, week, or month where you don’t feel like doing any work. You’ve been writing, coding and working for months and the initial enthusiasm that got you started is gone. Now you’re left staring at your computer screen blankly, as doubts […]
You’re Allowed to Be Happy and Ambitious at the Same Time
I’m writing this post in a lawn chair, sitting in the full sun and listening to the birds. I couldn’t be happier right now. I’m doing work that I love, and I get to be my own boss. I finished a leisurely 10 km run yesterday, a distance that would have had my legs aching […]
Shortcomings Create Your Opportunities
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 […]
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.