What do you do when you start a personal project, but you start to lose interest? Should you quit or keep going, even though it’s no longer fun? What if the project is to improve your health or career? What if your goals change and the project no longer feels relevant? Should you quit or […]
Make Plans Work on 20% Effort
I’m currently doing an experimental pilot course with Cal Newport about applying the ideas of deliberate practice to a career setting. To get better feedback, we limited the course to fifteen people. We also had the potential applicants jump through a number of hoops to eliminate the uncommitted. A $500 tuition fee, application form including […]
The Stupidity of Cutting Sleep
Last week I did a live workshop for the students in Learning on Steroids. One of the listeners asked me whether I knew a way to reduce sleep to 5-6 hours and not feel tired. No, I don’t. And you shouldn’t try. Similarly, when I was in university, I knew people who often bragged about […]
How to Increase Your Ability to Focus
This is the first day in a one-week, free, rapid-learning bootcamp. Every day, for the next seven days, I’m going to be sending a new email with a strategy you can use to learn more effectively. However, this first email is the only one I’m making publicly available on the blog. What’s more, once 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.