Trying too hard is stigmatized in our society. People don’t like it when someone goes too far when trying to accomplish something. This is unfortunate, because going too far is exactly what you need to do. Case in point: I recently started tracking calories. No, I’m not fat. No, I don’t think I am. But […]
You Should Have More Spectacular Failures
Most advice is calibration. Eat less (because you’re inclined to overeat). Study more (because you’ll probably wait too long and cram right before the exam). Procrastinate less (because you’ll probably spend days stressing about trying to do the thing that if you just did it now, it wouldn’t be all that bad). I try to […]
Three Strategies for Behavior Change
Most of self-improvement boils down to behavior change. You want to exercise more, eat better, earn more money, learn a new language, stop worrying so much. All of it is a form of changing your behavior. Looking around, there seems to be broadly three ways of changing behavior: Bottom-up Top-down Inside-out I notice that people […]
Beware of “Magic Bullet” Thinking
I used to believe a lot of the flaws in the personal development industry came from overselling. Everyone claims you can find instant wealth, health or happiness by giving them some money. People, gullible to these messages of immediate improvement, are duped into believing their exists a “magic bullet” for all their problems. While this […]
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.