A personal survey of my last year of life. Becoming a father, learning new things (including some setbacks).
Two Types of Excellence
Is success more about being the best, or finding your own way? Nature offers a surprising analogy to how we think about excellence in our own lives.
The Value of Spare Capacity
The size of a tree depends not only on the seed, but how big is the pot you plant it in. Growth in life requires space, so why do we busy ourselves instead?
What are the Obstacles to Doing the Real Thing?
Why do we get stuck doing things that don't matter? Why does the real work provoke the most resistance. I explore reasons and remedies in this essay.
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.