I have a habit of self-destruction. Every several months, I burn myself out. I let too many projects overlap for a week or two, and the result is usually lost sleep and high stress. The surprising thing is, I do this intentionally. I’m a believer that if you want to know where the line is […]
Set a Higher Baseline
For the last several months, I’ve written four articles a week for this website, plus Friday Links. That’s my baseline. Although occasionally I’ll do more, I take every step possible to ensure I don’t do less. Having this baseline means I occasionally miss the super-productive weeks where I could have written seven or eight articles. […]
Don’t Pay Yourself By the Hour
One of the worst things you can do is paying yourself by the hour. Hourly wages make the accounting easier for a payroll department. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good strategy when you’re working on your own time. Unfortunately, I frequently see students, entrepreneurs and self-employed people counting hours worked instead of work accomplished. […]
Keep a Journal to Solve Tough Problems
The common idea of a journal is a slightly more masculine diary. A book where that stores what you did each day, and how you felt about it. While this method of journaling is fine, it completely ignores the real benefit of keeping a journal. That benefit is being able to solve tricky problems. I […]
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.