If you need guilt to motivate yourself, your productivity system is broken. “Are you procrastinating?” my roommate asks me. Three exams the next day and I wasn’t studying. “No, I laugh, procrastination means I intended to do some work. I never planned on working tonight, so technically it isn’t procrastination,” I respond. This was a […]
The Serious Pursuit of Fun
Imagine that your main goal in life was to have as much fun as possible. What would your life look like? I’m asking this question because I reject the idea that the pursuit of fun, in its maximum, would result in a life of non-stop television, fast-food binging or substance abuse. Instead I’d argue that, […]
How to Find Your Productivity Achilles’ Heel
Everyone procrastinates. Heck, you might be procrastinating right now by reading this, instead of doing something that should be done. That isn’t news. What I feel is more interesting is where people procrastinate when we do. Even the most productive people have Achilles’ heels, types of tasks which they procrastinate on. Similarly, even the people […]
Sleeping Enough is More Important Than Early-Rising
I’m a fan of early-rising as a productivity tool. I would argue that most people have the strongest motivation to work in the morning or afternoon hours, so waking up earlier means you can gain productive time. There is also something psychological about waking up early. When you successfully achieve the goal of getting out […]
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.