Slumps suck. You don’t feel motivated to work. You don’t enjoy your time off. Worse, sometimes your slump turns into a habit, and feeling drained for a few days becomes a few months. This week, I found myself in a slump. A few small setbacks and a disruption of my routine dragged me down. Temporary […]
How to Watch Television Effectively
Over the last several years, I’ve experimented with different levels of television usage. I’ve found that the most common television watching behaviors are suboptimal. Even if you love television and could never think of giving it up, there are better ways to watch TV that waste less time. Considering I’ve put different levels of usage […]
Taoism and the Art of Productivity
The best ideas come from unusual sources. And some of the best productivity ideas I’ve come across lately come from a now-dead, 2500 year-old Chinese philosopher. Lao-Tzu, founder of Taoism may not be remembered for lifehacking, but with a few modifications, some of his ideas will help you get things done. Central to the Taoist […]
The Effort Threshold
Last week, I wrote about how a major cause of failure is simple: not working hard enough. If you’re only spending 30 minutes per week at the gym, your specific exercise plan doesn’t really matter. You aren’t reaching the minimum effort threshold needed for success. The idea that all goals have a minimum effort threshold […]
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.