This 110 year-old book taught me more in 90 pages than many of the newest big books on the market — I love stumbling upon a hidden gem of a book. One that I’ve never heard of, but someone well-respected speaks highly of it. I was listening to an interview with the great Brian Tracy, when I heard him mention a book in passing as one of his all-time favorites on…

It turns out that the ancient Greeks knew some secrets that we’re still struggling to learn — During the height of Ancient Greece’s influence, one could go to Delphi and visit the renowned Temple of Apollo. It was one of a series of temples built around 550 BCE. Unfortunately, it was destroyed under the influence of Roman emperor Theodosius I around 390 CE. In one of the…

How we unintentionally limit ourselves and the next generation — and the paradigm shift that can fix that — One of our favorite things to ask children is what they want to be when they grow up. In most cases we ask the question with the best of intent. We want to encourage children to dream, and I think we also kind of want to live vicariously through them…

Why the changes we try to make usually don’t stick, and what we need to do to see sustained progress — There’s this monologue I love from the show Breaking Bad. It’s about half-measures. You can read the whole thing here (warning: it’s a bit profane and grizzly). The gist of the speech is that the speaker, Mike, used to a cop. He and his partner would regularly be called to…

How we simultaneously underestimate and overestimate ourselves, and how to avoid both — Is there any more overused cliché than “less is more”? I guess that’s kind of ironic, given the spirit of the saying. But I digress. There’s an application for the aphorism that I don’t think gets enough attention. It has to do with achieving goals and managing tasks. When it…

An exercise in critical thinking, to help you wade through the sea of communication — The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning. - Mark Twain We humans have a special tool called language. And we do all kinds of cool things with it. We use it…

I don’t tend to get excited about Hollywood folklore. But there’s one particular story I really love because it contains an unexpected pearl of wisdom, wrapped in a paradoxical sentence. It sounds contradictory, and like it can’t possibly be true. And yet it reveals something about human nature that’s worth…

Building a habit of structured reflection and planning to maximize your effectiveness — “Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.” - Andrew Jackson There is an important line that separates when to think and when to act. But it’s not easy to see-especially in the practice of daily life. On one hand, you don’t…

When it feels like all you have time for is putting out fires, that’s when it’s most important to step back and reflect — There’s an old Zen parable that highlights the importance of spending your time wisely. A man goes to a Zen master and says “I need help. I’m stressed, I’m overwhelmed, my mind races all the time, and it all feels like it’s all too much. What can I do?” The…