Seeing Struggles Boosts Success: Normalize Failure
The stats in this picture are not meant to discourage you. They’re meant to liberate you. Often, we only see the "survivors" (winners, successes) and ignore all the people who tried and didn't make it. This is called "survivor bias". This makes us think success is way more common than it actually is. But a secret to succeeding is normalizing failure: In 2016, researchers at Columbia University studied 400 students learning about famous scientists like Einstein, Curie, and Faraday. Group 1: Heard only about their achievements Group 2: Learned about their personal struggles Group 3: Learned about their intellectual failures After 6 weeks, Groups 2 and 3 dramatically outperformed Group 1. Why? Because knowing that brilliant people struggled made students realize: struggle isn't evidence of inadequacy. It's evidence you're trying hard enough. So, if you feel like you’re failing, remember that: The problem isn't that you're failing. The problem is you think you're the only one failing. You see: → The musician with a record deal (not their 10 years of playing empty bars) → The athlete in the NBA (not the 98.8% who didn't make it) → The artist in a gallery (not the 80% who never exhibit) → The funded startup (not the 399 rejected pitches that came before) Even wildly successful people fail constantly. Failure isn't a sign you're not good enough. It's probably a sign you're playing at the right level. --- Study cited: Lin-Siegler, X., Ahn, J. N., Chen, J., Fang, F.-F. A., & Luna-Lucero, M. (2016). Even Einstein struggled: Effects of learning about great scientists' struggles on high school students' motivation to learn science.
Focus, Not Busyness, Is the Real Competitive Edge
This isn’t productivity. It’s cognitive chaos. Here's what many of us get wrong: We confuse motion with traction. Busyness with effectiveness. Opening tabs feels productive. Responding to urgent but not important emails feels productive. But, often, it’s just distraction in disguise. In the...
Add “Yet” To Turn Limits Into Possibilities
“Yet” might just be my favourite word. Here are 3 reasons why: (1) "Yet" reframes failure as progress When you add "yet" to a statement, you’re saying that your current state is temporary and that improvement is not only possible...
AI Chat Slows Down when Browser Tab Loses Focus
Does it feel like your AI slows its response if you leave the browser tab? Is this just me?
Pitching Is a Trainable Skill, Not a Fixed Trait
Loved reading @dannyfontaine's book "Pitch: How to Captivate and Convince Any Audience". I used to be terrified of pitching. During my first book tour (for my first book, Hooked), I realized that every talk I gave about the book was...
Notice Urges, Reset with Tiny Actions to Regain Focus
How to regain focus (Hint: The trick isn’t resisting distractions.) Most people think focus is about gritting your teeth OR finding the next productivity hack. But both approaches often make things worse. Why? Hacks create a constant chase for the “perfect system,” which turns...
Train Optimism in 10 Minutes with Best‑Possible‑Self
Optimism isn't something you're born with. It's trainable. This exercise shows you how: The Best Possible Self exercise takes 10 minutes. Used by psychologists worldwide. Proven in 29+ studies with nearly 3,000 participants. Here's how it works: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 1: Set a timer for...
Ask These 10 Questions to Design a Better Month
10 questions I ask myself at the end of each month (to set up a better month ahead) 1️⃣ What did I do this month that actually mattered to me? 2️⃣ Where did my time go that I didn’t intend it to? 3️⃣ What...
Focus on What You Can Control, Reduce Stress
Many of us get stressed trying to control the uncontrollable. Here's the good news: Peace of mind doesn’t come from controlling everything. It comes from mastering the small circle of things you 𝘤𝘢𝘯 control: your beliefs, your mindset, your attention, your reactions. Your brain...
Action Beats Overthinking: Ask If It Really Matters
Overthinking = Stuck in a mental maze. Here’s how to break the cycle: Step 1: Ask yourself: Am I replaying the same thought? 👉 If no, acknowledge it without judgment. Let it drift away. 👉 If yes, ask: Can I affect...
Hypnosis Enables Awake Surgery, Redefining Pain Management
This story made me rethink everything I knew about pain and performance: 56-year-old former derivatives executive Daniel Gisler arrived at a Swiss hospital for a procedure that typically demands full sedation. Gisler refused to be sedated. His only shield against pain...
Your Age Is a Story, Not a Deadline
#1 reason stopping us from starting: Not (lack of) talent. But the story we tell ourselves. "I'm too old." "I'm too late." "I missed my window." I've heard every version of this limiting belief. And I've studied the psychology behind why we...
Weekly Reflection: 10 Questions to Shape a Better Week
10 questions I ask myself at the end of each week (to set up a better week ahead) 1️⃣ What did I do this week that actually mattered to me? 2️⃣ Where did my time go that I didn’t intend it to? 3️⃣ What...
Notice Urges, Reset Focus with Tiny Actions
How to regain focus (Hint: The trick isn’t resisting distractions.) Most people think focus is about gritting your teeth or finding the next productivity hack. But both approaches often make things worse. Why? Hacks create a constant chase for the “perfect system,” which turns...
Being Pleasant Beats Talent for Career Opportunities
One of the most overlooked career skills: Being pleasant to work with. Many people assume success comes from being the most talented person in the room. In practice, opportunities go to people others trust, respect, and enjoy collaborating with. “Pleasant to work...