Prioritize Big Goals, Let Minor Urgencies Slip
What is the one goal, if completed, that could change everything? What is the most urgent thing right now that you feel you “must” or “should” do? Can you let the urgent “fail”—even for a day—to get to the next milestone with your potential life-changing tasks? Will “bad” things happen? Small problems will crop up, yes. A few people will complain and quickly get over it. BUT, the bigger picture items you complete will let you see these for what they are—minutiae and repairable hiccups. Let the small bad things happen and make the big good things happen.
Sleep: A Modifiable Key to Aging and Alzheimer’s
“If sleep is a missing piece in the explanatory puzzle of aging and Alzheimer’s disease, then maybe we can do something about it. Sleep is a modifiable factor.” — Dr. Matthew Walker Listen to my interview with sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker:...
Free Documentary Explores Psychedelics, Awareness, and Meditation
New and free documentary on psychedelics, awareness, and meditation, exec produced by Sam Harris. https://t.co/gwXTLJSP06
Buy Time, Not Things: Spend Money to Gain Freedom
How can I throw money at this problem? How can I “waste” money to improve the quality of my life? One of Dan Sullivan’s sayings is: “If you’ve got enough money to solve the problem, you don’t have the problem.”...
Skipping Nightly Brain Cleansing Compounds Mental Fatigue
“Night after night, if you’re not cleansing the brain, it becomes like compounding interest on a loan, that it continues to escalate time and time again, night after night. “ — Dr. Matthew Walker Listen to my interview with sleep expert Dr....
Both Pessimism and Optimism Can Lead to Inaction
“There’s no difference between a pessimist who says, ‘Oh, it’s hopeless, so don’t bother doing anything,’ and an optimist who says, ‘Don’t bother doing anything, it’s going to turn out fine anyway.’ Either way, nothing happens.” — Yvon Chouinard
Neglecting Intentions, Not Good Intentions, Leads to Harm
“The road to hell is not paved with good intentions. It is paved with lack of intention.” — Dr. Gabor Maté
Effort Matters only when Targeted and Sustainable
Not an accurate description. I originally wrote this in 2006 before I had real $ (it's in my first book, pubbed 2007), and I still stand by it. I'm not saying don't try; I'm saying try to be surgical. Effort...
Results Over Friendliness: Direct Leadership Drives Success
The first day our new Sales VP arrived at TrueSAN in 2001, he came into the all-company meeting and made an announcement in just about this many words: “I am not here to make friends. I have been hired to...
Personality Mostly Built on Anxiety and Sadness Defenses
“The largest part of what we call ‘personality’ is determined by how we’ve opted to defend ourselves against anxiety and sadness.” — Alain de Botton
Our Perception Mirrors Ourselves, Not Reality
“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” — Anaïs Nin
Fear of Failure Drives Us Toward Unhappiness
To do or not to do? To try or not to try? Most people will vote no, whether they consider themselves brave or not. Uncertainty and the prospect of failure can be very scary noises in the shadows. Most people...
Treat Life Like a Meeting: Schedule, Prioritize, Disconnect
Work is not all of life. Your co-workers shouldn’t be your only friends. Schedule life and defend it just as you would an important business meeting. Never tell yourself “I’ll just get it done this weekend.” Review Parkinson’s Law and...
Fill Your Calendar with Positives Before Negativity Returns
Remember: it’s not enough to remove the negative. That simply creates a void. Get the positive things on the calendar ASAP, lest they get crowded out by the bullshit and noise that will otherwise fill your days.
Ask “What Else Could This Mean?” To Prevent Misunderstandings
“Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if people would simply take the time to ask, ‘What else could this mean?’” ― Shannon L. Alder