What sets those who succeed apart from others? This was the question researcher Angela Lee Duckworth set out to answer. In each situation, she asked, “Who is successful here, and why?” One characteristic stood out above all others: grit.
If you want to read more, you may stumble upon specific tips such as getting a Kindle or listening to audio books. These are shown to help, but they don’t tackle the essential issue. There’s a philosophical problem going on. You have to adopt a certain mindset.
How can you be more persuasive in your writing and speaking? Clarity is key, of course, and techniques such as storytelling and asking questions can also be useful. But one often-overlooked factor is the value of brevity
What do you think is the most important part of a presentation? World champion speaker and coach Darren LaCroix says it is “the thought process in the mind of your listener.” In other words, if your listener is not engaged, but finds himself confused or drifting at...
Knowledge is the compound interest of curiosity. —James Clear Curiosity is often associated with children; they love to explore, touch things, experiment, and ask, “Why?” They regard the world as a fascinating, exotic place, full of mysteries and wonders. This...
“Ugh, I have no motivation today.” How many times have you thought, heard, or said this? Sometimes, it might seem like motivation is a mysterious force outside your control that helps you when you’re fortunate enough to have it on your side, and hinders you when...
Do you ever find yourself feeling depressed about the state of the world? Do you ever feel scared about what might happen in the future? Perhaps about COVID-19, a potential war with China, terrorism, or climate change? Do your friends often discuss how awful things...
For years, I thought momento mori (“remember death”), a common precept in Stoic philosophy, was a cynical expression. Remembering death seemed opposed to embracing life. Why focus on the end of a process I love so much? Naively, I thought this was similar to other...
Having good self-esteem is essential to being happy with your life. How can you be happy if you don’t have a good opinion of yourself? But developing and maintaining high self-esteem isn’t easy. When I was a teenager, I allowed my self-esteem to be...