Author’s Note: Over the years, I have learned a lot from the work of Cal Newport, Mel Robbins, Alex Epstein, and Jean Moroney on the topic of building positive habits. The following includes my own integration of some of their ideas. Building life-promoting habits...
For many people, being totally honest with themselves about their lack of progress toward their goals can be extremely uncomfortable. This is the opening point Patrick Buggy makes in his article “The Clarifying Power of Self-Honesty.” Self-honesty is a...
In 2014, Navy Admiral William McRaven returned to his alma mater, the University of Texas, to deliver its commencement address. McRaven trained as a Navy SEAL, and he uses stories from basic training to illustrate the lessons he shares. His speech is motivating and...
After years of books, blogs, and blowhards, I had all but given up on popular self-help advice. That was until I heard Bill Perkins, author of Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life, discuss his book in an interview. Perkins explains how...
Escape rooms are growing rapidly in popularity around the world, but most people still don’t know what they are. Put simply, an escape room is a room or building in which a group of people (typically between four and twelve) is locked and given a limited amount of...
The Stoic philosophers, including the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and the slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, lived some 2,000 years ago and didn’t have the benefit of more recent schools of philosophy, such as Ayn Rand’s Objectivism. Among other things, they...
Several years ago, while procrastinating in graduate school, I discovered a short video clip that helped me at the time—and has now helped me again. The clip, posted below, is of Ira Glass, the award-winning producer of the radio show, This American Life,...
Author’s note: The “five Ds” is an idea that’s been around for some time; here’s my take on it. I run two businesses, one of which sometimes has employees I need to oversee. I write at least ten thousand words every week, I do all the cooking in my house, and I...
With COVID lockdowns lifting throughout the country, I encourage those who are safely able to do so to seek solace in the great outdoors. Whether hiking in the mountains or lounging on the beach, the peaceful surroundings of nature can be powerful places for...