PinnedAvoidance: Why We Struggle to Face Our FearsWhen people say, “I’d rather get a root canal than look at my unpaid bills,” they are actually exhibiting a universally favorite coping mechanism in the face of fear — avoidance. (Also, they probably have never had a root canal.) Burying your head in the sand will not make you…Avoidance6 min read
PinnedThe Power Of Compounding: Why You Should Aim To Get 1% BetterIt is not often you see the words janitor and philanthropist used to describe the same person. Okay, maybe if a rich person squandered away all their money and had to work as a janitor to make ends meet. Thankfully, the story of Ronald Read is quite the contrary. It’s…Power Of Compounding9 min read
Published in Better Humans·PinnedHow Habit Tracking, Not Willpower, Kept Me Moving For 700 Days in a RowHow do we find the way when the will to do something is weak? — We’ve all grown up with the message, Where there’s a will, there’s a way. But, how do we find the way when the will to do something is weak, as it often can be? The answer is to create a “system” — a set of rules and routines that do…Habit Tracking10 min read
PinnedYou Are What You Eat: In More Ways Than You ThinkAfter religion and politics, food is probably the most contentious subject out there. The truth, though is, you are what you eat. Not just literally, but metaphorically too. We are influenced and molded by what we ingest and imbibe. …Wellness9 min read
Published in Ascent Publication·PinnedHow Habit Streaks Can Help Change Your Life For the BetterIt doesn’t require rocket science for you to form great habits. You need commitment. — I’ve experimented with various techniques over the years to build good habits. Given I’m nowhere near perfection, let’s say not all methods worked well. I’ve since then discovered the power of habit streaks. I’m a fan, and I reckon you’d be too if you saw these results. I started the…Habit Building9 min read
4 days agoAn Open Mind: Lessons from the Galileo AffairIn 1926 Scottish inventor John Logie Baird gave the first public demonstration of a live working television. In 1946, a couple of decades after Baird’s invention, Daryl Zanuck, the head of 20th Century Fox, predicted a bleak future for Television, saying, “people will soon get tired of staring at a…Open Mind9 min read
Published in Curious·May 13Should You Ask for Permission or Seek Forgiveness?I’ve seen this saying bandied about a lot: “Don’t ask for permission. Ask for forgiveness, instead.” It seems to be a culturally lit and, dare I say, a Silicon-valley-appropriate phrase (especially when there’s VC money involved.) Half-kidding! In all seriousness, though, the saying is well-intentioned and has its heart in…Ask For Permission7 min read
May 6Do Nothing: Why This Anti-Productivity Advice from 3000 Years Ago Is Still Relevant TodayIf someone told us to do nothing, most of us would jump for joy. We’d assume it as carte blanche to doomscroll on our devices or mindlessly binge-watch TV shows (even bad ones.) But, doing nothing and focusing on just one thing are two sides of the same coin. …Do Nothing8 min read
Published in Better Humans·Mar 25Can You Separate the Art From the Artist?What if the TV character you love or the singer whose music you adore turns out to be a flawed human being? Will you continue to love the show or listen to the music once you learn about the unsavory character attributes of its creator? In other words, should you…Better Humans9 min read
Mar 18Learning To Learn: What Autodidacts Can Teach Us About Self-learningWhoever came up with the expression easy as pie probably never made one. So many rules to follow when making a pie: don’t overwork the dough, keep the butter chilled, coat every part of the flour with fat, and on and on. I wouldn’t describe any of that as easy…Autodidacts8 min read
