Ever wonder how certain people you admire end up at the top of their fields? Over many years and despite all kinds of setbacks, some folks manage not just to weather the storm, but actually come out far ahead. They handle a world clouded by fear, uncertainty, and doubt with elegance. You can look back… Continue…
Category Archives: Psychology
The Best Negotiators Never Win
Here’s an idea: The best negotiators in the world never actually get the very best deal. Well, I suppose that may depend on how you… Continue…
Life Is A Game Of Inches: Lessons From A 5-Year-Old Soccer Player
I was five years old when my parents put me in the youth soccer league in the small town I grew up in. I don’t think I had any idea what was going on, but I did enjoy the idea of kicking a ball around a field. Once I was old enough to realize there… Continue…
Decades Of Research Uncover How World Travel Makes You Smarter
When I decided to become self-employed four years ago, I thought I was climbing the biggest mountain of my life. Then, I went to Tanzania (to climb a real mountain, no less) and learned everyone there is an entrepreneur because there is no other choice. Now, when I feel like I’m struggling to solve a difficult… Continue…
How The 24-Hour News Cycle Is Killing Your Creativity (And What To Do About It)
I rarely watch the news, but I found myself clicking over to my local outlet the other day to see what was going on. The top story? A stabbing death just a few blocks from my place. I immediately felt uneasy. What’s going on in my neighborhood? Is this happening everywhere? I did a Google… Continue…
This Harvard Study Can Predict When You’ll Make Bad Decisions (And When You’ll Make Good Ones)
A few years ago, I was on the hunt for some new financial investments, and doing a lot of research. After giving it some thought, I decided to buy some individual stocks. Which specific stocks doesn’t really matter because buying them now would not be a wise bet, but for transparency’s sake, they were: Cato… Continue…
Research Shows Building This Trait Will Help You Outperform Natural Genius
In 6th grade, my family got its first computer. In 7th grade, I started taking it apart to see how it worked. I’d asked my parents if I could upgrade the RAM—the computer was slower than I wanted it to be—and the answer was an unequivocal “no.” It was an expensive machine and I wasn’t… Continue…
False Positive: Life Transformation via Self-Trickery
I just finished a book by Brian Greene, The Hidden Reality—a fascinating read about the current work of physicists and mathematicians exploring string theory, trying to prove that the world is, in fact, part of a multi-verse with many galaxies, planets, and stars just like ours. They’re testing every possible hunch they can in order… Continue…
You Got Sharked: A Street Hustler’s Guide To Building An Audience For Your Idea
Whenever I’m in San Franscisco, I like to wander The Embarcadero—it’s one of the best places in town for people watching. This trip didn’t disappoint, and we ran into a street hustler playing the shell game—a ball is placed under one of three identical looking shells before they’re quickly rearranged while you try to keep track… Continue…
Never Lose Again: This Investor Tactic Will Make You A Better Risk-Taker For Life
When you commit yourself to something—a project, relationship, a new job, etc.—how do you protect yourself if everything goes wrong? You want to invest yourself, but you don’t always want to bet the farm right off the bat. Several years ago, I did a dating experiment where I went on about 40 dates with nearly 20… Continue…