Anne-Laure Le Cunff Most advice about consistency sounds the same: try harder, be more disciplined, push through resistance. Discipline is often seen as the difference between people who succeed and people who don’t. And if you fall off, the explanation is usually moralized: not enough willpower, lack of grit, laziness. But people don’t fail because they don’t try … Read More
This year hit me like a bulldozer. There was no amount of reading and research that could have prepared me for this level of intensity, and I want to start this annual review by saying thank you. I’m grateful to my body and brain for mostly holding up. I’m grateful I have access to spaces … Read More
I still remember an assignment where our history teacher asked us to create an ‘artifact’ about a historical figure of our choice. I chose Jesus and spent hours at the school library, asking the librarian for every book that mentioned him, and made a mini book with hand-drawn illustrations. I was completely absorbed in the … Read More
When you’ve considered what success would actually mean for your life, you can pursue it with a sense of calm clarity or consciously choose a different path entirely.
Most people think multiculturalism means passport stamps and foreign languages. But there’s a more powerful kind happening right in your head: cognitive multiculturalism: the mental flexibility and fluency you develop from experiencing different worlds.
There’s a particular kind of mental math we all do, usually without realizing it. We add up achievements, subtract failures, and calculate whether we’re worthy of respect, love, or even basic self-acceptance. The equation feels logical: land the dream job = valuable person. Write the perfect book = deserve happiness. Get 500 likes = temporarily … Read More
In my book Tiny Experiments, I used Amelia Earhart as an example of a life lived through experimentation and adventure. Her willingness to try new things perfectly captured the spirit I wanted to encourage in readers. To my surprise, some people pushed back: “She’s a terrible example,” they effectively said. “She was just a publicity … Read More
You’ve probably said it or heard it: “I work better under pressure.” It feels true because when the deadline looms, your brain kicks into overdrive. That last-minute rush can feel productive (even thrilling!) but it’s not increased performance. It’s rushed performance to compensate for weeks of avoidance and inaction. Procrastinating then rushing to finish a … Read More
Have you ever made a decision that looked right on paper but felt wrong in your gut? Or found yourself following rules simply because that’s what you were taught, not because they align with who you are today? If so, you’ve experienced the tension between external expectations and your own internal compass. Self-authorship is the … Read More
When I write knowing someone will read it, something changes. Having readers forces me to think harder about what I’m trying to say. My arguments become sharper and my examples clearer. Yet I notice the temptation to gravitate toward topics I know will get engagement. Should I explore the philosophy of boredom or write about … Read More