As someone who suffers from time anxiety—the constant fear that it’s too late to learn something new, to start a new project, to change direction—I often push myself to be as productive as humanly possible. Our society has been built on productivity principles. However, since the turn of the century, many entrepreneurs, researchers, and managers … Read More
Many people manage their tasks using a to-do list. Everything they need need to work on at some point ends up on that list, and they measure their productivity by looking at the number of tasks completed in a certain amount of time. While I’m a big fan of checklists—which have a clear objective—I don’t … Read More
More than 80% of Americans want to write a book at some point in their lives. If you’ve ever tried to write the first draft of a book, you likely fall between one of two categories: planner or pantser. Planners outline their novel before writing it. Pantsers “fly by the seat of their pants”—they let … Read More
Have you ever felt like you should do something because everyone is doing it? Do you follow certain rules which were taught to you as a kid, just out of principle, or maybe out of habit? Are there behaviours you consider acceptable based on what the society you live in has defined? Alongside growth mindset … Read More
I was having coffee with a friend today, and he told me how he made sure to celebrate his micro-wins. Celebrating victories is obviously not a new concept, but we tend to focus on the finish line and our biggest achievements. We rarely take the time to stop and appreciate the small, daily victories. Micro-wins … Read More
In the UK, the Ten Minute Rule allows a backbench member of parliament—one that is neither part of the government nor the opposition—to make their case for a new bill in a speech lasting up to ten minutes. After the ten minutes have passed, another MP may speak for a further ten minutes to oppose … Read More
A system without a goal is like a marathon without a finish line. But a system with a bad goal will result in a bad outcome. Traditional goal-setting methods use the SMART framework. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. Sounds great for small, short-term goals, but not so much for ambitious, long-term … Read More
Very few decision-making frameworks are as simple and powerful as the Eisenhower matrix. Dwight Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States and had an incredibly productive life. Amongst many accomplishments, he served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II, launched programmes such as DARPA and NASA, … Read More
Getting ready is fun. Doing research, learning new things, feeling excited about the journey ahead. But whether you’re planning on writing a book, launching a product, or building an exercise routine, getting ready can become a distraction: there is a very fine line between preparation and procrastination. Yes, getting ready is comfortable. But most successful … Read More
There are only two months left in 2019. Many makers are starting to reflect on their progress so far, step back, and plan for the rest of the year. The most common way is to reflect is to compare their achievements to the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the year. The … Read More