November 2021

We all join various groups at various times in our work and our life. When we do, the experience is often fraught with a measure of uncertainty, anxiety, dread, or discomfort. These feelings impair our normal ability to function at our usual level of productivity. They will also interfere with the ordinary human processes of […]

Ambition is good. Without it, most of us would sit around doing whatever’s easy, and thinking no farther ahead than our next meal. But with enough ambition, we are usually able to improve our lives and the lives of others, conceive and execute truly remarkable tasks, projects, and goals, and generally make the world a

It doesn’t matter whether you’re retired or still working, you still have to get through every day and face tomorrow. The simple fact is this: if those days feel good to you, you’ll have a better life than if they don’t. Fortunately, behavioral scientists have gained an in-depth understanding of what makes us feel good

If you sat down to write an opera right now, that would be a daunting task. But if you dedicated five minutes a day to writing a few notes of an opera, the goal would be far less intimidating, and eventually you would complete it. That’s the beauty and power of “Five-Minute Tasks.” Five-Minute Tasks

It can be a harsh world, and sometimes the path forward is not an easy one. That’s one big reason we generally seek allies, and try to work well with others. Unfortunately, even the best alliances can break down, prove powerless, or become unavailable when we need them. In such times, there’s often no choice

I’ve written several times about the importance of working well with others. But this is the first time I’m focusing on how much you can, and should, expect to learn from the various people you meet. Since increasing your knowledge base is a critical element in expanding your level of productivity and success, I’m happy

There’s no question that skills, talents, and experiences are critically important to productivity and success. It’s equally true that resilience and determination are key ingredients separating top performers from the crowd. But there’s another part to the story: None of this matters very much if you lack personal, professional, and career direction. Simply put, direction

A lot of people offer advice about setting realistic goals, and I confess there’s a great deal of appeal to that strategy. After all, setting unrealistic goals self-evidently seems like an invitation to frustration and failure. But there’s another approach to goal-setting that has a unique kind of merit. It’s this: “If your goals don’t

In a crude and simple way, people can be divided into two groups: those who mostly believe their skills, talents, and abilities are largely maxed out, and those who believe they still have room for growth. This is important because having a fixed mindset severely limits your ability to learn new things and improve your