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personal development

27 essays

1. Killing Time

   I did a media call for a journalist on the subject of “time management” recently. When I heard the topic, I was worried: one, I don’t think I’m that great at

2. The Good Job

   I visited a large company to give a talk about non-conformity and adventure. From all appearances, it was a well-run company doing good things.

3. (Never) Save It for Later

   Here’s a simple, powerful tip for blogging, creating, storytelling, or whatever your art form may be: Always share the best work you currently have.

4. How To Fall Down and Get Back Up Again

   This is a lesson on how to look absolutely ridiculous in front of a crowd of strangers, and how to recover as gracefully as possible.

5. Beware of Potential

   I’ve known a lot of artists, writers, and musicians. Without fail, they all had some degree of talent and skill. There is no shortage of talent in the world.

6. Lifestyle Design and Your Ideal World

   Warning: this will be a long post! There are no funny pictures of cats, comic strips, or post-election opinions in this one.

7. Glory Days

   I sat in the back of the room as the keynote speaker talked about his experience as a war veteran.

8. Welcome to the Real World

   Something’s been bothering me lately, and judging from what I know about the people who read these articles each week, I bet it’s bothered some of you before

9. Notes on a Full Life, Live from CX 883

   Originally posted on August 20, 2009 — Hi everyone. I’m high on life and writing in from the Cathay Pacific LAX-HKG flight.

10. Why Not Try It All?

    Just say no. Assert your boundaries. You can’t do it all. There’s a time and a place for everything, sure, but is that always the best advice?

11. The Good Student

    A while back I needed a reference letter from a professor from graduate school. I went to see the first guy I thought of, who was widely-known in the field

12. Feeling Stuck? Try This

    If you’re involved in any kind of creative work, you and inertia are probably well acquainted.

13. “I’ve Just Been So Busy Lately”

    Sorry I was rude to you the other day, someone said. I’ve just been so busy. Guess what: we’re all busy! Every one of us. It’s not a very exclusive club.

14. An Interview With Yourself

    From time to time, it’s good to have a conversation with yourself—maybe even an interview. This is how you do it.

15. Starting With What You Have

    A couple weeks ago I went to Powell’s and heard J.D. Roth talk about taking personal responsibility over your financial life.

16. What Would You Do if You Knew You Would Not Fail?

    I like thinking about hypothetical questions, and this one is a good start. Most of us have some kind of dream trapped within us that has somehow become

17. What to Do About Those People Who Sidetracked Your Life

    This article doesn’t have much to do with travel hacking or unconventional work. And in fact, it will only apply to a minority of the people who read it.

18. Human Behavior, Compliance, and Identity

    In thinking through how to make some changes in my business, I’ve been thinking about identity in general.

19. Your Goals Are Too Small

    1) I want you to think about something. Maybe you’re like me: coasting along, doing okay, not lacking for anything material. You have a good life.

20. Giving the “A” Grade for the Person You’ll Become

    I’m flying to Tokyo for the weekend, which I’d say is a long story but it’s actually a short one.

21. I Have a Book! (And I Need Some Help)

    The day before leaving on my final international trip of the year, the FedEx guy showed up at my door. Unfortunately, he did not have a package with my passport from Washington, D.C., which led to my

22. “I’ve Just Been So Busy Lately”

    Sorry I was rude to you the other day , someone said. I’ve just been so busy . Guess what: we’re all busy! Every one of us. It’s not a very exclusive club. And here’s another r

23. 2009 Annual Review: Overview and Outline

    This is the first in a series of five articles about my Annual Review . Every year since 2005 I’ve set aside an entire week in December to look back on the previous year and set goals for the ne

24. Expanding the Pie

    It’s time for a confession: lately I’ve been stuck in a mindset of scarcity. Instead of focusing on abundance, I’ve been thinking about petty things. Naturally, I don’t like this, but I’m not sure how

25. 16 Great Books to Change the World

    I did a book list for Flashlight Worthy recently, all about my choices for books related to Unconventional Living. You can see the original list here , but in this post I’ll expand it a bit to f

26. Writing and Speaking for Introverts

    Greetings, fellow introverts. (Is that not you? Then you can safely skip this post.

27. How to Conduct Your Own Annual Review

    Every year since 2005, I’ve spent the better part of a week in late December planning my life for the next year.