Essays

When putting the cart before the horse is a good thing

Even minor moments can reflect major truths worth examining.

Thank you, Rachel, for being a one-of-a-kind mother-in-law.

‍In the joy of others lies our own. — Pramukh Swami Maharaj

He had a tough decision to make.

I've always admired the effortlessness of the expert pianist.

Is it even possible to change someone's mind?

Create more empty space for creative thinking.

Yes, setting goals is necessary to know where we're headed. But I think it's even more important to design systems.

The desire for independence is innate.

It can be tempting to overexplain.

A reminder to express the gratitude you already have inside you.

It's not easy, but I try to avoid multitasking.

The only real mistake is the one you make twice, and the only real failure is the failure to try.

If that feeling of overwhelm starts to manifest, it's effective to replace it with The Process.

The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own.

When they're left unresolved, problems tend to grow over time.

There are more possible decisions in a chess game than there are atoms in the observable universe.

We share the same vocabulary but not always the same dictionary.

A curious reminder of antifragile leadership

I believe skills come before passion—not the other way around.

The inability to listen prevents us from acquiring information.

This is the key to success.

Conventional wisdom says to work smarter, not harder. But I think it's terrible advice.

Rather than doing more to be productive, you can identify what to eliminate to work smarter.

Anxiety and excitement are similar chemical responses in the brain.

I've been training to seek out those first 10 minutes.

What's your level of certainty?

Written communication needs to be engaging to hold the reader's attention and inspire or persuade them.

Without trust, there is no room for leadership.

Trying to get to Yes too soon can put people on the defensive.

Trust is eroded when someone says they want to talk for only "a few mins" yet the conversation takes much longer.

Negative visualization is a powerful mental model.

People spend too much time on trivial issues, myself included.

Patience can help clarify our thinking. Clear thinking leads to better outcomes.

Just don't let them control you.

Whatever you're striving for, don't break the chain!

The parable of two kids in a tree.

Think of Roam as "Excel for Thought," a kind of programming language for your mind.

People tend to be more receptive to what you say or request when a reason is provided.

At first, discipline may feel constricting and controlling.

There's a simple solution to mitigate the negative effect that open tasks have on our minds.

Taking a shortcut can lead you down a winding road of unexpected deters.

Keep this simple technique in mind next time you're explaining something. It can help bridge together your viewpoint and the perspective of your audience.

To avoid triggering this negative, defensive emotion in other people, try asking WHY less, and ask WHAT and HOW more.

Being aware of creative avoidance is one way to ward off procrastination.

Things may seem critically important in the moment, but not everything is worth paying attention to immediately.

Have you ever wished a brainstorming session would flow better and be more productive?

To keep life simple, be aware of The Diderot Effect, The Luxury Trap, and The Snowball Effect.

How can questions help overcome communication issues commonly caused by ambiguity and preconceptions?

After the corn fields blossomed for 10 years straight, blight came as an unexpected change.

Be creative by putting in the work to connect ideas from multiple sources.

In war, leadership is critical. One of my favorite books is by two retired Navy SEALs, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, who share leadership lessons learned during the Iraq War and draw parallels with the business world.

When all else fails, a breathing exercise saves the night.

I know you want to be the best version of yourself. If you don't succeed, I know you'll learn from it, practice, improve, and win again.

Avoid distractions to minimize the costly, negative effect that task switching has on the brain.

When all else fails, a breathing exercise saves the night.

Email overload is a challenge, but we can mitigate it by doing more work up front when sending a message.

A mindset where you see how individual parts, including ideas and decisions, connect and affect each other.

Focusing intently on a single task is how you leverage your brain power to be creative and productive.

Every year I create an overview of the best books I read. Here's 2018.

A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.

A blind woman pauses at the curb and listens for the rumbling of combustion engines.

My cellphone steals my attention.

I'd put a USB drive in a bottle.

A few years ago I went on a diet.

There is an old Zen story where a boulder in the road blocked carts from entering a city.

Of utmost importance, leaders must take responsibility for the mission, the people on their team, and the performance of the team.

Emotional intelligence is a valuable set of skills.

Emotional intelligence is a valuable set of skills.

This is one of my favorite books from one of my favorite authors, Ryan Holiday. Reading The Obstacle is the Way has had a profound effect on my life and my professional career.

No blood. They were okay.

We made eye contact, but neither of us smiled.

Write ideas down. Once your ideas are out of your head, you can flesh them out and create something good.