The technologists continue to tell us that knowledge work will be threatened by algorithms and neural networks. We who do thinking for a living used to feel safe from the threat of automation replacing us. But computer programs are becoming smarter. How do we make sure we outpace their continued growth, and retain the value… Read More »Your Three Brains and How to Use Them
One of my favorite pieces of ancient wisdom comes from the Stoic philosopher Epictetus: We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. Sure, that may not be the real reason we have two ears and one mouth, but it reveals a useful pattern that we see… Read More »How to Supercharge Your Learning and Self-Improvement: The Golden Ratio of Communication
I’ve been working in the realm of productivity and personal development for years. I have been through numerous productivity systems, software, and methods. I’ve Gotten Things Done, I’ve Eaten the Frogs, I’ve amassed way more than 43 Folders. I’ve outlined, mind-mapped, Gantt charted, and Kanban carded myself silly. And what do I have to show… Read More »The Secret Sauce of Incredible Productivity
One of my favorite parables is the story of the blind men and the elephant. It comes from the Indian subcontinent, and has been a part of basically all of the religions that came from that area. Here’s the basic gist of the story (forgive the androcentric nature of the story, as with nearly all… Read More »2 Big Obstacles to Clearer Thinking, and How to Overcome Them
One of the keys to coming up with great ideas — the kind that drive change and make a difference — is being open-minded. Being open-minded is about being receptive. It means being receptive to ideas that are odd, unfamiliar, possibly even repulsive. You welcome all, and push away none. It means being patient with oddball theories and bold… Read More »The Art and Science of Open-Mindedness
credit: Matt Palmer And, How Do You Go About Doing It? Among the most well-worn phrases in the business world is “thinking outside the box”. It is supposed to mean thinking creatively, freely, and off the beaten path. It’s the kind of thinking that — in an age of increasingly powerful algorithms and neural networks — garners significant attention. For now,… Read More »What Does “Think Outside of the Box” Mean?
Why Focus and Mindfulness are Only Half of the Formula for Productivity Over the past few years, there has been an intense emphasis on both focusing and mindfulness in productivity writing. And certainly both of those things are important. But what if I told you that focus and mindfulness are only half of the story… Read More »The Productive Power of the Wandering Mind
Working and Thinking at a Higher Level, No Matter What Your Work Is There’s a phrase that I have heard a lot in discussions about money management: “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.” It is attributed to well-known financial writer, speaker, and radio host Dave Ramsey.… Read More »Think Like No One Else
Reading books is in vogue once again. Articles abound about the reading lists and reading habits of this or that entrepreneur or self-help guru, scientist, world leader, or online personality. But not all of us have the time and/or attention to plow through as many books as the many internet authors and entrepreneurs we read… Read More »The Movement Method: How to Leverage Your Short Attention Span and Little Time to Learn More…
Spend 5 minutes reading things on social media, and you’re bound to come across an article like this: I embedded this piece here because Todd is a good writer, seems sincere, and isn’t trying to pull one over on anybody. He’s trying to help people to achieve a goal that many online writers have: to… Read More »The Problem With Going Viral
