2021

09 Jul – Setting Work Boundaries

02 Jul – Experimentalism: An Alternative to Perfectionism

25 Jun – Giving Ourselves Credit

18 Jun – It's Not My Fault

11 Jun – On the Importance of Volunteering

04 Jun – A Conversation With Our Inner Critic

28 May – You Waste Years By Not Being Able to Waste Hours

21 May – On Managing Time Debt

14 May – The Break is Part of the Work

07 May – Get the First Try Out of the Way

30 Apr – Make the Work Easier

23 Apr – How to Reduce Friction on Big Projects

16 Apr – The Great Thing About Decisions

09 Apr – To Work Better, Stop Working

02 Apr – The Urgent Can Wait

26 Mar – The Shakespeare of Board Books

19 Mar – Don't Sweat the Coffee: On Ignoring the Trivial

12 Mar – Signing Up Future You

05 Mar – Don't Waste Meetings

26 Feb – Conditions for Starting Our Work

19 Feb – Choose Your Hobbies Carefully

12 Feb – Is Your Daily Plan Realistic?

05 Feb – Be a Student of Your Own Past Behavior

29 Jan – Feedback: A Simple Tool to Create Change

22 Jan – Can the Important Force Out the Trivial?

15 Jan – Approaching a Crisis Like a Professional

08 Jan – What to Do When You Don’t Feel Like Working

01 Jan – This Year, Make Good Behaviors Easier

2020

25 Dec – What Do We Learn from 2020?

18 Dec – Think Days: Investing in Your Future

11 Dec – Working Like a Freelancer

04 Dec – Emotional Reasoning: Feelings Aren't Facts

27 Nov – Every Night, a Little Thanksgiving

20 Nov – To Create, Start with Low Standards

13 Nov – The Right Way to Say No

06 Nov – What Leadership is Really About

30 Oct – On Self-Compassionate Productivity

23 Oct – During Hard Times, Focus on Others

16 Oct – Separating Productivity from Self-Worth

09 Oct – Don't Try to Get Through the Day

02 Oct – Make It Easy For People to Help You

25 Sep – Turning an Unproductive Day Around

18 Sep – The Benefits of a Professional Reading List

11 Sep – Work With What You’ve Got: Training Yourself to Work Hard

04 Sep – Two Benefits of Living More Intentionally

28 Aug – What Productivity Is Really About

21 Aug – Career Advice: Don’t Cut Your Own Path

14 Aug – For a Good Life, Knowledge Isn't Enough

07 Aug – Busy? Step Into Your Practice Pod

31 Jul – Introducing Crimely: Or, The Downside of Too Much News

24 Jul – What Musicians Know

17 Jul – Do the Next Right Thing

10 Jul – A Different Kind of Perfect

03 Jul – The First Step to Solving Big Problems

26 Jun – Trust Your Systems: How to Not Sleep Through Your Alarm

19 Jun – Taking Failure Seriously (But Not Too Seriously)

12 Jun – On Fixed-Schedule Productivity

05 Jun – Assuming Good Faith

29 May – Always Do More than You Get Paid For

22 May – Documentation: Being Nice to Future You

15 May – Give Yourself a Pep Talk: Andy Grove on Leadership

08 May – An Easy Way to Improve Your Understanding of Human Behavior

01 May – Want to Learn About Yourself? Start a Garden.

24 Apr – What to Do When You Have a Lot to Do

17 Apr – Should You Use Social Media During a Pandemic?

10 Apr – Reclaim Your Free Time with Active Leisure

03 Apr – Your Daily Routine Is Gone. You Need to Replace It.

27 Mar – Everything Counts for More

20 Mar – Change, Crises, and Clarity

13 Mar – Coronavirus: A Clear-Eyed Approach

06 Mar – To Do Your Best Work, Let Things Pile Up

28 Feb – Feelings vs. Information: What People Remember

21 Feb – Being Successful vs. Being Useful

14 Feb – Avoiding Error Chains

07 Feb – Two Simple, Timeless Productivity Tips

31 Jan – Bad Is Stronger Than Good, So Save Your Thank-You Notes

24 Jan – How I Started Drinking Enough Water (With No Effort)

17 Jan – Make It Easy to Say Yes

10 Jan – Is This Good for Me? Cleaning Up Our Mental Diet

03 Jan – 6 Short Questions for a New Decade

2019

27 Dec – Addition By Subtraction: Planning For a Calmer Year

20 Dec – A Brief Argument for Reviving Your Reading Habit

13 Dec – 3 Principles for Writing Better Emails

06 Dec – Taking Better Breaks from Work

29 Nov – Productivity Tip: Getting Up to Speed on Big Projects

22 Nov – Never Miss Twice: A Middle Path to Building Good Habits

15 Nov – The Trap of Endless Optimization

08 Nov – On Intentional Communication: Don’t Pick Up the Rope

01 Nov – On Personal Change without Change

25 Oct – For Better Performance and an Easier Start, Try a Ritual

18 Oct – Daily Planning's Biggest Payoff

11 Oct – The Space Between Stimulus and Response: On Observing Our Emotions

04 Oct – Paying the Price of Success

27 Sep – Lash Yourself to the Mast: On Sidestepping Self-Discipline

20 Sep – On Practicing at Work

13 Sep – On Change

06 Sep – The Discipline to Close the Door

30 Aug – Keeping a "Things to Remember About Myself" List

23 Aug – Project-Centered Journaling: A Tool for Getting Unstuck

16 Aug – To Change Behavior, Get Specific

09 Aug – When You’re Ultra-Busy, Choose What to Neglect

02 Aug – Three Alternatives to Willpower

26 Jul – Why You Need a Game Plan

19 Jul – Choosing How Much We Care

12 Jul – The Story of Disneyland’s Trash Cans

05 Jul – A Bad Plan Beats No Plan

28 Jun – Imperfect Consistency and the Real Test

21 Jun – On Being a Mood-Changer

14 Jun – The Smartest Career Move You Can Make

07 Jun – Using Public Deadlines to Fight Procrastination

31 May – On Resistance to Organizational Change

24 May – When to Abandon Efficiency for Effectiveness

17 May – How to Spot a Bad Self-Help Book

10 May – Don’t Forget to Celebrate

03 May – Why It's Okay Not to Have an Opinion

26 Apr – On the Importance of Think Days

19 Apr – Strengths and Weaknesses: Two Sides of the Same Coin

12 Apr – Put On Your Own Mask First

05 Apr – Busy and Exhausted: No Points for Either One

29 Mar – On Accepting the World As It Is

22 Mar – “Reading the Books” vs. Talent

15 Mar – Leadership Tip: The Golden Rule of Change Management

08 Mar – Processing Email: How to Tame Your Inbox

01 Mar – Lowering the Barrier to Working on Long-Term Projects

22 Feb – Trying to Do More of What Matters? Let Excel Help.

15 Feb – Next-Level Daily Planning: When to Schedule Different Kinds of Work

08 Feb – The Pros and Cons of Quitting Social Media

01 Feb – What to Do When Your Schedule Falls Apart

25 Jan – How to Skim a Book, and Why You Should

18 Jan – Three Reasons to Make More Checklists

11 Jan – The Four Basic Components of a Good Productivity System

04 Jan – Two Tips for Improved New Year's Resolutions

2018

28 Dec – A Tip for Managing New Holiday Gifts

21 Dec – How to Use Counterfactual Thinking to Your Advantage

14 Dec – Productivity Tip: Schedule Your Free Time

07 Dec – What George R.R. Martin Can Teach Us About Tool Selection

30 Nov – Hardship and Perseverance: Lessons from an Astronaut

23 Nov – 3 Ways to Begin a Daily Gratitude Practice

16 Nov – What "Math People" Know

09 Nov – My Niece's TEDx Talk

06 Nov – I Hope You Vote Today

02 Nov – Good Tools are Worth the Money

26 Oct – Improving Our Chances for Personal Change

19 Oct – How to Make Your Goals More Motivating

12 Oct – Here's How to Remember Important Conversations

05 Oct – An Ode to Taking Action

28 Sep – How I Lobotomized My Smartphone (And Why You Should, Too)

21 Sep – Peter Drucker on Time: Our Most Important Resource

14 Sep – What to Read Next? Out with the New, In with the Old.

07 Sep – Time Blocking: A Brilliant Time Management Tool

31 Aug – How to Rescue a Half-Wasted Day

24 Aug – To-Do Lists and Goals

21 Aug – On Avoiding Becoming Jaded

17 Aug – Hacking Your To-Do List: Verbs Only

14 Aug – It Will All Get Done: Two Tips for Surviving a Busy Period

10 Aug – Update Your Headshot

07 Aug – Use It or Lose It

03 Aug – Getting a New Project Organized

31 Jul – On Weird Productivity Tactics

27 Jul – Cheating Others Out of Our Best Work

24 Jul – Respect Creativity

20 Jul – Einstellung and the Internet

17 Jul – Decide When and Where

13 Jul – High-Altitude Productivity

10 Jul – All Twelve Keys

06 Jul – When Is a Jerk a Jerk?

03 Jul – Notice What's Working

29 Jun – Pull the Weeds While They’re Small

26 Jun – How to Plan Your Week

22 Jun – What’s the Best Way? It’s Simple.

19 Jun – Confronting a Good Book That’s Got a Little Crazy In It

15 Jun – A Simple Tip to Improve Your Eating Habits

12 Jun – Changing a Behavior? Start With Your Environment.

08 Jun – Can Self-Compassion Improve Productivity?

05 Jun – We’re Poor Judges of Our Own Behavior

01 Jun – The Time Will Pass Anyway: Evaluating Long-Term Goals

29 May – Tweak Your Work Environment to Increase Productivity

25 May – Astronaut Jim Lovell on Workplace Problems

22 May – Effective Living: Leave It Better Than You Found It

18 May – No Time for a Think Week? Take Think Days Instead.

15 May – Are You Sure It’s Plugged In?

11 May – Upcoming Experiment: The Think Week

08 May – Four Blogs Not to Miss

04 May – Attention Management and Project Planning: Doing the Work Up Front

01 May – We Could All Use a Little Coaching

27 Apr – Getting Good at What You’re Bad At

24 Apr – Life is a Steak: a Metaphor for Understanding Work

20 Apr – Haggling? Ackerman Bargaining Is the Formula You’ve Been Looking For

17 Apr – Costly Signals: How We Prove We Mean Business

13 Apr – How to Read . . . Less? When to Put a Book Down

10 Apr – How to Make Your Life Worse in 5 Steps

06 Apr – The Value of Easy Changes

03 Apr – Yelling At the Mechanic

30 Mar – Case Study: Email Etiquette and Varying Worldviews

27 Mar – Purge Your To-Do List: Letting Go of Old Tasks

23 Mar – On Old-School Information Gathering: Less Googling, More Talking

20 Mar – The Peak–End Rule: Get Down to Business While Remaining Friendly

16 Mar – Pop-Tarts and Restraint Bias: How Much Self-Control Can We Count On?

13 Mar – How to Keep Your Work Email From Eating Your Morning

09 Mar – Need to Get Something Done? Use Your Calendar, Not Your To-Do List

06 Mar – The Stockdale Paradox: Faith and Discipline

02 Mar – Principles of Adult Behavior: 25 Ideas for Living with Dignity

27 Feb – When In Doubt, Cut Something Out

23 Feb – Pain Points: How to Make Yourself More Valuable at Work

20 Feb – What to Do When You’re Not Feeling Up to It

16 Feb – Two Notes on Taking College Classes In Your 30s

13 Feb – To Make Better Decisions, Learn Big Ideas From Other Disciplines

09 Feb – Why I’ve (Mostly) Quit GTD

06 Feb – Minimalism: How Much Stuff Should We Own?

01 Feb – A Way to Make Recurring, Difficult Tasks Easier

30 Jan – Meriwether Lewis and the Value of Clarity

26 Jan – Learning to Embrace Befuddlement

23 Jan – To Argue More Productively, Ask This Question

19 Jan – Why You Should (Usually) Take Notes By Hand

16 Jan – Cognitive Biases: Weeding Our Mental Garden

12 Jan – How Interleaving Improves Learning

09 Jan – Break the Golden Rule: Improving Work Relationships

05 Jan – Time Management and Big Important Projects

02 Jan – Re-reading Is Ineffective. Do This Instead.

2017

12 Dec – The Surprising Usefulness of the Personal Project Post-Mortem

05 Dec – The Case for Simple Digital Tools

31 Oct – How to Read More Books: 8 Tips

20 Oct – What Is Stoicism, and How Can It Make Your Life Better?

10 Oct – The Problem with Minimalism

29 Sep – 3 Tips for Dealing with Vague Long-Term Work Projects

26 Sep – How Habits Work (and How to Change Bad Ones for Good)

22 Sep – An Ancient Technique for Weathering Life’s Storms

19 Sep – Cafes, Notebooks, and Understanding How Creative Work is Done

15 Sep – Rules for Daily Living: Writing Yours Down

12 Sep – How to Keep Email from Running Your Workday

08 Sep – 7 Questions to Ask Before You Give Up

05 Sep – The Common Denominator of Success

01 Sep – The Culture of Your Workplace (and Why It Matters)

29 Aug – How to Make Unpleasant Tasks a Little Easier

25 Aug – An App to Help You Use Your Phone Less

22 Aug – Two Kinds of Criticism, and What to Do With Each

18 Aug – How to Defeat Distraction While In the Zone

15 Aug – A Simple Way to Grab Some Time for Yourself

11 Aug – 3 Books You Should Read Immediately

08 Aug – Crazy Busy? Remember This.

04 Aug – 6 Ways to Become More Resilient

01 Aug – Anticipating Difficulty: What's in Your Emotional Toolbox?

28 Jul – The Daily Post-It Note: A Dead-Easy Way to Get the Right Things Done

25 Jul – Want to Make a Big Change? Think Small.

21 Jul – The Gap: What Stops Most People From Doing Creative Work

18 Jul – How to Manage Multiple Projects Without Going Crazy

14 Jul – 4 Reasons You Should Start Keeping a Journal

11 Jul – How to Schedule Your Entire Day Without Feeling Trapped

07 Jul – My Snickers Problem: When to Compromise With Yourself

04 Jul – Too Busy? Try Letting Small Bad Things Happen.

30 Jun – How to Use a Simple Google Form to Track Your Behavior

27 Jun – You Are the Average of the 5 People You Spend the Most Time With

23 Jun – Static Friction: Why Getting Started Is So Hard

20 Jun – How We Paid Off $48,000 of Student Loan Debt in Two Years

16 Jun – From Subway to MacArthur Genius Grant: A Case Study in Perseverance

13 Jun – Fitness: The Other Four Kinds

09 Jun – All Work Is Group Work

06 Jun – Why Time Management is Like Dental Floss

02 Jun – In Praise of the Humble Thank-You Note

30 May – Rickets of the Mind

26 May – The Productivity Equation

23 May – Setting Some Ground Rules

19 May – A Simple System for Managing Paper

16 May – How to Get Some Good Out of a Bad Day

12 May – Take the Lane: When Safe Feels Dangerous (and Dangerous Feels Safe)

09 May – 3 Unconventional Tips for Becoming More Confident

05 May – 5 Ways to Keep Politics in Perspective

02 May – How to Keep Fear from Making Decisions for You

28 Apr – 7 Time Management Tips You Can Implement Right Now

25 Apr – How to Successfully Juggle a Million Different Interests

21 Apr – Struggling to Achieve Your Goals? Try This.

18 Apr – 6 Tips for Resolving Workplace Conflicts

14 Apr – The Simple Genius of Planning Your Day the Night Before

11 Apr – 2017 Reader Survey: Help Me Be Useful to You!

07 Apr – At Work, Look to Give (Not to Receive)

04 Apr – Let Go of What You Can’t Control (That Includes Your Past Mistakes)

31 Mar – You Already Know What to Do, and That’s Half the Battle

28 Mar – The Chasm Between Planning and Doing

24 Mar – It’s the Set of the Sail, Not the Direction of the Wind

21 Mar – Is Your Life Unbalanced Lately? Don’t Worry About It. Here’s Why.

17 Mar – The Secret to Doing Hard Things Daily

14 Mar – 5 Common Mistakes Highly Productive People Make

10 Mar – Defeat Imposter Syndrome: 4 Tips for Overcoming Self-Doubt

07 Mar – The To-Don’t List: A Tool for Staying Focused

03 Mar – What a Baby Pooping in Your Lap Can Teach You

28 Feb – 6 Ways to Break Out of a Productivity Funk

24 Feb – 24 Hours. No Exceptions.

21 Feb – Pay Attention Carefully

17 Feb – Taking Off from the Infinite Runway

14 Feb – We Are All Hypocrites

10 Feb – The Upgraded Bookmark: 30 Seconds to Easier Reading

07 Feb – 5 Tips for Starting a Creative Habit and Sharing Your Work

03 Feb – All Mistakes Are Not Created Equal

31 Jan – How to Harness the Incredible Benefits of Long-Term Thinking

27 Jan – Three Reasons We Give In to Short-Term Thinking (and Why It’s Bad)

24 Jan – My 2016 Jimmy John’s Bill (or, How Short-Term Thinking Can Ruin Your Life)

20 Jan – Does Failure Encourage Compassion for Others?

17 Jan – Become Happier by Making Room in Your Life

13 Jan – What Do We Really Want at Work?

10 Jan – 6 Easy Wins for Increasing Productivity

06 Jan – The Problem with Lucky Breaks

03 Jan – Our New Baby Girl (and 3 Ways to Avoid Catastrophizing)

2016

30 Dec – You Can’t Rush The Important Stuff

27 Dec – A New Year's Resolution: Doing Less, Better

23 Dec – What a Year of Daily Trumpet Practice Taught Me

20 Dec – Big Projects: Building a House vs. Learning to Drive

16 Dec – Predictions for Fatherhood (Part II)

13 Dec – In 3 Weeks, I’ll Be a Dad. Here’s What I Predict for Fatherhood. (Part I)

09 Dec – Home Improvement vs. Self-Improvement

06 Dec – What to Do When You’re Unmotivated

02 Dec – Do You Need a Plan?

29 Nov – Does Your Job Fit in a Manual?

25 Nov – How to Be Grateful (When You Don't Feel Grateful)

22 Nov – Perfectionist? Here’s the Price You’re Paying (and How to Pay Less)

18 Nov – Useful Things: November 2016

15 Nov – Consider Writing a Failure Résumé

11 Nov – How to Help Others: Share Your Failures

08 Nov – A Five-Minute Exercise to Lower Stress and Clarify Thinking

04 Nov – What Makes a Good Day?

01 Nov – Hanlon’s Razor and Compassion for Others

28 Oct – The Four-Year Plan

25 Oct – Useful Things: October 2016

21 Oct – Life Is Not a Zero-Sum Game, So Give Generously

18 Oct – Availability Heuristics and Dealing with Bad Days

14 Oct – Inspiration Is for Amateurs: How to Do Great Creative Work

11 Oct – 2 Questions to Ask Before You Turn Your Hobby Into Your Career

07 Oct – How to Deal with Uncertainty (When You Hate Uncertainty)

04 Oct – Task Importance and the To-Do List Trap

30 Sep – Anything Worth Doing is Uncomfortable at First

27 Sep – The Philosophy Major and the Business Major

23 Sep – 14 Questions about Leadership

20 Sep – What Does the Audience Want?

16 Sep – How Professionals Think About Equipment

13 Sep – Why You Shouldn’t Avoid Discomfort

09 Sep – Exposure Therapy and Your Work

06 Sep – 11 Ways to Avoid Improvement

02 Sep – Great Leaders Expect Complexity, Not Simplicity

30 Aug – You Don’t Get Credibility First. You Get Credibility Last.

26 Aug – Balancing High Expectations with Reality

23 Aug – Feeling Ready Isn’t a Useful Measurement

19 Aug – Increase Your Creativity With Constraints, Part II

16 Aug – Increase Your Creativity With Constraints, Part I

12 Aug – Don't Look at the Roadkill

09 Aug – Productivity Tip: Use Small Chunks of Time

05 Aug – How to Improve Your Concentration With Zero Effort

02 Aug – Why Increasing Your Productivity Is Often Disappointing

29 Jul – 90 Minutes of Focused Work

26 Jul – Problems with Personal Development, Part II

22 Jul – Problems with Personal Development, Part I

19 Jul – The Hedonic Treadmill and How to Live More Effectively

15 Jul – Corporations Are People. What If They Were Good People?

12 Jul – How to Fix the Problem of Too Many Choices

08 Jul – What is Raising the Stakes, and How Can It Turn You Into a Productivity Monster?

05 Jul – Your Comfort Zone and Safety Zone

01 Jul – How to Focus: 6 Productivity Tips

28 Jun – Learn From the Experts: 2 Big Reasons to Ask For Help

24 Jun – Default Answer: Yes or No?

21 Jun – Make Opportunities Fit You

17 Jun – Ask Boldly

14 Jun – 3 Steps to Living an Intentional Life

10 Jun – Detail-Oriented Is Overrated

07 Jun – Gratitude Check-Up: Four Questions to Ask Yourself

03 Jun – Can You Say Yes When Your Life is Full?

31 May – How to Take a Habit Inventory

27 May – Garrison Keillor's Memorial Day Sonnet

24 May – Where to Find Good Ideas

20 May – What Would This Look Like If It Were Easy?

17 May – In Praise of Structure

13 May – Please Remember Rule Number 6

10 May – How to Read More and Waste Less Time

06 May – Is Self-Improvement Selfish?

03 May – What to Do When It’s Not Ready

29 Apr – Don’t Think. Just Start.

26 Apr – When to Argue With Someone

22 Apr – Writing Your Symphony Tomorrow

19 Apr – How Do You Relax?

15 Apr – How to Become a Happy Taxpayer

12 Apr – Think Like a Freelancer

08 Apr – Be Nice to Future You

05 Apr – Done Is Better Than Perfect

01 Apr – Books That Changed My Life, Part II

29 Mar – Books That Changed My Life, Part I

25 Mar – Expect the Expected

22 Mar – How Hindsight Bias Steals Our Credit

18 Mar – How Your Personal Philosophy Controls Your Life

15 Mar – What’s an Inspiration Portfolio, and Why Do You Need One?

11 Mar – How to Roast Your Own Coffee

08 Mar – 3 Reasons to Roast Your Own Coffee

04 Mar – When the Honeymoon is Over: Keeping It Going

01 Mar – A Simple Formula for Problem-Solving

26 Feb – Do The Most Important Thing First

23 Feb – The Power of Gratitude: Some Things I'm Grateful For

19 Feb – Success Is Boring, and That’s Exciting: Why Habits Are Crucial

16 Feb – You Are Self-Employed

12 Feb – The Magic of a Morning Routine

09 Feb – You Need to Create: Why Making Art Is for Everyone

05 Feb – The Power of On Purpose

02 Feb – The Basics of Getting Things Done, Part III

29 Jan – The Basics of Getting Things Done, Part II

26 Jan – The Basics of Getting Things Done, Part I

23 Jan – What Do We Owe Musicians?

20 Jan – 3 Reasons to Start Reading More

08 Jan – Failure is Good. So Are You Failing Enough?

03 Jan – Three Reasons You Should Try to Improve: An Argument for Personal Development

2015

28 Dec – What is Personal Development, and Why Should You Care?