Success is easy… Pick one goal that really excites you. Decide that you will succeed at that goal – no matter what. Work towards achieving that goal every single day. …But, failure is hard. Failure requires you to carefully waste all of your mental and emotional energy in very specific ways. So, here are the […]
Personal Development
Sometimes the Best Goal is No Goal
Long-term goals are powerful. They give your life direction. They act like a magnet to pull your thoughts, actions and habits towards a better future… while shutting out all the distractions along the way. And, ideally, they provide you with the motivation and drive you need to really dig down and access all of your […]
Losers ask “Why?” – Winners ask “How?”
“Why did I fail?” That question is useless at best, and life-destroying at its worst. When we ask “why?” we’re looking for excuses for why things happened the way they did. We’re not seeking new information, or solutions, or practical knowledge that we can use to improve our lives. We’re just digging into our memories […]
What’s the point? (A message to millennials)
I’m getting a lot of replies to yesterday’s newsletter from people who feel… lost. Mostly millennials. And the main question they have is “what’s the point?” They’re slogging through their daily routines… working a job… getting an education… …doing everything they’ve been told to do. But they feel disconnected and directionless. So I’m taking a […]
Screaming and Swearing at People on the Road
I was driving into town to do some grocery shopping yesterday when a old, beat up Honda Civic came speeding past me in the passing lane. The driver had to slam on his breaks and swerve back into my lane, right in front of me, to avoid oncoming traffic. I could see him screaming at […]
The Weirdest Reason We Procrastinate
There’s lots of reasons to procrastinate. Usually, the pain of doing the task seems to outweigh the benefits. So you just don’t feel like doing it, because our natural motivation is to move towards pleasure and away from pain. But there’s another reason that people procrastinate. And it’s really quite ridiculous when you think about […]
The Cure to Indecisiveness: Just Get Moving!
Deciding to take one course of action means cutting off all other courses. This leads to a fear of commitment in a lot of us. Especially for big decisions. A lot of people email me asking for advice on where to start. They have so many things they’d like to do with their lives, but […]
The Cons of “Pros and Cons” Decision Making
Overthinking important decisions in your personal life almost always leads to the wrong choice. It’s odd, but despite the fact that gathering all the information and thinking out all of the possibilities should, in theory, provide the best decision, the happiest and most content people tend to be the ones who make quick decisions based […]
How To Stay Excited About Your Goals
The biggest problem with using excitement for motivation is that it wears off fast. New goals bring a flood of excitement. And new plans provide a surge of emotional energy to get you moving. But once that initial excitement wears off, you’re left adrift with nothing to move you forward but your own initiative. Without […]
Sticking to New Habits: Focus on the Payoff
Sticking to a new habit can feel like you’re punishing yourself… Or it can feel like you’re setting yourself free… All depending on how you choose to look at it. A few years ago, when I decided to start going to the gym, it was tempting to talk myself out of it. After all, it […]