We tell stories of gods, superheroes, and mortals who channeled something greater. In the Icarus Effect, Seth Godin explains the Japanese word “Kamiwaza” can roughly be translated to “godlike”, to have the traits of a god, or a superhuman feat. We read of Achilles, the greatest of the Greek warriors in the Trojan war, watched […]
Questioning social media
Measurement is an essential part of life. You don’t know how dependent you are on caffeine, takeout food, or digital apps until you measure hours and dollars. Here’s a challenge: download Moment, an app that tracks phone usage. After that, write an estimate of hours you spend daily, and your number of pickups. Then compare […]
Early jobs are essential
The act of working allows a human to serve a greater purpose than focusing on himself. You serve strangers you otherwise wouldn’t meet at a McDonalds’ cash register In our personal capacity, we mainly care for ourselves and our family, except through volunteer activities. By design, work forces us to think of the needs and […]
Why we need resistance
The same tenets stretch across much of life; the only way to grow is by struggling against resistance. This rule applies in the gym, in your mental capacity, and your career. You spend time deliberately practicing hard skills or lifting heavy weights to train your brain and body to become better. Throughout every year, humans […]
Kick your social media addiction
When’s the last time you were bored, stuck in limbo without a phone and alone with your thoughts? Even during the five minutes of time waiting in the self-checkout line or for my apartment elevator, I used to grab for my phone as a life preserver, lest I spend time “bored.” Smartphones have provided endless […]
Don’t limit your education to formal schooling
When you leave school, you step onto a journey to real mastery. School doesn’t teach the most critical skills. Most children spend most of their lives in formal education that doesn’t provide the best return on investment. “Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell”, teachers drill into young minds, and formulas to calculate a triangle’s […]
Don’t be normal
Forty years ago, the goal of society was to make kids normal. You attended school, completed extracurriculars, and attended college to build a resume. The idea was to fit in with other people so that an employer could see you seamlessly merging with their culture. You previously contributed years to an employer in the hope […]
Creativity in business
When we enter adulthood, we often throw away valuable traits. I sat near a child in an airport today who kept asking questions, exploring, and smiling. When’s the last time you saw an adult act similarly? Humans surrender traits once they enter the land of bureaucracy (adulthood), whether in a cubicle or another space, but […]
Deliberate practice
How can two people spend the same amount of time honing their craft, but one excels while the other fails? It comes down to your structure of practice. You must magnify your weaknesses and deliberately practice, even if it’s hard. Consider youth sports. Coaches usually hold drills that break the game into its simplest components […]
Career capital in your 20s
Many young people feel cheated in the job market. You may have spent four years accumulating a nauseous amount of debt but have to work multiple jobs to pay your bills. But it won’t be like that forever. Even in work that seems pointless, you’re building career capital — rare and valuable skills that will […]