Sometimes I find myself having to push hard on a project that seems like it would benefit everyone, but it doesn’t happen. My hard work goes nowhere. I’ve learned that if I have to push hard on something I think people would like, I’m probably looking at it ineffectively. Usually, I realize I’m trying to get people to see things my way when there are other ways of looking at[…] Keep reading →

Today’s exercise builds on the one in my post, “An exercise in knowing your beliefs; so you can change them,” so please do that one first. It’s easier for most people, more general, and develops skills that you can use for this post’s exercise. Still, you can do this on its own if you want. It also looks similar to, but is subtly different from, the recent exercise, “An exercise[…] Keep reading →

Today’s exercise builds on the one in my post, “An exercise in knowing your beliefs; so you can change them,” so please do that one first. It’s easier for most people, more general, and develops skills that you can use for this post’s exercise. Still, you can do this on its own if you want. It also looks similar to, but is subtly different from, yesterday’s exercise, “An exercise to[…] Keep reading →

Today’s exercise builds on the one in my post, “An exercise in knowing your beliefs; so you can change them,” so please do that one first. It’s easier for most people, more general, and develops skills that you can use for this post’s exercise. Still, you can do this on its own if you want. It’s similar: It only takes a few minutes a day It costs nothing You don’t[…] Keep reading →

All my habit and SIDCHA talk leads to talking to a lot of people about starting and keeping habits. I’ve seen that nearly everyone who keeps a solo habit long-term started the habit with something simple that they can keep going without trying too hard. People who bike to work keep up their biking habit longer than people who bike separately because they have to go to work anyway. People[…] Keep reading →

I visited a site designed to help people start new habits called lift.do. You would choose one of the many habits from their list and they’d support you with instruction, pairing you with other people starting the same habit, sending you graphs of your progress, and things like that. A lot of hand-holding. I get their intention, but I find it counterproductive. I think it’s effective at getting people to[…] Keep reading →

Since I work on motivation, I’ve read a ton of diet and exercise books. They generally try to fill you up with information. While filling your head with information doesn’t necessarily hurt your fitness efforts, it won’t likely help either. And any book claiming any latest and greatest methods can’t get over that countless people before that book created fit, healthy bodies for themselves. Information doesn’t make you fit. Behavior,[…] Keep reading →

This Saturday, August 23, 10am-5pm, I’ll lead a seminar with General Assembly on leadership in New York City. Register here, you’ll be glad you did. This is the seminar that led to this testimonial: Josh, you may be interested to know I took out an Associate who will be working on my team and used your technique. She teared up, saying, no one ever asked her these questions and she[…] Keep reading →

You have too many tasks to do to keep track of and running out of time. What do you do? I hope you’ve developed a strategy not to lose your composure. Many people do. Here is my strategy. I don’t claim it’s the best strategy, but it keeps me calm and lets me finish things. I hope it works for you. First, I list my tasks. The tasks are never[…] Keep reading →