Activity without purpose is wasted motion. The most active animal in the barnyard is the chicken with its head cut off. Movement isn't always a sign of life. Likewise, busy is not the same as …
Atomic Essays
My 2020 annual review
This past weekend, I did my first-ever annual review. I'd like to share two things with you from my experience. It's 100% worth doing. Honest. I had a lot of fun with this. My 2020 annual …
Document, don’t create
This is one of Gary Vaynerchuk's ethos for building a personal brand online. Most people are crippled by the thought of creating original content. They're paralyzed by the idea of filming something …
Storytellers get rewarded
Years ago, a group of researchers visited one of the last hunter-gatherer societies on Earth. They wanted to know what occupation was most highly valued amongst members of the tribe. To their …
The unoriginal creative
[A] man can no more be completely original [...] than a tree can grow out of air.George Bernard Shaw There's a theory in science called "multiple discovery" which postulates that most important …
Notes better than Google
As a writer, my notes are integral to my creative process. They constitute a bank of ideas and inspiration that I withdraw from repeatedly. Over time, my network of digital notes has grown to be …
The luxury trap
For tens of thousands of years ancient humans lived as hunter-gatherers. They owned few possessions and traveled across vast distances in step with the migration patterns of the beasts they hunted. It …
Streaks
Streaks are their own reward. When you commit to something every day, you find satisfaction—independent from the activity itself—just in keeping the streak alive. In this way, streaks are a …
I don’t have time for that
"I don't have time for that" is a comforting lie. But here's the inconvenient truth: Time is irrelevant. Your priorities dictate what you choose to do and what you decide to ignore. …
Cut the slack
I spent many hours of my undergraduate studies in the East Hall atrium. Located in the heart of the math department, the high glass ceiling and long wooden tables made it the ideal place to meet up …