You don’t expect these — Ralph Waldo Emerson said this about gratitude: “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” It’s so easy to get caught up…

Try something, get results, keep going — A big goal often demands a big change. Want to.. Get fit? Quit junk food, exercise consistently, and get enough sleep Build a fulfilling career that pays well? You’ll likely need to become the best in your niche or change industries. Create a personal / professional network? Put yourself out…

“The world has not yet learned the riches of frugality.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero was one of ancient Rome’s most well-known philosophers, writers, and statesmen. But he showed how even privileged people can practice frugality. Despite being born into wealth and not having to worry about money during his entire lifetime, Cicero was a frugal person. During his governorship of the…

Understanding how we perform best is the key to getting more done in less time — In the 90s, a Ph.D candidate conducted the now famous “cookie bowl” experiment: In a room with a two-way mirror, a group of undergraduates faced two bowls. One bowl contained cookies, the other had radishes. The researchers lied to the subjects, telling them that the test was supposed to check…

What if you only had 3 more years to live? — How would you change your life today if I told you that in 3 years, you would die? That’s a good thought experiment if you want to live your life with intention. 3 years is enough to take your time to make a change so you don’t have to go…

And how to fix that — Sometimes you look at other people’s success and secretly think, “Why is that person living a dream life and I’m stuck where I am for years?” We realize that we have opportunities. We can get better jobs, start a business, improve our health. But somehow, we can’t make it happen. …

Money, emotions, life—everything is connected — “Have we ever made an emotional decision?” Warren Buffett asked his long-time business partner and friend, Charlie Munger, at the 2023 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder’s meeting. Being emotional with money is common with most people, after all. Munger, as dry as he always is, answered without thinking: “NO.” Buffett said…

Set goals, create systems, and stay flexible — Don’t set goals, create systems. This is a popular idea amongst people who share advice online. I’ve written about it too. The idea is that you’re more consistent if you rely on a set of daily actions/habits that you execute without much thought instead of working towards goals. I recently…

Skills make you valuable. And value brings money. This is where being highly skilled in certain fields gives you an advantage. Seth Godin illustrates this well in his book, The Dip: “A woodpecker can tap twenty times on a thousand trees and get nowhere, but stay busy. Or he can…