Blog Posts
How Science Can Help You Be Happier During the Pandemic
“So, how are you doing?”
In normal times, that’s a perfectly normal question, which usually transitions into small talk and comments about how you’re busy with this and that and the other thing.
However, in this time of the coronavirus pandemic, that simple question can trigger feelings of anxiety, stress, and thoughts like, “I really really REALLY want this thing to end!” And while it’s perfectly understandable to feel this way in the face of such an enormous crisis, it sure isn’t fun or good for our health.
Want to Be Happier? Science Can Show You the Way
There’s a John Lennon quote I particularly love:
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
A Time Machine Isn’t the Best Way to Fix Your Mistakes
When I was younger, I used to have a lot of trouble dealing with regrets.
How to Create New Year’s Resolutions That Stick: Go Small and Steady
We all do it. At the start of the new year we look at our flabby belly or the junk food in the cupboard or the sadly depleted balance in our bank account and decide that this year is going to be different. This is the year we make some goals and stick to them, dammit.
How a 63-Year-Old Tool Helps Me Work Smarter
“Work smarter, not harder.”
To some, that sentence is an insightful piece of wisdom, while others consider it a tired, overused cliché. In my office we’ll sometimes toss it around when we want to tease a co-worker who tends to put in a lot of extra hours. “You stayed how late last night? Man, you gotta work smarter, not harder! Hey, put down that stapler...”
Forget Passion—Let Curiosity Be Your Guide
It’s a question that every senior in high school hears over and over, and probably about twenty times on graduation day alone: “So, what’s your passion?”
Nothing Lasts Forever
A few years ago, my uncle taught me a very valuable lesson about how change can affect your life by passing away, suddenly and unexpectedly, halfway across the world. He had been working in Seoul, South Korea, chasing down business leads and making deals, when an artery in his leg abruptly burst. Less than 24 hours later he was dead.
Breaking the Habit of Instant Gratification
When’s the last time you allowed yourself to be bored?