Who we are matters more than what we do.
I think many of us are trapped on a hamster wheel of hyperactivity.
We simply cannot stand still.
Every empty moment in line at Starbucks is a chance to catch up on emails.
Every bus ride is a time to scroll our Instagram feed or read Facebook updates.
Every second of silence begs to be filled with music, podcasts, etc.
We fill every waking moment with productivity, entertainment, and self-gratification. We are defined by constant activity.
This obsession with hyperactivity permeates every aspect of our lives and is especially evident in the way we approach our work.
Our Hyperactivity Hurts Us, But Benefits Businesses
Remarkably, we even…
Yup, Stephen King and Anne Lamott made the list, but so did several books you’ve never heard of
I started writing about three years ago. I had wanted to write for years but never had the guts to start, and the idea of hitting the “publish” button was a horrifying prospect.
Once I mounted the courage to finally start writing, I realized that I had no clue what I was doing, so I turned to the only place I knew for inspiration: writing advice books.
I’ve now read many of the top books in the field and even had the chance to publish a featured series with The Writing Cooperative highlighting advice from the best writers of all…
Here’s what I learned from the experience
There’s one school project I’ll never forget. What made it so memorable wasn’t the dozens of hours and long nights I put into the project. Or the nerve-wracking presentation I gave at the end of the term. Or even the fact that I had to fire one of my classmates from his role because he stopped showing up to meetings.
Nope, the project is cemented in my mind because two of my best friends took the business idea we had been working on for months, and they filed a patent on it, behind everyone’s backs.
It happened 10 years ago…
I wish I knew these things when I began my career
As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now, your first job will require a completely different skillset from the one you need in college.
For some of you, that will come as a pleasant surprise because you’ve never been one for pleasing crusty professors in tweed jackets. But if you’re a student like I was — obsessed with grades — you’ll realize that graduating means starting from scratch. After you walk across that (virtual) podium, your top-notch grades will be good for nothing beyond the grit you’ve hopefully acquired pursuing them.
I’ve now been working for 10 years. I’ve worked in retail…
Don’t be. Writing is like dipping a bucket into a well that gets more full with each bucketful you draw.
“One of the things that happens when you give yourself permission to start writing is that you start thinking like a writer. You start seeing everything as material.” -Anne Lamott
When I first started writing, I was deathly afraid that I would run out of things to say. I figured I probably only had a dozen or so good ideas rolling around in my head, and once those were gone, my career as a writer would be over.
Thankfully, it didn’t work out like that. I quickly realized that the more I wrote, the more I began thinking like a…
You know that colleague who doesn’t like you? You may be able to win them over with this strategy.
Have you ever gotten the feeling that someone has it out for you, but you don’t know why?
That’s happened to me a couple of times in my career. The first time happened eight years ago. One of my colleagues who was very well-liked in the department seemed to hold a vendetta against me from nearly my first week on the team.
“Kara” was smart, tenured, and quick-witted — all traits that you don’t want in an enemy.
During meetings, Kara would occasionally throw out comments like, “Do you even know what you’re doing?” or “How do you not know…
How to choose the right books, remember what you read, save money on books, and read more than you’ve ever read before
I’ve read over 700 books in the past ten years. If that doesn’t grant me nerd status, I don’t know what would.
Books are a really big deal in my life, and one of my greatest joys is helping others develop a deeper passion for reading. What I’ve found is that many people aspire to read more, but they fall short of their own goals for one reason or another: too busy, not a priority, unsure what to read, don’t get much from what they read, etc.
My goal with this article is to help you overcome those objections. If…
I’ve read 700+ books in the past 10 years. These are the ones that moved the needle in my life.
I’ve seen a lot of reading lists out there labeled “Books to Read Before You Die.” (I’ve even been working my way through my own list like that.)
Even though it’s interesting to consider which books you should read before you die, I think it’s more practical to seek out books that will tangibly improve your life while you are living it. For truly life-changing books, the earlier you read them, the longer they can positively impact your life.
This past decade, I’ve had the chance to read over 700 books. I’ve read a lot of great books during that…
I read 80 books in 2020. These were my favorites.
This year, I had the chance to read 80 books comprised of 25,723 pages. Four of those books were re-reads from past years. You can find my full read list here if you’re interested.
For the past several years, I’ve concluded the year by sharing some of my favorite reads in Q&A format, adapted from a set of questions created by the blog Perpetual Page Turner.
Here were my favorite books that I read in 2020.
ProTips
Here’s the best advice from the novelist’s writing MasterClass
Few authors can create a protagonist who is compelling enough to sell a full series of books rather than just a standalone novel. Even fewer can pull that off numerous times with different characters. David Baldacci is one of those people.
Baldacci introduced the world to characters like combat veteran John Puller, detective Amos Decker, and a motley crew of four friends known as the “Camel Club.”
He’s sold over 130 million books, and he recently recorded a MasterClass on writing. Although the MasterClass is geared toward mystery and thriller writing, Baldacci shares many tips that cross over multiple genres.
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