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Personal growth happens after voluntary discomfort
More often than not, you won’t feel good before going to the gym. Maybe not even during. You’ll feel good after. Nobody’s forcing you to go, so it’s up to you. The popular saying goes, “The hardest part is putting the shoes on.” Personal growth works the same way. It takes place only after voluntary…
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How to walk more
If you want to live longer, one good way to start is to walk several thousand steps a day. (10,000 steps is the gold standard, though not scientific—the number was the result of a marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer.) It’s not difficult to walk several thousand steps every day living in a city. In…
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What is your relationship with your craft?
A contemplative exercise: If writing was a person, what would it be like? What would your relationship with it be like? For example, are you in a relationship with writing only because you hope it will bring you success and wealth? Is writing more like a friend, a spouse, or an acquaintance? Or is it…
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A more resilient confidence
When you put your confidence in external events—such as results or outcomes—you are also setting it up to be shaken by disturbances, setbacks, and rejections. While it might feel more exciting—high highs, low lows—this type of confidence is less resilient. One minute, your stock is up and you feel like you can take over the…
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The 12-year-old author
One of my favorite authors, Gordon Korman, started his writing career when he was 12. I recently found out how. He found a publisher’s address on the back of one of their books. He mailed his manuscript to them, and it was accepted. He didn’t have an agent. The book was published when Gordon was…
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Make your place interesting
If you want to do interesting things in your town or city, you’ll need to do homework. You might be signing up for local newsletters, checking out event calendars, or just walking around and observing. If there isn’t anything that’s interesting, your homework will be to start an event. There will always be people looking…
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New Material on Creative Odyssey
When I meet my friend Hamza to record our podcast, New Material, I’m usually sitting at a desk with a podcast mic. A few months ago, Hamza and I joined Emil Drud at his podcast, Creative Odyssey. (I’d mentioned this episode here, and previously joined Emil here!) It was a beautiful day outside, so I…