Category: Expectations

• Reflecting on my failure to write a NYT bestselling book

  Over a decade ago, I attended a charity gala at The Spoke Club in Toronto. I was wearing a tailored suit, having a great time with friends, and, after a couple of glasses of bubbly, feeling celebratory. My career was off to a strong start. My articles went viral at Medium and were picked up…

  Herbert Lui

  January 12, 2026

  A Matter of Time, Contentions, Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations, Turning Stories

• When you delay a task, your mind makes it more intimidating

  Delay has a way of making a simple, ordinary, task seem more intimidating.  Your mind rationalizes: you must think the task is hard, that’s why it’s taking so long. That’s why you’re hesitating. The more time you give your mind, the more intimidating the story sounds. Maybe you’re even procrastinating, because it must be scary. …

  Herbert Lui

  January 9, 2026

  A Matter of Time, Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations

• Miracleless growth

  A good friend of mine had recently pivoted their career, from growth marketing in tech to the culinary arts. In their exploration, they’d realized they didn’t want to work as a chef or start a restaurant. Instead, they introduced their dishes through self-initiated supper clubs. They found their first customers by inviting friends and their…

  Herbert Lui

  January 6, 2026

  Creator Confidential, Expectations, Promotion, Turning Stories

• Make your dream something you can’t fail at

  Some children have dreams of winning awards; they practice their speeches in front of mirrors, speaking into their toothbrush as if it was a microphone. Tilda Swinton’s dreams were much more ordinary. Her ambitions were to live by the sea, with a garden she could grow vegetables in, somewhere in Scotland, where she was born…

  Herbert Lui

  January 5, 2026

  Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations, Life, Turning Stories

• It’s always worth spending time up front to make the process smoother

  A lumberjack once said, if his life depended on cutting down a tree in five minutes, he would spend three minutes sharpening his axe. More and more, I’ve appreciated this approach to life. Here are some ways I’ve applied it: A few days ago, I wrote about how cleaning the dishes and kitchen before I…

  Herbert Lui

  December 31, 2025

  A Matter of Time, Creativity, Expectations, Turning Stories

• When is a best effort enough?

  Japanese transportation is well-known for its precision. For example, when a train runs more than five minutes late, the railway company will issue a delay certificate for its passengers to show their employers and teachers. In other words, Japanese transportation all but guarantees results. In business-to-business deals, this type of guarantee is enforced by a…

  Herbert Lui

  December 23, 2025

  A Matter of Time, Creativity, Expectations, Turning Stories

• Participation is more important than the outcome

  Whether an outcome turns out your way in the near term—which you and I usually call, “success”—or not, isn’t that important.  Showing up to participate in the outcome is much more important. Bringing good energy, showing your expertise, and starting a working relationship before a formal engagement, is much more valuable.  Participating, and constantly improving,…

  Herbert Lui

  December 22, 2025

  Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations, Turning Stories

• The joys of blooming “late”

  For much of my 20s, I spent a lot of time feeling like I was late. I blamed my teenage self for slacking off and having fun. I blamed him, effectively, for being a teenager. I wasn’t being nice or kind.  When I was 25, I considered myself a late bloomer. I wrote to my…

  Herbert Lui

  December 21, 2025

  A Matter of Time, Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations, Turning Stories

• Thank you, Keane

  My friend Keane Tan passed away eight years ago. He was 26. Thanks for encouraging me with my writing. Thanks for showing me how open the world was, and how everyone was one cold email away. Thanks for helping me and our friends win the first year case competition. Thanks for letting me in after…

  Herbert Lui

  December 20, 2025

  A Matter of Time, Creativity, Expectations, Life

• Figure out what’s working, and do more of it

  When you start a new project, it’s useful to figure out what has worked for the team or company already. Most of this is a form of manual labor: setting meetings, asking questions, reading reports, proposing actual deliverables and completing them. It’s also a humbling exercise, to restrain the impulse to come up with answers…

  Herbert Lui

  December 16, 2025

  Contentions, Creator Confidential, Expectations, Promotion