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Don’t just talk about it, write it out
There is a lot of jargon in the business world. That’s because it’s easy to give something a name and talk about it. It’s much more difficult to give meaning to the name and define it. Writing the new definition out forces you to get clear on the specifics of what it means. It also…
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Assume sincerity
“It was so great to see you!” your colleague says. Does your colleague say that to everyone to be polite, or did they actually mean it? “I love your shirt!” a waiter tells you. They just served you the bill. Are they flattering you in the hopes of earning a higher tip? You describe a…
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Dead ends and gateways
The reward for good projects are more projects. Some people are willing to pay you for projects that you may not enjoy doing. There are two types of projects: Dead ends are projects that you don’t enjoy, and don’t lead you to an outcome you want. You can figure this out by looking at people…
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The sincerity of a blog post
It’s not very likely your blog post will go viral. There is no status, money, or recognition to gain from writing a blog. Here’s what remains: I’ve recently been reminded of how sincere and vulnerable that people who write blog posts choose to be. I find it rare even for many of my friends, many…
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Tolerance for difficult emotions
A paper from decades ago studied both elite and non-elite swimmers. The findings suggest that while both types of swimmers experience intense anxiety, elite swimmers interpreted the emotion as a part of the process—their bodies were getting ready to perform well—whereas more non-elite swimmers felt that the anxiety was debilitating. This tendency could probably apply…
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More notes on fragmented sleep
Sometimes, I wake up and I find it difficult to fall back asleep. I wrote about how I prevent and deal with this experience a few months ago, and I wanted to add a few more notes: Abstain from writing in the evening. It’s too energizing for the mind. If I find an idea, I…
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Take no ordinary moment for granted
If you travel often with your friends, you probably won’t realize that your upcoming trip with your friends will be the last one you do together. Not because of any tragedy, just because real life happens—some combination of new commitments, conflicting schedules, diverging priorities. Life is like that, for everything. Take no ordinary moment for…
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NYC by foot, ferry, or car
My wife and I live in the Financial District, downtown New York City. Earlier this year, we decided to stop riding the subway. Here’s what that has been like so far: The subway, by far, is the fastest way around the city. Getting around usually takes more money or time now—usually a lot more of…