Productivity

In 1879, James Murray signed a contract with Oxford University Press to edit a new English-language dictionary. He estimated the work to take ten years. After five years, the first installment of Murray’s work appeared. It covered A to Ant. Murray worked in a corrugated-iron shed in his garden in Oxford. He called it the … Read more

The morning after Johnny Kelley won the 1935 Boston Marathon, he went to work, showing up at 7:30 a.m. at a greenhouse in Arlington, Massachusetts. After winning one of the most grueling footraces in the country, he had every reason in the world to sleep in. And yet.  I’ve spent a good chunk of the … Read more

If you think Artificial Intelligence is about Simpsons memes, cat soap operas, or asking ChatGPT to roleplay as a drunk, think again. AI is here, NOW, and it’s not the sloppy “I’ll guess answers and give you some half-truths” tool. With recent code releases such as Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.6 and OpenAI’s GPT-5.3-Codex, a true … Read more

Not knowing where or how to begin is the downfall of many creative pursuits.  The reason so many creative projects don’t make it past the idea stage is what most writers colloquially refer to as the “blank page syndrome.”  There are good reasons to dread the blank page. You have to make decisions on what … Read more

For years, I assumed that feeling behind was a temporary condition. That once I planned better, managed my time more efficiently, or stayed more disciplined, life would finally feel under control. It hasn’t worked out that way. What I’ve come to see instead is that the problem isn’t effort. It’s expectation—about time, about progress, and … Read more

For a few years now, I’ve published a list of the ten most impactful books I read that year. It is one of my favorite posts to write each year. I love books like I love my child. Just like how any proud parent can’t stop talking about how great their kids are, I can’t … Read more

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I now understand the meaning of this old proverb. With good intentions, I sat down to write this very post, but only managed to have a staring contest with a blank screen. It ended in a tie, since neither of us blinked for a long time. … Read more

For those, like me, who are suckers for productivity hacks, this isn’t another article about how to do more. Instead, it’s a grown-up acknowledgement of why some (most?) of the tricks and tips on how to live more efficiently haven’t always worked for me, and why, in the spirit of trying something different, I’m committing … Read more

I’ll confess — I find it cringey when I see pictures of people making a full-blown spectacle of renewing their marriage vows. I’m skeptical about the whole dog-and-pony show, the matching outfits, and the elaborate settings. If it’s just about recommitting to each other, why not do it in private? Why the hoopla? The more … Read more

Procrastination gives you something to look forward to. Joan Konner Every time I finish writing a post, I promise myself that next time I’ll get a head start. That, I’ll write the next piece in a couple of days. That, I’ll build up a solid backlog so I’m not sitting here at 8 p.m. on … Read more

In their book Art & Fear, authors David Bayles and Ted Orland use the example of the ceramics teacher to illustrate why it pays to be prolific. Here’s a paraphrased version of the story. A ceramics teacher divided his class into two groups: One group would be graded on the quantity of work (number of … Read more

I’ve always been fascinated by the daily routines of famous people. When it comes to exciting things, learning about someone’s daily habits ranks somewhere closer to seeing my favorite band live than sitting through a timeshare presentation. A glimpse into someone’s routine offers a sense of what sets them apart from the rest of us, … Read more

The all-or-nothing mindset is the equivalent of saying, ‘If I can’t win, I’m just going to take my ball and go home. Okay, so you took the advice to set SMART goals and got very specific. You commit to running 3 miles a day, 5 days a week, strength training for 20 minutes on alternate … Read more

Never skip a day unless you enjoy starting over… again… and again. For those who don’t know what it means to rewind a cassette tape with a pencil, the name Jack LaLanne may be a mystery. LaLanne, a pioneer in the fitness industry, was renowned for his unwavering commitment to daily exercise and healthy living. … Read more

Thomas Jefferson once said, “I cannot live without books.” I wholeheartedly agree—but I find more and more that I can live with many unread and unfinished ones. 2024 was a rough year for my reading habits. I found myself starting many books, only to abandon them midway, either because the story meandered or, more likely … Read more

I read a bunch of productivity tips once—and then spent the rest of the day feeling accomplished for reading them. It’s not rare to see celebrities adopt a multi-hyphen tagline (Actor-Writer-Comic-TikTok star) to describe themselves as a means of self-promotion. But believe it or not, we are all multi-hyphenates in some shape or form. We … Read more

One of the most quoted (and, if I may, cliched) references in time management and productivity is the Big Rocks, Pebbles, Sand, and Water analogy. The metaphor originates from a technique often attributed to productivity guru Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The story goes like this: A professor stands … Read more

In a world dominated by the Protestant Work Ethic, our worth is often measured by our ability to produce. This leaves us feeling inadequate when we forget that our value extends far beyond our professional accomplishments. The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. Henry David Thoreau. The Protestant Ethic … Read more

A diamond is just a lump of coal that did well under pressure. Start before you’re ready. Whether you spent weeks last year meticulously crafting New Year’s resolutions, conjured your resolution in a tipsy state on New Year’s Eve, or avoided the rigamarole altogether, it’s time to confront one truth: New Year’s Day was over … Read more