We all want things to just be normal again. But in this year-that-will-not-end, life has felt like some sort of gypsy curse. A quantum superposition of malaise. The spring was all of us just standing around slack-jawed, wondering what the universe had planned as a third act for this prank show…
ould you see a glass as half empty or half full? If you want to live a better life, and you care what research has to say, there's a clear answer to this question: half full. Scientific research has come up with a long list of benefits to being optimistic. Here are just a few: Optimism is associated with better health and a longer life. Research has shown that practicing optimism and gratitude causes (not just correlates with) an increase in happiness. The army teaches soldiers to be optimistic because it makes…
ll too often, productivity tips are a dime a dozen. Some even conflict with each other. What we need is a system. What schedule do the pros use? What system does science say allows us to be most productive? What's key is feeling in control and making sure your energy levels…
s, this guy knows the secret to happiness. You've probably already seen the following video. It got about 7 gazillion views and for good reason -- it's very funny. It also sums up what the research says is the most powerful (and easy) way to become happier. Louis CK? Scientific research? Jokes about rotary phones? Huh? Buckle in, I'll explain. "Everything is amazing right now and nobody's happy." Louis CK says that, then he drives it home with this…
bsp; Dan Pink points to an interesting new research finding -- the happiest people are those that are very busy but don't feel rushed: Who among us are the most happy? Newly published research suggests it is those fortunate folks who have little or no excess time, and yet seldom feel rushed. This really clicks with me. I love blogging but I hate being under time pressure to get it done. I’ve posted before about how we’re happier when we’re busy. Jeremy Dean…
'm recording one second of every day of my life for the rest of my life... So if I live to see 80 years of age I'm going to have a 5-hour video that encapsulates 50 years of my life... This has really invigorated me day to day when I wake up to try and do something interesting with my day." - Cesar Kuriyama More videos I found inspiring are here and here. Join 25K+ readers. Get a free weekly…
bsp; There's a very good article in the New York Times about "positive procrastination." Yes, that's right, procrastination that's a good thing. They talk to Dr. John Perry, author of The Art of Procrastination, who explains a good method for leveraging your laziness: Dr. Perry was a typical self-hating procrastinator until it occurred to him in 1995 that he wasn’t entirely lazy. When he put off grading papers, he didn’t just sit around idly; he would sharpen pencils or work…
a little bit of awe what you need to be a better person? Is your calendar the secret to happiness? What makes for a meaningful life? These are some of the things I talked about with my friend Jennifer. She's a professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and has published fascinating papers on happiness, meaning, money and how we spend our time. Her book is The Dragonfly Effect. Subscribers to my free weekly newsletter get access to extended interviews. Join here. The big big…
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