You’re making a huge mistake. — There was once a businessman sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village. As he sat, he saw a Brazilian fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore having caught quite a few big fish. The businessman, impressed, asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch…

When it is easier to just say yes. — I wouldn’t say I’m a people-pleaser. But when I’m not careful, I tend to agree to requests without thinking them through. I say yes even if I’m already overtaxed. That’s how I lose afternoons and weekends to doing people favors. My default assumption is that I can do anything. There’s…

Overthinkers, please listen! — I love reading about self-help, self-improvement, and productivity optimization. Most of this stuff is genuinely useful to me. It’s given me a fresh perspective on the way I get things done. When I’m stuck, these books and articles help me gain momentum. But I’ve noticed that some of the advice…

5 ways to avoid staying up too late. — You know that awful feeling when you’re still awake a few hours on the wrong side of midnight? You’re aware of all of the rational, science-based reasons why you should close your eyes and get the hell to sleep. You also know you’re going to be tired all day tomorrow. …

Optimism and pessimism are learned behaviors. — Bleak, rainy days are rare in Barcelona, but we’ve been having a string of them lately. I hate the tiny, miserable raindrops, and I especially hate bringing mud indoors. But I won’t admit to that out loud. I don’t complain about the weather conditions. …

You’re not a traditionalist, you’re just lazy, or scared. — Last week, the ex-CEO of Google shared his opinions on working from home. He’s dead-set against it, and he’s especially concerned about the fresh crop of managers who are still developing their skills. He says you can’t learn great management while you’re “sitting at home on the sofa”. It’s been…

“Learn to stand out” and other life-ruining bullshit. — I recently read one of those how-to-get-a-great-job articles for young people. It was about building a good LinkedIn profile, and it went into detail about how to make a good impression. Make sure to smile in your photo, but not too wide. Dress professionally but look approachable and friendly. “Clean…

Stop being a doormat. — I’m a friendly guy, or at least I try to be. When someone in my line of work needs advice, I’m happy to help. But I left the “doormat” lifestyle behind a long time ago. I used to be much more generous with my time and attention, and I was…

Or do we just like the excuse? — I recently sat down to watch Lawrence of Arabia. All four hours of it. I’m not the type to check my phone during movies. But this time, I read the news, I checked my Medium stats, and I even got into a little fight on Twitter. The film was gorgeous…