Work Smarter

Why I Quit Freelancing and Got a ~gasp!~ Job (plus the Week 50 roundup)

Scythe on a wall

I’m not the sharpest scythe in the shed, but sometimes my coal-dust addled brain learns a lesson or two from its mistakes experience. To wit: in 2011, I did all kinds of enterprising work to support myself outside the old 9-to-5: freelance writing, micro-affiliate sites, web design, junk peddling on ebay and craigslist, English teaching, and a couple other [...]

Week 48 Roundup: Getting Proactive, The Trouble With Bright Kids, and More

balls in motion

I was once destroyed at a nine-ball tournament by a skinny redneck kid. From this destruction, I learned a valuable lesson in being proactive.

8 Lessons in Creative Work I Learned From My Garden

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A modest harvest

This year I planted my first garden. The results are mixed, but I managed to harvest eight lessons in creative work from my experience. Read on….

After Three Months of Using a Standing Desk…

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a phone-quality photo of my standing desk setup

I realized I’m a lazy bastard who likes to sit down to write. However, the standing desk is not without its benefits. Read more

You Are Your Own Worst Enemy, But That’s a Good Thing

She

In 95% of cases, the only person stopping you from creating something amazing is you. That’s cool, though, because the Resistance is a sign you’re on the right track. This post is a roundup of three vital articles on how to manage your fear of failure, inner critic, and stage fright. Read more…

5 Simple-Yet-Powerful Tools for Defeating Resistance

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Fire on water

Resistance, like fire, manifests in diverse ways. Left unchecked, Resistance will spread, consuming much and leaving nothing but the burned-out frame of abandoned dreams. This article offers a few simple ways to counter this vile foe. Read more…

Lessons From 2 Failed Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Attempts

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In both 2004 and 2005, I attempted and failed to complete two northbound thru-hikes on the Appalachian Trail. Why did I fail and what did I learn? Read on to find out…

Small Wins for Big Gains

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Ship in dock

Is your project stuck? Are you working on something but feel like there’s no end in sight? Maybe it’s time to reframe the way you look at wins. Read more…

6 Reasons Why Behavior Change is Hard…And How to Make it Easier

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Flaming Trumpet

Why is behavior change so hard? In this post, I’ll attempt to answer this question and more. Read more…

Information is Overrated

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You can know everything and do nothing. On its own, information has little value. However, you can make good use of your time and create value from information by doing something with it. Read more…

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