How to Break Bad Habits: Lessons from Vietnam
For decades, heroin was seen as the worst drug out there -- instantly and permanently addictive, leading to a desire so insatiable that users would go to the extremes of…
How to Use Regret, Financial Anxiety and Boredom to Shift Your Identity and Build New Habits
When changing diets, people rarely say “now I only eat cabbage, eggplants, and potatoes for dinner.” Rather, we hear them proclaim what they are. “I’m vegetarian.” Or, “I’m keto,” or…
Is life a battle, test, adventure, journey, game, or stage?
When I was traveling to Costa Rica with my good friend, we had a 7-hour layover in Dallas. We were tired and decided to take a nap for a few…
Digital Minimalism
The degree to which online media and apps suck our attention was made viscerally apparent to me several months ago after I finished my 10-day silent meditation retreat. Coming back…
Do we shape technology, or does it shape us?
One side makes the argument that technology is neutral, but it’s how we use it that defines us, i.e., you can use a hammer to pound a nail, or you can use…
Compound Interest Works Well in Theory, but in Practice it’s a Different Story
The whole idea of “save each month and let your money compound over 40 years and retire a millionaire” is preached by financial advisors and media conglomerates who are selling…
A Simple Heuristic for Better Decision-Making
Here’s a powerful, yet simple heuristic you can use in decision-making that I got from Shane Parrish of Farnam Street Blog. When faced with a tough decision, choose the one where the…
How Much Meditation is Enough?
I was in Thailand a few weeks ago and signed up to do a 5 day Vipassana retreat. The place was situated on the top of a mountain overlooking the…
I Told my Boss “No”
I put in my two weeks notice. Actually, it was a 3-months notice. I had been planning to quit for some time, so I felt it was the least I…
Why Meditation is Overrated
I’ve been meditating for 3 years almost daily and had the opportunity to attend a very challenging 10 day Vipassana retreat in India. I meditated for 10 hours a day…