I was prettymuch a total loser for a long time, so trust me here. I speak from experience: It takes a hell of a lot more mental and emotional energy to be a stubborn failure, a determined victim, and an excuse spinner, than it does to do the work of…

Failure is an essential ingredient of success. That may sound counterintuitive, but it’s true. No one becomes successful without practice, and “practice” is just another way of saying, “failing deliberately, forward.” So if you want to succeed, you must be prepared to fail . . . and fail often. While…

It is never too late to be what you might have been. - George Eliot For those of us who are goal setting and achieving fanatics it may be hard to imagine how anyone could go through life without a list of goals as a map. But it’s true: most…

For your consideration I’m going to discuss what I’ve just now tentatively decided to call, The Rule Of Suck. It’s not a complicated rule. But it’s an important one nonetheless. The Rule Of Suck says . . . You must be willing to suck at some things to succeed at…

If you’re not familiar with the legend of the Gordian Knot here’s the short version: In 333BC Alexander The Great marched his armies into Gordium, the capital of Phrygia (in modern day Turkey). There he finds this big rope with a tight, intricate knot. …

The Japanese have a concept I love: Kaizen. While it can translate to “Improvement” it means much more than this. A more useful interpretation might be, “Continual Improvement,” or even the admittedly bit much, “Continual, ongoing, gradual improvement.” When it comes to achieving goals or developing new or better habits…

Willpower, Grit, Marshmallows, and Cookies We’ve all started projects or goals roaring with confidence and enthusiasm to only — a week or two later — hit a wall, peter out, and slide back into our old behaviors and habits. At the same time we also know that one of the…

I promised myself I wouldn’t go out drinking that night. I was confident I’d follow through on this commitment. After all, I wasn’t even tempted to drink. Until, suddenly, I was. Next thing I knew, I was at the bar, sitting in my favorite stool and downing the tenth pint…