The library at Alexandria didn’t die in a single fire. That’s the version most of us carry around, the dramatic one-act tragedy: the greatest collection of ancient knowledge, consumed in a single blaze of negligence or conquest. But the historical record is murkier. The library declined over centuries, through a succession of smaller destructions, political neglect, and the slow …
There is a line often attributed to Lenin: sometimes decades pass and nothing happens, and sometimes weeks pass and decades happen. I have been thinking about this all month — not as a historical observation but as a lived experience. War arrived in my region. The portfolio drew down nearly 16% from its peak. I found myself, one evening, toggling between a missile trajectory map and a brokerage …
In the summer of 1720, an English citizen holding government debt could walk into the offices of the South Sea Company and execute a simple exchange. They would hand over an illiquid state annuity and receive an equivalent market value of South Sea Company stock in return. On the surface, it looked like a routine upgrade in personal liquidity. The citizen was trading stagnant paper for a dynamic …
On a recent flight back to my home city, I played Battleship with Hamza. Two grids, hidden boats, and you take turns calling out coordinates. B4. Miss. D7. Hit. You drop bombs blindly onto a map, hoping to strike something before your opponent strikes you. Hamza celebrated every hit with the joy only a child can muster for destruction that isn’t real. Now debris is falling on the city I have …
Jay Gatsby stood at the edge of his dock, staring across the water at a green light. He had done everything right. He had accumulated wealth through means he never disclosed. He had purchased the mansion directly across the bay from Daisy Buchanan. He had thrown parties so lavish that strangers wandered in from the streets of West Egg, hoping that one night she might wander in too. He had …
I first noticed crypto the way most people do. Prices were moving. Headlines were getting louder. Everyone seemed to have an opinion. This was 2021. Bitcoin was climbing fast. I watched. I stayed out. I told myself I was being disciplined. Skeptical. Rational. Then, sometime in 2022, as prices pushed toward what was then the all-time high around $60,000, something shifted. The hesitation that had …
“A forest fire doesn’t start because lightning exists. It starts because the forest was already full of dry brush.” —David Dredge Lightning hits the ground thousands of times a day. Most strikes disappear into dirt. But one strike hitting a stretch of accumulated branches, leaves, and tinder becomes a catastrophe. The event is the same. The outcome depends entirely on where it hits. That idea …
In 2005, Amazon puzzled most investors. Its strategy seemed to defy business logic. The company kept reinvesting its potential profits, driving down prices, and building expensive infrastructure. Wall Street analysts saw inefficiency and waste. They focused on metrics like operating margins, which remained stubbornly low. The stock price reflected this skepticism, having fallen nearly 80% from its …
I recently turned 40, and when my wife asked what I wanted for my birthday, I answered without hesitation: “A home library.” Not a trendy shelf for coffee table books, but the real thing: floor-to-ceiling shelves, rows upon rows, the kind of library that demands its own ladder. We live in a small apartment in downtown Dubai. Space is a luxury we don’t have. But my wife, never one to shrink from a …
Language shapes thought. When Jim Collins began his research for Good to Great, he explicitly told his team to avoid focusing on leadership. He was skeptical of attributing too much success to individual leaders. After all, if a company succeeds, we call its leader great; if it fails, we say they weren’t. A circular logic that teaches us nothing. But his research team pushed back. They saw …
“You need to stop defining yourself by your titles and degrees. Here, nobody cares about that. They care about who you are.” The words from my Toastmasters evaluator land with unexpected weight. Moments earlier, I had stood before the group, delivering what was supposed to be a speech about myself. Instead, I had retreated to the comfort of familiar credentials: Chartered Accountant, …
We construct stories to make sense of our lives. Sometimes these stories become prisons of our own making. Recently, what began as a simple misunderstanding over coffee evolved into days of tense silence. In isolation, I crafted an elaborate narrative where I was the wounded party. Each hour of silence became evidence supporting my version of events. The longer she went without reaching out, the …
In 1965, Warren Buffett took control of a struggling textile business called Berkshire Hathaway. On paper, the company looked modestly profitable, neat rows of depreciated machinery, tidy inventory valuations, and thin but positive earnings. The accounting numbers whispered possibility. But reality told a harsher story. But beneath these neat accounting figures lay a brutal reality. The textile …
There are few conversations that make you rethink the fundamentals of how modern finance functions—and fewer still that manage to blend bank balance sheets, behavioral risk, and the role of central banks into one compelling narrative. In this four-part conversation, Guy Spier sits down with Eric Schaanning to unpack the mechanics of banking risk through the lens of Silicon Valley Bank, the Savings …
Every Sunday morning, I’d grab the kids’ supplement from our newspaper and flip straight to the maze puzzle. Like most children, I’d start at the beginning, trying to find my way through the twisting paths to the end. My page would end up a mess of scribbled lines - false starts and dead ends marked in heavy graphite. Then one day, I tried something different. Instead of starting …
In circus traditions across Indian subcontinent, there’s a peculiar method for keeping elephants in place. When the elephants are young, trainers tie them to a stake with a heavy rope. The baby elephant pulls and struggles, but the rope is too strong. After countless attempts to break free, something remarkable happens: the elephant stops trying. Years later, even when the elephant grows …
The call from his teacher caught me off guard. My son had been bullying other kids in class. When I confronted him at home, he broke down crying. Through his tears came the explanation: “My friends told me to do it. They said they wouldn’t be friends with me if I didn’t.” Maybe he was trying to dodge responsibility. Kids often do. But those tears, that raw fear of losing …
I’ve been thinking a lot about Nassim Taleb’s story of Nero Tulips in “The Black Swan.” Here was a trader who spent most of his career looking foolish, losing small amounts on crash insurance, only to make it all back (and more) in a single market collapse. What fascinates me is how he understood something that most miss: in markets, the rare catastrophic events might …
Show me how you measure me, and I’ll show you how I behave. This fundamental truth about incentives runs through every business decision ever made. As Adam Smith observed in The Wealth of Nations, “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” Like a river, incentives shape the …
The classroom was stuffy on that Montana afternoon in 1963. A group of freshman English composition students sat at their desks, the scratch of pencils against paper the only sound breaking the silence. They’d been grading each other’s essays for weeks now, confidently marking A’s and B’s, identifying good writing from bad without a second thought. “And what is good, …
The following is a prepared speech for Project 2: “Writing a Speech with Purpose” in Toastmasters Pathways Level 1. The speech aims to share a personal story that connects with universal themes of change and acceptance. It was adapted from my original essay. Introduction “Will it stay here forever, Baba?” My five-year-old (he is currently seven at the time of this speech) …
Nassim Taleb, the author of The Black Swan and Antifragile, often illustrates the dangers of unforeseen events with a story he calls the “Turkey Problem.” A turkey lives a comfortable life for 1,000 days, fed and cared for by humans, believing that each day reaffirms its safety. On the 1,001st day, Thanksgiving arrives, and the turkey’s world changes drastically. Taleb uses this story to show how …
Couple of months after my daughter was born in 2022, my wife told me that she has had enough of me, and things looked bad. This had happened after yet another angry outburst on my part. Not only at her, but it had started with the security guard. That September evening as I sat, reflecting on where my life was heading, I wondered how I had gotten here. On the surface I had everything, I was a …
Growing up in Pakistan, cricket was my thing. It was the thread that connected me to my dad. A former army man who claimed he could have played first-class cricket had he not joined the army during the 1971 war, my dad was still an impressive player even in his late 40s. His love for the game was infectious, and I found myself captivated by every aspect of cricket. When my high school announced …
Life often seems to present us with either-or choices. Stay or go. Risk or safety. Present comfort or future security. At first glance, these are mutually exclusive. Can either have this or that? From time to time, I grapple with one of these dilemmas. I left my home in Pakistan for a place where gleaming towers rise from the desert sands. It’s a modern oasis of opportunity, offering what …
People are destined to suffer when communication from leadership is misdirected, unclear, or misunderstood. Consider a physician who left a written order for a nurse treating an earache: ‘Two drops, twice a day, r. ear.’ The nurse, reading the note, opened the medicine and then directed the patient to turn over, putting the eardrops in his rectum. The somewhat amusing anecdote is …
The Cat Inside the Box Imagine a cat is placed inside a sealed box, and inside the box, there is also a bit of radioactive material, a Geiger counter (a device that detects radiation), a hammer and a small vial of poison. If the radioactive material emits radiation, the Geiger counter detects it and activates the hammer. The hammer then strikes the vial poison, breaking it and releasing the …
A decade back, I met this girl named Sana. We hit it off right away. Things were going great. But a few months in, Sana’s like, “So, what’s the deal? Are we going somewhere with this? I’m at a point in my life where I’m ready to settle down, get married.” But me? I hadn’t really thought about it. Getting married is one of those life changing irreversible …
Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes” is a story rich in wisdom about the dangers of vanity, pride, and the fear of appearing foolish. The story revolves around an emperor who cares more about his appearance and clothing than anything else. Two swindlers arrive at the city, claiming to be weavers who can create the most magnificent clothes, with …
Life is full of decisions, from the seemingly trivial to the monumental. Each choice we make, no matter how small, contributes to the overall structure of our lives. Recently, a simple game of Jenga with my son provided an insight into this concept. As we began the game, the tower stood tall and stable, a sturdy foundation of wooden blocks. We took turns carefully selecting and removing blocks, …
Costco operates with the lowest gross margins among major US retailers but boasts the highest returns on invested capital. This impressive profitability, coupled with operating margins similar to competitors, stems from Costco’s efficient operating and business model. The late Charlie Munger, a longtime Costco board member (from 1997 to his death in 2023) used to call Costco the perfect …
There is a story of a stalemate in Uber’s corporate history. This was a time when the company underwent a substantial shareholder reshuffle, marking a turning point in its trajectory. In August 2017, Dara Khosrowshahi, former CEO of Expedia, stepped into the role of Uber’s CEO. He took the reins from Travis Kalanick, the company’s co-founder, who had resigned under intense …
In another lifetime, a younger version of myself watched as my father, a man who had devoted the best years of his life to military service, faced a calamity that would redefine our future. His dream to transition from the disciplined life of an army officer to the uncertain world of entrepreneurship led him down a path filled with risk and ambition. Ignoring cautionary advice, he ventured into …
In the 1997 film “The Devil’s Advocate,” a memorable scene unfolds around a chess game between the two main characters, Kevin Lomax (played by Keanu Reeves) and John Milton (portrayed by Al Pacino). Lomax is a talented lawyer who has never lost a case, and Milton, his mysterious boss, is later revealed to be the Devil. The chess game represents more than just a clash of wits. It …
While listening to David Senra and Patrick O’Shaughnessy’s podcasts, I am struck by a recurring term: ’life’s work.’ This concept, a frequent topic in their dialogues, led me to explore historical figures who embodied this ideal. Among them, Abul Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas Al-Zahrawi, known in the West as Albucasis, stands out. Living in the 10th century in Cordoba, …
For the past five years, I’ve been diligently investing in ETFs through dollar-cost averaging, much like I persistently try to improve my fitness levels, though with noticeably more financial sweat than physical. At the start of the year, despite getting battered through 2022 on equities, I had set a fairly ambitious dollar amount target for my investment portfolio. This goal was a part of …
In my quest to grasp the undercurrents of human behavior, I stumbled upon a realization that has altered my perspective: our actions are largely shaped by incentives, often overshadowing the black-and-white notions of right and wrong. This epiphany didn’t strike me in a moment of grand revelation; rather, it was a gradual awakening as I navigated the complexities of everyday life. My initial …
In the challenging economic landscape of post-World War II Japan, the Toyota Motor Corporation stood as a modest automotive manufacturer, grappling with inefficiencies and uncertainty – a reflection of the nation’s broader struggles. The transformational journey of Toyota began with an insightful realization by Eiji Toyoda. He envisioned a leaner, more efficient production system for Toyota, …
Cricket has always been more than just a sport to me; it’s a cherished pastime that evokes fond childhood memories of playing with my dad and younger brother in our backyard. Despite my deep affection for the game, I must admit that my skills have always been squarely average. When playing indoor matches with friends, I would often find myself contributing modestly, never quite standing out …
The story of the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, is a fascinating chapter in history that epitomizes the essence of focus and prioritization. In the early 20th century, these two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, embarked on a journey to achieve what many considered impossible - powered flight. Unlike many of their contemporaries who were also chasing this dream, the Wright brothers had limited …
In the heart of Renaissance Italy, a story unfolded that encapsulates the essence of human endeavor and the pursuit of perfection. In the early 1500s, renowned artist Michelangelo was commissioned to create a series of 12 apostles for the Cathedral of Florence. His work on the first statue, Saint Matthew, began with fervor and promise. Michelangelo, known for his meticulous attention to detail and …
The story of Cinderella, a familiar fixture on children’s bookshelves, starkly divides the world into good and evil, beauty and ugliness, the oppressed and their oppressors. Cinderella herself, portrayed as both stunningly beautiful and exceptionally kind, stands in sharp contrast to the difficult life she leads. Her character transcends mere fiction, becoming a symbol of virtue and …
In the late 1800s, Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor and industrialist, experienced a profound and unusual wake-up call. Nobel, who had amassed a fortune from his invention of dynamite, faced a unique turn of events when his brother Ludvig died in 1888. Due to a mix-up, a French newspaper mistakenly published Alfred’s obituary instead of Ludvig’s. The obituary was scathing and condemned …
In 1914, Ernest Shackleton embarked on an Antarctic expedition, a journey that soon turned into a fight for survival. His ship, Endurance, became trapped and eventually crushed by ice. Shackleton’s leadership in the face of real, life-threatening challenges was remarkable. He focused on tangible problems, like rationing food and keeping morale high, rather than succumbing to fear or despair. …
In life, our every decision—whether made with deliberate intent or left to chance—acts as a catalyst that shapes our destiny. Ted Chiang’s story, “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,” introduces us to the prism: a conduit to the varying paths unfolded by our choices. This fictional device is far more than a mere plot element; it serves as reflection of the countless trajectories our …
In the late 1990s, Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM), a hedge fund managed by a constellation of financial wizards including Nobel laureates Myron Scholes and Robert Merton, epitomized the pinnacle of financial acumen and innovation. The fund, armed with sophisticated mathematical models, promised to outsmart the market, leveraging complex strategies to yield unprecedented profits. Initially, …
In Herodotus’s “Histories” Book VIII we find the tale of Greek general Themistocles. Outnumbered and facing a formidable Persian navy at the Battle of Salamis, Themistocles didn’t rely on a grand, heroic act to claim victory. Instead, he won by carefully avoiding mistakes and luring the Persians into a well-orchestrated trap. This disciplined approach echoes down the ages, …
Not long ago, my family and I took a short vacation at a beach resort. While my wife enjoyed some spa time, my son Hamza and I decided to build a sandcastle. After about an hour, we had constructed something we were proud of. However, when Hamza asked if our creation would last forever and I explained that nature would eventually reclaim it, he threw a fit. This reaction didn’t surprise me; …
In 2008, the global financial landscape was rocked by an event that sent tremors across markets and households alike. At the epicenter of this financial earthquake was Lehman Brothers, a titan in the investment banking world that had stood for over 150 years. Its sudden fall from grace and ultimate bankruptcy was a wake-up call that reverberated through every corner of the financial universe. …
You might not have heard of Eugene Cernan, but you’ve likely heard of Neil Armstrong. Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon; Cernan was the last (to date). Armstrong’s name is immortalized, but it’s Cernan who holds an extraordinary record. He flew into space three times—each mission more challenging than the last—and his career spanned more than a decade. Armstrong’s …
In the late 1970s, a young cricketer named Allan Border was called up to the Australian national team. The team was in shambles; they were losing badly, and morale was low. Allan Border wasn’t a prodigy, but he had something just as important: consistency. He steadily improved his game, not through spectacular shots but through meticulous attention to technique and strategy. By the …
In ancient Greece, there was a man named Diogenes who lived in a barrel. While others sought wealth and status, he chose a life of simplicity and independence. One sunny day, Alexander the Great, intrigued by the philosopher, visited him. “Ask anything of me,” said the great conqueror. Diogenes looked up and replied, “Move out of my sunlight.” The point here is that …
Just a few centuries ago, life was a wild card. Your village could be invaded by armed swordsmen, and you’re enslaved by force, no questions asked. There is no recourse, no police and no law to give you protection. Picture being a woman in those times, where being taken as a war bride was a grim reality. Or consider, being forcefully “recruited” to fight in a war, stripped away …
In ancient Rome, Marcus Aurelius, was known for his wisdom, integrity, and fairness. Even when he was fighting wars or managing the empire, people respected him because he treated everyone justly and upheld his moral principles. His reputation was so powerful that it has survived for nearly two millennia, studied and revered to this day. Our reputation is like Marcus Aurelius’ legacy; …
I remember my first-time playing pool back in 2011. I was in a remote part of southern Punjab on an audit assignment. My skills were questionable, they still are, but I quickly grasped the game’s basics: use a stick to hit the white cue ball, which in turn knocks colored or striped balls into pockets. Simple, right? But it got me thinking: What really causes those balls to go into the …
We all face decisions, big and small, every day. From deciding what to eat for breakfast to contemplating career moves, choices are a constant. Yet, how often do we pause to consider what happens after we make a decision? Here’s a simple yet powerful method I use to make better choices: I ask myself, “How much can I shape the outcome after I make this choice?” Imagine standing at …
In the 18th century, Paris was a crucible of Enlightenment ideas. Among the era’s most influential thinkers was Denis Diderot, best known for his contributions to the Encyclopedia. Despite his intellectual prowess, Diderot wasn’t financially well-off—until, that is, he sold his library and found himself unexpectedly flush with cash. This newfound wealth led him to purchase a luxurious …
While you’re in the thick of your work, set your sights high. The goals you set for yourself often serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy; you’re unlikely to outperform your own expectations. So, aim high to motivate yourself to stretch your abilities and achieve your full potential. After you’ve completed the work, it’s crucial to shift your mindset. Let go of those lofty …
In the early 20th century, a German teacher and horse trainer named Wilhelm Von Osten was convinced that animals could be taught to read and perform arithmetic. While dogs and bears failed to live up to his expectations, a horse named Clever Hans captured the world’s imagination. With a 90% accuracy rate, Hans would tap his hoof to answer mathematical questions. Scientists and laypeople …
Imagine you’re chained in a dark cave, facing a bare wall, unable to turn your head. A fire crackles behind you, casting shadows of various objects that puppeteers hold up on a raised walkway between you and the fire. This is your reality, shared with other captives. You discuss the shapes of the shadows, make guesses about what they represent, and even give them names. You and your fellow …
“Please review and check your work before submitting it. Do not rely solely on your Excel formulas and make careless mistakes.” These words, direct and pointed, lingered long after I received them. I grappled with their implication. Was this feedback an indirect way of labeling me ‘stupid’? Was it an overarching critique of my capabilities or just a comment on that specific …
“Recall the fable of the crow and the pitcher? A thirsty crow discovers a pitcher with water at the bottom, but it’s too deep to reach. Ingeniously, the crow drops pebbles into the pitcher until the water level rises. This age-old tale underscores the merits of critical thinking. Yet, it begs the question: How many of us would genuinely solve a problem, and how many would resort to …
The life journey of Alister Urquhart, as depicted in “The Forgotten Highlander,” is a testament to human resilience. At the tender age of 19, Alister Urquhart was conscripted into the British Army during World War II and dispatched to Singapore. However, fate took a turn when the Japanese forces invaded, capturing him. For 750 grueling days, Urquhart labored as a slave in the jungles, …
In the early 20th century, amidst the geopolitical tensions of Central America, the corporate rivalry termed the “Banana Wars” unfolded, predominantly between the behemoth United Fruit Company and the smaller, agile Cuyamel Fruit Company, led by Sam Zemurray. Central to their contention was a 5,000-acre tract of land, both deemed invaluable. United Fruit, upon discovering that this …
A mundane drive on Sheikh Zayed Road took an unexpected turn one evening. As traffic ahead halted suddenly, I found myself stopped behind a cab, hazard lights flashing urgently. An SUV, oblivious to the change, barreled toward me at high speed. Hemmed in by moving traffic to my side, a helpless glance in the rear-view mirror was all I had before the jolting impact. This event, though alarming, …
Reflecting on my early days in public accounting in Pakistan, our audit assignments stretched from four to eight weeks. Given the readily available and affordable audit associates, our teams typically ranged from 4 to 8 members. Fast forward to my tenure at PwC in the Middle East, where the expectation shifted dramatically. Here, we aimed to complete audits in just one to two weeks, often with a …
During the British colonial period in India, Delhi faced a pressing issue: an overwhelming number of venomous cobras. To curb this threat, the British officials introduced a seemingly straightforward solution — offer a bounty for every dead cobra, aiming to mobilize the locals into reducing the snake population. But, as with many policies, there were unintended side effects. Some entrepreneurial …
Discover the power of consistent investing and the path to financial independence. In today’s fast-paced world, building wealth isn’t just about earning more; it’s about investing wisely. But how can one invest without large sums of money? And how can you ensure your hard-earned money grows over time? We’ll uncover the strategy that has helped countless individuals achieve …
Late one night, surrounded by the quiet of midnight, I was meticulously finalizing a presentation for the Board. To me, each slide was more than just a task; it served as a testament to my dedication and skill. Filled with anticipation, I sent it to my boss, hoping it would be met with the same enthusiasm with which I had crafted it. However, the break of dawn brought an unexpected turn. Rather …
If you’ve ever done someone a favor—be it a colleague, a friend, or anyone else—like lending money in a tight spot or using a connection to help them get a job, here’s a piece of advice: Don’t mention it again. Avoid bringing it up in conversations or hinting that they owe you. While your genuine assistance can strengthen your relationship, constantly referencing it can do the …
In the heart of an ethereal land, Alice, a curious adventurer from Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass,” raced alongside the Red Queen. As they ran, she was struck by an unsettling truth. Despite the fervor of their sprint, the surrounding environment remained eerily stagnant. “Now, here, you see,” remarked the Red Queen, “it takes all the running you can …
A few months ago, my five-year old son (Hamza) got into board games. We started from Uno, moved on to Snakes and Ladders, until he came across Monopoly. But given that he is too young to understand the intricacies of monopoly, I decided to give him a head start by more than doubling his starting money. This got me thinking, the game became an illustration of a question posed by the Gambler’s Ruin: …
It’s said that life, in its vast complexity, can sometimes be distilled down to fundamental principles. And to think, one of the realizations stemmed from a chemistry concept I once loathed: alloying. Alloying is, at its heart, an emergence. It’s the process by which combining distinct elements results in an outcome greater than their individual sum. During high school, I barely spared …
In 2015, my entire trading account and a significant part of my measly net worth was wiped out due to a series of misguided options trades. The lure of overnight riches had me speculating on the markets via options. This failure led me to swear off options entirely, attributing my losses to speculative and riskiness of options. However, during my CFA studies, my perspective changed. I discerned …
Imagine you’re at a carnival, enjoying the lights and sounds, when you come across a coin-toss game. The excitement is palpable. You’re told that if the coin lands on heads, you’ll double your bet, but if it lands on tails, you’ll lose everything. The 50% chance of doubling your money is a siren’s call. But as you play, you realize the trick: a single loss means …
Have you ever found yourself faced with a problem so intricate and vast that it triggers anxiety, not because you lack the capacity to solve it, but because the available data seems to render it insurmountable? This sensation frequently emerges when we attempt to reason by analogy. The practice of solving a problem by analogy involves recalling a similar situation we’ve encountered, drawing …
Have you ever found yourself trapped in a decision, unable to let go, even when you knew it wasn’t working out? This is known as the sunk cost fallacy, a cognitive bias that influences our decisions based on past losses rather than potential future gains. Understanding this phenomenon and how it plays out in our lives can be crucial in making rational decisions. Today, I’ll share a …
Every individual embarks on a unique journey through life, a voyage that can sometimes seem directionless. A personal mission statement serves as a compass for this journey, pointing consistently towards one’s true north. In this post, I will share my voyage through the depths of self-reflection, as I navigated towards creating my own personal mission statement. The Starting Point As part of …
I’ve always found solace in the written word, using it as a tool to record, reflect, and drive personal growth. To hold myself accountable to my goals, I decided to create this public journal, a space where I share my experiences and the insights gleaned along the way. Recently, I embarked on a new coaching program to break free from the inertia of my mid-level management career. …
Back from vacation and I spent the past two hours sifting through my email and clearing the inbox. I have this OCD of keeping my inbox (both personal and work) at 0 unread. The emails which are expected to take longer to go through, process / be replied to are opened in a new window (I use Outlook desktop app for all my emails) and are kept open until I have been through them. After getting to …
I’m a fan of harsh truths. Someone recently linked me to this post on harsh truths from 2012 that went mega-viral back in the day. It’s quite good, though I’d argue that several on the list are all really one single harsh truth (that you have to create something of value to be valued). The few that struck a chord (with a few thoughts from me in italics): The world only cares …
There is a concept called Character Invention that many of the most prominent executive coaches teach to their clients. The general idea is pretty simple: We all have a level of fear and imposter syndrome associated with performing certain acts. Depending on your situation, you might feel it around public speaking, performing a musical act in front of a crowd, hitting the gym hard, or being the …
Where you focus can hold you back. Focusing on the outcome makes the gap between now and the finish line seem larger than it is. Yesterday I wanted to go for a long run. That little voice in my head said “Imagine running for 90 minutes. Dude, you didn’t sleep well, and that’s a lot of effort. Let’s save our energy and check Twitter instead.” Taking the first step …
“The problem isn’t that you’re too busy. You are too busy, but that’s not the problem. If you view being busy as the problem, there is no solution. You will always be too busy, and that will never change. As Andy Grove once noted: “A manager’s work is never done. There is always more to be done, more that should be done, always more than can be done.” The …
IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad on simplicity: “There have to be rules to enable a lot of people to function together in a community or a company. But the more complicated the rules are, the harder they are to comply with. Complicated rules paralyse! Historical baggage, fear and unwillingness to take responsibility are the breeding ground for bureaucracy. Indecisiveness generates more …
When you see someone doing something that doesn’t make sense to you, ask yourself what the world would have to look like to you for those actions to make sense.
The person who carefully designs their daily routine goes further than the person that negotiates with themselves every day. The most successful people I know follow a routine to ensure the most important projects get the time they need. A successful and busy acquaintance decided to write a book not long ago. I asked him how he planned to do that given all of his responsibilities at home and the …
The irony is that this ‘fake it till you make it’ tactic is the exact opposite of how truly successful people live. They live with authentic vulnerability because they know that the world always connects more with your grit than your shine. They might show up for the shine, but they will stay because of your grit. Joshua Medcalf on grit
The greatest threat to results are boredom and impatience. The only way to become good at something is to practice the ordinary basics for an uncommon length of time. Most people get bored. They want excitement. They want something to talk about and no one talks about the boring basics. For example, we know that dollar-cost averaging into an index fund is likely to generate wealth, but …
There is a rule that has helped me put failures and victories into their proper perspectives. The 24-hour rule states that you turn the page every day. No matter what. You can celebrate or cry but tomorrow you turn the page. Tomorrow is a new day. We all know the person at the office that hangs on to the past. They remind of us of the project they worked on 10 years ago that was a success. Or they …
Linear games are won by working harder than others. And the harder other people work, the higher the bar. You need to work harder and harder, just to stay in the same relative position. Asymmetry is different. Even people who understand asymmetry consistently underestimate its power. Positive asymmetry happens when you have a lot of upside and little downside. Negative asymmetry is when you have …
One of the most practical life skills that no one talks about is turning discipline into consistency. Discipline will only take you so far. It’s hard to be consistently disciplined. Relying on discipline to do what you know you should do requires a lot of effort. But what if you could take that discipline and turn it into something that happens without much effort? Consider a twelve-year-old who …
If small changes create big results, then why is success so elusive? The answer boils down to a single word: discipline. Not many people have consistent discipline when times are good. Even fewer in times of stress. Anyone can do something once. Not everyone can do it consistently. Eating healthy for a meal is common. Eating healthy all week is not. Working out occasionally is common. Working out …
There are two types of stability: passive and active. Most people don’t understand the difference until it’s too late. Passive stability requires no intervention. A ship in the ocean is passively stable. The captain can take a nap and the power can go out and the ship will still ride out the storm. Active stability is different. Active stability requires constant intervention. A modern jet is …
“Every battle is won before it’s ever fought.” — Sun Tzu While most of us would never choose to play life on hard mode, that’s exactly what we do when we put ourselves in a bad position. One way to visualize this is through the lens of billiards. We become so focused on making the first shot that we fail to consider how we position the ball for the next shot. When we go to take the next …
Environment is the hidden force that guides behavior. One reason it’s so effective is that it speaks to your subconscious mind and not your conscious mind. Default behaviors love the path of least resistance. Not only does our environment choose that path but it pushes us in that direction. Most of the time when we think of ’environment’ we think only of our visible environment. …
Any energy that goes into what doesn’t matter comes at the expense of what does. With a little extra time, you can raise the standard from good enough to great. Narrow the focus. Raise the standard and set yourself apart.
Seneca once said, quoting Fabius, that the only inexcusable thing for a commander to say was, “I did not think that could happen.” And of course, he is right: The job of the leader is to be prepared, to have a plan, to anticipate all possible and probable outcomes. Whether it’s a military campaign, a creative project, or a business negotiation. This is why the Stoics practiced premeditatio …
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” — Epictetus Humility is the anecdote to arrogance. Humility is a recognition that we don’t know, that we were wrong, that we’re not better than anyone else. Humility is simple to understand but hard to practice. Humility isn’t a lack of confidence but an earned confidence. The confidence to say that you might not be right, but …
We tend to think that what we think is true. And because we think something is true, we ignore information that might tell us it’s not true. Charles Darwin deliberately looked for thoughts that disagreed with his own. He wrote, “whenever a published fact, a new observation or thought came across me, which was opposed to my general results, to make a memorandum of it without fail and at once; for I …
There is nothing that gets in the way of success more than avoidance. We avoid hard conversations. We avoid certain people. We avoid hard decisions. We avoid evidence that contradicts what we think. We avoid starting a project until we’re certain of the outcome. To justify our avoidance, we lie to ourselves. We tell ourselves that we’re noble — we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. We …
Mandelbrot