Foundations

Some people avoid self-improvement because they believe that devoting time to becoming better is inherently selfish. The world has so many problems and the people around us have so many needs that it’s selfish to devote energy to self-care and personal growth. After all, any time spent helping yourself is time not spent helping others. In this view, things like meditation and yoga are self-indulgent, frivolous luxuries, hiking should be… Read More »Is Self-Improvement Selfish?

Exploring Twyla Tharp’s book, The Creative Habit, I came across this gem: “Confidence is a trait that has to be earned honestly and refreshed constantly; you have to work as hard to protect your skills as you did to develop them. This means vigilant practice and excellent practice habits.” –Twyla Tharp1 While you can pretend to be confident, false-confidence won’t get you very far. What really works – what we… Read More »Two Quick Reminders About Confidence

Creativity, especially in the professional realm, is a common goal for people working on becoming better, and for good reason. Innovation is a way to bring more value to the table at work; it’s a way to create value where there was none. This can lead to financial benefits or simply the satisfaction of contributing something new and important. We know from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s research that serious, professional or academic… Read More »Learning Deeply and Broadly

After reading dozens of self-development books and listening to hundreds of book summaries, I still think Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is the most important and most useful of any title in the genre. The first habit he prescribes is “Be proactive.”1 But what does that mean? The root “act” in the heart of that word is telling: Being proactive is all about taking action. By… Read More »7 Questions Proactive People Ask Themselves