(And why you should still do it). Conventional wisdom suggests that goal-setting is fundamental to success at work. But there’s a growing trend against goal-setting. Some business leaders, like 37signals CEO Jason Fried, avoid setting goals altogether. I understand the sentiment. Goal-setting can be counterproductive,…
A daily review is one of the best habits you can build to increase your impact. For nearly a decade, I’ve been honing and fine-tuning my daily review practice, alternating between periods of consistency and adjustment. Over the past 18 months, I’ve made a deliberate…
To create exceptional work, learn from the Japanese art of flower arranging, Ikebana. Ikebana exemplifies elegant simplicity. It is all about keeping things simple. Less is more. Practitioners focus on removing extra elements, understanding that what is left out is just as important as what’s…
About 10 years ago I was thinking about moving on from my job at the time. There was nothing ‘wrong’ with the job, I was pretty good at the work, and I liked the people I worked with. But I had a sense that I…
The 80/20 rule is one of the most useful mental models that I’ve picked up in my life. Also known as the Pareto principle, this rule captures the observation that roughly 80% of good outcomes come from just 20% of our efforts. You can use…
This quote has been living rent-free in my head for the past few weeks: People don’t think what they feel, don’t say what they think and don’t do what they say. David Ogilvy, advertising tycoon I think it’s true. Often, our genuine thoughts and feelings…
We can be good at many things. But what does it take to be great? In his book ‘Outliers’, Malcolm Gladwell states that it takes 10,000 hours of “deliberate practice” to become world-class in any field. I recently came across the purest expression of the…
Updated: 1 October 2024 In 2004, English gambler Ashley Revell sold everything he owned and bet $135,300 on a single spin of a roulette wheel in Las Vegas. Despite the odds being slightly against him, the ball landed on red, and Revell doubled his money.…
Here’s what to do: First: Assess your engagement at work. If you’re measuring engagement in your team, check out your own results in isolation. Otherwise, schedule a self check-in once per month to rate how you’re feeling out of 10. Pay attention to any trends.…
I’m continually reminded that clarity is a fundamental element of great organisations, relationships and, ultimately, a great life. When we have clarity, we are more fulfilled as individuals and our organisations and communities thrive. Method 1 Do you know what you want to do and…
The book in a paragraph ReWork makes the case that many of the traditional approaches to work and entrepreneurship are wrong. In traditional workplaces it is common to see overplanning, excessive meetings, growth for growth’s sake, and entrenched bureaucracy. This can all be avoided through…
Overload is something I’ve struggled with at work, particularly in management roles. Here’s a fairly typical situation for me. I’d find myself running 7+ projects at once. Some were just kicking off, and others were close to being finished. Some of them were ‘paid’ projects…
I’ve trialled a number of planning journals in the past. None of them really ‘stuck’. Sometimes the planning system didn’t work for me. Or I didn’t like the physical design. Or both. But I remain attracted to the idea of finding a planning journal that…
In fact, it turns out that organisations deliver better financial returns when they focus on purpose over profit. You don’t have to take my word for it: recent survey by PwC showed that 79% of business leaders believe that an organisation’s purpose is central to business…
I make this error all the time (most of us do). You’ll probably recognise this scenario: you’re faced with a choice in (even slightly) unfamiliar territory. And getting it wrong feels like it will have some cost or pain (perhaps only minor). What do we…
The book in a paragraph Algorithms to Live By explores human algorithm design – the use of algorithms for solutions to life’s everyday challenges. Algorithms are not just the domain of computer scientists – they are any sequence of steps used to solve a problem.…
Maybe you can relate? Perhaps you’ve set a goal, worked hard to achieve it and felt that brief sugar hit of accomplishment. But then you have fallen into a motivation slump immediately after. Or maybe you set a goal that was a bit too lofty,…
Let’s dive into the world of objectives and key results (OKRs). Some say it’s just another goal-setting approach, but for me? OKRs have become one of the most valuable tools that I’ve adopted in both my personal and professional life. I’ve been using OKRs for…
In my career I’ve had periods where I earnt good money, but the work didn’t engage me. I got bored, stopped giving it my best, and felt guilty about it. I’ve also worked on things I was really passionate about, but the pay was non-existent,…
What are the most important problems in your field? Why aren’t you working on them? If you don’t have any great answers to that second question, perhaps consider: maybe I should be?