It is hard to overestimate the role of psychological aspects in learning and productivity. While these aspects might be transparent and hard to deal with, they define the ultimate success or failure of the entire process. Each kind of training may need a different mindset. Usually, the most effective combination is passionate anticipation before the …
Eiffel and genius
Some people are outliers. Today we think about Elon Musk. History is full of such people. What makes them different and what can we learn from them? I want to discuss today a less known genius Gustave Eiffel, who was like Elon Musk one hundred years ago. Reading or researching biographies is a nice speedreading …
Shaping your brain you design your life
We can basically design our own life. This is challenging, but well within our capabilities. In more than one way our life is our greatest creation, and it deserves our respect. It is definitely not science, and in may fail, not unlike the greatest culinary creations. In this article, I invite you to my “kitchen” …
Positively happy
Is the pursuit of happiness reasonable? What will we find in it? Can we gamify the experience we call life? If we cannot pursue happiness, what is the next best thing? Is it money, experience, wisdom, or something entirely different? Today I selected many different links, not all of them working. See if you like …
Identity and destiny
One of the hardest questions I know: do we have power over our destiny? I will rephrase. To which extent are we controlled by our passions and indifference rather than a conscious choice? Which individual differences guide our decisions and luck? Can we learn our own identity? Can we learn to be better as human …
Daydreaming before the year ends
Before this year ends, let me suggest a daydreaming exercise. Enjoy the longest nights of the year and prepare for the next year. Realign your goals and your values. Most importantly enjoy a peaceful night. You deserve it. More reading here, here, here, here, and here. The miracle of revival Somehow the week around the longest …
The Epicurean way
The opposite of the stoic way is the Epicurean way. It is an equally powerful and still relevant position. Rather than focusing on doing the right thing in face of adversity, it may be easier to avoid unpleasant situations. Sure, this requires more knowledge and creativity, but I think it is totally worth the effort. …
Drafting the story of your life
At 45 I finally started to write my autobiography. Is it reasonable? What questions I should ask myself? What can you learn from me? More reading here, here, here, here, and here. Dante When Dante Alighieri wrote his books, he was 35 years old. The first section, the Inferno begins with the words “Midway upon the …
Muda and elimination of wastefulness
Japanese culture is minimalistic and elegant. What can we learn from it, and how can we implement the best sides of this culture? How can we waste less and gain more from our learning activities? I will try to apply Toyota’s philosophy to accelerated learning. Muda (Japanese term) Muda is the Japanese word for waste …
MindfulMess and mindfulness
A stupid typo can lead to many complex thoughts. Here are want to explore the environmental effects on mindfulness. Should spiritual people look like hippies, monks, or samurais? How does a mess affect our thoughts? Which interferences are welcome and which should be avoided? I want to describe three distinct and different forms of mindfulness …
