Curiosity Chronicle

A "mental model" is a way to think about the world. The world is infinitely complex, so the aim of any good model is to provide a lens through which you can simplify, evaluate, and make decisions as you walk through life. The Winner's Game vs. Loser's Game is a mental model with powerful applications for your career, business, investing, and life. A Winner's Game is won through incredible shots. A...

Question: If you hired the best CEO in the world to be the CEO of your life, what actions would be on their 100-day plan? Framework: Return on Luck

Here's an interesting thought: Failure is a skill. But unfortunately, failure is not a skill that any of us learn to develop in school. In fact, people who are high achievers throughout their school years are often the worst at failure in early adulthood, because they've never had to contend with it. The system I developed to fail better—to handle, deconstruct, and use every single failure to set...

Question: If you were writing the story of your life, what would the current chapter be called? Framework: The Einstellung Effect

Last week, I came across a beautiful story that impacted me so deeply that I found myself telling everyone about it. Each time I did, I saw their eyes light up as the lesson struck a chord deep within. The lesson of the story: You choose your own worth. You can choose to place yourself in environments where people will see you for your highest potential. You can choose how you treat yourself. You...

Question: Cheap is expensive. Framework: The man, the boy, and the donkey.

Being a father has been my highest calling—my son has brought a joy and purpose into my life that I didn't think I'd ever find. With last Sunday being Father's Day, I spent time reflecting on the lessons, life principles, and values that I want to pass on to my son. I am as imperfect as they come, but in my eyes, he is perfect. So, consider these the lessons from an imperfect father to his perfect...

Question: One decision to remove hundreds. Framework: The PO Creativity Method.

Albert Einstein devoted three years of his life to deep focus on the specific task of generalizing his theory of relativity. He didn't work on ten things during this period—he directed all of his precious attention to the one thing that really mattered. Attention Residue is the scientific concept that there is a cognitive switching cost to shifting your attention from one task to another. When you...

Question: Is it time you start living outside the box? Framework: The Steel Man Technique

If you're a regular reader of my work, you know that I have a special affinity for drawing upon wisdom from the past and applying my own lens to create something more usable for our own present and future. Today's wisdom comes from a letter ( full transcript here ) written by a 20-year-old Hunter S. Thompson to a dear friend who had sought out Thompson's advice on finding his life purpose. 5 brill...

Question: What am I not achieving simply because I haven't asked? Idea: Hemingway's Lost Suitcase

Your time here is finite, so choosing the pursuits—personal and professional—that deliver the greatest returns on that time is essential. I use an exercise I call Pursuit Mapping to identify the pursuits that are most likely to bring joy and outsized rewards into my life. Three steps: (1) Create Your Pursuit Map, (2) Identify Your Zones, and (3) Align Your Time.

Question: Do you need to empty your cup before you can grow? Framework: Persian Messenger Syndrome

My weekly emphasis on action is intended to serve as a reminder of the power you always hold, no matter how powerless you may feel. I recently came across a beautiful true story, written by a woman named Pam Kearney, on the impact of even the most tiny, inconsequential actions. Lesson: Action doesn't have to be perfect for it to be right.

Question: Would the idea of living your current life on repeat be horrifying or affirming? Idea: The Museum of Failure 

Harsh truth: Networking is dead...at least in the traditional sense of the word.\ I'm not a natural relationship builder. In fact, I am a bit introverted and socially-anxious, particularly in large group settings like conferences, cocktail parties, and events. And yet, I've built a depth and breadth of connections that has brought me great joy and value over the years. This piece shares my four co...

Question: Are you trying to clean up your city before sweeping your doorstep? Framework: Boiling Frog Syndrome

Last weekend, I attended Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. It is my favorite event for one simple reason: Idea density. This piece shares 9 powerful ideas from a weekend spent in the presence of legends.

Question: If everything stays the same, what one change would create the most impact? Framework: Emerson's Definition of Success

Join me as I sit down with my friend Dr. Robert Waldinger, the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which is the longest-running study on adult life, health, and happiness in the world. The study tracked the lives of 700+ original participants and 1,300+ descendants over 85 years. Dr. Waldinger's Ted Talk has been viewed nearly 50 million times and his book, The Good Life, was an in...

It all started with a simple journal prompt: Your entire life will change the moment you... A few years ago, I wrote that prompt on a blank sheet of paper. Each time I made any life adjustment or adaptation that had a profound impact, I added it to my running list. Tiny actions, mindset shifts, behavior changes, life hacks, and everything in between. The list is comprised of things I have (or curr...

Question: Where am I avoiding a hard conversation that I need to have? Framework: 3 levels of listening.

The greatest discoveries in life come not from finding the right answers, but from asking the right questions . For the last several years, I've been adding to a list of questions that have changed the way I work, move, live, and love. This piece shares 7 questions that have had a dramatic impact on my life.

Question: What is one positive decision you can make to improve yourself today? Framework: Leaves, Branches, & Roots