Life-changing books – part 2: No Excuses! The Power of Self-Discipline

This is a book I used to listen to in audio format, back when I had to drive long hours between home and work, and I remember it had a magical effect on me… There’s nothing fancy or extraordinary about it; yet, it somehow unexpectedly boosts your energy levels, gives you a burning motivation to start acting, and put your plans into motion immediately.

The Core Message: Self-Discipline as the Master Key

Success is predictable because the principles behind it are constant (what varies is how people apply them). One of the chief principles is self-discipline — defined by the author as: “the ability to do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not”.

The book emphasizes three linked ideas:

• Responsibility – Stop blaming outside forces. Accept that you are the architect of your own results.
• Habits & Action – Discipline isn’t a one-time heroic act; it’s daily choices, especially when motivation is low.
• Focus – Stop doing scattered, easy tasks; identify what matters the most and apply yourself consistently to high-leverage activities.

In short: stop creating excuses to avoid important tasks. The question is not “What’s preventing me?” but “What will I do about it?”

Structure of the Book and Key Themes

The book is organized methodically around three major parts, each containing seven chapters, giving us a total of 21 chapters (by the way, “21” seems to be a number the author particularly appreciates, given that a lot of his books are entitled 21 something…).

The 3 parts are:

Part I: Self-Discipline & Personal Success

• It talks about goal-setting, character, responsibility, courage, persistence.
• The main message: Work on yourself first. If you don’t have the inner discipline, it's unlikely you'll sustain the outer achievements.

Part II: Self-Discipline in Business, Money & Work

• Covers time-management, leadership, business goals, financial discipline.
• For example: Apply the 80/20 principle (Pareto), focus on your highest-value tasks, avoid wasting time on the trivial many.
• Financial discipline: live below your means, save regularly, invest smartly.

Part III: Self-Discipline and the Good Life

• Addresses health, relationships, happiness, peace of mind, overall personal fulfilment.
• Insight: Success without balance can feel hollow. True discipline is about aligning your actions with your values and well-being.
• Example: Physical fitness isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s part of the foundation because your energy, focus and vitality depend on it.

My Top 5 Key Take-Aways

The five ideas I found especially helpful in this book are:

1. “I am responsible.”

Simple phrase, but powerful shift. Accepting responsibility means you stop waiting for perfection in the environment and you start acting anyway.

2. Write your goals, review them regularly.

The act of committing to paper (or to a digital document) and revisiting them is itself a disciplined act, and contributes to engrave your goals deep into your subconscious.

3. Focus on the “big rocks” first.

An analogy often used: if you fill your day with small, easy tasks, you end up missing the important, harder ones. Discipline means tackling those first, head-on.

4. Habits beat motivation.

When you wait for motivation you’ll often wait too long. Discipline builds habits that carry you forward, even when you don’t feel like it.

5. True success is multi-dimensional.

It’s not just about money or career. If you ignore health or relationships, you would still “succeed” in one sense, but miss critical parts of your life. Discipline matters across all the board.

Conclusion

If you’re feeling a bit lost in your life or down on energy, then this book is definitely a good read (or this audio book is definitely a good listen). There is something oddly motivating and energizing about hearing Tracy talk, this master salesman and impressive self-made millionaire. I’ve later acquired other books by this author, but I still think the one discussed in this post is still his best one: here’s a link to this amazing book on Amazon.

If you liked Brian Tracy’s voice and want to go more in depth into his work, then you can find more complete programs on his website, here: there are several interesting audio books there, several hours long, good for a long road…

The 2-Minute Rule

Photo by Stas Knop from Pexels

How a Simple Habit Can Transform Your Productivity

In a world overflowing with distractions and endless to-do lists, finding a productivity tool that actually works can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. They do exist however, and one of these rare finds is the famous 2-Minute Rule — a deceptively simple strategy, popularized by productivity expert David Allen in his book Getting Things Done. This rule isn’t just about saving time; it’s about building momentum, reducing procrastination, and creating a sense of accomplishment that fuels further action.

What Is the 2-Minute Rule?

The concept is very straightforward: If a task takes two minutes or less to complete, do it immediately. Instead of adding it to your to-do list or putting it off for later, tackle it right away. This could be anything like replying to a short email, washing a few dishes, filing a document, or even making your bed...

What if it takes more than two minutes?

Any task that would take more than that to complete should be scheduled and properly planned. It should also be broken down into several sub-tasks, each taking two minutes or less. One of these subtasks could be simply starting to work for just two minutes. Often, simply beginning is enough to overcome inertia and keep going.

Why Two Minutes?

Two minutes is short enough to feel manageable, yet long enough to make a tangible difference. The rule capitalizes on the psychological principle that starting is often the hardest part. By committing to just two minutes, you overcome the initial resistance and often find yourself completing the task, or even going beyond it.

The Science Behind the Rule

Research in behavioral psychology supports the effectiveness of small, immediate actions. The Zeigarnik Effect tells us that uncompleted tasks occupy mental space, creating a sense of unease. By quickly finishing small tasks, you free up mental bandwidth for more important work.

Moreover, completing small tasks triggers the release of dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical. This not only makes you feel good but also motivates you to keep going—a phenomenon known as the progress principle.

How to Apply the 2-Minute Rule in Your Daily Life

1- Tame Your To-Do List

• Scan your list for tasks that can be done in two minutes or less.
• Knock them out immediately. You’ll be amazed at how much lighter your list—and your mind—feels.

2- Combat Procrastination

• Feeling overwhelmed by a big project? Break it down into tiny, two-minute actions.
• For example, instead of “write report,” start with “open document and write the title.”

3- Keep Your Space Organized

• Clutter can be a productivity killer. Use the 2-Minute Rule to tidy up as you go.
• Put away your shoes, file a paper, or wipe down the kitchen counter.

4- Improve Communication

• Respond to quick messages or emails right away.
• This prevents inbox overload and keeps communication flowing smoothly.

The Ripple Effect: Small Actions, Big Results

The beauty of the 2-Minute Rule lies in its ripple effect. Each small task completed creates a sense of progress, which builds confidence and motivation. Over time, these tiny actions add up, leading to significant improvements in productivity and well-being.

The 2-Minute Rule is more than a productivity hack—it’s a mindset shift. By focusing on what you can do right now, you build momentum, reduce stress, and create space for what truly matters.

Two minutes. That's all it takes to start.

Three Simple Ways to Lose Weight

Photo by Jane T D.

In an ideal world, we should all be going to the gym two to three times a week, eating Ceasar salads for lunch, wild salmon on bran toast for dinner, and drinking exclusively matcha tea... We all know the drill; we’ve read about so many types of diets online that we don’t know which to start with. We’ve been bombarded with complicated meal plans, expensive foodstuffs, and restrictive regimens that feel impossible to maintain on the long term, at least for “normal” people. Normal people are those who get back from work exhausted, angry, and just wanna lay down in front of the TV, and eat their weariness away…

Don’t get me wrong; it would be great if you could include some kind of physical exercise into your routine; not just for weight loss, but also for increasing your energy levels and boosting your health overall. However, if you don’t have the time for that, or if you’re viscerally allergic to physical effort, then those three practical tips are for you.

1- Have a Tiny Dinner

Our bodies naturally slow down in the evening, and so does our metabolism. Eating a large dinner can lead to excess calories being stored as fat. You see, fat is by definition whatever the body stocks for later use, what it doesn’t burn immediately. So by keeping your evening meal the smallest and lightest possible, you give your body a chance to tap into that existing fat during your sleep.

You should eat just enough to be able to fall asleep (no one can sleep hungry). A dietician once told me, any meal should be the size of your palm, that should give you an idea about the right quantity. Plus, if you get into the habit of having a light dinner, you control the meal where most of the slipping usually happens. Indeed, evening is often when we're most likely to overeat—we're tired, our willpower is depleted, and we tend to eat mindlessly in front of the TV.

And finally, you’ll sleep better on a light stomach. When you eat a large meal late in the evening, your body is focused on digestion rather than repair and restoration during sleep. Also if you sleep better, you’ll feel less cravings the next day.

2- Avoid Sugar

Sugar is an energizing food; its whole point is giving energy to your body, like fuel for a racing car. However, if you don’t use that fuel (and you usually don’t), it gets stored as fat! So better to skip it. Avoid any chocolate bars, candy, bakeries, cookies… They’re so common everywhere, in workplaces, coffee shops, at home, people consume them so mindlessly. Just say no.

First of all, it’s empty calories; it won’t keep you satiated for long, on the opposite. When you consume sugar, your blood glucose spikes rapidly, triggering an insulin response. This often leads to an energy crash that leaves you craving more sugar, creating a vicious cycle. Over time, this pattern can lead to insulin resistance and make weight loss increasingly difficult.

Cutting back on sugar however doesn't mean cutting it off completely. Sometimes, you do need the energy. When that happens, and since your body is going to consume sugar anyway, you might as well give it also vitamins, minerals and fibers; in other words, eat a fruit instead of a processed sweet; it’s probably harder to come by and a bit more expensive than a processed sweet, but totally worth it.

3- Plan Ahead

Perhaps the most powerful strategy of all is also the simplest: plan ahead. Most poor food choices happen in moments of desperation when you're starving and will eat whatever is available or convenient.

Planning doesn't have to mean spending hours meal prepping every Sunday. It can be as simple as:

• Keeping healthy snacks readily available so you're not tempted by those devilish vending machines
• Deciding what you'll eat for dinner before you leave work, so you shop smartly on your way back
• Preparing ingredients in advance so cooking is quicker on busy nights
• Having go-to healthy meals that you can make without much thought

When you plan ahead, you remove the decision fatigue that leads to poor choices. You're taking control of your food environment rather than leaving it to chance.

Bottom Line

I’ve once lost around twenty pounds in more or less two months, thanks to this method. Dining light, that was mainly the key; I would have a substantial breakfast, a normal lunch, even a couple of healthy snacks, but as long as I would have a tiny dinner, I’d keep on shedding pounds really fast. In my opinion, this is the easiest diet to adopt and to maintain on the long run, especially for busy people. Try those three strategies—eating a lighter dinner, reducing sugar intake, and planning your meals—and see if it works for you too.

Life-changing books – part 1: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

 

This is one of those books that are truly inspirational, and leave a lasting impression on you. It’s probably one of the four or five ones that had the most impact on my life. I probably wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for this book.

A Timeless Guide to Personal Excellence

In 1989, Stephen Covey published a book that would transform how millions of people approach their personal and professional lives. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" remains one of the most influential self-help books ever written, offering a principle-centered approach to solving both personal and professional challenges.

Covey's framework isn't about quick fixes or superficial tricks. Instead, it focuses on developing character and aligning your actions with timeless principles. The habits move progressively from dependence to independence to interdependence, creating a roadmap for holistic personal growth.

What are the Seven Habits?

1. Be Proactive

Take responsibility for your life. Proactive people recognize that they control their responses to circumstances. Rather than blaming external factors, they focus on their circle of influence—the things they can actually change.

2. Begin with the End in Mind

Define your values and long-term goals before taking action. This habit encourages you to envision what you want to achieve in life and create a personal mission statement that guides your decisions.

3. Put First Things First

Prioritize what matters most. Covey introduces the time management matrix, encouraging us to focus on important but not urgent activities—the tasks that truly move us toward our goals rather than constantly firefighting crises.

4. Think Win-Win

Seek mutually beneficial solutions in your interactions. This mindset rejects the zero-sum mentality and instead looks for outcomes where all parties can succeed.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Listen with genuine empathy before advocating for your own perspective. Most people listen with the intent to reply rather than understand. This habit transforms how we communicate and build relationships.

6. Synergize

Value differences and create collaborative solutions that are better than what any individual could produce alone. Synergy happens when people combine their strengths and perspectives creatively.

7. Sharpen the Saw

Continuously renew yourself in four areas: physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual. This habit ensures you maintain the capacity to practice all the other habits effectively.

The Maturity Continuum

What makes Covey's framework so powerful is how the habits progress and build upon each other:

• Habits 1-3 create private victories, moving you from dependence to independence
• Habits 4-6 enable public victories, helping you move from independence to interdependence
• Habit 7 maintains your ability to practice all other habits through continuous self-renewal

The Enduring Legacy

Decades after its publication, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" continues to resonate because it addresses fundamental timeless human needs: to live with integrity, to contribute meaningfully, and to build strong relationships. These principles transcend trends, technology, and cultural boundaries, and remain evergreen.

You can get this amazing book here

Use guilt to destabilize your opponent

 

Conflict is never a pleasant thing, but when it arises (and it inevitably does in life, unfortunately), the way you respond to it can make all the difference. One of the most powerful strategies is to leverage your opponent’s own actions against them, not through aggression, but by exposing their missteps. Here’s why this approach is so effective, and how to use it wisely.

The Power of Moral Leverage

When you find yourself in conflict, don’t shy away from highlighting how the other person has wronged you. On the contrary, by bringing their actions into the open, you achieve three critical outcomes:

1. You Strengthen Your Resolve

Framing your response as self-defense motivates you to act. It’s easier to stand your ground when you’re reminded that you’re the one who was wronged.

2. You Undermine Their Confidence

Publicly or privately calling out someone’s harmful behavior can trigger guilt in their subconscious, which weakens their position from within and makes them more likely to back down.

3. You Win Over Bystanders

People naturally tend to sympathize with the victim. By making it clear you’ve been wronged, you shift public opinion in your favor, isolating your opponent.

This tactic isn’t about manipulation: it’s about asserting your boundaries and ensuring fairness. Even in fiction, characters like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver understand the power of self-defense. His famous line, talking to himself in front of the mirror, “Are you talking to me?” isn’t just a challenge; it’s a declaration that he won’t be pushed around.

A Word of Caution

Before you use this strategy, ask yourself: Is my opponent truly at fault?
If you absolutely can’t identify any genuine wrongdoing on their part, then you’re probably the one in the wrong here. In that case, the best move is to step back and reassess.

Bottom line

Conflict is inevitable, but how you handle it defines your character. By focusing on the facts and holding others accountable for their actions, you protect yourself and maintain your integrity. Just remember: the goal isn’t to attack, but to defend what’s right.

Strategic Empathy: Seeing the World Through Others’ Eyes

 

Photo by Liza Summer

 

Introduction: The Power of Perspective

In a world that often feels divided by differences—cultural, political, generational—one skill stands out as a bridge: empathy. But not just any empathy. Strategic empathy is the deliberate practice of understanding others’ perspectives, not just to connect emotionally, but to make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and drive meaningful change. Whether you’re a leader, a colleague, a friend, or a family member, the ability to see the world through others’ eyes is a game-changer. Here’s why strategic empathy matters and how you can cultivate it

What Is Strategic Empathy?

Empathy is often misunderstood as simply “being nice” or “feeling sorry for someone.” Strategic empathy goes deeper. It’s about actively seeking to understand another person’s thoughts, feelings, and motivations, and then using that understanding to guide your actions. It’s empathy with purpose.

• Emotional Empathy: Feeling what others feel.
• Cognitive Empathy: Understanding what others think.
• Strategic Empathy: Using that understanding to inform your decisions and interactions.

Strategic empathy isn’t about losing your own perspective. It’s about expanding your view to include others’, enabling you to navigate complex social landscapes with insight and intention.

Why Strategic Empathy Matters

1. Builds Trust and Strengthens Relationships

People trust those who understand them. When you demonstrate that you “get” someone—whether it’s a client, a team member, or a partner—you lay the foundation for trust. Trust, in turn, is the bedrock of collaboration, loyalty, and long-term success.

2. Enhances Communication

How often have you been in a conversation where you felt misunderstood? Strategic empathy helps you tailor your message to your audience, ensuring clarity and reducing conflict. It’s the difference between saying, “This is what I think,” and “I hear what you’re saying, and here’s how we can move forward together.”

3. Drives Innovation

Innovation thrives on diverse perspectives. By stepping into others’ shoes, you uncover needs, challenges, and opportunities you might otherwise miss. The best solutions often come from understanding problems from multiple angles.

4. Resolves Conflict

Conflict often arises from misunderstanding. Strategic empathy allows you to see the root causes of disagreement and address them constructively, turning potential clashes into opportunities for growth.

5. Informs Better Decision-Making

Leaders who practice strategic empathy make decisions that resonate with their teams and stakeholders. They anticipate reactions, address concerns proactively, and create buy-in.

* * * * *

Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash

How to Develop Strategic Empathy

1. Listen Actively

Active listening means fully concentrating on the speaker, showing you’re listening, and providing feedback. It’s not just about hearing words; it’s about understanding the emotions and intentions behind them.

One trick is to paraphrase what you’ve heard to ensure understanding. For example, “It sounds like you’re feeling frustrated because…”

2. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions encourage deeper conversation and reveal more about the other person’s perspective. Instead of asking, “Did you like the project?” try, “What were your thoughts on the project?”

3. Seek Diverse Perspectives

Actively seek out viewpoints different from your own. Read widely, engage with people from different backgrounds, and be open to feedback. The more perspectives you’re exposed to, the more nuanced your empathy becomes.

4. Practice Perspective-Taking

Before reacting, pause and ask: “How would I feel if I were in their shoes?” This simple shift can transform your approach to challenges and interactions.

5. Observe Nonverbal Cues

Body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions often convey more than words. Pay attention to these cues to gain deeper insight into others’ feelings.

6. Reflect and Adapt

After interactions, reflect on what you’ve learned. How did the other person respond? What could you do differently next time? Use these insights to adapt your approach.

Fields of application

In Leadership: A manager notices an employee seems disengaged. Instead of assuming laziness, they ask, “I’ve noticed you’ve been quiet in meetings. Is there something on your mind?” This opens the door to understanding and support.

In Sales: A salesperson listens carefully to a client’s concerns and tailors their pitch to address those specific needs, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.

In Personal Relationships: A partner recognizes their significant other is stressed and offers support in a way that aligns with their needs, whether it’s a listening ear or practical help.

Conclusion: Empathy as a Strategic Advantage

Strategic empathy is more than a soft skill—it’s a strategic advantage. In a world where connection and understanding are often in short supply, those who master the art of seeing the world through others’ eyes stand out. They build stronger relationships, make better decisions, and create environments where everyone feels valued and understood.

5 chess techniques that apply to real life

 

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Chess, that timeless classic, some would say is at a crossroad between arts and science! This board game is so popular that some of its jargon has crossed over into everyday language: checkmate, or pawn, among others, have become common expressions. Not only is it a great, brainy passtime, but chess is also a useful exercise for the mind in terms of strategy and preemptive thinking. And the coolest thing about it is that the skills you develop while playing chess can also be applied to real life! Exactly. Regular chess players have trained their brains to think ahead, anticipate their opponent's moves, and make calculated decisions in order to achieve their objectives. Wouldn’t you say that’s a useful set of skills for real life?

Thus, here are five chess techniques that can be used in everyday situations:

1. Predict the chain of events following your actions

When you play chess, you’re probably reasoning like this: “If I do this, he's gonna do that. Then I would do this, and he'll probably do that, etc.” … This is the essence of chess, anticipating your opponent's next moves. And this is also how you should be thinking in real life. It’s amazing how many people I know never look past the tip of their noses. “Look before you leap”; we’ve heard that advice repeatedly since we were kids. Yet, so many people still act impulsively, rush into things, and don't think about the consequences of their actions or their words.

A chess player wouldn’t commit that mistake. He has developed the reflexes of holding back, pondering, and only then, acting wisely. In real life, whether it's in a business negotiation, a political debate, or a personal relationship, that is certainly a good reflex to acquire.

2. Kill two (or more) birds with one stone

In chess, the best moves are the ones that have multiple benefits. For example, blocking the way for your opponent’s bishop and at the same time developing your pawns into a more central position; or protecting one of your pieces, and simultaneously opening the way for your queen to attack, etc. …

The same can be said in real life; the best opportunities are the ones that accomplish multiple goals with a single action. For example, if I’m designing a product, the more versatile and standardized I can make it, the wider the audience I can reach, and thus the more prototypes I can sell. Another example; if a company considers making a donation, apart from the humanitarian side of this action, it would also benefit from tax reductions, positive publicity and thus potentially, an increase in sales. In general, just like in a game of chess, it’s always a good idea to make each of your actions aim for multiple goals.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

3. Use pinning

In chess, a "pin" is a move where you nail in place one of your opponent’s pieces, usually one of lower value, in such a way that, if it moves, you’d take a piece of greater value. For example, let’s say you threaten to take your opponent’s knight with your bishop, and behind his knight along the same diagonal is his queen, then he won’t be able to move the knight, until that situation is fixed. That’s called pinning.

If we extrapolate this strategy into real life, what do we get? Well, we get a valuable, although a hostile, method of action. Life is not always peaceful, and sometimes you have to show some teeth in order to be respected. Use veiled threats, subtle hints of a potential counter-strike from your part (whether legal or otherwise) to sway things your way. For example, if you’re arguing with a neighbor about some border issue, you could use arguments like: “let’s do this here, and we’ll forget about the other transgression there” (implying that, otherwise, you’ll resort to legal action). Or use phrases like: “if you insist on doing this, we’ll have no other choice but to do that”, etc. You get the picture. Of course, the threat must remain subtle, otherwise you’d be exercising blackmail, which is not exactly legal.

4. Exchange cheap assets (pawns) against valuable ones

In chess, players often sacrifice small pieces (such as pawns) to take out more valuable ones (such as knights or bishops) from their opponents. In order to do so, they put their opponents in such a position where they have no choice but to accept the exchange.

Similarly in real life, whenever you can put the others in a position where they have to accept a deal that is beneficial for you and detrimental to them, you’re winning. For example, if a company is eager to sell something, you can negotiate to get it for the lower price. If, on the other hand, a company is eager to buy something from you, then you can sell it at the highest price possible. Once again, it’s not very cool to do so, but it’s certainly efficient. ‘Better to eat than be eaten, right?...

Photo by Vlada Karpovich

5. Never waste time

Finally, chess players know this universal truth better than anyone: time is of utmost value! During a game of chess, every move counts! It’s even said that one move is worth one third of a pawn. One third! That’s a lot! If you waste three moves, it's like you’re losing one pawn.

In real life, as the saying goes, “time is money”. It’s an extremely valuable, non-renewable resource that should be used very wisely. It is only by managing our time effectively and prioritizing our tasks, that we can get ahead. Also, we only live once, so we’d better make the best out of our time on Earth.

5 simple habits to boost your productivity

 

Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash

If you’re planning to work on a creative project, whether it is writing your next novel, composing a musical masterpiece, building an amazing app or a complex website, you’ll need all the productivity tools you can get in order to bring this project to completion. But, as the saying goes, “life” often stands in the way: it can be challenging to maintain focus and momentum in the long term, especially in the face of professional and social duties, chores, and distractions, ubiquitous in today’s world.

So how do I manage life’s responsibilities without giving up on my dreams? Well, there are certain habits you can develop which will boost your productivity significantly, and help you get a lot more done in your personal projects. Here are five of them:

1. Wake up 1 hour earlier to work on your craft

First thing you will need are big chunks of time exclusively dedicated to your project; it needs to be quality time, where you’re “in the zone”, fully concentrated on your task. Where can you find such a time? Well, the first few hours of every day can potentially be THE most productive time you can ever find, and that is for two reasons: first, your mind is still fresh from a good night’s sleep (unless you suffer from insomnia, but that’s a different matter…). Second, and most importantly, this is really your “me” time; there are no distractions likely to happen at 5 AM. No one's gonna call you on the phone at this hour to catch up; you won't get any "urgent" emails, and no one is posting feeds on their social media stream yet. Everyone's asleep, except you; you're working on your goals.

And even if you can only find one hour per day, you would still get 7 hours per week of uninterrupted time dedicated to your personal project, which is great…

2. Take notes on the go

Our minds are constantly brooding and reflecting on our long term goals, and the world around us is so full of inspiration and beauty. Thus, chances are we might experience "eurêka" moments when we least expect them, and it can be easy to forget those ideas that come to us in the moment. Therefore keeping a notepad, or a note-taking app, with you at all times is an excellent idea: this way you can jot down your thoughts quickly, before they slip away. Once you have captured those furtive ideas, you can revisit and develop them later, in the comfort of your workspace, when you're ready to tackle them.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

3. Get inspiration from different material

Sometimes, we get stuck in a creative rut, and it's hard to come up with new ideas. When this happens, one of the best ways to break free from this state is to take a look at work made by other authors. It could be something similar to what you're working on, and even better, it can be something completely different! Let’s say you’re writing a science-fiction story, and you seek inspiration from let’s say a western, you’ll get a completely original material, some kind of hybrid between the two genres (this probably happened to the writers of the movie “Cowboys and Aliens” or the TV series “Firefly”). Also this way, you’ll avoid the trap of plagiarism, since the result is something completely unique.

4. Don't seek perfection

Don’t get me wrong: every author should bring his creation to the highest standard possible. However, perfectionism, which is the obsession of creating something perfect right from the start, is one of the biggest productivity killers. When you strive for perfection at the early stages of the creative process, you become bogged down in details and lose sight of the bigger picture; then you’ll most likely discourage yourself, and give up. Don’t make that mistake; don’t let your inner critic smother the creative in you.

Instead of trying to make everything perfect from the start, focus on making progress. Be willing to make mistakes and to adjust them later. Done is better than perfect, so don't let the fear of not doing something perfectly hold you back. Remember: it’s easier to edit something than to create it out of nothing. The hardest thing for an author to confront is a blank page.

5. Set deadlines

Deadlines are a powerful tool for boosting productivity because they create a sense of urgency. When you set a deadline for yourself, you are more likely to focus on the task at hand and make progress. It’s also a remedy against perfectionism (detailed in the previous paragraph), because you have to get the job done before the timer goes off. Feel the adrenaline rush! This is what we call “timeboxing” in management, and it’s one of the principles of Agile methodologies, and probably one of the reasons they are so efficient.

And finally, when you meet your deadlines, it gives you a sense of accomplishment, so there’s a motivational aspect to it. However, make sure to set realistic deadlines, otherwise you’ll get the opposite effect; you’d most certainly miss your deadlines, then discourage and hate yourself. Don’t do that.

Photo by cottonbro studio

By incorporating these five habits into your daily routine, you'll be able to boost your productivity and advance in your creative projects. Remember: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, so be patient with yourself and keep at it until you succeed.

6 modern-day lessons from Machiavelli

 

Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian political philosopher and writer, famous for his book "The Prince," written in 1532. The Prince, dedicated to Lorenzo (Il Magnifico) De’Medici, is a political treatise that discusses the ways in which a ruler can maintain power and control over his country.

Although the book was written almost 500 years ago, the lessons it contains are still relevant today, notably in the world of leadership and management. And despite its ill reputation, “The Prince” is not all vicious and cruel: even if it does include several ethically questionable parts (to say the least), it also contains truly virtuous and honest wisdom. Here are five modern-day lessons we can learn from Machiavelli, which are not completely cold-blooded:

1. Be respectable to inspire respect from others

“A prince is despised if he is considered changeable, foolish, weak, mean, and uncertain. A prince should avoid these characteristics […]. In his actions he should try to show greatness, courage, seriousness, and strength” (chap. 19)

What makes a strong leader, and what makes a weak one? Do you ever hear of some manager criticized for being “too nice to be a good boss”? Well it’s not about being nice or mean; it’s about decisiveness, character and confidence. A leader should always display a strong personality. It should be obvious in everything he does: the way he dresses, the way he stands, the way he speaks. For example, self-deprecating humor, while funny in a social gathering, is a leadership killer in any professional setting. Even small details, like poor posture, can weaken a leader’s credibility.

In the movie “U-571”, Harvey Keitel tells Matthew McConaughey, the second officer in command who just got in charge of the whole crew, "the skipper always knows what to do even when he doesn't". In leadership, there is no place for doubt and second-guessing; only assertiveness and action will keep you at the head of your team.

2. Don't be hungry for women or money

“What would most get him (the Prince) hated is his being a grabber, a thief of his subjects’ property and women; he mustn’t do that. Most men live contentedly as long as their property and their honor are untouched” (chap. 19)

And another excerpt:

“When he has to proceed against someone’s life he should have a proper justification […]; but above all things he must keep his hands off people’s property, because a man will forget the death of his father sooner than he would forget the loss of the property his father left to him.” (chap. 15)

Machiavelli warns rulers against corruption, noting that lust for money and women can distract a ruler from his duties and quickly lead to his downfall. In the modern world, this is more topical than ever. Harshness, even ruthlessness can be forgiven, as long as your goals remain selfless and, on the long term, in the best interest of your team. People will inevitably feel if you are using them for your own benefit, or if you’re truly on the same boat with them: in the first case, you will only stir up their hatred and lose any authority you may have over them. In the second, you’ll remain their respected leader.

And obviously, humiliating your constituents in any way, thinking of yourself as the “Don Juan/Alpha Male” type, sexually harassing anyone in your team or related to them, would not only get you fired from your company, but would also land you in court, facing some rabid lawsuits.

3. Mingle with your people

“One of the best things that the acquiring ruler can do is to go and live in the newly acquired state, which would make his position more secure and durable. […] Subjects who are well-disposed towards the prince will have more reason to love him; and those who aren’t will have more reason to fear him.” (chap. 3)

Machiavelli advocates for rulers to have knowledge of their lands and the people living in them. How does that apply in the modern world? Well, be close to your team, be present. Break bread with them. Attend weddings, attend funerals, have lunches with your partners or business associates, create human bonds. This is especially important in today’s world, where telecommunications make it so easy to be evasive and distant. Don’t fall into that trap.

Get to know your team. Go grab a drink with a couple of colleagues to finish up discussing some project. Organize some sporting competition for your team, or some Sunday outing. Meet their families. By mingling with them, you learn more about them, about their strengths and their potential, and they appreciate you more.

Of course don’t overdo it; don’t be like Steve Carell in the TV series “The Office” who’s so desperate for his team’s affection that he gets the exact opposite… Let’s stay moderate.

4. Empower your team

“When any new prince has found the people unarmed he has armed them. Why? Because, by arming them you make those arms yours: the men whom you distrusted become loyal, those who were already loyal remain so, and your subjects become your supporters.” (chap. 20)

And also:

“A prince ought also […] to honor those who are talented in any art or craft. And he should encourage his citizens to carry steadily on with their ordinary occupations—in commerce, agriculture, and so on […]. The prince should create incentives for doing these things and for doing anything else that improves his city or state.” (chap. 21)

Invest in your team. Get them to learn new skills, give them responsibilities, and rely on them. Some weak bosses don’t want their staff to evolve, fearing they might one day surpass them and take their place. But trust is a two way street: if they feel that you’re keeping them from growing, they’ll most certainly look for another workplace, more supportive and appreciative of their talents. Also, while your staff evolves, you’re evolving too, probably much faster than them, so it’s really stupid to let your team stagnate, especially in today’s competitive market.

5. Be frugal

“If he is wise he won’t be afraid of being thought to be a miser, because no-one will think that about him when they see that by reining in his spending he leaves himself with the resources needed to defend himself against all attacks, and to tackle various projects without burdening his people. His management of his wealth, therefore, works well for the countless people from whom he doesn’t take anything.” (chap. 16)

A good leader is thrifty; he’s careful with the company’s money, just as a father should be very cautious with the family’s expenses. A great part of leadership is managing the assets, most importantly the financial assets. A free-spender, even though agreeable and fun to be with, will be (justly) perceived as irresponsible, even dangerous for the company he’s running, as he might drive it to bankruptcy from bad financial management. On the other hand, you have a tightwad; now this guy is really cheap, he’s no fun at all, but when it comes to running the books, he can be trusted with the company’s expenses, you can be sure of that. Between the two, for the leader role, you take your pick…

6. Show courage and initiative

“Nothing builds a prince’s prestige more than his undertaking great enterprises and his setting a fine example by his personal conduct.” (chap. 21)

By “great enterprises” in today’s context, as opposed to early 16th century Italy, we’re obviously not talking about “waging war against neighboring cities” or invading Canada (although that might be fun, but no…); we’re talking about initiative, entrepreneurship. Be proactive (as Stephen Covey would advise), have an entrepreneur spirit, come up with creative ideas and new projects that might benefit your company, plan them wisely and put them into action; that’s really the best way for you to shine as a leader, and prove you’re a worthy and inspiring headman.

In conclusion, it’s probably worth giving that timeless classic a re-read, and soak up in the pragmatic philosophy and ingenious sense of strategy of our favorite (although disreputable) Italian philosopher. You might encounter the risk of coming out as a deranged sociopath to the librarian lending you Machiavelli’s The Prince, but hey, it’s definitely a risk worth taking.

Or you could just buy it online: here's a good edition.

5 strategies to succeed in realizing your goals

 

Intentions and commitment

Do you know the saying: the road to Hell is paved with good intentions? Well, when it comes to goal setting, this cannot be more true. How many times, especially right before the start of a new year, have you set good resolutions for yourself, to get in shape, to stop smoking, to be more productive etc., but were never able to follow up on them? (Or the good resolutions died past the first week of January…). It’s like what Jerry Seinfeld said about car rental companies: they know how to “take a reservation”, but they don’t know how to “hold the reservation”. The same could be said for our New Year’s resolutions: we all know how to take them, we just don’t know how to hold them… And that is indeed the most important part of the resolution, the holding…
Obviously, the hardest part about setting a goal is achieving it. But what keeps us from doing so? Why do we constantly lack motivation? What does motivation really mean?

Motivation and the role of the subconscious

Motivation is the power within. It’s the desire for something we truly want. It’s not “what I should be doing, because eventually, that might be good for me in the future”, it’s what I want, what I need to do right now. It's an inner compulsion that comes as naturally and strongly as wanting to sustain, or to mate. In other terms, it’s the subconscious desire, as opposed to a conscious calculation. And when there’s a battle between the subconscious and the conscious mind, it’s almost always the first one who wins. That’s human nature; trying to go against it is an uphill battle. Even if it does work for a little while, due to sheer will power, the effort would be too great to maintain in the long term, and the goal would eventually fail.
Instead of going against your subconscious, it would be far more efficient to outwit it; the key to achieving your consciously planned goals is to trick your subconscious mind into absorbing them, as its own. You have to keep feeding those goals into your subconscious until they become a second nature, just like Pavlov’s experiment on his dog (except you are both Pavlov and the dog). Now how do I do that? The following strategies might help.

1. Visualize your goals

 

One of the most powerful tools to internalize your goals is your imagination. By visualizing your goals, you can create a mental picture of what you want to achieve, start to make it feel real and thus start believing in it. If you try to picture right now a juicy medium-rare steak, with a creamy peppercorn sauce and grilled vegetables on the side, don’t you feel your mouth watering? Well, that’s not exactly a self-improving goal (maybe the opposite), but just trying to make a point here; that imagination does have a physical effect on the body. Now let’s try something else: picture yourself right now, in details, waking up at 6 o’clock in the morning, putting on your favorite pair of running shoes, and going for a 20 minute run around the block. You feel the cold morning breeze tickling your nostrils while you listen on your air pods to your favorite 90's classic rock band… ‘See what I mean?
Do this mental exercise long enough, and one morning you’ll find yourself "magically compelled" to go for a run indeed around the block. It would seem effortless, because the desire came from within. That’s how the subconscious works; like a loyal dog, it follows obediently whatever its master tells it to do. The key now is to give it the right “orders”.

2. Write down your goals, specifically and repeatedly

When we were young, we used to write down our academic tasks in our daily planners; and then, once back home, we had to actually do the said tasks. And even if we didn’t open our planners to the current page, we would know deep inside that we have something to do, and oftentimes, we'd know exactly what it is. Writing things down has a way of sliding them into our subconscious. And the more specific the task is, the easier it is to remember. Write down your goals and keep them in a safe place, like a journal or some obscure document in your cloud storage system. It's also a good idea to have a look at them from time to time, to monitor their progress.
Now why do I have to re-write them down, if I wrote them the first time? Wherever the subconscious is involved, repetition is key to mastery; repeating an order over and over to your subconscious will slowly anchor it, and carve it down permanently. Years will go by, and then one day, while re-reading your goals, you just realize you've crossed off one or several items from your bucket list. All this time, you've been subconsciously working towards them without realizing it.

3. Meditate

Sometimes the mind is just too cluttered to come up with any kind of effort; whether with worries, burnout or depression, sometimes the mind is just too full. Meditation can then come in handy to empty the vase. By taking a few minutes from time to time, like once a week in the early morning, to sit down quietly and clear your mind, you can increase your ability to stay focused on your goals and make better decisions. All hypnotists know this fact very well; it is only when the subject is in a state of extreme calmness and openness that a suggestion can be impressed unto his subconscious. And that is exactly what we plan on doing...

4. Take baby steps

Trying to achieve too big of goal will seem overwhelming and is a recipe for failure. If you’re trying to feed your subconscious more than it can chew, it will just spit it out. It wouldn’t take it in, it wouldn’t believe the veracity of the image you’re trying to sell. If I say to myself: I will write down 20 pages tomorrow, or do a 100 push-ups in one set, chances are I will give up before even trying… and then I’ll feel guilty about it. It’s better to set the bar lower, like let’s say 15 or 20 push-ups per set, or writing 2 pages per day, that would be much more likely to happen. You have to make the Yerkes-Dodson law work for you, set an optimal difficulty level for your tasks in order to push yourself to produce enough, but never crumble down under the pressure of unattainable outcome.
Set realistic goals, or break down your large goal down into smaller, more manageable steps. This will give you a sense of accomplishment as you make progress, and it will also help you stay on track. There are very few things more satisfying than crossing off items from a to-do list.

5. Take action immediately

Finally, the subconscious needs speed to operate efficiently, just like a wildcat needs speed to catch its prey. Never break down the momentum. Once you've set your goals, take action right away. Don't hesitate and don’t wait for the perfect moment – just start working towards your goal today, right now. Even if you can only spare 15 or 30 minutes a day on your goal, every little bit of progress counts.

By using these strategies, you can increase your chances of realizing your goals and achieving success. Keep working towards your goals, and you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish. Never give up. No retreat, no surrender.