Comment: "Spiraling" vs. "Layering" By spiraling, I mean taking multiple passes to complete a complex project, by roughing in the essentials, then working out the details in later passes on the project. In Thinking Tactics, I present this as a critical skill. I...
As a general rule, it is proper to trust your mind. Your conscious conclusions are based on all of your past choices, your past experiences, and the cumulative expertise you've built up over the years. However, when you make a decision based on limited information,...
Finding a Topic for Spiraling and Planned Evolution Exercises For spiraling and planned evolution exercises, you need complex topics that require multiple passes to complete. Usually the best choice is a large task which is not fully planned, or which could use more...
When we played 20 Questions as a family, the first question was always, “Animal, vegetable, or mineral?" If you are trying to identify an object, it falls into one of those categories. When you are mentally stopped, unable to concentrate, you should ask an analogous...
I am often asked what's wrong with setting a goal to "be happy" or "feel good." The problem is that these "goals" are subjective — ultimately circular. Goals need to be objective. To understand that goals need to be objective, first you need to understand what a goal...
I didn't set out to teach time management, but I sure talk about it a lot in my programs. That's because each aspect of a time-management system takes firsthand thinking to make it work. Consider the first basic problem in time management: keeping track of what you...
I've had every motivational problem ever. So when a participant in Launch 21 reported that she suddenly didn't feel like doing anything, I knew exactly what she was talking about. I call this being in a "funk." Suddenly, you live in a world that has nothing to offer...
The Atom Bomb Method The basic problem with the duty premise is that you feel you have no choice. It eventually leads you to paralysis, represented by the thought, "I have to but I can't (or won't)." When this happens to a writer, it's called "Writer's Block." Jerrold...
"The key to being productive is to stick to the six most important things you need to get done that day," says Chet Holmes, author of The Ultimate Sales Machine. Why six? Holmes argues that this makes the list short enough that you can be sure to complete the list. He...
In the previous article, I opined that only a productive purpose can serve as a a central purpose. Before going deeper into the positive point, I'd like to address some common questions. People ask, why not make recreation or relationships or emotional well-being your...
Powered by WishList Member - Membership Software