Most beliefs are soft until challenged

Most beliefs are soft until challenged. When you tell someone they're wrong, the belief hardens. Instead of trying to convince someone they're wrong, assume they know something you don't and figure out what it is. I've found that saying, "Seems like you have a reason for saying that ..." helps them explain instead of defend. Half the time, they'll find gaps in their own reasoning before you have time to point them out. The other half, you'll learn something and change your own mind.

Audit Your Attention Leaks

Spend one day noticing where your attention gets pulled away. Track things like phone checks, notifications, open tabs, unnecessary messages, and small decisions that interrupt focus. At the end of the day, identify the two or three distractions that happen most often but add the least value.

The people who show up for you

The people who show up for you when you need them are never the ones you tried to impress. They're the people you helped when there was nothing in it for you.

Multi-tasking is mostly an illusion

Multi-tasking is mostly an illusion. What we’re actually doing is slicing our focus, jumping from one thing to another, and then back again. All that jumping decreases our productivity and, worse, erodes our peace of mind. You’re only doing one thing at a time anyway. Might as well embrace that instead of spending so much time shifting gears.

Just like me, but…

The actor, artist, mathematician, pianist, speaker, leader, tech nerd: Just like me, but talented. I’m not so sure. It might be more accurate to say “just like me, but dedicated.” The first approach lets us off the hook. The second approach opens the door to possibility.

The gap between event and reaction

Pay attention to what’s in front of you. Don’t let fear contaminate your understanding of the situation. Act with commitment. Notice the gap between event and reaction. Embrace the resources that are available to you.

We wish to be happier than other people

If you only wished to be happy, this could be easily accomplished; but we wish to be happier than other people, and this is always difficult, for we believe others to be happier than they are.