When some teacher, a long time ago, during an undergrad seminar in goal setting, let me in on the secret that I had a “personal brand”, I was sold. Spending my time building, crafting, improving my self in a goal-directed project-like way was something I’d never considered before. Referring to self-presentation as “branding” is apt. It underlies what the Millennial […]
Categorie: Self-improvement
Why You Should Schedule Productivity Cheat Days
Self-improvement is not a temporary thing, but a way of living. It’s not some medicine you take only until the sickness goes away and you can return to your, unchanged, usual ways. Self-improvement is all about your usual ways. Therefore, once you’ve started, it’s always there. In the background of everything you do. The way I wash, how I dress, […]
How To Lose Your Mind: A New Perspective On Flow
I’ve crafted my ideal routine. Every morning, six days a week, I go to the library to execute the studying routine and 4 hours later that felt like 30 minutes come out with dissertation progress. Honestly, I look forward to doing that work. Reading, making connections, considering arguments, structuring information — I love it. It feels good. There’s nothing on my mind. […]
I’m Losing My Battle With Shame
No. This couldn’t be true. I was watching Brene Brown’s second TED-talk last week. She’s the ‘vulnerability researcher’ whose first TED-talk went so viral that random people now yell at her — “VULNERABILITY TED! VUL-NE-RA-BILITY TED!” — in the supermarket. In her follow-up presentation, she tells us about two self-talk patterns shame drives. The first: “You’re not good enough.” This is not a remark about […]
No, You Don’t Need To Be Confident All The Time — And Why You Shouldn’t Even Try
Many things lend themselves to quick fixes. People who deny that — “It justcan’t be that easy!” — are uninformed or afraid to take responsibility for their lives. Headspace helps us meditate, Runkeeper motivates us to exercise, QualityTimetracks our screen time and various food-track apps monitor our calorie intake. For productivity, start your day ‘unplugged’ with a cold shower and a glass of water, light breakfast, black coffee, […]
What If Unhappiness Contains The Secret To Happiness?
Maybe we should just give up the pursuit of happiness. When you go for it head-on, you will miss it. As the 19th-century philosopherJohn Stuart Mill wrote about his existential crisis: “Those only are happy (I thought) who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on […]
Stop Prioritizing Popularity — You’ll Never Grow
I want to disable my access to my (Medium) stats. In Greek mythology, Sirens are creatures that seduce sailors with their irresistible voices, drawing them to their deaths. In Homer’s Odyssey, the hero Odysseus, passing through, instructs his sailors to plug their ears with beeswax and to tie him to the mast, leaving him there, no matter how much […]
Why Is There A Taboo On Chasing Your Dreams?
I can’t stop thinking about this Tweet. It says: I want to go far in life. So that kids with autism have me as an example of what their future could be like instead of Rainman or Sheldon. (Though I love Sheldon) Zjos is 22, has autism and suffers from depression. Just like her brother, who killed […]
Why Are You Not Making An Impact? Perhaps It’s Just The Middle
The middle is where it gets tough. In the beginning, you’ve still got all the enthusiasm. And when you can see the finish line, you start your sprint. The middle, though, often feels like a quicksand of pointless deadlines, tasks and loose ends. Why I am undergoing this, again? In the middle, the mountain peak we remember seeing — hallucinating? — so vividly […]
The Most Important Skill You Forgot
Today, everywhere we turn, someone is trying to steal our attention. We are bombarded non-stop with attention stealing cannonballs aimed at our heads shouting “Hey look over here — you should really think about joining us!” Buy this! Vote that! Don’t vote that! Do something about this! Facebook sucks! Get active for my good cause! Jeans are so out of fashion! […]