How to Burn 60 Million Calories
Minimize wasted friction by seeking alignment to convert as much energy as you can into contributing something of value.
Happy System, Happy Life
Apply systems theory to life design by understanding what your system does, then aligning around it.
The $95k Question from Your 95-Year-Old Self
What would your 95-year-old self bribe you $95k to do? I built a system to answer that but failed to help anyone else stick with their own.
“I Don’t Want to Optimize My Life” Is a Trap
When you say you don’t want to optimize your life, you’re still optimizing—you’re just outsourcing it to a much worse long-term optimizer.
I Was Wrong About Extrinsic Motivation: Bribes Work
A billionaire's $1,000 bribe taught his daughter—and me—that rewards aren't dirty fuel. They're a marketing budget for identity change.
How Personal User Manuals Make My Wife Annoy Me Less
When my wife annoyed me yet again, I resorted to using our personal user manuals to patch together with a solution that works for both of us.
Slingshot Yourself Through Life, One Quarter at a Time
Using focused intention, like pulling back a slingshot, to shoot yourself along with less effort, more effectiveness.
5 Steps to a Brutally Honest AI-Assisted Annual Review
The specific inputs, custom instructions, and nine prompts I gave AI to overcome self-deception in my annual review.
My Brutal, AI-Enhanced Annual Review
Why self-reflection fails and how AI-enhanced objective examination can reveal uncomfortable truths to improve your life.
What Goals to Focus On: A Strategic Approach
How to understand your cravings and choose goals that leave you feeling energized, fulfilled, and hungry for more.