Applying a Thinking Tool to Create a Humorous Speech
Reading a "how to" book or taking a "how to" course doesn't magically transform a person's thinking abilities. Changing one's thinking methods can be as difficult as changing the established procedures of an entrenched bureaucracy. A person's old ways of thinking feel...
Book Recommendation: The Art of Nonfiction
by Ayn Rand
The Art of Nonfiction contains a host of insights about the writing process. I recommend it to all serious writers. The book is based on an informal course Ayn Rand gave to some of her associates in 1969. Although a few sections presuppose the original audience, most...
Case Study: Hard Thinking on Writing Problems
When I tell people about my course, sometimes they don't quite know what I mean by "hard thinking." I don't mean thinking on specialized subjects like astrophysics. I mean thinking on any subject in which, at times, it's not clear how to proceed. Some extra effort is...
Speed Up Confusing, Bogged-Down Tasks By Slowing Down Your Thinking
Sometimes, when there's more work on your plate than ever, your output slows to a crawl. When this happens, you may feel you should just speed up. But that impulse is mistaken. To get moving again, first slow down your thinking. Bogging down is evidence you've...
Book Recommendation: Getting Things Done
by David Allen
If you feel overloaded by all you have to do, there is hope. "It's possible for a person to have an overwhelming number of things to do and still function productively with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control." So says David Allen in the opening line...
Becoming More Productive by Testing the Rule of Six
"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...
Three Ways to Prepare for a Constructive Conversation
If you've been following my work, you know that I'm interested in making conversations on controversial topics more constructive and less contentious. I think I'm making progress, but, yesterday I had a contentious conversation with someone who I am in basic agreement...
Three Signs You Need to Check Your Premises
Ayn Rand coined the catch phrase: "Check your premises." A premise is a past conclusion that supports your present thinking. Her point was that if you arrive at a contradiction in the present, there is an error somewhere in your past conclusions. You need to find that...
Three Steps to Following Through on Your Priority
Your top priority is not necessarily the most important task on your list, nor is it necessarily the most urgent one. It is the one you decide you should do first--prior to the others. Often, as soon as you identify your top priority by naming the reason it's #1, you...
Want to be Happy? Set Objective Goals
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...