Personal Development for Smart People^TM

At the start of each new year, in lieu of creating a New Year’s resolution, my tradition is to select an area of primary focus for the coming year.  Whereas a New Year’s resolution may succeed or fail, the choice of primary focus endures throughout the year.  Usually the choice is obvious enough that remembering it is a no-brainer.
How to choose an […]

I’m sure you’ve heard the Woody Allen quote that 80% of success is showing up.  While merely showing up — to work, to an audition, to a date, etc. — won’t guarantee success, it’s certainly a prerequisite.
A few months ago I began training in kempo, a martial arts style that could be described as a […]

In battlefield medicine the principle of triage involves dividing patients into three groups:  1) those who will die anyway whether they receive medical attention or not, 2) those who will survive anyway whether they receive medical attention or not, and 3) those who will survive only if they receive timely medical attention.
Despite its morbid nature, triage […]

People often ask me to help them assess what their odds of success will be in some new endeavor:  What are my odds of succeeding as a full-time blogger?  What are my odds of succeeding as an indie game developer?  What are my odds of succeeding as an entrepreneur?
On the surface it seems intelligent to assess your risks before embarking […]

Have you ever found yourself in a negative financial situation, either broke or deep in debt?  Maybe you’re in the midst of such a situation right now.  In this article I’ll share with you some insights on how to successfully recover from a negative financial situation.
Acceptance.
The first step in recovering from a negative financial situation is […]

I’m planning to send out the first issue of the Personal Development Insights newsletter this Friday, so if you’re interested in receiving it, be sure to sign up now, and make sure you click the link in the verification email after signing up.  If you can’t receive the verification email due to over-aggressive spam filters, you […]

How important is money?  How much is enough?  Is money a distraction from one’s spiritual path?  Is it a necessary evil?  Is it unfair that some people have more money than others?  Is poverty more noble than wealth?  Is it possible to become an enlightened millionaire?
Even among highly conscious people, the subject of money is a contentious […]

When designing a game, a good game designer will present the player with a solid collection of compelling choices.  As long as the choices remain compelling, the game has a chance of being fun.  But if the choices are boring, confusing, pointless, or broken, it’s unlikely a fun game will emerge… although you could still end up with a Zune.  […]