Category Archives: Life

Let’s take a step back. Why is discipline such a difficult thing to have? Two parts to my theory: first, if you’re reading this, the worst thing that might ever happen to you–and this is still unlikely at best–is that … Continue reading →

I think that ritual has to do with structure. While grad school was not easy, neither was it hard, because it formed a comforting structural framework for my life. Part of my identity was Mark Dalius, part-time MBA student at … Continue reading →

It’s hard to get things done, and I think the key to the struggle lies in discipline. I don’t have much of it anymore, and I don’t think anybody else does either, by and large. I feel like I, and … Continue reading →

Look again at that person who seems to multitask with ease and you will find someone who is absolutely disciplined about recognizing switching costs, about getting to completion, about not starting too many things, about saying “no” to things that … Continue reading →

I am loving the Rule of 3. It’s a fundamental recognition of the fact that, averaged out for time, it is not possible to plan for and achieve more than 3 meaningful outcomes in a single day. The idea is, … Continue reading →

Remember setup costs. If it takes one hour to set up a new computer–install all the software, set up the email client, update the antivirus software–how long does it take to set up 5 computers? Should take 5 hours, plus … Continue reading →

The 80/20 rule as it applies to task completion: 80% of the work takes 20% of the time. If you have a project that seems, to you, to be “nearly done,” you aren’t actually even halfway finished. That remaining “20%” … Continue reading →

You can work on one thing at a time. The more knowledge-intensive the task, the higher the switching costs. Plan to clean your living room. Get out the dustcloth and the vacuum and the polish and the glass cleaner, then … Continue reading →

My thinking is this: we start too much and finish too little. Fact: you can only really work on one thing at a time. Multitasking is a myth. Literally. “But my computer does multitasking,” you say. Elaborate ruse. Your computer … Continue reading →