Learn more about problemsolving with this collection
How to strengthen your willpower
How to overcome temptation and distractions
The role of motivation in willpower
3. Reread the masters
You were in high school when you read The Great Gatsby for the first time. You were just a kid when someone tell you the story of Odysseus.
The point is: You got it, right? You’ve already read them or learned about them, so you’re done, right?
We cannot be content to simply pick up a book once and judge it by that experience; it’s why we have to read and reread.
Because the world is constantly changing and we are constantly changing, therefore what we get out of books can also change.
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4. Ask people you admire for book recommendations
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s line was “If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.”
If a book changed someone’s life — whatever the topic or style — it’s probably worth the investment. If it changed them, then it will likely at least help you.
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“We should hunt out the helpful pieces of teaching and the spirited and noble-minded sayings which are capable of immediate practical application — not far far-fetched or archaic expressions or extravagant metaphors and figures of speech — and learn them so well that w...
SENECA
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5. Don’t just learn from your own experience
Humans have been fighting and dying and struggling and doing the same things for eons. To not avail yourself of their knowledge is arrogant and stupid.
Too much depends on you for you to learn solely by experience — you must also learn by the experiences of others. Drink deeply from history...
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If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you’re functionally illiterate.
GENERAL JAMES MATTIS
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6. Get out of a dry spell
The path to wisdom is long and circuitous with twists and turns, ups and downs, highs and lows. Maybe you’re in the middle of a low right now, or you’re at the very bottom of the valley. This can be a scary place to be, because it can feel like you’ll be stuck there forever. It can be impossible ...
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2. Keep a commonplace book
Take the time to type out quotes and passages from great books to feel great writing come through you.
For example, craft a “commonplace book” — a collection of quotes, ideas, stories and facts that you want to k...
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Far too many good brains have been afflicted by the pointless enthusiasm for useless knowledge.
SENECA
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How You Read
Even though reading is better than a lot of other activities, you can still do it poorly or for poor reasons.
To be a great reader, it is not enough that you read, it’s also how you read. The following strategies by no means are a complete list, but if you implement even a ...
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1. Stop reading books you aren’t enjoying
Life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy reading. My rule is 100 pages minus your age — so if you’re 30 years old and a book hasn’t captivated you by page 70, stop reading it.
That way, as you age, you have to endure crappy books less and less.
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Other curated ideas on this topic:
The four stages of personal development
- Discovery: We all go through periods of darkness and challenge and is where most of us discover the power of self-development.
- Consumption: Once you discover the world of personal development, you start reading books, blogs, listen to podcasts, wat...
The best story (Surah Yusuf Verse 3)
Surah Yusuf, Verse 3:
نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ
We in fact, We narrates on to you, this story in the best possible way it can be told, by way of having inspired this Quran to yo...
Answers To Common Interview Questions
- Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Don’t tell your life story; answer clearly and concisely. Focus on professional accomplishments.
- Why should we hire you over the other applicants? Say, “I don’t know the skill of others, but I do my own,” then highlight your strengths and ...
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