Curiosity Chronicle

I Think You Need to Become a Beginner Again

In 2021, I left my traditional career track in finance to go all in on writing and creative work. I assumed that more time inputs would mean more, and better, outputs.

Brutally Honest Advice to My 22-Year-Old Self

I'm often asked for advice from people just starting out in life. When I respond, I imagine I'm speaking to my 22-year-old self. Young. Energetic. Highly ambitious. But

The Locksmith Paradox

In an apocryphal story, legendary painter Pablo Picasso was walking through the market when a woman approached him and asked for a drawing. Picasso quickly drew a small,

The Overwhelm Protocol

A six week stretch of travel had already reduced my output. Then, I got caught in an earthquake in Panama. And finally, upon returning home on little sleep, I was laid ou

30 Hours in a Massive Earthquake

Last Wednesday, I flew to Panama to deliver two keynotes. I was excited for the trip. I’d been once before as a kid and remembered the beautiful country. I completed the

The Loud Liker Theory

Confession: I’ve never been someone who was a natural in social settings. As something of an introvert, I struggled to build new adult relationships. I often felt others

The Stories You Tell Yourself

When I was 13 years old, a single story changed the course of my life. But to understand it, I need to take you back in time to a strange experiment from decades ago. N

My 90 -10 Rule for Routines

Confession: I'm a routine guy. I thrive on structure. I think of routines as a way to ensure execution against the daily action that contributes to long-term, compoundin

The Middle Path to Happiness

In the 3rd century BCE, King Pyrrhus was preparing for an aggressive military campaign in Italy when a trusted advisor named Cineas asked him a simple question: After co

The Protégé Effect: A Powerful Model for the AI Era

AI is quite clearly the biggest buzzword of the year. But one thing I don't see anyone talking about is just how much AI is shifting how rewards are earned. Things are

7 Lessons From My 2:49 Marathon (That Have Nothing To Do With Running)

Last week I wrote about failing a marathon. Six days later, at 5am, I drove back to the course alone and ran 26.25 miles in 2:48:47. Not because I needed the official re

Jevons Paradox: The Perils of Efficiency

In 1865, English economist William Stanley Jevons studied the impact of the increased efficiency of coal use. The common economic intuition said that as efficiency impro

I Think I Need to Talk About Failure

Last Sunday, I was scheduled to run a marathon with a goal of completing the race in 2:49:59. I trained all summer for the race, building up to 70+ mile weeks. I tapered

Be a Ford, Then a Sloan

The engineer took out an axe and slammed it into the brick wall. It was June 1896. The young man had spent months working in a small brick shed behind his rented house,

It Was Just a Game of Catch

Last weekend, my family and I made our annual pilgrimage to a small community in northwest Connecticut. When I was 18 months old, my parents had rented a house there for

A Lesson From a Mentor I'll Never Forget

I first met Tim Cook in 2014. I was just starting my career in finance and had signed up for a local gym that opened at 5:00am. I started arriving at 4:45am so I could g

9 Harsh Truths Nobody Told You About Success

I'm convinced that the market for telling people what they want to hear is much larger than the market for telling people what they need to hear. That one fact explains

The Focusing Illusion: A Science-Backed Life Trap

Imagine two different people on the same mid-January day. One lives in California. He walks outside in shorts and a t-shirt. The warm sun beams down on his face. He puts

The Hidden Debt of Convenience

A few weeks ago, I came across a podcast clip of Conan O'Brien talking about why he doesn't pay to fly private. He likes going through the airport, chatting with people a

Why You Need to Subtract: The Vasa Effect

In 1628, Sweden's mightiest warship sank less than a mile into its maiden voyage -- not because of an enemy attack, but because a king couldn't stop adding to it. I call