#11: Buy better knives — I’ve learned a lot in the last 25 years — enough to convince me that I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was 25 years ago. It’s not that I didn’t know much, it’s just that I was wrong about so many things. I wish I were as smart…

How to use it, master it, and not let it ruin you — There’s one trait that can lead to amazing performances. It’s a trait that many admire, but also many fear. The trait creates a singular focus that cannot be broken until an aim is reached. It makes the holder impervious to both pain and pleasure. It can result in brilliant works…

It’s not about the idea, it’s about the people — When I heard successful author Gregg Hurwitz speak around a year ago, he made one comment that surprised me. I used to think of a successful author as someone who sits in front of a computer and types all day. Almost magically, I pictured the perfect story just pop out…

Unpacking the tendency to find a solution without fixing the underlying problem — “Why hasn’t this problem been fixed?” I asked. “It’s been going on for years.” I was sitting down with a mentor. We were discussing a problem that I was experiencing and trying to resolve. I had a few ideas but wasn’t sure what to do. It was an institutional problem…

It’s okay to do something stupid… an inside look at the decision — I had just finished writing a tax opinion for a sophisticated client. It was near the end of the fiscal year, so my mind was swirling with thoughts of accounts receivable, bonuses, and which clients could pay by December 24. I had all of three minutes to stop and reflect…

You will be remembered for your scars, not your victories — Leading people would be so easy if everyone listened to everything the leader said. We could tell everyone who the leader is, then let the leader tell everyone what to do. All would follow the leader’s instructions. Pick a good leader and everyone will succeed. But nothing works that way…

Chasing comfort will only take you so far — A bloodied young man walks up to an old Buddhist monastery. He seeks protection, but also revenge against the men who killed his family. His last hope is a hidden school that is rumored to teach exactly what he needs to know. He desperately pleads with the gatekeeper to allow…

And how to replace them — “If I eat just one of the Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls, it won’t affect me.” How many times have I had that thought? Too many. I’ve had other thoughts, of course, that aren’t productive. We all have thoughts that don’t help us at all. So why do our own…

For a children’s book, at least — I recently took one of the silly stories I told my kids and turned it into a children’s book called CinderToot. I used the writing, publishing, and marketing of CinderToot to teach my four young kids about starting a business, being an entrepreneur, and executing an idea. My dream was…