“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” (Aristotle). A lot of what we do every day is habitual. Obviously, some of our habits are good and some aren’t, but they all work in the same way. Think of how powerful it would be if you did the [...]

As an economics teacher I like to think about how best to structure things to increase good outcomes. We can think of philanthropy as a market, where the donors and charities are trading. Economist James Andreoni explained this as an exchange relationship where people donate something tangible and in turn receive a “warm glow.”  But he [...]

Your college admission letter or essay is one of the most important documents you will ever write. I want to show you how to write yourself to the head of the pack. To do that I need to first explain to you the concept of Stump Speeches, which are often used by politicians. Regardless of [...]

The new problems of the world require fresh approaches. They require our ingenuity and our careful, creative consideration. You and I know this, but still most of us don’t often get meaningfully involved. Why is this? I think there is a collective feeling that these problems are too big for any of us to make [...]

Today’s graduates face a new breed of challenges as they enter the workforce. They will confront messier, intractable problems such as climate change, global terrorism, antibiotic resistant diseases and persistent market weakness. The same technologies that empowered them as learners at the same time also multiplied the potential for global havoc. And this has changed the definition [...]

These ‘’Commandments’’ are actually just life  lessons. They are reminders to myself about my favorite insights into how to keep myself happy and moving forward. 1) A clear target I’ve found it’s not enough to try hard, if you’re not working toward a clear outcome. Everyone says this, but I like it because, if I’ve [...]

You will likely make a million dollars. The average American earns between $1 million and $2 million dollars in their lifetime. But that’s not what I’m talking about. This article will tell you how to end up with $1 million dollars in your bank account. (And, as you’re about to see, you’re going to need [...]

This is the third time I have sat down to write this post. I keep deleting it. I watched a documentary this week in Sweden and I can’t put it out of my head. It was about a group of mountain climbers attempting to summit the second highest mountain after Everest (K2). I’m not going to ruin [...]

Seth (the MacDaddy of Marketing) Godin has gathered ideas from 60 brilliant people, each sharing their insights into what matters at the beginning of 2010. Frankly, if you flip through this slide show and don’t feel at least a tingle of inspiration, you’re reading the wrong blog. I can’t choose which ideas I’d most recommend. [...]

Resolutions have a bad rap. We are all sophisticated and smart enough to know we cannot be fooled. Not again. (If you’ve ever purchased a 12-month gym membership, you know what I’m talking about.) We’re wise to our own ways.

Just trust me for a moment and I’ll show you that resolutions can actually work. This process can be enjoyable; it can be painless and if you follow these simple steps you’ll soon be pushing your credit card over the counter at another fitness centre.