“When the mathematician would solve a difficult problem, he first frees the equation of all incumbrances, and reduces it to its simplest terms. So simplify the problem of life, distinguish the necessary and the real.”
― Henry David Thoreau

Simplifying your life reduces anxiety and stress. It makes you seem like a superhuman compared to the people around you who are scrambling to keep up with self-imposed chaos.

Try these three tips:

1. Focus on one thing at a time. If you multitask or jump from one task to another, you’ll add stress and waste time.
2. Make small decisions quickly. Instead of analysis paralysis, take a small step, evaluate, adjust, and repeat.
3. Batch tasks. For instance, only check email twice a day or write two blog posts instead of one.

“Some questions are like matryoshka dolls; once opened, new ones come out!”
― Mehmet Murat Ildan

The most important questions don’t always have direct answers. That’s fine. It means we need to ask ourselves more questions. If it truly matters, then it’s worth the trip down the rabbit hole.

For example, “What should I do?” requires more information. Who can help me? Why am I unhappy? When should I make a change? How do I achieve my dreams? All of these questions raise more questions.

If you want the answers, you need to dig deeper. It takes extra effort, and the process can force you to face reality in new and challenging ways, but don’t be satisfied until you find meaningful answers.

“Little things make big things happen.”
― John Wooden

When facing your everyday challenges, take a step back, shake things up for a moment, and reset your mind. The effect can seem almost magical.

If you have writer’s block, go for a walk.

If you need more ideas, take a shower.

If you want to slow down, play a game of chess.

If you lost your focus, meditate.

If you’re angry, frustrated, or depressed, give thanks for your blessings.

“Everything we know has its origins in questions. Questions, we might say, are the principal intellectual instruments available to human beings.”
― Neil Postman

“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”
― Voltaire

A good FAQ page lets your customers or users find all the answers they need in one place. It lets you spend your time on more important matters than answering the same question repeatedly.

A personal FAQ list is a bit different. It’s a list is made up of the questions that you should ask yourself “frequently” to stay on track and keep growing. It helps you quickly push past obstacles and spend your time on actions.

Unlike a traditional FAQ, it doesn’t include the answers, because the answers change constantly. The key is to ask yourself empowering questions.

The questions and categories change over time. You should add, modify, or remove questions based on new insight and experience.

Here are some example categories and questions to get you started:

Start my day.

• What am I grateful for?
• What are my high-level goals?
• What can I do for someone else today?
• What limiting beliefs are holding me back?
• What would I do right now if I could do anything?
• What will it take to achieve what I want?
• What are my three top priorities for today?

End my day.

• What am I grateful for?
• What happened today?
• How did I fail?
• How can I do better tomorrow?

I feel overwhelmed.

• What are my three most significant challenges?
• What can I eliminate to add time and energy?
• Who can I ask for help?
• Why is this hard?

Make a decision.

• Why am I doing this?
• Should I do this?
• Will this make my life better?
• Will this bring me closer to the people I care for?
• Should I do something else?

I’m afraid to act.

• What’s the worst that could happen?
• How would I deal with that?
• Will I care about this in 20 years?

Solve a problem.

• What problem am I trying to solve?
• Has anyone else ever solved this problem?
• What did they do?
• How can I break this problem down into smaller steps?

Determine a course of action.

• How can I uniquely contribute?
• How can I add the most value?
• How can I help the team win?
• Where are my skills and talents needed most?

The project is complete or the event is over.

• What did I expect to happen?
• What actually happened?
• Why did it happen?
• How can I improve the process?

Something bad happened.

• Is this a problem or a challenge?
• What actions are immediately necessary?
• How can I take ownership?
• How can I take care of my family, friends, or team?
• How can this situation help me grow?
• What will I do to prevent this in the future?

I’m frustrated or depressed.

• Is my ego getting in the way?
• How can I adjust my state to improve my mood?
• How can I improve my life right now?
• How can I add some variety to my routine?

“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”
― Winston S. Churchill

If you want to become a leader, you need to decide to step up and lead.

You’re not always going to be in an official leadership position, but don’t let that stop you. When the team needs you, be ready to go. You don’t need a fancy badge or title. You simply need to recognize the situation and take appropriate action.

Train yourself for that moment. Learn about leadership. Read, observe, study, and practice. Yes, practice. Practice the techniques of leadership. Practice humility, communication, relationship building, and decision making. Practice bravery, empathy, and harnessing your intuition.

Then lead.

Don’t force anything, and don’t stop being a good follower. Just lead where you’re needed. Volunteer to lead small projects and small teams. Put what you’ve learned into practice and adapt to the situation. Finally, like all great leaders, never stop improving.

“No one can make you jealous, angry, vengeful, or greedy — unless you let him.”
— Napoleon Hill

There’s a lot of stuff in life that you have no direct control over. Let that stuff go. Don’t waste time stressing about anything you can’t control.

You can’t control:

• Other people’s opinions
• Other people’s feelings
• Other people’s actions
• The economy
• The weather
• Your past
• The passage of time
• Death

You can absolutely control:

• What time you get out of bed
• What time you go to bed
• What you eat and drink
• How often you exercise
• The content you consume
• Your attitude
• Your words
• Your happiness
• Being grateful

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

My question for employers is: Do you want the best talent, or do you want the best talent that lives nearby or will relocate, and will make the commute every day?

If you don’t hire and keep the best talent, someone else will take them. And that company will win.

If you want the best people, give them flexibility.

Don’t measure butts-in-seats. Measure meaningful results.

Some jobs require or work better on-site. Think hard about the tradeoffs.

“He who knows how to use both large and small forces will be victorious.”
― Sun Tzu (孫武)

Small teams get big things done. They have vision and purpose, and they have people who take ownership. Collaboration happens naturally, and communication is simple and effective.

Small teams have shared energy. They take advantage of their size and embrace the constraints and pressure they constantly face.

On small teams, people hold each other accountable, but also hold each other up. It’s easy to see the people who are unable or unwilling to perform and help them or remove them.

But small teams also have big challenges. There’s not a lot of room for mistakes. Time constraints are always present. Prioritization is critical.

If you’re on a small team, here are some ways to step up your game.

1. Be a leader. You don’t need a title to lead the people around you. Lead through words and actions.
2. Communicate constantly. If you’re behind, if you need help, let the team know as soon as possible.
3. Look out for your teammates. If someone on the team is struggling, or distracted, or having a bad day, pick up the slack.
4. Never question intent or effort, but be ready to question strategy.
5. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but learn from them and share the learning.
6. Prioritize what matters. If it doesn’t matter to the mission, find something else to do.
7. Wear multiple hats. Saying, “It’s not my job,” doesn’t help the team.
8. Stay positive. When things are going wrong, stay calm, slow down, and fix the problem.

“If your words or images are not on point, making them dance in color won’t make them relevant.”
― Edward Tufte

Most PowerPoint presentations are pretty bad, but it doesn’t have to be that way. A little effort and planning can go a long way towards keeping the audience interested and engaged. So, here are four simple tips to quickly level up your next PowerPoint presentation.

1. Spend your time improving content, not colors.
2. Present one idea at a time.
3. Read your notes, not your slides.
4. Rehearse your presentation out loud.

“Sallah, I said no camels. That’s five camels. Can’t you count?”
— Indiana Jones, The Last Crusade

What do you need to get done today? Write down up to three things. That’s your limit.

Forcing yourself to limit the list means you have to prioritize. Pick the tasks that will make the day a success. If those tasks are all you accomplish today, you should be happy with the results.

If you’re not sure what should go on the list, answer two questions:

1. What tasks are necessary so my life doesn’t get worse?
2. What tasks move me significantly closer to my goals?

Be ruthless in your prioritization. It’s amazing how many “necessary” tasks can be delayed indefinitely. If you don’t need to do it today, leave it off. You can always do more once you complete the list. Remember: If everything’s important, nothing’s important.

Once you have your list, start knocking out those tasks. Pick the easiest item if that gives you a psychological edge. Go for the hardest first, if you want to feel the relief of getting it done. It doesn’t matter, because you already limited the list to only the important stuff.

Now for the hard part. Repeat this process tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. At the beginning of each day, prioritize your list and get moving on those tasks. After a week or two, look at your progress. Check in again after a month or so. After a year of hitting your three most important targets each day, that’s over 1,000 items checked off. Enjoy your victories, but keep moving forward. Don’t stop. There’s so much more to achieve.