Search Results for: "deliberate practice"

The Super Bowl and The Power of Deliberate Practice

We are knowledge workers. We get paid to think. Engineers construct, writers argue, lawyers debrief, chefs fuse. Each of these – and an ever growing list of careers – involve a person bringing value by what they know and how to apply it. If you can improve what you know and learn to apply it better, you can increase your value. A carpenter can do more with more tools but needs to learn to use them first. The same goes for our mental toolbox.

Deep Work Doesn’t Have to Be Done in Solitude

I’m a big fan of Cal Newport’s writing and his books, especially his book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. We’ve had several conversations about his working (and living) habits — he’s been a guest on my podcast on not one but two occasions — and his dedication to the concept

How I Get Unstuck

Yesterday I got stuck. So stuck, in fact, that I got very little done, let alone writing. I had my list of tasks that I was meant to work on, but I just couldn’t make marked progress on any of them. Sure, I’ve talked about I’ve used Unstuck to get out of situations like this

How My Minutes Fits Into My Workflow

Ever since I wrote about my workflow apps over at The Next Web, I’ve been working on writing up how I use them here at Productivityist.com. Next up on my list is an app that combines the timing power of 30/30 with the goal tracking elelemtns of Lift (but without the social sharing). My Minutes

The Most Unconventional Book Review I’ve Ever Written

Cal Newport is on to something. In his latest book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You, he goes against the grain of many popular theories that preach you should “follow your passion”. Instead, he suggests that skill trumps passion when it comes to a career. And I think he’s right.