JP Popham

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#8. Intimidation > Difficulty

Most endeavors scare us off before we begin. This kills our ability to progress as intimidation becomes a reason to never start. We fear that by beginning something that may fail, we will be forced to sacrifice our time and our reputation. A lot of good can come from...

#7. Cheap Dopamine

Your brain is killing you. It chemically rewards you for doing things that used to promote survival. Food, social validation, and rest, interact with your brain telling you that you spent your energy well. In a survival situation, this is perfectly tailored to...

#6. Oranges

Every morning I eat an Orange. I have learned a few things from this practice. Oranges are remarkable. They sort themselves into slices, they keep you healthy, they are made of thousands of tiny juice balloons, they give you energy, and taste wonderful. Our lives are...

#5. Strangers and Friends

Insecure people, myself often included, believe they are disliked when overlooked or treated poorly. This is not usually the case. Most people who you interact with, will have no opinion of you at all. After you leave their cone of vision, they will not think of you...

#4. Using Optimization as an Excuse

There are an abundance of ‘hacks’ to make building habits easier. I hear them in the same conversation I have with myself every morning. Half of me says get up and go for that run, make breakfast, get in the shower. The other tells me that the bed is warm and the air...

#3. The Grey

Comparison plagues us all. We measure our own value based on what we see in other people. This is dangerous. Most people only show the best parts of themselves. They do their very best to hide there flaws from all but close friends. This makes comparison a losing...

#2. Life is Guaranteed to Kill You

We sit together in Deaths waiting room. Each of us on the list to be called into The Next Room. We are not sure exactly how long we will wait, but until then our time is our own. Some may reach for the magazines on the table, hoping to pass the time as quickly as...

#1. Purpose is Overrated

One of the greatest lies we tell ourselves is that purpose is required for action. We want to feel our work has intrinsic meaning before we even begin. This tricks us into pausing our life as we wait for lightning to strike. Purpose is born from hard work, not the...