...There is ample evidence that giving someone else a boost, whether giving compliments or expressing gratitude, has a mood-lifting effect and contributes to well-being. This means that everyone benefits — givers and receivers alike...
...Downstream actions react to problems once they’ve occurred. Upstream efforts aim to prevent those problems from happening...
...Quite simply, each new innovation or idea opens up the possibility of additional innovations and ideas. At any time, there are limits to what is possible, yet those limits are constantly expanding...
...Like so many things, the order is not optional...
...An analysis of three large, well-known heart disease studies found drinking one or more cups of caffeinated coffee was associated with decreased heart failure risk. Drinking decaffeinated coffee did not have the same benefit and may be associated with an increased risk for heart failure...
...putting self first, wanting to be liked rather than to lead, making decisions reluctantly, elevating harmony above productive argument, and not trusting subordinates...
...There are also times for asking, “If I spend this dollar, where is the highest-leverage place to spend it?” instead of, simply, “How can I avoid spending this dollar?”...
...For a little spice, you can add either dried or fresh chiles...
...Unless we know why someone made a decision, we can’t safely change it or conclude that they were wrong...
...Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do...
...What if you replaced “doing” with “improving” or “reinventing” or “transforming”?...
...If you play life as a finite game, you train for the rules. If life is instead an infinite game, you focus on being educated to adapt to unknowns...
...Rather than setting your sights on achieving the unattainable 100%, concentrate on hitting 70%+ consistently...
...Play defense. Remember the long game. Control what you can control. Prepare for the worst and hope for anything remotely better. Always stick to principles over patterns...
...Useful writing tells people something true and important that they didn't already know, and tells them as unequivocally as possible...
...This is your mainstay recipe for perfect roasted Brussels sprouts [Ed. Note: add balsamic vinegar for an additional taste]...
...Splitting up goals into smaller pieces allows more of our temporal selves to pitch in, but it also makes each contribution seem less essential and easier to skip. The problem is one of optimal granularity—ideally, each contribution would be crucial yet manageable. In short, to get the lumps we want, we must do some artful slicing...
...Ending with a digression, or with an unimportant detail, is particularly to be avoided...
...Put your oxygen mask on first...While seemingly selfish, Schuster writes, “we do not do well when we are not taking care of ourselves.”...
...When deciding whether to do something, if you feel anything less than “Wow! That would be amazing! Absolutely! Hell yeah!” — then say “no.”...
