Adam Callahan

1. You have more time than you think. You just waste way too much of it on social media and returning emails. Therefore, during your scheduled writing time, use an app to block yourself from accessing those time-sucks.


2. Schedule your regular writing time. Put it in your calendar. It is sacrosanct. It should be regular. It’s best if you work in the morni

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If you don’t add any value to the world (via your contributions, your character, your attitude, etc.) and you are constantly leaching energy from those around you, eventually this strategy will make your world small, limited, and miserable.

"Time is short, my strength is limited, the office is a horror, the apartment is noisy, and if a pleasant, straightforward life is not possible then one must try to wriggle thr

Observing your daily experience helps you discover true happiness

Through daily reflection on her experiences, Milner discovered that true happiness often came from unexpected moments of "wide focus" awareness, rather than conventional ideas of enjoyment, leading her to uncover deeper, more authentic desires.

Relief comes from asking "What are the facts?" instead of "What shall I do?"

By observing her own anger and impulses to control others, Milner discovered the power of detachment and shifting focus from "How can I make them do what I want?" to "Why are they behaving this way?" leading to a sense of relief and freedom.

How difficult it is to do as one ought every day without a single interruption. How difficult it is, not to dream up a book, but to write it without lassitude—in a word to be in good heart day after day.

In our everyday 3D lives, we apply force to matter and get predictable results. We unpack groceries, chop garlic, and switch on a stovetop to boil water for spaghetti. These familiar objects appear to be inert. They do what you make them do. But this model doesn’t port to inner moves. In the subtle realms of mind and emotion, applying force creates... See more

Don't try to work in a distinctive style. Just try to do the best job you can; you won't be able to help doing it in a distinctive way.

Style is doing things in a distinctive way without trying to. Trying to is affectation.

Affectation is in effect to pretend that someone other than you is doing the work. You adopt an impressive but fake persona, and... See more