3-2-1: On the secret to self-control, how to live longer, and what holds people back

You get to pick a new career based on one factor: Your job is to do the activity that most frequently puts you into a flow state.

Flow state = you feel fully immersed in your work, you're in "the zone," time flies by without you realizing it, etc.

What do you choose?

"To hold our tongues when everyone is gossiping, to smile without hostility at people and institutions, to compensate for the shortage of love in the world with more love in small, private matters; to be more faithful in our work, to show greater patience, to forgo the cheap revenge obtainable from mockery and criticism: all these are things we can... See more

"Things that keep people from fulfilling their potential:

• Lacking the courage to try


• Trying to please everyone


• Imitating the desires of others


• Chasing status without questioning why


• Playing superhero and trying to do it all alone


• Dividing attention between too many projects"

"Think about self-control less as the quality of a person and more as the quality of a place. There are some places and situations that lean toward lower self-control and others that lean toward higher self-control. Self-control is about your context as much as your character. Put yourself in good positions."