But failure is an integral part of growth, and embracing imperfection is necessary to live a life of creative adventure. As theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking once said: “One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist. Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.” Fortunately, we can

Managing your energy: When is my magic window? Managing your executive function: What belongs in this window? Managing your emotions: How can I keep the window open?

To navigate the disruption and come back to a place of active acceptance, Ntiruhungwa first labeled his emotions: the shaken confidence, the insecurity, the helplessness. Although the uncertainty was still there, he knew these subjective experiences were valid and was then able to calmly tackle the objective repercussions. He asked a few friends to

Sequential focus isn’t the same as time-blocking, where you segment your day in advance with predefined tasks. Rather, sequential focus leans into the ebb and flow of your cognitive capacity, prompting you to evaluate constantly: Given my current attention and working memory, what is the most sensible task to undertake right now?

Kairos captures what the traditional view of productivity ignores—that the value of time depends on the situation. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities can sometimes feel less important than reading a bedtime story to a child.

The Pooling Effect A community will give you access to a collective set of knowledge, skills, and physical assets that vastly exceed your own. Those communal resources empower you not only to achieve things you could not do independently, but to do so more efficiently. This way, your network’s diverse expertise and talents will complement your own

resulted in the creation of his 3-2-1 newsletter—three ideas from James, two quotes from others, and one question for the reader to ponder—a

By staying nimble and making adjustments when required, you can keep your experiment on track through changing tides. Be iterative, not dogmatic: approach this process with the humility of a scientist, not the rigidity of an officer following orders. Few aspects of life are like a military exercise in which speed defines success. As long as you’re

As a record of your activities, thoughts, and emotions, your field notes will serve as a rich source of observations that you can then turn into insights to guide the selection of your next experiment.