10 Most Popular Articles of All-Time
- Transform Your Habits: 45-page PDF filled with science-based ideas on how to build habits that stick, break bad habits, and master behavior change.
- Mastering Creativity: 36-page PDF on how to break through mental blocks, uncover your hidden creative genius, and make brilliance a habit.
- The Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting
- Warren Buffett’s “2 List” Strategy: How to Maximize Focus and Master Your Priorities
- How to Stay Focused When You Get Bored Working Toward Your Goals
- How Long Does it Actually Take to Form a New Habit? (Backed by Science)
- 6 Truths About Exercise That Nobody Wants to Believe
- Sisu: How to Develop Mental Toughness in the Face of Adversity
- How to Stop Procrastinating by Using the “2–Minute Rule”
- How to Get Better Sleep: The Beginner’s Guide to Overcoming Sleep Deprivation
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All Articles
March 2016
- The Evolution of Anxiety: Why We Worry and What to Do About It
- Stay on the Bus: The Proven Path to Doing Unique and Meaningful Work
February 2016
January 2016
- Lessons From Legendary General Sun Tzu: How to Use Military Strategy to Build Better Habits
- Upgrade Your Brain: How to Spot a Common Mental Error That Leads to Misguided Thinking
- The Akrasia Effect: Why We Don’t Follow Through on What We Set Out to Do (And What to Do About It)
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
- One Research-Backed Way to Effectively Manage Your Stressful and Busy Schedule
- Free Download: Transform Your Habits (3rd Edition)
- The Diderot Effect: Why We Want Things We Don’t Need — And What to Do About It
September 2015
- Debunking the Eureka Moment: Why Creativity Is a Process, Not an Event
- Scott Dinsmore: A Tribute
- The Next Chapter: I’m No Longer Writing Twice Per Week. Here’s Why
- 5 Common Mental Errors That Sway You From Making Good Decisions
- The Impact Bias: How to Be Happy When Everything Goes Wrong
- Shoshin: This Zen Concept Will Help You Stop Being a Slave to Old Behaviors and Beliefs
- Why Old Ideas Are a Secret Weapon
August 2015
- Overrated vs. Underrated: Common Beliefs We Get Wrong
- The 2015 Tiny Gains Challenge
- It’s Not Just About What You Say, It’s About How You Live
- World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov on How to Build Confidence in the Face of Fear
- Getting to Simple: How Do Experts Figure out the Correct Things to Focus On?
- First Principles: Elon Musk and Bill Thurston on the Power of Thinking for Yourself
- The Chemistry of Building Better Habits
- August Reading List: 5 Good Books to Read This Month
July 2015
- How to Stop Lying to Ourselves: A Call for Self-Awareness
- The Repeated Bout Effect: If Nothing Changes, Nothing Is Going to Change
- Olympic Medalist Dick Fosbury and the Surprising Power of Being Unconventional
- Habit Creep: The Proven, Reasonable and Totally Unsexy Way to Become More Successful
- Warren Buffett’s “20 Slot” Rule: How to Simplify Your Life and Maximize Your Results
- Be More Productive: The 15-Minute Routine Anthony Trollope Used to Write 40+ Books
- 2015 Procrastination Seminar: Focus on What Matters & Shave 10 Hours Off Your Workweek
- The Ivy Lee Method: The Daily Routine Experts Recommend for Peak Productivity
- The Power of Placebo: This Is What Happens When You Believe You’re Taking Steroids
June 2015
- Two Harvard Professors Reveal One Reason Our Brains Love to Procrastinate
- How to Stop Procrastinating and Boost Your Willpower by Using “Temptation Bundling”
- Lessons From a Vexillonaire: Creativity, Simplicity, and the Carefully Constrained Life
- Fast Growth is Overrated
- Famous Biologist Louis Agassiz on the Usefulness of Learning Through Observation
- How to Fall in Love With Boredom and Unlock Your Mental Toughness
- What I Do When I Feel Like Giving Up
- Inside the Mind of a Mad Scientist: The Incredible Importance of Personal Science
- Pat Riley on the Remarkable Power of Getting 1% Better
May 2015
April 2015
- You’re Not Ready for Marriage
- Design for Default: How to Optimize Your Daily Decisions
- The More We Limit Ourselves, the More Resourceful We Become
- Announcing the 2015 Motivation and Willpower Seminar (Live Event on April 22nd)
- How to Declutter Your Mind and Unleash Your Willpower by Using “Bright-Line” Rules
- How to Stick With Good Habits Every Day by Using the “Paper Clip Strategy”
- April Reading List: 3 Good Books to Read This Month
- The 2 Types of Growth: Which One of These Growth Curves Are You Following?
March 2015
- Do More of What Already Works
- Use This Simple Daily Habit to Add More Gratitude to Your Life
- My 2015 Integrity Report
- The Goal is Not the Point: Choose a Path and Then Walk It
- Your First Choice is Rarely the Optimal Choice: 5 Lessons on Being Wrong
- Zanshin: Learning the Art of Attention and Focus From a Legendary Samurai Archer
- Stop Thinking and Start Doing: The Power of Practicing More
- March Reading List: 3 Good Books to Read This Month
- Why We Act Irrationally: A Harvard Psychologist Reveals the One Word That Drives Our Senseless Habits
February 2015
- The Myth of Multitasking: Why Fewer Priorities Leads to Better Work
- The 5 Triggers That Make New Habits Stick
- Bob Mathias on How to Master the Art of Self-Confidence
- Albert Einstein’s Incredible Work Ethic: Lessons on Creativity and Contribution
- Announcing the 2015 Habits Seminar (Live Event on February 18th)
- Fear vs. Ambition
- Why Stores Place Candy by the Checkout Counter (And Why New Habits Fail)
- February Reading List: 3 Good Books to Read This Month
January 2015
- Vince Lombardi on the Hidden Power of Mastering the Fundamentals
- Announcing the Reading List: 100+ Good Books to Read
- 6 Famous Artists Talk About What It’s Like to Overcome Fear and Create Beauty
- Mental Models: How Intelligent People Solve Unsolvable Problems
- Joseph Brodsky Explains Perfectly How to Deal With Critics and Detractors in Your Life
- Reducing Stress: What Scientists Learned From the Children Who Survived a Famine During the Deadliest War in History
- Never Check Email Before Noon (And Other Thoughts on Doing Your Best Work)
- 5 Common Mistakes That Cause New Habits to Fail (and What to Do About Them)
December 2014
- My 2014 Annual Review
- Best of 2014: The 10 Most Popular Articles of the Year
- What I Do When it Feels Like My Work Isn’t Good Enough
November 2014
- Avoid the Second Mistake
- How Constraints Make You Better: Why the Right Limitations Boost Performance
- To Make Big Gains, Avoid Tiny Losses
- Time Assets vs. Time Debts: A Different Way of Thinking About Productivity
- 10 Lessons Learned from Squatting 400 Pounds
- Martha Graham on the Hidden Danger of Comparing Yourself to Others
- How Experts Practice Better Than the Rest
October 2014
- Minimalism, Success, and the Curious Writing Habit of George R.R. Martin
- Hacking the Workout Journal: How to Track Your Workouts in the Simplest, Most Effective Way Possible
- Sisu: How to Develop Mental Toughness in the Face of Adversity
- Warren Buffett’s “2 List” Strategy: How to Maximize Your Focus and Master Your Priorities
- Behavior Multipliers: 4 Reasonable Ways to Achieve Overnight Success
- The Theory of Cumulative Stress: How to Recover When Stress Builds Up
- Threshold Theory: How Smart Do You Have to Be to Succeed?
- “Email is Where Keystrokes Go to Die.”
- Free Download: Mastering Creativity (1st Edition)
September 2014
- How to Uncover Your Creative Talent by Using the “Equal Odds Rule”
- How to Sleep Better: The 3 Ways to Improve Your Sleep
- Exhaust Your Gifts: Lessons on Living a Meaningful Life from Nichelle Nichols
- 3 Simple Ways to Make Exercise a Habit
- Photo Essay: The Isle of Skye, Scotland
- How to Build Muscle: Proven Strength Lessons from Milo of Croton
- This Simple Equation Reveals How Habits Shape Your Health, Happiness, and Wealth
- What I’m Reading: Fall 2014 Edition
August 2014
- Measure Backward, Not Forward
- How Creative Geniuses Come Up With Great Ideas
- The Physics of Productivity: Newton’s Laws of Getting Stuff Done
- 7 Improvements I Have Made to My Writing and Work
- How to Build Skills That Are Valuable: Lessons Learned From Selling Matches
- Photo Essay: The Rocky Mountains and Streams of Colorado
- Mozart as Medicine: The Health Benefits of Music
- Breaking Bad Habits: How Vietnam War Veterans Broke Their Heroin Addictions
July 2014
- Habit Stacking: How to Build New Habits by Taking Advantage of Old Ones
- What Are You Measuring In Your Life?
- How to Solve Big Problems: Lessons Learned From Cancer Scientists
- How to Build Expertise, Talent, and Skill: Lessons From Peyton Manning
- How to Build a New Habit: This is Your Strategy Guide
- The Photographer Nobody Knew: Lessons on Sharing Your Gifts With the World
- How to Read More: The Simple System I’m Using to Read 30+ Books Per Year
- How to Get Better Sleep: The Beginner’s Guide to Overcoming Sleep Deprivation
- How to Be Motivated Every Day: Lessons Learned from Twyla Tharp
June 2014
May 2014
- Masters of Habit: The Wisdom and Writing of Maya Angelou
- How to Change the Habits of 107,000 People
- Do Things You Can Sustain
- The Only Productivity Tip You’ll Ever Need
- Let Your Values Drive Your Choices
- How to Find Your Hidden Creative Genius
- How to Solve Difficult Problems by Using the Inversion Technique
- What to Do When You Have Too Many Ideas (And Not Enough Time)
April 2014
- Plan For Failure: Being Consistent Is Not the Same as Being Perfect
- Photo Essay: The Beautiful Architecture and Design of Ancient Morocco
- Smart People Should Create Things
- The Power of Architecture: How the World Around You Shapes Your Thoughts and Actions
- Big Project Syndrome: Thoughts on Struggling to Finish My First Book
- Masters of Habit: The Deliberate Practice and Training of Jerry Rice
- How to be More Productive and Eliminate Time Wasting Activities by Using the “Eisenhower Box”
- How to Change Your Beliefs and Stick to Your Goals for Good
March 2014
- Stop Wasting Time on the Details and Commit to the Fundamentals
- I’m Using These 3 Simple Steps to Actually Stick with Good Habits
- My 2014 Integrity Report
- What I’m Reading: Hooked Edition
- Photo Essay: The Ancient Tannery of Fez, Morocco
- How to Eliminate Procrastination (The Surprising Strategy One Man Used)
- Leadership at Scale (Why I Write)
- How Long Does it Actually Take to Form a New Habit? (Backed by Science)
- Masters of Habit: Rituals, Lessons, and Quotes from Marcus Aurelius
February 2014
- The Myth of Creative Inspiration: Great Artists Don’t Wait for Motivation (They Do This Instead)
- The Power of Imperfect Starts: How Good Do You Really Need to Be to Get Started?
- I Watched an Artist Create Stained Glass And Learned An Important Lesson About Life
- The Power of Less: I Removed Every Inessential Thing From My Website and Here’s What Happened
- Photo Essay: The Blue City of Chefchaouen, Morocco
- Strategies I’m Using to Stay Fit While Traveling
- Treat Failure Like a Scientist
- Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day, But They Were Laying Bricks Every Hour
January 2014
- 10 Simple Ways to Eat Healthy Without Thinking, Backed by Science
- How to Stick With Good Habits Even When Your Willpower is Gone
- 40 Years of Stanford Research Found That People With This One Quality Are More Likely to Succeed
- Announcing the 2014 Habits Workshop! (A Live Event on January 28th)
- This Research Study Changed the Way We Think About Success (Here’s How You Can Use It)
- Feeling Uncertain Doesn’t Make You Weak, Weird, or Unqualified
- Nobody Says It, But This is the Greatest Weightlifting Lesson I’ve Learned
- This Coach Improved Every Tiny Thing by 1 Percent and Here’s What Happened
- Why Trying to Be Perfect Won’t Help You Achieve Your Goals (And What Will)
December 2013
- My 2013 Annual Review
- Best of 2013: The 10 Most Popular Articles of the Year
- Do You Have to be Unhappy Now if You Want to be Successful Later?
November 2013
- How to Be Thankful For Your Life by Changing Just One Word
- The Weird Strategy Dr. Seuss Used to Create His Greatest Work
- If You Sit at a Computer All Day This Mobility Exercise Will Change Your Life in 30 Seconds
- Follow the Recipe: Are You Being Patient Enough to See Results?
- What Every Successful Person Knows, But Never Says
- You’re Not Good Enough to Be Disappointed
- What Happens to Your Brain When You Eat Junk Food (And Why We Crave It)
October 2013
- 10 Common Mistakes That Prevent You From Being Happy and Healthy Today, Backed by Science
- Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.
- Photo Essay: The Skyscrapers of Chicago (And Thoughts on Finding Your Passion)
- Do the Painful Things First
- 3 Surprisingly Simple Things You Can Do Right Now to Build Better Habits
- How to Chase Your Dreams and Reinvent Yourself
- Stop Overdosing on Celebrity Gossip, The News, and Low Quality Information
- What I’ve Learned from 2 Years of Intermittent Fasting
- What I’m Reading: The Henrietta Lacks Edition
September 2013
- How Willpower Works: The Science of Decision Fatigue and How to Avoid Bad Decisions
- Plan for Chaos: How to Stick to Your Health Goals When Life Gets Crazy
- How to Stay Focused When You Get Bored Working Toward Your Goals
- Haters and Critics: How to Deal with People Judging You and Your Work
- The Fight is the Reward
- What to Do When You Want to Build Better Habits (But Can’t Get Started)
- Photo Essay: The Lowcountry of South Carolina
- Free Download: Transform Your Habits (The 2nd Edition)
August 2013
- The Crime Your Brain Commits Against You (And What to Do About It)
- The “Chosen Ones” Choose Themselves
- 6 Truths About Exercise That Nobody Wants to Believe
- Help Me Write the Perfect Book for You
- Lessons on Success and Deliberate Practice from Mozart, Picasso, and Kobe Bryant
- It’s Good to Feel Stupid: 5 Thoughts on Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt
- Photo Essay: The Northern Lights in Norway (and the “Do It Now” Motto)
- Live Longer: What You Can Learn from Elite Athletes and Why the Japanese Never Die
- Be Honest: Are You Rejecting Yourself? (Why You Should Make Things)
July 2013
- The Daily Routines of 12 Famous Writers (And How They Can Help You Succeed)
- How to Be Confident and Reduce Stress in 2 Minutes Per Day
- What is Actually Required for Success?
- How to Stop Procrastinating on Your Goals by Using the “Seinfeld Strategy”
- Simple Diet Ideas: Effortless Ways to Lose Weight and Eat Healthy
- Environment Design: How to Improve Your Health and Productivity Without Thinking About It
- Why I Hate the Typical Approach to Health (And What We’re Doing Differently)
- If You Commit to Nothing, You’ll Be Distracted By Everything
- Photo Essay: The Beaches of Northwest Costa Rica
June 2013
- The Mistake Smart People Make: Being In Motion vs. Taking Action
- How Your Beliefs Can Sabotage Your Behavior (And What You Can Do About It)
- How Positive Thinking Builds Your Skills, Boosts Your Health, and Improves Your Work
- Random Ideas About Life
- You Get 25,000 Mornings as an Adult: Here are 8 Ways to Not Waste Them
- Make More Art: The Health Benefits of Creativity
- What is Your “Average Speed” in Your Life, Your Health, and Your Work?
- The Difference Between Being “Not Wrong” and Being Right
May 2013
- It’s Not Your Job to Tell Yourself “No”
- How to Stop Procrastinating by Using the “2-Minute Rule”
- The Next Step for Our Community (Which Name Do You Like More?)
- Photo Essay: The Lakes, Mountains, and Villages of Northern Italy
- Achieve Your Goals: Research Reveals a Simple Trick That Doubles Your Chances for Success
- How to Break a Bad Habit (and Replace It With a Good One)
- Free Download: Transform Your Habits (The Full 38-page Guide!)
- Integrative Medicine: What if Your Doctor Prescribed Actions Instead of Medications?
April 2013
- What if You Treated Your Life Like a Team Sport?
- Post is coming!
- The Two Types of Inspiration (Are You Using Both in Your Work and Life?)
- How to Squat More: How I Went From Squatting 175 pounds to 350+ in 16 Weeks
- Learning From Superhumans: The Incredible Fitness and Success of Jack LaLanne
- The Science of Developing Mental Toughness in Your Health, Work, and Life
- Photo Essay: Pictures of Bridges Around the World
- How to Start Working Out When You Don’t Know What You’re Doing
- Natural Happiness: The Truth About Exercise and Depression
March 2013
- How to Focus and Concentrate Better: Lessons From a Lion Tamer
- Get Back on Track: 7 Strategies to Help You Bounce Back After Slipping Up
- How to Say No, Resist Temptation, and Stick to Your Health Goals
- Free Download: Foundations of Strength
- 3 Time Management Tips That Will Improve Your Health and Productivity
- Reader Mailbag: Answers to the Most Common Intermittent Fasting Questions
- How to Get Motivated When You Don’t Feel Like It
February 2013
- Why Everyone Should Act Like an Entrepreneur (Your Health Depends On It)
- How to Heal Yourself: Lessons From the Shocking Results of a $300 Million Diabetes Study
- How to Achieve Your Goals (This Simple Trick Makes Progress Easy)
- How to Start Eating Healthy (And Actually Stick to It)
- The 3 R’s of Habit Change: How To Start New Habits That Actually Stick
- 10 Proven Ways to Reduce Stress at Work (And Why Overwork Could be Killing You)
- Why Everyone Should Lift Weights: 3 Benefits That Nobody Ever Talks About
- 3 Surprising Reasons Why You Need to Rediscover Slow Growth
January 2013
- Lessons From a San Francisco Sunrise: The Magic of Committing to a Specific Goal
- 5 Simple Ways to Be Happy: Try These Today
- How to Stick to Little Healthy Habits (Like Flossing) Without Thinking
- Get Started: Why Getting Started is More Important Than Succeeding
- Move Towards the Next Thing, Not Away From the Last Thing
- High Expectations: When to be Unreasonable With Yourself (And When to Take it Easy)
- Why is it So Hard to Stick to Good Habits?
- You Are Not Alone: How a “Keystone Community” Makes All of Your Goals More Achievable
- Photo Essay: Moscow, Russia
- The Difference Between Professionals and Amateurs
December 2012
- Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year
- Keystone Habits: The Simple Way to Improve All Aspects of Your Life
- What Does it Mean to Live a Healthy Life?
- The #1 Regret From the Lives of Dying Hospital Patients (And How to Avoid It)
- Are You Living an Urgent Life or an Important Life?
- 12 Lessons Learned from 1 Year of Intermittent Fasting
- The Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting
- 116 Years Old: Lessons Left Behind From the World’s Oldest Living Person
- Photo Essay: Istanbul, Turkey
November 2012
- The 10 Pillars of Our Community
- The Easiest Way to Live a Short Unimportant Life
- Believe in Yourself (And Why Nothing Will Work If You Don’t…)
- Feeling Fat? Use These 2 Easy Ways to Lose Weight
- How to Be Happy: A Surprising Lesson on Happiness From an African Tribe
- Successful People Start Before They Feel Ready