Category Archives: Advice

Did I Take That Pill?

Posted on September 15, 2011 by AJ Kessler

I take vitamins every night, after I get home from work.  By that point I’m tired, I’m thinking about a million different things that need to get done in the short time between getting home and going to bed. “Shit.  … Continue reading →

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On Handling Critics

Posted on September 14, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Anyone who produces art, or voices opinions, or does anything publicly, will have critics.  Guaranteed. I wrote a post about frugality that got a tiny bit of attention on the web and was bombarded with insults.  Did I care?  Well, … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Food For Thought, Quotes, Relationships, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Being Absurd: It Works

Posted on September 12, 2011 by AJ Kessler

We’ve talked before about how an anchor point can seriously change the course of any negotiation.  This effect, where you plant a number in someone’s mind, works because people aren’t terribly rational.  They’re unwittingly susceptible to all sorts of manipulation, … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Money, Negotiation, Persuasion, Rationality, Self-Improvement | 1 Comment

Beat Procrastination By Being Self-Centered

Posted on September 11, 2011 by AJ Kessler

If you work any sort of normal job, you’re probably forced to do a lot of stuff you’re not terribly enthusiastic about doing.  Paradoxically, this work can often take longer because we tend to lose focus.  We stall, we procrastinate, … Continue reading →

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60 Chances

Posted on September 10, 2011 by AJ Kessler

If you’re really lucky, or extremely unlucky, you may realize how short your time is on this planet sometime in your teens.  For most people, this revelation comes much later, but let’s be generous and use 15 years old as … Continue reading →

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Priorities

Posted on September 9, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Power is out.  Pretty much everywhere south of Los Angeles.  Our entire operation shut down immediately.  Even in an office where everyone basically just reads and writes all day, a loss of power is totally crippling. There was nowhere to … Continue reading →

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Your Horsepower Is Irrelevant

Posted on September 6, 2011 by AJ Kessler

An engine can only produce so much horsepower.  If you’ve got a 300 horsepower engine, it’ll produce 300 horsepower.  Sure, you can expend a lot of effort, bore those cylinders out and up the horsepower 10%, but you’re still in … Continue reading →

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Chasing Glamor

Posted on September 1, 2011 by AJ Kessler

I want to be an architect so I can design amazing buildings. I want to be a lawyer so I can help people and win big cases. I want to be a rock star so I can make music. These … Continue reading →

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The Million Dollar Answer

Posted on August 31, 2011 by AJ Kessler

I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. – Mark Twain We spend a lot of time and money worrying.  We walk around thinking about earthquakes and hurricanes and terrorist … Continue reading →

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Lawyer For A Day

Posted on August 30, 2011 by AJ Kessler

Time tracking can be life changing.  And, even though it’s really, really easy to do, it does take a tiny bit of discipline.  Unfortunately, like budgeting, this tiny barrier is enough to prevent just about everyone from doing it.  Fine.  … Continue reading →

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Most Of Your Stuff Is Worthless

Posted on August 29, 2011 by AJ Kessler

I’ve written about the benefits of eliminating clutter before.  I’ve made a conscious effort to only buy stuff I actually need and am going to use.  I’ve gone through several rounds of getting rid of stuff I own.  That said, … Continue reading →

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Reclaim Your Mornings With An Automated Wardrobe

Posted on August 28, 2011 by AJ Kessler

It can take my girlfriend 20 minutes to decide what she’s going to wear on a given morning.  That’s 20 minutes not spent enjoying breakfast, or the news, or sportcenter, or working out, or extra working time, or whatever it … Continue reading →

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Fake It ‘Til You Make It: Physiologically Sound

Posted on August 27, 2011 by AJ Kessler

From Psychology Today: The great surrealist artist Salvador Dali was described by his fellow students at the Madrid art academy as “morbidly” shy according to his biographer Ian Gibson.  He had a great fear of blushing and his shame about … Continue reading →

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What They’re Really Asking

Posted on August 26, 2011 by AJ Kessler

A lot of people don’t really want advice, they want you to tell them what decision to make, or they want permission to implement the decision they’ve selected. Recognize these people and these situations early. If you’re up to it, … Continue reading →

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Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry

Posted on August 25, 2011 by AJ Kessler

You’ll end up buying more than you want. Make plans when you’re fresh, not at the end of the day when you’re exhausted. Set goals when you’re on a roll; don’t undermine them after a failure. The hard part isn’t … Continue reading →

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