Exploring Retirement Coaching: My New Experiment

Reading Time: 3 minutesTaking Small Steps: Treating Coaching Training as an Experiment I’ve decided to follow my curiosity and interest in reinventing my own retirement and helping others to reinvent theirs. My first experiment in this direction is to complete a Certified Professional Retirement Coach (CPRC) course by completing one module weekly over the next three months. The …

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Productivity Apps and Systems Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All: Find Your Fit

Reading Time: 5 minutesThe Myth of the Universal Productivity App It’s not unusual for us productivity nerds to hear about a highly rated or recommended productivity app or system and assume it will work great for us. We think that because it worked well for the designer or the person recommending it, it will produce the same results …

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Did You Really Write That? Why Writers Should Disclose AI Use

Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen AI Sounds Human Artificial Intelligence (AI) large language models, such as ChatGPT, Notebook LM, and Grok, are rapidly improving. AI-generated writing is rapidly improving, blurring the lines between human and machine authors. Earlier AI-generated writing was easy to pick out. But now, it’s often unclear whether an AI or a human being wrote something. …

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Forget Your Five-Year Plan—Try This Instead

Reading Time: 4 minutes“Where do you see yourself in five years?” It’s the wrong question. It’s a favorite in interviews, and people worry about how to ‘correctly’ answer it. Some productivity systems strongly suggest that you ask this question regularly and always have a five-year and a 10-year plan on file. Instead of long-term guessing, embrace curiosity and …

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How to Read Nonfiction Like a Pro: Lessons from The Curious Reader’s Field Guide

Reading Time: 5 minutesA Guide to Reading Nonfiction with Purpose Many of us interested in tech, productivity, and living a good life read a lot of nonfiction books. In the past month, while slowly reading one book of fiction, I’ve read four nonfiction books about productivity, spiritual growth, healthy eating, and retirement. Recently, I ran across the book, …

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New ‘Updates’ Page Out Today, March 4, 2025

Reading Time: < 1 minuteLast Summer I started an ‘Updates’ page in my blog where I describe what I’m currently up to, adventures I’ve been on, and my media recommendations. If you’d like to see what’s up with me, visit my update page.

A Perfect Productivity System Isn’t the Goal—Doing What Matters Is

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Appeal of Productivity Systems—and Their Trap Many productivity enthusiasts start with good intentions—trying to get more done—but end up obsessing over the perfect system instead of actually doing the work. It’s easy to become enamored with apps and systems. It appeals to our nerdy, organizational side as introverts. Productivity nerds start seeing the goal …

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Apple Invites: A Free, Stylish Way to Send Event Invitations

Reading Time: 3 minutesApple Invites on iPhone, iPad, and Mac There’s a new free service from Apple available to Apple device users, Apple Invites. Apple Invites is designed to be accessible across the Apple ecosystem, though the experience varies slightly by device: • The iPhone – The Invites app is designed for the iPhone. Download it from the …

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Limiting Beliefs vs. Knowing Your Limits: How to Tell the Difference

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Common Misunderstanding Between Limits and Limiting Beliefs Have you ever stopped yourself from trying something new because you thought you couldn’t do it? That’s probably true of most of us. However, there’s a big difference between ‘knowing our limits’ and ‘having limiting beliefs.’ The two are often confused. Limiting Beliefs: Self-Imposed Barriers That Keep …

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