Jim Eagar Reading Time: 6 minutesThe Problem with “Always Doing Your Best” Many productivity gurus insist we always do our best in all areas of life. But is that truly helpful—or even realistic? The mindset in the business world of “excellence in all we do” has been adopted by productivity and personal growth teachers who insist that we always do …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
Reading Time: 4 minutesYour Career and Family Gave You Purpose—Now What? Most of us don’t realize how much our job defines us—until it’s gone. For decades, work gave us a built-in sense of purpose and identity. We wake up every morning knowing what we need to do and who we are in the world. But retirement changes that. …