I love deadlines. To the point that I sometimes fake them.

If you want to become an expert at something, hard work matters. Research suggests that it takes around 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert in a particular field. We tend to focus on that part: the work. But there’s another essential piece we often overlook: deliberate rest.

Have you tried Oliver Burkeman's 3/3/3 Technique for planning your work?

Do you ever find yourself lying awake, running through tomorrow’s to-do list or worrying about a thing you've forgotten (although you are not quite sure what it is)? This is often the result of open loops.

You're doing everything right. You have a to-do list, and it's up to date. Everything has a due date. So how come deadlines still seem to take you by surprise, and you end up rushing to complete things on time?

I was listening to episode 361 of Cal Newport’s Deep Questions podcast recently. A listener asked: “How can I get round to reading all the email newsletters I’m subscribed to?”.

I delivered a talk recently and afterwards, someone said to me, "You’re so confident... I could never do that".

I just delayed starting an important project until next week. Am I procrastinating?

Being busy is not the same as being productive.

Because I write, doodle, and speak about productivity, you might assume I’m in a permanent state of productive flow: focused, energised, and ending each day with a clear to-do list. Let me reassure you: that’s not always the case.

I recently listened to episode 964 of Chris Williamson's Modern Wisdom podcast, where Simon Sinek shares how he defines friendship and it’s not in the way most people do.

Do you struggle with too many thoughts and not enough focus? You might have “Popcorn Brain”.

Resting when you are already exhausted is too late.

“Practice makes perfect” might not be a phrase I love (perfection isn’t the goal), but the core idea holds up. We improve at what we do often. The thing is, this works both ways.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, you’re probably juggling too many priorities at once. And when everything is urgent, nothing is.

Are your chunks too big?

Over the years, I have taught many "soft skills", such as confidence, presentation, and communication skills, and I continue to do so. But I've always struggled to see them as "soft".

Positive self-talk... I know it sounds a bit woo-woo, but it matters.

“The more I move, the more I am moved.” This quote from Libby DeLana’s book Do Walk says so much with so few words (there's a link to the book at the end of this post).

If your work involves leading or supporting others, you’ll know how much energy it takes. Some activities leave you feeling energised, while others drain your reserves.