Category: Behavior
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Types of advice
Some advice you need falls into the category of: “I don’t know how to do this, can you help.” There’s a problem, one you may not even fully know how to articulate, and you need someone else to do the solution, because you don’t have the knowledge or experience or…
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Big, Boring, Important
The roads that were built in the 1930s as a result of the New Deal’s Public Works Administration were not the most technically complicated things. Sure, from a civil engineering standpoint there were problems to be solved and bridges to be built and techniques to invent to more efficiently build…
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Ordering the steps
Always work from the simple to the complex. And the funny thing is, the better you get at the simple, the more you realize you may not need complex at all, or at the very least your idea of necessary complexity has moved down the scale significantly. Most of the…
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Hack: it’s right there in the word!
Etymology is great. Here are the top three definitions of the word “hack” in its verb form: to cut or sever with repeated irregular or unskillful blows to cut or shape by or as if by crude or ruthless strokes ANNOY, VEX It can serve as a noun or an adjective…
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A better way
Somewhere in the chasm between apathy and obsession there is simply “paying attention.” This is where you want to be when it comes to your money. You can call it budgeting, or you can make up your own word and call it that, but whatever you do, just pay attention.…
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Do or do not, there is no try
No amount of money will make you generous. There’s no level of wealth you need to reach in order to make philanthropy important to you. This is not a math problem.
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How most problems are solved
My doctor recently remarked to me in an offhand sort of way that it’s amazing how many physical ailments can be cured or at least greatly improved by behavioral changes. Diet, exercise, sleep, therapy, time outside, time away from screens, etc. Sometimes drugs and surgeons have to get involved of…
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If you give a mouse a cookie
If you give a person a raise, they may need to bump up their percentage of tax withholding. To offset the pain of higher taxes, the person may want to celebrate and spend the (net) raise on a vacation. The vacation may require some new clothes. The new clothes may…
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Five steps
Decide what is important. Decide that it’s actually important. Put processes in place to reflect those decisions. Sacrifices will have to be made (see step 2). Notice what happens. Tweak and repeat.
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False dichotomies
Regular Trading vs. Doing Nothing $$$$ Vacation vs. Boring Vacation Private School vs. Maladjusted Children Work vs. Retirement Making good decisions is hard enough. When we short-circuit the process by setting up choices that are rigged from the get-go, then good decisions go from being elusive to being nearly impossible.
