I think the repeating story thing depends on context.

Good tip!

I've heard that this type of thing is often somewhat regional, at least in the United States.

Totally agree. So many people are "busy" because they make themselves that way, and it seems to stress them out far more than it provides any sort of fulfillment.

Agreed. A quick search for books on 'trading' reveals that the overwhelming majority of them focus heavily on the psychology of it. You are trying to beat your own brain's impulses just as much, if not more than you are trying to beat the market.

A lot of commenters (some of whom are inexplicably aggressive and dickish) seem to be missing an important element of this article: it's aimed at regular people with regular jobs, not at professional traders or at people who have nothing better to do than pour over spreadsheets all day.

This is very true, but the conditions are extremely important:

Anyone have any thoughts on negotiating parenting decisions specifically as it relates to step-parenting?

In the author's defense, and I admit I'm a fan of his articles, one of his big recurring themes in his writing is the importance of small or even tiny successes and improvements, and how they can really add up over time. So in that sense, arguably you really can have (small) overnight successes.

Lots of good info in the article and the comments, but if it hasn't been said yet: tools, tools, tools.

I used to threaten this kind of buffoonery to keep the daughters in line.

Good info as always, but I would love to see a hive five focused specifically on keyboard cases.

Winter tires — I'm not a "car guy", but they always seemed like more trouble than they're worth. (Depending on where you live and how much snow you drive in, of course.)

FYI, if you are an Audible subscriber, the audiobook version is currently on sale for $4.95, a great price for any audiobook. That sale ends tomorrow.

Don't just use these things for bribes, it's also important to provide spontaneous positive reinforcement, to "catch them doing something right", and reward them for it with one of those newly-discovered things that you now know they want.

FYI: Sadly, SwipeGood closed in 2011. No one can sign up anymore, although their site is still live and existing accounts remain active.

Good article, thanks!

I also second "Quiet" by Susan Cain. For anyone who has ever felt uncomfortable or less confident as an introvert, for anyone who regularly interacts with introverts in their professional or personal lives, this book offers a wealth of information and insights about how and why introverts and introversion are…

I'd like to more directly plug "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey, which was casually mentioned a few times so far. I think people are sometimes intimidated (or turned off) by its title and reputation, but it's a pretty easy read and well worth it.

I second this. If you consider yourself a nerdy individual, "The Nerdist Way" will very likely appeal to you — it takes a lot of classic productivity, motivational, and effectiveness advice and puts it in nerdy terms that nerdy people can easily relate to. For example, he discusses tracking his real-life tasks in an…