Mindset
About this category
Content whose primary subject is how an individual manages their own psychology, focus, habits, or relationship with work. The unit of change is the *person themselves*, not their business or team.
Showing 2363 articles for Mindset.
Productivity & habits
Podcast
Four strategies for achieving calm in turbulent times
The Daily Stoic
July 11, 2021
Productivity & habits
9
Deep work & focus
8
Relationships & family
6
Real-time news is designed to keep you watching, not informed.
A trusted close relationship is your most underrated source of stability.
Win the morning phone-free — tackle your most important work first.
Productivity & habits
Podcast
The productivity baby steps for mastering your professional life
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
July 8, 2021
Productivity & habits
9
Deep work & focus
7
Goal setting
5
Seven-step system for moving from disorganization to complete mastery of your professional workload
Break long-term projects into discrete work chunks: aim for one to four days per task maximum
Daily shutdown routines create mental closure and prevent work bleeding into your personal life
Identity & self-belief
YouTube
Finding happiness by starting with the end of your life in mind
Bill Gallagher
July 6, 2021
Identity & self-belief
9
Goal setting
6
Having everything you wanted but still feeling trapped is common.
Imagine the end of a successful life — who would you be?
Becoming that person now dissolves suffering faster than solving problems.
Deep work & focus
Podcast
Taming Distracting Thoughts: The Inner Dialogue
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
July 5, 2021
Deep work & focus
9
Resilience & grit
6
Your wandering thoughts aren't distractions—engage with them through solitude and journaling.
Creative rituals and the ramp technique sustain deep work without daily exhaustion.
Rumination differs from healthy solitude; therapy helps when internal dialogue spirals obsessively.
Deep work & focus
Podcast
Making the Deep Life Happen Through Listener Calls
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
July 1, 2021
Deep work & focus
9
Productivity & habits
8
Work-life balance
5
Sustain deep work by setting boundaries from organizational strength, not avoidance
Replace social media minutes with reading to build the intellectual life
Connect semester goals to daily actions through time blocks and weekly reviews
Productivity & habits
Podcast
How Much Reading Should You Do?
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
June 28, 2021
Five books monthly or two chapters daily builds compounding intellectual depth over time.
Make reading your default activity during downtime instead of defaulting to digital distractions.
Specific reading metrics feel slightly contrived but generate significantly more reading than intuition alone.
A simple strategy for making better decisions: the Iceberg Yes
How I Work
June 28, 2021
Saying yes to anything means saying yes to the full iceberg
We overweight exciting outcomes and underweight hidden effort
One question reframes every decision: what's below the surface?
Deep work & focus
Podcast
Seven stoic productivity strategies for focused, deep work
The Daily Stoic
June 27, 2021
Deep work & focus
10
Productivity & habits
9
Why your morning phone habit is destroying your best work hours
Perfectionism is paralysis — small daily wins beat chasing results
Saying no is a skill: every yes costs capacity on what matters most
Productivity & habits
Podcast
Returning to office: manage interruptions through informal productivity structures
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
June 24, 2021
Productivity & habits
9
Deep work & focus
7
In-office informal structures naturally reduce workplace interruptions better than remote.
Productivity requires thoughtful design across activity selection, organization, execution.
Time block planning gives every hour a job and trains discipline.
Identity & self-belief
Podcast
Einstein: curiosity, nonconformity, and the cost of imprudence
Founders
June 22, 2021
Identity & self-belief
8
Deep work & focus
7
Resilience & grit
6
Being a brilliant rebel cost Einstein nine years of job rejections
His miracle year happened with no prior signs of a breakthrough coming
Curiosity and solitude, not raw intelligence, drove his greatest insights
Productivity & habits
YouTube
13 daily habits that helped build a nine-figure company
Noah Kagan
June 21, 2021
Productivity & habits
10
Goal setting
8
Communication
5
The habit of following through when no one is watching is a superpower.
Tracking net worth monthly is what actually made the difference financially.
Scheduled silence — no podcasts, no music — unlocks creativity no book can.
Deep work & focus
Podcast
Staying Motivated on Long-Term Projects
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
June 21, 2021
Deep work & focus
9
Productivity & habits
8
Identity & self-belief
5
Progress accretes from planning, not motivation—structure beats feeling.
Deliberate practice means stretching past your comfortable ability repeatedly.
Work location matters more than time for avoiding distraction.
Productivity & habits
Podcast
Creating Art Without Social Media Pressure
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
June 17, 2021
Productivity & habits
8
Deep work & focus
7
Artists can build careers without social media using in-person events, blogging, and direct relationships.
Deploy social media as a professional tool only—schedule posts on desktop, avoid phone interaction entirely.
Define the exact business value you need, isolate that activity, and keep personal use completely separate.
Resilience & grit
Podcast
Grief and Entrepreneurship: Building Mental Resilience Through Life's Losses
Startups For the Rest of Us
June 15, 2021
Resilience & grit
9
Work-life balance
7
Grief is embedded in entrepreneurship through exits, departures, and failures—learning to process it prevents burnout-driven decisions.
Selling a company creates real loss despite financial success; skipping the emotional work causes months of post-exit disorientation.
Burnout distorts decision-making and requires six weeks of rest to rebuild brain circuitry; use summer for restoration and diverse experiences.
Deep work & focus
Podcast
Should you read the news? Deep work, email, and decision-making
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
June 14, 2021
Deep work & focus
9
Productivity & habits
7
Processes & SOPs
5
Take a news break and read Sunday papers instead of obsessive daily feeds.
Email's real problem is hyperactive hive mind—batching fails, you need structural change.
All work thrives on sequentiality and attention: one task fully focused before moving next.