Darya Sinusoid, Author at Shortform Books

The Now Habit by Neil Fiore: Book Overview

What is Neil Fiore’s The Now Habit about? What is the key message to take away from the book? According to psychologist and productivity coach Neil Fiore, the problem isn’t that we’re lazy—it’s that procrastination is a symptom of the fear and anxiety we sometimes feel about our work. In his 1988 book The Now Habit, Fiore explains what procrastination is, why we do it, and most importantly, how to avoid it. Below is a brief overview of The Now Habit by Neil Fiore.

Opposing Views: The Antidote to Confirmation Bias

How does confirmation bias skew your judgment? Why is it important to seek the opposing viewpoint when making important decisions? In decision-making, confirmation bias leads us to overlook crucial information about our options. One way to resist your confirmation bias is to hunt for information that contradicts your existing beliefs. Here’s how seeking out opposing views can help you override confirmation bias and make better decisions.

Caring for the Dying: We Are Doing It Wrong

What matters most at the end of life? How can we align our approach to end-of-life care with the priorities of the dying? According to Atul Gawande, how we approach caring for the dying is at odds with what’s most important to people close to death. For the dying, living well in the present is more important than hoping for a better future. However, modern-day end-of-life care is designed with a future-oriented outlook in mind. Here’s why we need to reorient our priorities from the future to the present, according to Gawande.

Siddhartha Mukherjee: How Was DNA Discovered?

How was DNA discovered? Why did scientists initially dismiss DNA as a carrier of genetic information? Scientists discovered nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) in the 1920s, but they decided that nucleic acids were much too simple to carry genetic information. Therefore, they dismissed those molecules in favor of studying proteins, which were much more complex. Keep reading to learn how DNA was discovered.

How to Overcome Confirmation Bias in Decision-Making

The 25 Cognitive Biases: The Availability Bias

What is confirmation bias? How does confirmation bias skew your decision-making? Confirmation bias is the psychological term for our tendency to search for and favor information that underscores our existing beliefs. In decision-making, confirmation bias causes us to ignore information that supports our non-preferred options, even if those options are better. Here are some strategies for overcoming the pull of confirmation bias in decision-making.

How Perfectionism Drives Procrastination

Do your perfectionist tendencies cause you to procrastinate? How does perfectionism prevent you from getting things done? Sometimes we procrastinate because we’re worried about what can go wrong with a task or project. This happens especially when we demand perfection from ourselves. But perfectionism only exacerbates procrastination by making you more stressed. Here’s how perfectionism drives procrastination and what to do about it.

Surviving Childhood Trauma: A Path to Healing

Does everyone have trauma from childhood? How can suppressed emotions from your childhood affect your adult relationships? The source of your suffering may lie hidden in your unconscious, where traumas from your past—and your family’s past—are stopping you from being truly happy and free. Childhood trauma can reverberate throughout your entire life, preventing you from forming healthy relationships in adulthood. Surviving childhood trauma is a lifelong journey, but some deep traumas may never heal fully. Keep reading to learn about the roots of childhood trauma, how it manifests itself in adulthood, and the steps you can take towards healing.

Biology 101: How Do Genes Code for Proteins?

How do genes code for proteins? What is the process by which DNA directs the synthesis of proteins? The genes in DNA contain instructions for building the proteins which carry out all the functions necessary for life. The process in which DNA creates functional proteins is intricate and involves many different enzymes (proteins that aid chemical reactions). Here’s how genes create proteins, explained in simple terms.

Frailty Due to Aging: Why We Should Manage (Not Cure) It

Is frailty a normal part of aging? How can we ease the elderly’s burden of living with frailty? Because more of us reach old age than ever before, we live longer with its frailty. Worn out from long use, our bones lose density, our skin thins, and our organs begin to malfunction. Accustomed to medicine’s ability to restore our health, we aren’t prepared to live with these inevitable infirmities. Here’s why we should redirect our efforts to managing aging and frailty instead of attempting to cure the incurable.

How to Deal With Task Avoidance and Procrastination

Why do we avoid the things that matter most to us, even when we know that doing so makes us unhappy in the long run? What can you do to overcome procrastination? Sometimes, task avoidance and procrastination result from being overwhelmed with the work itself—especially when tackling a large or complex project. If that’s the case, try breaking down the project into manageable parts to avoid procrastination-spawning emotions like fear and anxiety. Here’s how “chunking” or breaking down projects can help break the habit of procrastination.