Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

3 Ways to Accept Your Emotions (Even the Ones That Aren’t Fun)

What’s the difference between your experiences and your perceptions of them? What’s a simple way to mitigate disappointment? It might seem counterintuitive but, if you want to find true happiness, you must accept your emotions—all of them. That’s the view of Oliver Burkeman, who provides three methods for embracing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Read more to understand Burkeman’s argument and techniques that can put you on the road to happiness.

Making Time for Self-Care: 2 Simple Tips From Grace Beverley

Do you neglect self-care because you don’t have time? What price do you pay for that? In Working Hard, Hardly Working, Grace Beverley explores how to integrate self-care and productivity by bringing self-care time into your work time. But, she also says it’s important to engage in pure self-care outside of productivity time so you can regularly experience the benefits of work-free leisure. Continue reading for Beverley’s practical tips for making time for self-care.

The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything Fast (Overview)

Would you like to learn a new skill but think you don’t have the time? What would you learn if you could gain proficiency in just 20 hours? It can be hard to find the time, energy, and motivation to learn something new. Fortunately, in the international bestseller The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything Fast, Josh Kaufman provides a simple and effective method for learning almost any skill in just 20 hours. Continue reading for an overview of this encouraging and instructive book.

3 Ways to Change Your Goal Mindset & Reenvision Success

Are you rigid with your goals, or do you give them room to breathe? How do you handle fluctuations in motivation? Goals are an important part of achievement. But, your approach to setting and fulfilling goals has a big impact on their effectiveness. Oliver Burkeman recommends that you adopt a flexible goal mindset, and he shares three practical tips to move you in that direction. Keep reading to learn how to change your goal mindset as well as your relationship with success itself.

How to Find Happiness in Life: 3 Offbeat Approaches to Joy

Is there one blueprint for happiness? Do you feel like you’ve tried everything, only to be stuck in discontentment? Recognizing that life can’t be controlled frees you from the limitations of pursuing constant positivity while enriching your life and revealing joy in unexpected places. That’s the view of Oliver Burkeman, who provides several alternative approaches to well-being and contentment. Read more to learn how to find happiness in life—in ways you might not have explored before.

The Eisenhower Method: Ditch the To-Do List, & Get More Done

How long is your to-do list? Do time-sensitive tasks get lost in the shuffle? Do urgent items constantly keep important items on the back burner? Grace Beverley says there’s a better way. She recommends the Eisenhower Method as a replacement for a traditional to-do list. She explains how it can help you increase productivity, minimize wasted time, and stay organized. Keep reading to learn how the Eisenhower Method works and consider how it might be a valuable work companion.

The 20-Hour Rule: Josh Kaufman’s 7 Tips for Practicing a Skill

When practicing, which is more important—quality or quantity? When should you sleep in relation to your practice time? How much practice should you fit into one day? In The First 20 Hours, skill acquisition expert Josh Kaufman outlines a step-by-step process for mastering the basics of any new skill with only 20 hours of practice. He provides several tips designed to help you get the most out of those 20 hours. Keep reading to get Kaufman’s advice on leveraging the 20-hour rule of skill acquisition.

Stop Trying to Be Happy: Forced Positivity Tends to Backfire

Do you use positive affirmations? Do you struggle to keep negative feelings at bay? Oliver Burkeman contends that you should stop trying to be happy by forcing positive thoughts. He says that doing so only exacerbates negative feelings; it doesn’t make them go away. Read more to learn how forcing happiness can have the opposite result.

3 Profound Ways to Be Comfortable With Uncertainty

Do you rush into things just to avoid uncertainty? How well do you distinguish between real and perceived threats? Oliver Burkeman asserts that being comfortable with uncertainty can diminish fear and anxiety, leading to deeper, more genuine happiness. This approach encourages you to find joy amidst the unpredictability of life, rather than striving for control. Continue reading to learn three methods that Burkeman recommends for feeling more comfortable with impermanence and uncertainty.

Robert Shiller’s Narrative Economics: Overview & Takeaways

What can we learn about economics by taking a “narrative” approach? How can such a perspective help us predict future economic events? Robert Shiller’s Narrative Economics acknowledges that numbers and statistics often take center stage in economics. But, we often overlook the influence of narratives and popular ideas. The book shows what we can learn about economics when we consider these additional factors. Continue reading for an overview of this book that encourages us to look broader and deeper to understand our world.