Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

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.

How to Be More Efficient at Work: 3 Ways to Use Time Wisely

If you could get more work done in less time, how would you spend the time you free up? What if you took breaks only when you needed to and not just when you wanted to? Grace Beverley asserts that productive work leaves you with more time for self-care, and self-care boosts your productivity by energizing you. She shares three ways to improve your efficiency: use the Eisenhower Method, engage in deep work, and take a break when you truly need to. Read more to learn how to be more efficient at work with Beverley’s tips.

How to Learn a Skill Fast: A 5-Step Accelerated Process

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Use-It-or-Lose-It Tendency

Do you need to pick up a new skill, like, yesterday? What’s the most efficient way to use your time and other resources? While there’s no way to skip straight to the last stage of the skill acquisition process, you can speed up the process. You can do this by researching the skill enough to practice intelligently, breaking the skill down into its essential components, and then putting in 20 hours of focused practice time. Read on to get practical advice from skill acquisition expert Josh Kaufman on how to learn a skill fast.

Robert Shiller: Bitcoin’s Value Is Tied to Its Narrative

Do you own Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency? Is investing in Bitcoin a good idea? According to Robert Shiller, Bitcoin provides an excellent example of the power of an economic narrative. He explains the fascinating Bitcoin narrative within a larger discussion of how we understand and predict economic behaviors in a qualitative rather than quantitative way. Read more to learn about the Bitcoin narrative and why it’s compelling to so many.

Grace Beverley’s 4 Productivity & Self-Care Strategies

Are productivity and self-care mutually exclusive? How can they feed each other and even operate together? According to Grace Beverley, productivity and self-care can work together in supportive cycles. She shares four strategies that will help you be more efficient, thereby freeing up time for self-care. In turn, this energizes you to get more done. She also shows how you can engage in self-care while working. Keep reading to get these valuable strategies that can transform the way you work and live.