Self-Improvement Archives

The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman: Book Overview & Takeaways

Does it feel like happiness is always a step ahead of you? Have you ever tried to think positively and still felt unhappy? You’re not alone. Many people find it difficult to feel happy no matter how many positive thoughts they force themselves to think. Oliver Burkeman’s The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking sheds light on this conundrum. Continue reading for an overview of this book that might lead you to take a new approach to happiness.

What Skill Do You Want to Learn? How to Take the First Step

What skill do you want to learn? How should you go about choosing among the countless options? Skill acquisition expert Josh Kaufman provides a step-by-step process for mastering the basics of any new skill with only 20 hours of practice. His system favors efficiency, so the first step is to choose a skill wisely and then attach a specific goal to it. Continue reading to learn how to take the first step toward learning a new skill in a way that sets you up for success.

5 Reasons to Stop Chasing Success: It’s a Treadmill to Nowhere

Do you tend to fixate on your goals? What do success stories often leave out? Common self-help advice encourages you to set and relentlessly pursue goals designed to realize your ideal version of yourself. Oliver Burkeman notes that striving to achieve such goals creates five adverse effects that prevent you from attaining true happiness and success. Keep reading to learn how chasing success too often leads to failure and dissatisfaction.

How to Prepare to Learn a New Skill: 5 Tips for Efficiency

If you want to learn a new skill, should you just dive in? How can you maximize your chances for success and keep from squandering resources? Once you’ve chosen a new skill to learn, Josh Kaufman suggests you conduct research to learn about the skill and prepare what you need to practice it. Acquiring knowledge and information about the skill beforehand allows you to practice smarter and avoid wasting time and energy on ineffective techniques. Read on for Kaufman’s advice on how to prepare to learn a new skill before you start practicing.

3 Drawbacks of Positive Thinking in the Pursuit of Happiness

Are self-help books truly helpful? What common theme has problems of its own? If you’ve explored self-help advice, you’ve likely come across the belief that thinking positively is the only way to achieve true happiness and success. According to Oliver Burkeman, this widely accepted belief has three downsides that impede happiness. Continue reading to learn about these drawbacks of positive thinking.

14 Technology Addiction Group Discussion Exercises

Do you have a technology addiction? Are you ready to tackle it? Compulsively checking your Instagram feed may seem like a far cry from drug addiction, but the two are more closely related than you might think. The good news is that you can meet your technology addiction head-on by answering questions that get to the root of the issue and provide a path forward. Continue reading for several exercises designed for personal use or as part of a technology addiction group discussion.

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.

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.

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.

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.