Darya Sinusoid

Darya’s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain/mind/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.

The Role of Extrinsic Rewards in Motivation

What role do rewards play in motivation? Have you ever done something purely for fun, then started getting paid for it? How did getting paid change how you felt about the work, and how motivated you were? According to Daniel H. Pink, the author of Drive, rewards—specifically, extrinsic rewards—are only effective when the job is low-skill, routine and, monotone. However, when the job requires creativity and intelligence, extrinsic rewards actually diminish motivation and performance. In this article, you’ll learn about the psychology behind rewards and motivation. Specifically, we’ll discuss why extrinsic rewards are ineffective in motivating performance in the long-term.

How to Stay True to Your Organizational Purpose

How to Find Your Major Definite Purpose in Life

What is organizational purpose? Do you feel like you often lose sight of your purpose as change gets in the way? Organizational purpose is the grand vision of an organization that pulls its different functions together. Although most businesses will have a purpose, many struggle to stay true to it as circumstances get in the way. There are five techniques to stay true to your and your organization’s orienting purpose as you navigate change.

The Psychology of Confidence: Where It Stems From

What are some things you feel confident about? What do you think gives you that confidence? Where does confidence stem from in general? According to Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, the authors of The Confidence Code, real confidence stems from mastery. You can only be truly confident about your ability to do something because you have the hard evidence for it—you’ve worked hard and pushed through the difficulties to master it. In this article, you’ll learn about the psychology of confidence: what confidence is, why it’s important, and how women seem predisposed to have less of it than men.

Tax-Advantaged Accounts: What You Need to Know

What are tax-advantaged accounts? What kind of financial assets should you use a tax-advantaged account for? Tax-advantaged accounts are tax-deferred or tax-exempt. You should use these accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, for holding tax-inefficient assets (e.g. bond funds that generate taxable interest, actively managed stock funds, CDs, and REITs). They pay interest and non-qualified dividends and produce capital gains distributions. Below, we’ll take a look at the basic types of tax-advantaged accounts and their key characteristics.

Daniel Pink: Autonomy vs. Independence

What is autonomy in the context of motivation? How does autonomous motivation improve performance? Autonomy gives you more internal choice over what to do and how to do it. Autonomous motivation has been associated with: greater conceptual understanding, better grades, job satisfaction, higher productivity, less burnout, faster company growth, and better psychological health. According to Daniel Pink, autonomy is acting with internal choice but it is different from independence. In this article, you’ll learn about the autonomy component of motivation.

The Greatest Salesman in the World: Quotes

Are you looking for The Greatest Salesman in the World quotes by Og Mandino? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? Written in 1968, The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino teaches that to achieve any goal, you need to develop the habits and attitudes of a great salesperson, which means acquiring self-confidence, emotional control, persistence, generosity, humor, and humility. The book’s ten principles (contained in the scrolls) provide a framework centered around positive thinking and self-discipline, the building blocks of any kind of self-improvement. Below is a selection of The Greatest Salesman In the World

Adaptive Leadership Skills: Do You Have What It Takes?

What is adaptive leadership? What does “leading adaptively” entail in practice? Adaptive leadership is an emerging leadership model which conceptualizes leadership as the ability to solve “adaptive challenges”—problems that have no known solutions. An adaptive leader has the ability to lead an organization through the difficult, uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous process of adaptation, and make it thrive while doing so. According to leadership experts Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky, and Ronald Heifetz, there are six characteristics to consider when it comes to assessing yourself and your adaptive leadership skills.

The 4 Investing Mistakes Beginners Should Avoid

Are you considering getting into investing? What are the most common investing mistakes beginner investors tend to make? In his book The Simple Path to Wealth, blogger and financial expert J. L. Collins warns new investors of four pitfalls they should know about before investing their hard-earned money. These include financial advisors, winning stocks, dollar-cost averaging, and common investment cons/scams. In this article, we’ll look at four pitfalls investors should beware of, starting with financial advisors.

The Confidence Code: Book Overview

What is The Confidence Code about? Why do girls tend to grow up less confident than boys? In their book The Confidence Code, journalists and authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman examine confidence—what it is, why it’s important, and why women seem predisposed to have less of it than men. While the book focuses on confidence in women, much of the confidence-building advice applies to men too. Below is a brief overview of the key takeaways from The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman.

Daniel H. Pink on How to Increase Intrinsic Motivation

What is intrinsic motivation? What are the three elements of intrinsically motivated behavior? As the name suggests, intrinsic motivation is an internal drive to perform a behavior or engage in an activity. According to Daniel H. Pink, the author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, there are three components of intrinsic motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. In the book, he gives a number of tips on how to increase intrinsic motivation. We’ve grouped them into three categories: 1) personal motivation, 2) motivation in the workplace, and 3) motivation with your children.