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.

How to Win Competitions When the Margins Are Slim

Is there a trick to winning competitions? How do the world’s top athletes consistently stay on top of their game? According to American chess player Josh Waitzkin, the key to winning competitions, even when the margins are incredibly slim, is to operate on a deeper, more subtle level than your opponents. In practice, this means achieving enhanced perception through deep refinement of your skills and control of your mental arena. Here’s how to win competitions even when the margins are small.

How to Master a Skill: Deepen Your Fundamentals

What is the key to mastering a skill? Should you focus on one technique or diversify your practice? According to Joshua Waitzkin, the author of The Art of Learning, real skill comes from a deep, singular focus. In terms of skill-building, he argues that you reach excellence by refining a set of fundamental skills, rather than practicing a wide range of techniques. For example, focus on learning a single style of piano, like baroque classical, rather than trying to learn classical, jazz, and ragtime piano all at once. Here’s how to master a skill, according to Waitzkin.

Sun Tzu: Attack by Stratagem, Rather Than Force

What is “attack by strategem”? Why is it best to attack by strategem rather than force? Sun Tzu said that the best outcome in a war is to take your opponent whole and intact instead of obliterating it completely—that’s the premise of attack by stratagem. If the battle is won, but the opponent’s forces and country are obliterated, that’s a lesser victory than if you are able to overcome them and force a surrender. Keep reading to learn about the attack by stratagem tactic.

How to Use Gamification in the Workplace

What is gamification? What are some examples of gamification in the workplace? Gamification is the practice of using gaming elements such as scores, leaderboards, and achievement badges to make work more engaging. In their book The 4 Disciplines of Execution, Chris McChesney, Jim Huling, and Sean Covey suggest using a scoreboard to gamify workplace dynamics and improve team engagement. Here’s how to use gamification in the workplace.

How to Keep Training With an Injury

How do you continue training with an injury? How can you use your injury as an opportunity to grow? Skipping training to let your body heal from an injury is frustrating. While many choose to see injuries as setbacks, you can choose to see them as opportunities to grow. American tai chi champion Josh Waitzkin says you should keep training through injury but only practice psychological aspects of your skill. Here’s why you shouldn’t stop training when injured.

Chunking: A Learning Technique for Better Retention

What is the chunking study method? What makes chunking such an effective way to learn? In the context of learning, chunking is where you learn the basic elements of a skill, then combine them into compound skills. Learning via chunking enables you to perform more complex skills with intuitive ease, executing multiple elements in tandem. Learn about the chunking learning method, why it works, and how to implement it.

Sun Tzu: History & Principles of War

The Hero With a Thousand Faces: Book Overview

Who was Sun Tzu, and why is he important? What was Sun Tzu’s military philosophy? Sun Tzu is an influential figure in ancient Chinese history. Sun Tzu’s book The Art of War, written over two thousand years ago, remains an iconic text on military strategy and conflict resolution. Sun Tzu’s principles guide you through the steps required to become a competent leader and fighter. They also teach you how to determine victory, when to engage in combat, and when to use intelligence and intimidation to dissolve conflict without confrontation. The following are some historical examples that augment Sun Tzu’s principles

The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Book Overview

How often have you or your organization come up with an amazing plan, showed it off, admired it, been sure that it’s the solution to all your problems—only to have it die a slow death over the following months? In hindsight, what do you think prevented you from putting your plan into motion? In their book The 4 Disciplines of Execution, Chris McChesney, Jim Huling, and Sean Covey say this isn’t uncommon, because strategy (making the perfect plan) is much easier than execution (actually carrying out your plan). McChesney, Huling, and Covey’s system—or 4 Disciplines—addresses this challenge with a framework

Josh Waitzkin: The Key to Athletic Success Is Creativity

What is the key to athletic success? What do the world’s greatest athletes do differently? According to American tai chi champion Josh Waitzkin, when it comes to competing in the top league, it’s not skill or technical mastery that makes an athlete stand out—it is creativity. Your creativity is a unique asset—just like every musician makes their own music, you’ll express your skill in a way unique to you. Here’s how to find your creative style as an athlete.

Josh Waitzkin: How to Learn Better and Faster

Does learning come easy to you? Would you like to learn better, faster, and more effectively? According to Josh Waitzkin, effective learning comes from your deep commitment to your growth process. In his book The Art of Learning, he explains how to learn more effectively, drawing from his long experience as a world-class chess competitor. Here’s how to learn better and faster, according to Josh Waitzkin.