4 Simple Steps to Using a Time Block Schedule (Gary Keller)

4 Simple Steps to Using a Time Block Schedule (Gary Keller)

Most people don’t have a productivity problem; they have a priority protection problem. Research suggests the average professional is interrupted every 11 minutes, yet it takes over 20 minutes to regain deep focus. To reclaim your output, you must stop managing your to-do list and start mastering a time block schedule. Definition: A time block schedule is a productivity method where you divide your day into dedicated segments (blocks) of time, each reserved for a specific task or category of work, preventing “context switching” and ensuring your most important work receives your peak cognitive energy. In his book The ONE

The First Agreement: Be Impeccable With Your Word

The First Agreement: Be Impeccable With Your Word

Words are incredibly powerful tools. They possess the ability to be used for immense good or to deeply hurt others and ourselves. Don Miguel Ruiz suggests we think of them as either White Magic or Black Magic. In The Four Agreements, Ruiz says the first agreement is “Be impeccable with your word.” Keep reading to learn how words are like seeds planted in the fertile ground of the human mind—and you can choose to plant seeds of goodness or seeds of fear.

Superbloom by Nicholas Carr: Book Overview & Takeaways

A young woman staring at her mobile phone at nighttime with city lights in the background

Nicholas Carr’s book Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart argues we’ve traded physical existence for hyperreality—a state where digital simulations such as Instagram feeds and AI-generated content carry more weight than real-life experiences. From the erosion of empathy to the rise of political polarization, Carr explores how algorithmic platforms exploit our psychology, reshaping our brains and undermining the foundations of democracy. Keep reading to discover why Carr believes the only way to reclaim our humanity and deep-thinking skills is through individual resistance and a deliberate return to the “friction” of the physical world.

23 The House of My Mother Book Club Questions & Activities

Several woman in a book club discussion sitting around a table in a cafe with bookshelves

We’ve put together discussion questions for The House of My Mother by Shari Franke that you can use with a book club or a class at school. We include sample answers, book club activities that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis The House of My Mother is a memoir by Shari Franke, the oldest daughter of Ruby Franke, whose family vlogging channel 8 Passengers gained 2.5 million followers before Ruby’s 2023 arrest on aggravated child abuse charges. Shari provides an inside account of growing

The Art of Uncertainty by David Spiegelhalter: Overview

An uncertain person struggling between an apple and orange

Most people don’t handle uncertainty well—we rely on gut feelings and vague language like “probably” or “likely” that mean different things to different people. The Art of Uncertainty by David Spiegelhalter reveals why our intuitions about uncertainty mislead us and offers a better approach: probabilistic thinking. If you master Spiegelhalter’s method for dealing with uncertainty, you’ll make better predictions, communicate risks clearly, and avoid both overconfidence and excessive caution. In our overview, you’ll learn why most “coincidences” are statistically inevitable, how to update beliefs when facing new evidence, and why intellectual humility beats false certainty.

Clarity of Purpose Comes From Aligning Decisions With Goals

A team of professionals meeting in an office illustrates how to achieve clarity of purpose

Achieving a true clarity of purpose requires more than a mission statement; it demands a shift from mere compliance to excellence. By establishing explicit decision-making criteria, leaders empower teams to align their daily actions with long-term goals, ensuring distributed efforts move in a unified direction. Keep reading to learn how to share a clear vision of the future that allows for sustainable decisions that resonate across generations.

4 Ways to Improve Competence in Yourself & Others

A woman's hands writing in a journal with the heading "LEARN" illustrates how to improve competence

Building a team where everyone can make decisions sounds great in theory. But it works only when people have the skills and judgment to back up those choices. L. David Marquet discovered this firsthand as a submarine commander, and his observations reveal how leaders can systematically improve competence in their teams. Continue reading to learn how to develop the kind of competence that makes distributed authority powerful instead of risky.

Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer (Book Overview)

The silhouette of a woman using a laptop at a desk

Can you love art made by terrible people? Claire Dederer’s Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma tackles this question head-on, exploring why we feel conflicted when artists we admire turn out to be abusers, bigots, or otherwise morally compromised. This guide walks through Dederer’s framework: the three most common types of monstrous artists (abusive men, rebellious women, and bigots), why these figures trouble us so deeply, and three possible responses to their work. We’ll also explore Dederer’s three core lessons about human complexity, drawn from her examination of figures like Picasso, Doris Lessing, Richard Wagner, and J.K. Rowling.

Why Traditional Leadership Is a Failure (but Remains the Default)

Board game playing pieces organized as a single leader separated from a group of followers illustrate traditional leadership

The leadership model most organizations still use was designed for a different era—one where work meant physical labor, not complex problem-solving. Retired US Navy Captain L. David Marquet explains why traditional leadership fails for modern knowledge work: It wastes human potential, creates organizational fragility, and can’t scale to meet today’s challenges. Keep reading to explore the deeper forces that keep this broken system in place—and what it would take to move beyond it.

Decentralizing Authority: Giving Control to Those Doing the Work

Two men working at desks in an office, seen from above, illustrate how to decentralize authority

Traditional leadership often operates on a “leader-follower” model, where those at the top hold the reins while the front lines simply execute orders. To build a resilient organization, leaders must shift this power dynamic and decentralize authority to the people actually doing the work. By moving decision-making closer to the source of information, organizations can move faster and more effectively. Read on to see how L. David Marquet’s transformation of the USS Santa Fe reveals how decentralizing authority creates a culture of ownership where every team member is empowered to act like a leader.