Cobras and Shortcuts
There’s a famous story from colonial India that led to the phrase “The Cobra Effect.”The British government wanted to reduce the number of venomous cobras in Delhi, so they offered a reward for every dead snake brought in. At first, it seemed successful.Eventually, some people began breeding cobras on purpose so they could collect the […]
The Middle Is The Whole Thing
Most people think success comes from having the perfect plan or finally reaching the goal they set for themselves. Both of those ideas hide the same problem though. They make the present feel like it does not count.We see this all the time. Someone might say they will feel confident when they lose a certain […]
Why Self-Control Keeps Failing (and What Actually Works Instead)
By mid-January, something predictable happens.The rush of New Year motivation fades. Schedules fill back up. Stress creeps in. And the question quietly changes from hopeful to frustrated:“How do I get more self-control?”It sounds like the right question. It usually is not.A better question is this:“When life gets chaotic, who do I want running on autopilot? […]