That American Grind

“Even when you know you should start small, it’s easy to start too big. When you dream about making a change, excitement inevitably takes over and you end up trying to do too much too soon. The most effective way I know to counteract this tendency is to use the two-Minute Rule, which states, “When … Read more

Stop Procrastinating and Start Doing “Motion makes you feel like you‘re getting things done. But really, you’re just preparing to get something done. When preparation becomes a form of procrastination, you need to change something. You don’t want to merely be planning. You want to be practicing.” James Clear Atomic Habits If you’re starting at … Read more

Deliberate practice is a framework for improvement pioneered by Anders Ericsson and his 3 + decades of researching top performers in their respective fields. In the book Peak, author’s Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool give an in-depth analysis on what deliberate practice is, what it isn’t, the research surrounding it, and the hot button issues … Read more

Negotiation is a skill that it pays to know- literally! This post is based on the 8 best quotes from Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. You’ll be able to apply them immediately to improve your negotiation skills.  1. “Splitting the difference is wearing one black and one brown shoe, so don’t compromise.” This … Read more

Angela Duckworth’s Grit is one of those books that everyone should read. When That American Grind creates it’s mandatory reading list, Grit will be on it. Effort is what matters most. And you, yes you, already have the necessary attributes needed to grow your skills. Let’s jump into the quotes. (Quick note: The page numbers … Read more

Do you want to communicate more effectively using the written word? This post is for you. I’ll begin with a general summary of On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser. Next up, I’ll summarize the most important themes with some supporting examples. To finish off, I’ll share my overall view … Read more

Today we’re going to have a deeper look at the concept of ‘psychic entropy’ as introduced in Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This post will explore the definition and effects of psychic entropy and then go over an effective strategy to help break its negative feedback loop. What is Psychic Entropy? … Read more

I’m sure you’ve experienced a moment when you’re totally ‘in the zone.’ Your attention is fully focused on what you’re doing – no thoughts about what you’re going to have for dinner. It might have happened during a sporting activity, at work, or while reading a book. You were 100% in the moment. This is … Read more