Published inILLUMINATION ·Pinned Member-only A Daily Planner Changed My Life The Bullet Journal Method I use — I have a poor memory. Long-term, short-term, just in general. I learned this about myself in graduate school. I would be so focused on my research that I would forget to do basic things, like clean the house or mow the lawn. I was also very poorly organized, keeping a… Psychology 5 min read Psychology 5 min read
Published inStoicism — Philosophy as a Way of Life ·Pinned Member-only You Must Make the Hard Decisions Over and Over The path behind you and the one before you — When you wake up every morning, do you consciously choose to fail at your goals? Do you wake up and say “you know what, forget those chores, the familial obligations, the quiet time to read and grow. … Stoicism 5 min read Stoicism 5 min read
Published inBetter Humans ·Pinned Member-only Meditation: A No B.S. Guide Meditation for the pure beginner or skeptic — Meditation and Mindfulness have grown exponentially in our collective awareness over the past decade, yet there is still a common misconception that the learning curve is too steep for people to just start meditating. This article will take a no-nonsense approach, focused on: explaining what meditation/mindfulness is and, more importantly… Meditation 8 min read Meditation 8 min read
Published inBetter Humans ·Pinned Member-only The STAR Method — How To Answer Any Interview Question Behavioral questions are easy when you know the formula — The word “interview” sends a chill down everyone’s spine. These short 30–90 minute conversations are literal life-changing ordeals, and we are all acutely aware of that fact. And if that stress weren’t enough already, we know that there are other candidates “competing” against us; people we know nothing about. Are… Interview 14 min read Interview 14 min read
Published inBetter Humans ·Jan 31 Member-only Interview Best Practices How to stand out in an interview — I am a Bar Raiser for Amazon. A Bar Raiser is a certification that requires dozens of hours of training and countless interviews shadowed by highly experienced interviewers. These Bar Raiser Mentors critique your interview with candidates, offering advice and instruction to improve as an interviewer for the company. I… Advice 13 min read Advice 13 min read
Published inILLUMINATION ·Jan 27 Member-only Layoff Survivor’s Guilt The odd feeling when coworkers are laid off — Last week, Amazon completed the second round of role reductions and laid off 18,000 employees. The first round was much smaller and focused on teams that were distant from our function, so it did not register for my group emotionally. We believed this round would be the same; however, Wednesday… Advice 4 min read Advice 4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION ·Jan 22 Member-only Hanlon’s Razor and Strategy Stupidity and ignorance are more dangerous than malice — Robert Greene wrote that, according to the ancient Greeks, “…far more harm is caused in this world by stupidity and incompetence than outright evil.” It’s a counterintuitive idea that initially catches us off guard. No, we tell ourselves, evil people cause more evil in the world… Greene’s point is that… Psychology 4 min read Psychology 4 min read
Published inPERENNIAL — Ancient Lessons for Modern Life ·Jan 10 Member-only Immateriality and Relationships The Tao and how we view others — I am a huge fan of daily readers and like to start my morning with a brief snippet of wisdom. This sets me in a good headspace to take on the day. This year, I started reading a section of the Tao Te Ching in the morning to provide me… Taoism 3 min read Taoism 3 min read
Published inBetter Humans ·Jan 2 Member-only How to Keep up Your Good Habits at a Conference …or any time you’re away from home. — I recently attended my first summit, where teams that work remotely get together in person. It was a decent experience, but I had this underlying stress in my mind; not something anxiety-inducing, but a persistent concern. Summits (or family vacations, conferences, general travel) all tend to have events that start… Advice 6 min read Advice 6 min read
Published inILLUMINATION ·Jan 2 Member-only You Pay for Your Salary Is that high-paying job really what you want? — I recently attended my first organization summit for Amazon. Previously, I exclusively worked in the field (i.e., inside warehouses), and this last year moved to a new role on the corporate side. These large gatherings are not uncommon and are meant to strengthen relationships between remote teams. I was encouraged… Advice 3 min read Advice 3 min read