Group items tagged

We all want to do remarkable things, and lead remarkable lives. No one wants to spend the day engaged in mundane productivity in pursuit of a meaningless consumer existence. Certainly not you, right? So why do we find it so hard to break out of our rut and do truly innovative things? Because it's hard. Because it often requires us to significantly alter our perspectives and step outside of our comfort zones. It's almost like becoming another person. I Know This Because Tyler Knows This… If you haven't seen the movie Fight Club (or read Chuck Palahniuk's excellent novel), I won't spoil the fantastic plot twist where we come to understand who Tyler Durden really is. The story isn't for everyone, but if you think it's about fighting, you're on the wrong track. At its core, Fight Club is about living the life you truly want to live, and the hard path to getting there. Tyler helps the story's nameless hero (usually referred to as Jack) down that path to enlightenment, so maybe what Tyler says can help the rest of us as well. Luckily, Tyler says a lot of things that apply directly to innovative action. Here are his 8 rules for creative people to live by. Tyler's First Rule of Innovation: No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide. This is the most important lesson, and it's the one people struggle with and resist. Tim Ferriss advocates the 80/20 rule of productivity, where you focus relentlessly on the 20% of the actions that lead to 80% of the return. People see this as nice in theory, but not practical. But believe it or not, this is how I've been running my businesses for the last 10 years. I used to actually feel guilty because I wasn't constantly "getting things done" at a maniacal pace, even though I was enjoying increasingly significant success each year. It's only been in the last few years I've realized that this approach is essential for entrepreneurs and creative professionals of all s

Communication is one of the most important skills anyone can have, in business and in life. As individuals and as a species, I believe we will be happier and more productive if we can improve our ability to communicate. This blog is dedicated to that effort. Join the conversation! Dave Gray is the Founder and Chairman of XPLANE, the visual thinking company. Founded in 1993, XPLANE has grown to be the world's leading consulting and design firm focused on information-driven communications. Dave's time is spent researching and writing on visual business, as well as speaking, coaching and delivering workshops to corporate clients.

Brain Rules by John J. Medina is a multimedia project explaining how the brain works. It includes a book, a feature-length documentary film, and a series of interactive tutorials.