Start Somewhere, Start Soon
I started writing about 4 years ago. My first year was child’s play; a year filled with honest, stupid mistakes. I was in the worst condition of my life, physically and mentally, broke, failing...
View ArticleLearn The Timeless Art of Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities
At the start of my self-education journey, I came across an interview of a young writer who was both smart and inspiring. His story of dropping out of college at 19, apprenticing under a great author,...
View ArticleGreatness Debunked: The Science Behind Talent and Skill Acquisition
“If I skip practice for one day, I notice. If I skip practice for two days, my wife notices. If I skip practice for three days, the world notices.” — Vladamir Horowitz The cultural language surrounding...
View ArticleThe Psychology of Feedback Versus Praise and Why Your Words Matter
“In the right context, a casual remark by a teacher, or even a raised eyebrow or tone of voice,” said Sir Ken Robinson, “can set you on a lifelong journey of discovery or put you off taking even the...
View ArticleYou Grow or You Don’t: How Your Mindset Affects The Way You Live
The power of belief is a topic that will be written about all throughout human history. One, it’s phenomenal how beliefs govern the way we lead our lives, how they influence behavior and attitude, and...
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Why We Lie
When asked for honest feedback, like, “How do I look?” or “What do you think of this?”, why is it so easy to lie? We soften the blow by not being honest, and instead give a thoughtless, typical answer...
View ArticleWhy You Shouldn’t Let Out Your Anger
Scream into a pillow. Punch a punching bag. Go ahead—let it out. Catharsis is a Greek term for purification or cleansing—the relief of repressed emotions, especially fear or anger. Logically this makes...
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About Me
Hey, my name is Paul Jun. I’m a writer, author of Connect the Dots, and on the Marketing team at Help Scout. I am also a coach for Seth Godin’s online program the altMBA. You may have seen me on:...
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The Difference Between Knowing and Understanding
“We live in a world awash with information, but we seem to face a growing scarcity of wisdom. And what’s worse, we confuse the two,” said Maria Popova in her timeless essay on wisdom in the age of...
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Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on Why Loving the Process Is Important to Creativity...
While the act of creating is rarely linear or comfortable, it can indeed be enjoyable and meaningful. What greater feeling is there than a finished draft, an idea for a song, or a sketch twinkling with...
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The Year of Working With Extraordinary People
Every year around December, I try to summarize my year into one sentence that captures an overarching theme that has contributed to many areas of my life. The year 2015 was The Year of Working with...
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No Artist Is Pleased
Agnes de Mille In 1943, Agnes de Mille was having a soda with the renown choreographer and dancer Martha Graham. After years of having difficulty finding work, Agnes de Mille had an unexpected, wild...
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The Science of Talent
When you hear the sound of Bach or watch LeBron James glide across the court to jump 40-plus inches into the air, you can’t help but wonder: how? What about your co-worker who secretly plays the...
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9 Steps to Achieving a State of Flow
The love we have for our work is one of the most important qualities of creativity. This love is not for the outcome or reward, but it’s for the actual process of sitting down and dancing with...
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5 Masterful Insights on Writing
Writing is a necessary craft for communicating ideas, thoughts, and concerns. Regardless of what you do, and no matter how advanced technology becomes, the written word will always have a seat at the...
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How to Cultivate Curiosity That Creates a Fuller Life
“Curiosity pleases me,” said the physicist Alan Lightman, who taught us to be curious about the endless symmetry in our universe. “It evokes . . . a readiness to find strange and singular what...
View Article8 Insights on Human Nature
“Our behavior toward each other is the strangest, most unpredictable, and most unaccountable of all the phenomena which we are obliged to live,” said the American physician and essayist Lewis Thomas....
View ArticleWhat It Means to Be a Good Friend and Other Wisdom on One of Life’s Rarest...
If there is any one thing that has kept me sane throughout this life of ours—that has pulled me out of the darkest, messiest places; forced me to break apart the frames in my mind and see possibilities...
View Article7 Ways to Nurture Creativity
As a creative person at a startup or larger company, it feels surreal to do what you love and belong to a team that’s pursuing a worthwhile endeavor. Chances are, you were hired because you possess the...
View ArticleHow Practicing Mindfulness Can Lead to Better Decision-Making
When feedback stings or when it’s difficult to empathize with a co-worker, do you find yourself responding or reacting? There’s a big difference between the two: a thoughtful response can quell a...
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