Conscientiousness is the most important trait. This may explain how I manage to overcome the absence of so many others.

Great news. Research is pointing to conscientiousness as the one-trait-to-rule-them-all in terms of future success, both career-wise and personal. How do the researchers define conscientiousness? Basically, it’s being “efficient, organized,…

Continue ReadingConscientiousness is the most important trait. This may explain how I manage to overcome the absence of so many others.

Death helps. Steve Jobs knew this, and unlike me, he didn’t need to die in order to learn it.

Nine minutes into his famous Stanford commencement speech, Steve Jobs discussed the importance he placed on thinking about death during life: “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most…

Continue ReadingDeath helps. Steve Jobs knew this, and unlike me, he didn’t need to die in order to learn it.

Teachers: Stop commenting, positively or negatively, on your student’s physical appearance. It’s only hurting them.

As an elementary school teacher, I have made it my policy for more than a decade to avoid commenting on a student’s physical appearance. A student’s appearance should be the…

Continue ReadingTeachers: Stop commenting, positively or negatively, on your student’s physical appearance. It’s only hurting them.