Posts in Essays
Start with Dots as Anchors for Creativity
Start with Dots as Anchors for Creativity

In school we used lined papers. Structured. Fitting to defined spaces. Every notebook was lined. 

The way I come up with articles to write about is by scribbling in my notebook. Scribbling random ideas that would pop into my head after a shower, a walk or while training at the gym. 

One day, I found the lines too restricting. I wanted to draw pictures, graphs and doddles to get my idea on the paper but the lines posed a mental blockade for me. So I decided to go out and buy a notebook that would allow me to have more flexibility. Dotted notebooks. Genius. 

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EssaysDaniel LeeBusiness, Creativity
Building A Mastermind Group

“You are the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with”. We've all heard this before. It's one of the most repeated advice/factors mentioned by high performers of various disciplines. The advice comes in different forms like "work with people you admire", "find mentors who are doing what you want to", "choose a life-partner who will challenge you to grow". All focused on surrounding yourself with people that will aid you in your journey of growth. 

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EssaysDaniel LeeRelationships, Systems
Tragedy of birth

We refer to Romeo and Juliet as a tragic love story.

What I saw was two degenerate teenagers. What I think is a real tragedy is the life that unfolds the minute after our birth. Some may argue it's a miracle. I see that. The tragedy hits the minute after. 

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EssaysDaniel LeeBusiness
Why organizations will lose their high performers. Revelations of factors to motivation and flow state among employees

Over a six-week period, I ran a project with seven individuals. I pitched to them that we would work to find out who they were, where they were at in their life now and where they wanted to go. They were told this project would involve a series of talk therapy sessions and have them perform individual reflective activities as homework for the duration. 

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EssaysDaniel LeeBusiness
Overcoming Obstacles

Eat your vegetables! Climb that hill! Go train at the gym! 

You know it's good for you. But taking that first bite of that broccoli head can be really tough. You look at that spinach and it just hurts your taste buds. As you can tell, I'm not vegetarian... furthest from it. 

But after a bite of that spinach. It's okay. It's bearable. Now it's part of your morning smoothie. Like climbing hills, the first one is hard but the others that come after it? Eh, not so hard. You've done it before already. I have the eating habits of an eight-year-old so you may not be able to relate here. 

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EssaysDaniel LeeCareers
Appreciating Empty Space

Josh Waitzkin, the famed chess prodigy, spoke about the importance of cultivating empty space. He learned this importance when he learned chess from Bobby Fischer. He's another famed chess player, obviously. Josh speaks about knowing how to utilize the empty spaces on the chess board. 

It seems too common in life that I find myself drawn to noise. Fear of missing out. Everyone wants to be where the noise is. It's like staring only where the chess pieces are. Ignoring the space available. The space that can become your advantage. 

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EssaysDaniel LeeBusiness
Dealing with Rejection

No, doesn't mean never. Just means not right now. I swear this is a quote from someone famous. 

Rejection is always tough. Sometimes such rejection is for good reason. It just never feels like it. I swear, when I struck out on my management consulting interviews I thought my world had ended. I mean, you'd think after 3 months of networking to get 3 interviews at the top firms you'd be set... guess not. Yet, my world didn't end. It continued operating like any other day. It was another day to squat and deadlift.

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EssaysDaniel LeeCareers
Compounding. Underrated? Seems to be Ignored.

Compounding. 

Most have heard it's the 8th wonder. It's essentially utilizing time effectively to grow. Though, evidently, many seem to ignore it for they forgo even starting. I'd say starting (ASAP) is truly important for it to take effect. 

The most common use of the word "compounding" in everyday conversations is in reference to investing (thank you robo-advising ads from Wealth<Enter Minimalist/Innovative Lingo Here>). Obviously, to start investing one must first save. 

"No shit Sherlock!"

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EssaysDaniel LeeHabits
Valuing Your Intangibles

Let's not forget about Taxes!

Yet, it seems common for folks to ignore the 2 certainties. Well, except the ultra-rich corporations and individuals who do whatever they can to avoid taxes. 

But shouldn't we all look at everything on an after-tax basis?

Despite bankers and investors looking at businesses based on pre-tax metrics like Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA), the money the company gets to retain and give back to shareholders (i.e. dividends and buybacks) or grow externally (i.e. acquisitions) uses after-tax money. Of course, companies growing organically will get to use pre-tax profits to fund their internal growth so may not even have any taxable corporate income (i.e. Amazon). Sooner or later though, they will need to utilize other options to grow or generate value for shareholders and that after-tax profit will be important. Why else would the big tech companies like Google and Apple be setting up offices in tax havens like Ireland or Luxembourg?

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EssaysDaniel LeeHabits
Are We Walking Blind?

Without knowing who YOU are, are you not practically walking blind? Given life is a journey, whose journey are you on if you don't even know yourself? Finding out who you are is definitely no easy task. Then isn't that the road you should walk? The road to find who you are? If you don't then you are practically just helping someone else build their own road.

I mean, isn't that what every person who is an employee is doing? You are getting paid to essentially build out someone else's dream/goal/whatever higher-calling. Now there is nothing wrong with being an employee, especially since apprenticeship is a necessary step to achieve mastery in something.

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EssaysDaniel LeeIntrospection
Waking Up When the World is Asleep
Waking Up When the World is Asleep

The 21 Early Days Challenge

“What is wrong with you?”, “Why would you do that to yourself?”, “What could that possibly do for you?” were some of first things friends and coworkers would say to me once I told them I was doing this challenge. I first learned of the challenge through a TED talk featuring Filipe Castro Matos. The challenge was simple: wake up at 4:30am for 21 days. So why do it? To get my life on track, follow the habits of great CEOs in the hopes I get some of their fairy dust, optimize my life, and just challenge the “norm”.

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EssaysDaniel LeeHabits