re: Where has “trying harder” failed you... Any time I've tried learning a new song on the guitar in one day. I'll sit down with the chord sheet, play along with original track a few times, then try playing it several times, all along trying to implant the words, melody, and the rhythm into my mind. If I can play through the whole song without forgetting a word or chord change, great. Then I challenge myself to actually get a recording of me playing it, and this is usually a lot harder for me than I plan. The problem is that no matter how hard I try to cram everything needed into my mind in one day, the rest of my body still hasn't learned. I need to come back to it daily for a while before the rhythm and chord changes become muscle memory and I notice I'm able to let my mind wander to other things as I'm singing the words. So 10-15 minutes daily over one week is more effective than many hours in one day for this because it's more about training my nervous system than it is about telling myself what I need to do. It's a good analogy for this.

My early career was fueled by a massive chip I carried on my shoulder. I felt that I needed to be better than those who were given more opportunities than I was given. I was also lucky enough to land in a place where I could have an impact on reducing some of the administrative overhead costs involved with online courseware. So a big part of what has driven me so far has been a mix of spite, survival, supporting my family, and also doing my part in curbing the increasing costs of higher education. Over time, I've noticed that a lot of cost-savings I've helped bring have been quickly invalidated, oftentimes to make up for the difference in other areas of the business where the publishing industry is losing money. And I've seen the lengths that a corporation will go to nullify the job security of even its high performers. Lately, I've been feeling a calling to address some of these issues more directly. I don't know exactly what that looks like yet, but I think it's going to involve teaching others how to take paths that are less traveled.

Hey there. I'm in my late 30's, working as a software engineer in the Indianapolis area. I've lived a mostly sedentary lifestyle all through adulthood, and I've recently started taking steps to change that. My first priority has been improving my gut health, as I've been dealing with long-term post-infectious IBS symptoms since getting food poisoning over 8 years ago. It has been one of the hardest things I've ever dealt with, but also one of the greatest things to ever happen to me, because it pushed me to re-evaluate the life I was living, to change direction, and to develop a better relationship with God, others, and myself. I do not yet know my favorite mode of exercise, but I do enjoy a long bike ride...