ideas

My Life Principles

Eric Kraus
personal
28 Apr, 2018

This post is inspired by two of my favorite books: [Principles by Ray Dalio](https://amzn.to/3HcFV7Z) and Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson.I am documenting my own Life Principles and Virtues. This will be a constant work in progress.Principle 1Never do harm to other people whether intentionally or indirectly (e.g. speaking of them negatively behind their back)

The Truth About Multi-Tasking

Eric Kraus
productivity
01 Feb, 2018

Introduction The question has been asked many times before... "Is it possible for people to multi-task?" My argument is no - all we are really doing is switching tasks quickly (or not even that). We are missing out on one of the greatest skills that differentiates us from all other creatures: critical and creative thinking. Task Processing Productivity experts generally agree, humans just aren't made for

Habits are a Key to Mindfulness

Eric Kraus
productivity
17 Oct, 2016

Introduction Mindfulness is a relatively new concept that's getting a lot of buzz lately. Many people are seeking to be more "mindful" and are trying to pay more attention to little things in life: everything from feeling a breath in their lungs to noticing the specific color of the sky each day.There is no 'one thing' that means being mindful; and mindfulness is not a destination to achieve.There is no right or wrong way to _be mindful

Sensory deprivation: My Float Tank Experience

Eric Kraus
personal
04 Oct, 2016

I recently took the advice of a colleague and spent 90 minutes in a sensory deprivation float tank to help myself relax better. Scary?! Absolutely not, it was amazing. Preparation I was a bit anxious about the experience overall. Being completed isolated from light, sound, etc. and in such a small enclosed tank. I'm not normally a claustrophobic person, so in general, I wasn't worried about that part. But the "tank" itself had some how made

Motivation vs. Willpower

Eric Kraus
productivity
30 Sep, 2016

Motivation is having a strong understanding for the reason(s) for which you should, or would choose to, do something - or behave a certain way.Willpower is a combination of determination and discipline to do something - or behave a certain way - despite having a clear understanding of the challenges involved with doing the action.Motivation is having

Who I Am vs. What I've Done

Eric Kraus
productivity
26 Sep, 2016

Introduction What defines someone's success? Is it others to judge or is it solely up to ourselves? My Are you Interested or Interesting? It boils down to two simple words. We'll come back to them in a minute. Happiness Most successful people will tell you that money rarely leads to happiness. They might even tell you the opposite: happiness leads to success! I've heard from many successful entrepreneurs

My One Thing

Eric Kraus
productivity
15 Sep, 2016

Introduction I've been reading The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. And like a few other books I have read, I am deciding to publicly put its message in action.R

What Climbing Mt. Rainier Taught Me About Setting Goals

Eric Kraus
personal
31 Dec, 2015

Introduction In August, I had the opportunity to step foot on the 5th largest peak in the contiguous United States. How would I describe it? Epic. Mt. Rainier is not only a moderately difficult, technical climb - it is used as a training mountain for higher peaks of the Himalayas. Those who have reached the summit will tell you, it is both physically and mentally enduring. So, what grand lessons did I learn from this adventure? Many. The

Responsive Resolutions

Eric Kraus
learning
31 Dec, 2015

Introduction Here's something new to try in place of the traditional New Year's Resolution: Instead of one, big new year's resolution, try creating 12 monthly responsive resolutions. The Old Way The challenges with trying to tackle one big resolution for a whole year is that it is difficult to attribute success early in the process, people often get board, and whether successful or not early in the year,

Practice Makes Permanent

Eric Kraus
productivity
22 Oct, 2015

Introduction Any athlete will tell you, practicing more won't necessarily make you any better. Just the same, working more hours won't necessarily improve your productivity: They say:"Work smarter, not harder"Real quality comes from analyzing process, learning from and improving mistakes and rehearsing good behaviors. This is why athletes have a coach...and we need one in our personal lives too. Most Valuable Thing I Learned in Sc

Creativity: Where do great ideas come from?

Eric Kraus
productivity
10 Oct, 2015

Introduction Whether you are a professional in a career, a student working on a thesis, or boot-strapping entrepreneur looking for the next big thing, producing a stream of new ideas is not something that comes naturally to many people. You often hear people say, "But I'm just not good at coming up with ideas". And, that is probably true - in a similar way one might not be good at a sport. It might appear that some people are better at gene

The Happiness Link to Success

Eric Kraus
productivity
10 Feb, 2012

Introduction Many people believe that success will lead us to happiness. Regardless of how you define success: financial freedom, family, friendships, health, love, etc. The belief is by obtaining or achieving these things, happiness will follow. Unfortunately, it's not true. And in fact, we have it backwards. Happiness Leads To Success There is significant research showing that people who are happier tend to demonstrate better work per