Parental Leave Isn’t Just for Moms: A Father’s Perspective
Becoming a parent is one of life’s most powerful experiences. It’s hard to put into words - the joy, the overwhelm, the love. You really have to live it to u...
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Leadership
A Simple Method to Never be Late Again
Have you ever been so deep into something that time flies by? If you are sometimes in the flow state you might have been there. The problem? ...
Why Your Worst Decisions Happen at 3 PM: Understanding Decision Fatigue and How to Beat It
Have you ever made a lazy choice late in the day - ordering takeout (again), skipping the gym, or sending a curt reply you later regret? You’re not alone. ...
Beyond Grit and Talent: What You Really Need for a Fulfilling Career
Photo by Armand Khoury on Unsplash What is the most important ingredient to a successful career? According t...
What Essentialism Taught Me About Truly Leading Others
If you’re anything like me, you sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that being a great leader (or simply a productive person) means doing everything. Mo...
Exploring Freiheit by Angela Merkel: A Reflection on Leadership, Crisis, and the Politics of Freedom
In November 2024 Angela Merkel published her autobiography “Freiheit”, or in English “Freedom”. The book is more than just a look back at her time as German...
Be Valuable, Not Available
In the world of personal productivity, it is nothing new that emails and meetings are time wasters. Yet, there are dozens of meetings per week (executives s...
6 Uncomfortable Lessons that We All Need to Learn
Recently I stumbled upon a LinkedIn post and decided to turn it into a short blog post: Photo by Pablo Padilla on Unsp...
Harvard vs. FBI: A Deep Dive into Two Powerful Negotiation Methods
Life is a series of negotiations, at least if you believe Harvard Business Review. Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsp...
Never Split the Difference Explained: 6 Insights to Master the FBI’s Negotiation Secrets
Negotiation is everywhere. Whether you’re closing a business deal, asking for a raise, or simply deciding on where to go for dinner, you’re negotiating. But...
Getting to Yes Explained: The Secret to Conflict-Free Negotiation
Negotiation isn’t just for business deals - It’s a skill we use every day, from asking for a raise to deciding where to eat with friends. The ability to com...
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than You Think
In today’s world, success is often measured by intelligence—how well we perform in school, the jobs we land, and the salaries we earn. Traditionally, IQ has...
10 Simple Phrases to Build Work Relationships
Recently I stumbled upon a LinkedIn post and decided to turn it into a short blog post: Photo by Windows on Unsplash ...
Good Power: Leading with Purpose
When you hear the word “power,” what comes to mind? Many people think of control, authority, or even fear. But power doesn’t have to be about dominance - it...
Sales Skills Aren’t Just for Salespeople – Here’s Why
I’ve never thought of myself as a great salesperson. The very idea of persuading someone to buy a product or service they didn’t even know existed just a sh...
A Deep Dive into the 12 Week Year
As a productivity enthusiast, I’m always on the hunt for new methods and tools to try. Recently, while watching yet another Ali Abdaal video, he mentioned a...
Why Comfort is Bad
Have you ever set a New Year’s resolution, like learning a new skill or starting a workout routine, but never followed through? I’m sure many of us have. I h...
Unlocking Your Hidden Potential: 10 Key Lessons from Hidden Potential
On my journey of improving my productivity, I’ve already conquered a lot of books ranging from classics like The Effective Executive and 7 Habits of Highly ...
My top 7 Books for 2025
The end of 2024 is approaching, and it is time to set my reading goals for 2025. As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading...
A Simple Framework for Understanding Psychology of Change: The 4 Rooms of Change
The only constant in life is change.- Heraclitus I really like this quote, as it is full of deep truth. Think of businesses, projects, biology, or the ...
A Deep Dive into The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
One of the aspiring online writers/bloggers I personally look up to is Mark Manson. With his articles, he created a big following. However, his major leap w...
The CHAOS Framework
If you’ve heard about the CHAOS Framework, you most likely heard it from Ali Abdaal – one of the most successful YouTubers on personal productivity. I’ve bee...
How to Make Effective Decisions According to Peter Drucker
Making effective decisions is one of the most important things a leader has to do. Photo by Ben Rosett on Unsplash ...
The Single Most Important Ingredient to Happiness
What makes people happy? When asked about their life goals, millennials mention money or fame. But do money and fame make us happy? ...
Learnings from Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash Some weeks ago I published an article on the STEPPS framework, summarizing t...
A Proven Energy Booster: Micro-Breaks
Productivity is a matter of optimizing energy, not just time. Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash Productivit...
Why You Should Start with Why
Why? This simple question packs a punch. It’s more powerful than “How?” or “What?” because it digs deeper into why we do what we do: our true motivation and...
4 Important Leadership Traits in Less Than 150 Words
Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash What is the main job of a leader? To be there for your team. If you put sh...
6 Step Guide on How to Make Ideas Spread
Have you ever wondered why certain ideas are shared more than others? Word of mouth and sharing are indeed powerful ways to spread information. Actually, it...
A Summary of The Effective Executive
Don’t we all want to be effective in what we do? In The Effective Executive Peter Drucker, one of the most renowned economists and management researchers, s...
6 Essential Lessons for Better Leadership
There are countless leadership lessons to help you become a better leader. In this brief article, I’ve gathered some key insights from my leadership journey....
A Deep Dive into Leaders Eat Last
Have you ever wondered what sets great leaders apart? I did. And for the last couple of years, I’ve read many books on leadership. Some simply summarize co...
Unlock the Secrets to Effective Communication with the DISC Model
Everyone communicates differently. But have you ever wondered why? Our personalities, shaped by our beliefs, experiences, upbringing, emotions, and current ...
Say Goodbye to Energy-Sucking Questions
Did you hear of the concept of an “emotional vampire”? According to Mark Manson, emotional vampires […] tend to drain the emotional energy out of everyone t...
6 Lessons from Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Are you curious about what makes a strategy truly effective? Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash In “Good Strateg...
10 Ingredients for a Powerful Strategy
What does a good strategy look like? Is a good strategy a detailed plan crafted based on a vision, is it a set of guiding rules to keep you on the right pat...
A Simple 3-Step Framework to Give Valuable Feedback
Feedback is a powerful tool for leaders. Positive and constructive feedback sparks growth, boosts performance, and strengthens trust within the team. By sha...
My Top 21 Productivity Books
As an avid reader and productivity enthusiast I’ve curated a list of my favorite productivity books I’ve read so far - their rank has no underlying meaning (...
A Proven Method to Check How Aligned You Are: Wheel of Life
Have you ever asked yourself how aligned your life is with your values? It’s a difficult question. Photo by Slav Roma...
A Simple Method to Boost Your Productivity
There are many strategies, methods, and guidelines to increase your productivity (the GTD method, Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive, the role of habits...
The Infinite Mindset: A Powerful Strategy to Improve Your Leadership Style
What do successful companies such as Apple, Microsoft (in its early days and the recent months) as well as American Airlines have in common? ...
A Proven Method to Increase Your Productivity: Choose Your Character
Last month, I read Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal. One idea really caught my attention: picking your own productivity character. ...
The Ultimate Strategy to Boost Your Conversations
Our mindset is important. It has the potential to change not only the way we see things but also how we approach them. This is true in many areas of our liv...
A Summary of Feel-Good Productivity
Getting more done in less time is a big topic these days. It’s called personal productivity. There are many guides to help, like the GTD method, Peter Druc...
If You Can’t Decide, the Answer is No
Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash According to Harvard Business Review, we make about 35,000 decisions per day...
30 Learnings From Think Again
Think Again is a best-selling book by Adam Grant about the power of critical thinking and why our intuition sometimes can fool us. ...
Elon Musk’s 3 Strategic Principles
These days, any article with ”Elon Musk” in the title feels like it’s just trying to get attention (this article won’t). ...
Managing Energy, Not Time
There is a limit to how efficiently you can use your time: your energy! Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash ...
Why Rethinking Is Powerful
Somehow this year I’ve read a lot on motivation, mental models, and thinking in systems. A book I’ve recently finished is “Think Again” by Adam Grant. Essen...
A List of Proven Mental Models
This year, I’ve learned a lot about mental models and systems. Using these tools can really boost your productivity. P...
7 Habits to Become Highly Effective
I am a productivity enthusiast. In the past four years, I’ve read well over 50 books on the topic and some are truly remarkable. One of them is ”The 7 Habit...
5 Methods to Stay Productive in Times of Low Pressure
There are times when we are stressed out - we don’t know what to do, because there are hundreds of things to do. Being stressed reduces our cognitive ability...
10 Challenges that Will Make You Mentally Invincible
A book that ranked particularly high on my reading list this year was “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins. It’s a motivational book where David Goggins tells h...
Leadership Lessons From a Parenting Book
This sounds awkward, right? How can you draw lessons for leadership from a book about parenting? And yes, this had been my first thought as well after readi...
Why Simplicity Always Wins
We live in a complex world. And I think this is a good thing! There are tons of information created and connected each day (according to Forbes, 2.5 quintil...
The Tech Trinity: IT, OT, and Digitalization Skills
Digitalization and IT are similar but not the same as I’ve explored in one of my recent articles where I’ve defined the tech trinity and analyzed their diffe...
What role does IT play in the digital transformation of our world?
In some of my recent article, I unveiled my journey in becoming head of digital transformation management. But what does digitalization have to do with IT? ...
7 Valuable Insights in Digital Transformation Management
The ever-evolving landscape of the digital realm never fails to captivate me. For over four exciting years, I’ve been steering the ship as the Head of Digit...
6 Simple Strategies to Identify and Refute Misinformation
In today’s world, it’s hard to escape the term “fake news.” It became even more common during and after the election of Donald Trump, who often labeled news ...
Improve Your Happiness with 6 Simple Strategies
Happiness is something we all want, but sometimes it feels like it’s just out of reach. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
5 Proven Ways to Unlocking Wealth and Wisdom
In the past few years, I’ve been reading a lot of books on the topics of happiness and wealth. One book that is often seen on “best book lists” on those topi...
5 Learnings from A Head of Digital Transformation Management
For more than four years now, I’ve been responsible for Digital Transformation Management at my company. In this article I want to share some of my learning...
Unveiling My Journey in Digital Transformation Management
The digital world is fascinating. Think about how the world looked like just some years ago in 2007. We didn’t have smartphones back then. Could you imagine ...
A Definition of Happiness
We want to feel happy. We pursue it. The pursuit of Happiness is even part of the US Declaration of Independence. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
10 Effective Approaches to identify false information and refute it effectively
The term “fake news” has become a common term in today’s information-overloaded world. During and after the election of Donald Trump he often called news fak...
The Critical Factor in Identifying False Information
We work with a lot of data each day - according to Forbes, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created each day. But, having lots of data doesn’t guarantee we...
Gravity Problems: How to Deal with Unsolvable Challenges in Your Life
Life consists of many challenges: some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are some problems you could solve, but just seem almost too ov...
7 Strategies to Make the Most of Meetings
In the corporate world, meetings are omnipresent. According to Forbes, there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time. But wh...
Making the Most of Meetings - 4 Easy Rules
According to Forbes there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time.
Literary Treasures at No Cost: 7 Exceptional Free Books
A great thing about books is that there are so many treasures available - enticing novels, insightful non-fiction books, and great literature. You can read ...
My Number 1 Strategy to Think Clearly
Do you know the feeling of having 1,000 problems, ideas etc. in your head at the same time? I often feel like that. Sorting through all the thoughts is a bi...
My Online Writing: What I’ve learned so far
In the last few weeks, I wrote 34 articles, and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. As I’ve written in my about me story on Medium, I’ve always loved...
Milestones in My Writing Journey: 33 Articles and Counting
Writing online has been a great journey so far and I definitely want to continue. It’s a fantastic way to express thoughts and ideas, and it’s open to feedba...
Anchor Problems: How to Overcome Huge Challenges in Your Life
In life there are challenges - some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are those challenges that seem so huge you think you won’t be abl...
The Eye-Opening Journey to Embracing Stress in My Life
In our fast-paced world stress is often perceived as a badge of honor, although we are taught that stress is something negative. Stress leads to the product...
The Decoy Effect: How the Industry Tricks You into Buying More Expensive Products
There are many cognitive biases we have to watch out for - in a recent article, I unveiled 11 of them. Some days ago I stumbled upon another one: the Decoy ...
Navigating Leadership: 5 Learnings from Becoming a Department Head at 29
When I think back, I always had the goal of becoming successful. But what did (professional) success mean to me? I imagined success as being exceptionally go...
The 8 Faces of Leadership
The landscape of leadership literature is vast: At Medium alone the topic “Leadership” has 2.2M followers - there is so much advice out there, that it can be...
My top 7 Books for 2024
As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading challenge. In 2023 I conquered 27 books exceeding my goal of 15 books by quite ...
Supercharge Your Management Skills: 5 More Books to Maximize Productivity
After the positive reception of my latest piece on management literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused o...
9 Learnings from “Thinking, Fast and Slow” You Can Apply in Your Day-to-Day Life
The workings of the human mind can be quite mysterious, particularly when considering our subconscious thoughts. Daniel Kahneman dissects this phenomenon in...
The Psychology of Choice: Understanding How Heuristics Shape Decision-Making
Let’s dive into the secrets of our minds, especially the part that thinks without us even realizing it. Did you know that a huge 90% of what we think is inf...
In the Realm of Thought: 11 Cognitive Biases and Heuristics Unveiled
In the recent years I read many non-fiction books, but one truly stands out: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. In the book the Nobel Prize-winning...
The Productivity Pulse: Uncovering 5 More Books for Success
After the positive reception of my latest piece on productivity literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused...
From Ivory Tower to Corporate Tower: 9 Learnings from My Transition to the Corporate World
Academia and the corporate world can vary significantly across various dimensions such as project execution, cultural dynamics, and task management approache...
Learning Journey: My Top 33 Non-Fiction Bookshelf
The landscape of non-fiction books is vast. In this post I want to share my top 33 picks accompanied by a brief summary with you. ...
Building Success Brick by Brick: The Role of Habits
In this article I want to share what I learnt so far about the power of habits from sources like The Infinite Game, Atomic Habits and Leaders Eat Last. C...
7 Books for Highly Productive Managers
The world of management and leadership literature is expansive. In this piece, I aim to introduce seven captivating books from this realm that I enjoyed pers...
Personal Productivity
A Simple Method to Never be Late Again
Have you ever been so deep into something that time flies by? If you are sometimes in the flow state you might have been there. The problem? ...
Be Valuable, Not Available
In the world of personal productivity, it is nothing new that emails and meetings are time wasters. Yet, there are dozens of meetings per week (executives s...
6 Uncomfortable Lessons that We All Need to Learn
Recently I stumbled upon a LinkedIn post and decided to turn it into a short blog post: Photo by Pablo Padilla on Unsp...
The AI Loop: Will AI End Up Summarizing Its Own Work?
Lately, generative AI has been making its mark in many areas. The AI Loop. Image created in cooperation with MS Copilo...
Why Comfort is Bad
Have you ever set a New Year’s resolution, like learning a new skill or starting a workout routine, but never followed through? I’m sure many of us have. I h...
Read More and Make it Stick
Reading is great. You can stand on the shoulders of giants, dive into the thinking of others, or explore new worlds. However, in today’s fast-paced world, f...
My top 7 Books for 2025
The end of 2024 is approaching, and it is time to set my reading goals for 2025. As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading...
Slow Down Time with the Holiday Paradox
How can you slow down time? Some might say that doing something boring makes time slow down. But does it really? Wha...
The CHAOS Framework
If you’ve heard about the CHAOS Framework, you most likely heard it from Ali Abdaal – one of the most successful YouTubers on personal productivity. I’ve bee...
Cluster Your Articles with this Simple Method: the Content Map
In the past year, I’ve written more than 100 articles online. The articles are spread among different topics. They are in different formats (short-form and...
7 Surprising Lessons from a Year of Online Writing
I always thought that the concept of “writing about writing” was a bit odd. It is quite popular on Medium though. There exist dozens of writers who only writ...
My 100th Blogpost
Wow, I can hardly believe it—this is my 100th blog post! When I first started this journey, I never imagined I’d get this far. Whether you’ve been with me f...
The Energy Investment Portfolio: Juggling Long-Term Goals and Short-Term Wins
No matter how many productivity hacks you try, there’s always a limit to how productive you can be: your energy. That’s why it’s crucial to manage your ener...
Say Goodbye to Energy-Sucking Questions
Did you hear of the concept of an “emotional vampire”? According to Mark Manson, emotional vampires […] tend to drain the emotional energy out of everyone t...
My Top 21 Productivity Books
As an avid reader and productivity enthusiast I’ve curated a list of my favorite productivity books I’ve read so far - their rank has no underlying meaning (...
A Proven Method to Check How Aligned You Are: Wheel of Life
Have you ever asked yourself how aligned your life is with your values? It’s a difficult question. Photo by Slav Roma...
How to Get a Job You Really Want
How do you find or design your dream job? There is the classic way: applying to dozens of job advertisements, hoping you get to the next stage and win them ...
A Simple Method to Boost Your Productivity
There are many strategies, methods, and guidelines to increase your productivity (the GTD method, Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive, the role of habits...
The Infinite Mindset: A Powerful Strategy to Improve Your Leadership Style
What do successful companies such as Apple, Microsoft (in its early days and the recent months) as well as American Airlines have in common? ...
A Proven Method to Increase Your Productivity: Choose Your Character
Last month, I read Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal. One idea really caught my attention: picking your own productivity character. ...
A Summary of Feel-Good Productivity
Getting more done in less time is a big topic these days. It’s called personal productivity. There are many guides to help, like the GTD method, Peter Druc...
30 Learnings From Think Again
Think Again is a best-selling book by Adam Grant about the power of critical thinking and why our intuition sometimes can fool us. ...
Elon Musk’s 3 Strategic Principles
These days, any article with ”Elon Musk” in the title feels like it’s just trying to get attention (this article won’t). ...
Why Rethinking Is Powerful
Somehow this year I’ve read a lot on motivation, mental models, and thinking in systems. A book I’ve recently finished is “Think Again” by Adam Grant. Essen...
7 Habits to Become Highly Effective
I am a productivity enthusiast. In the past four years, I’ve read well over 50 books on the topic and some are truly remarkable. One of them is ”The 7 Habit...
5 Methods to Stay Productive in Times of Low Pressure
There are times when we are stressed out - we don’t know what to do, because there are hundreds of things to do. Being stressed reduces our cognitive ability...
Improve Your Time Management with this Proven Method
Managing time efficiently is key to personal productivity. By aligning our activities with our energy levels, we can achieve more and stay motivated longer....
10 Challenges that Will Make You Mentally Invincible
A book that ranked particularly high on my reading list this year was “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins. It’s a motivational book where David Goggins tells h...
Why I Do Not Like the Pomodoro Technique
As a confessed productivity enthusiast I’ve tried out many different productivity methods & techniques. But there is one technique I am not very fond of...
Leadership Lessons From a Parenting Book
This sounds awkward, right? How can you draw lessons for leadership from a book about parenting? And yes, this had been my first thought as well after readi...
Beyond Talent: The 5 Principles of Deliberate Practice
Our world sometimes seems to be obsessed with talent. The thing is we don’t just see talent. What we see is achievement and there is more to achievement tha...
Do Not Be an Early Bird Unless You Want To
A common theme among productivity enthusiasts seems to be the “waking up early” mentality. There are countless recommendations like “Why I wake up at 5 a.m....
The 1 Method to Creating Your Own Path to Fulfillment
Did you ever wonder where life might take you within the next 5 years? Have you made plans for the future like, changing your job, buying a car, or running ...
2 Approaches to Get Unstuck and Design a Life You Love
What prevents us from living a life we truly want to live? An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed...
Design a Life You Love, Starting From Where You Are Right Now
In the past years, I’ve read many books on career advice. Some focus on building small habits to gradually transform your life, while others focus on the pow...
Work for Learning, Not for Money
Why do we work? Is it just for the money? Do we want to do something that we enjoy or something that contributes to society? ...
A Snapshot of My 2024 Reading So Far
I’ve always enjoyed reading. Until some years ago I mostly read fiction. After completing my PhD, I was still hungry for more knowledge. So I started readin...
Why following your passion might not be the best career choice
Follow your passion. This is one of the most said career advice. And yes, it sounds plausible! Why shouldn’t you do what you’re passionate about in your jo...
Tribute To Daniel Kahneman
One of the greatest psychology researchers just died. Daniel Kahneman received the Nobel Prize for his work in behavioral economics in 2002. Besides his sci...
I Have Written 50 Articles Online, Here is What Happened
It’s amazing how quickly time flies. It seems like just a few weeks ago I started writing online at Medium and matthiaskarner.com but now half a year has pa...
6 Simple Strategies to Identify and Refute Misinformation
In today’s world, it’s hard to escape the term “fake news.” It became even more common during and after the election of Donald Trump, who often labeled news ...
10 Effective Approaches to identify false information and refute it effectively
The term “fake news” has become a common term in today’s information-overloaded world. During and after the election of Donald Trump he often called news fak...
The Critical Factor in Identifying False Information
We work with a lot of data each day - according to Forbes, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created each day. But, having lots of data doesn’t guarantee we...
Gravity Problems: How to Deal with Unsolvable Challenges in Your Life
Life consists of many challenges: some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are some problems you could solve, but just seem almost too ov...
7 Strategies to Make the Most of Meetings
In the corporate world, meetings are omnipresent. According to Forbes, there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time. But wh...
Let Your Thoughts Wander and Unleash Your Creativity
I’d define myself as a productivity enthusiast - I enjoy reading non-fiction and improving my efficiency. I am a big believer that we at least need some stre...
Making the Most of Meetings - 4 Easy Rules
According to Forbes there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time.
The Power of Persistence
From early childhood, we are often told that talent is the key to success and happiness. Whether it’s in academics, sports, or the arts, our society values i...
My Number 1 Strategy to Think Clearly
Do you know the feeling of having 1,000 problems, ideas etc. in your head at the same time? I often feel like that. Sorting through all the thoughts is a bi...
My Online Writing: What I’ve learned so far
In the last few weeks, I wrote 34 articles, and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. As I’ve written in my about me story on Medium, I’ve always loved...
Milestones in My Writing Journey: 33 Articles and Counting
Writing online has been a great journey so far and I definitely want to continue. It’s a fantastic way to express thoughts and ideas, and it’s open to feedba...
Craft Your Ideal Week: a User-Friendly Guide
A key element of personal productivity is managing our time efficiently. By making the most out of our energy levels throughout the day we can get more thing...
Mastering Effective Note-Taking: A Comprehensive Exploration
The human brain is great at having ideas, but it is terrible at remembering them. However, our busy life depends on us memorizing information (like names, n...
Anchor Problems: How to Overcome Huge Challenges in Your Life
In life there are challenges - some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are those challenges that seem so huge you think you won’t be abl...
The Eye-Opening Journey to Embracing Stress in My Life
In our fast-paced world stress is often perceived as a badge of honor, although we are taught that stress is something negative. Stress leads to the product...
The Decoy Effect: How the Industry Tricks You into Buying More Expensive Products
There are many cognitive biases we have to watch out for - in a recent article, I unveiled 11 of them. Some days ago I stumbled upon another one: the Decoy ...
Navigating Leadership: 5 Learnings from Becoming a Department Head at 29
When I think back, I always had the goal of becoming successful. But what did (professional) success mean to me? I imagined success as being exceptionally go...
The 8 Faces of Leadership
The landscape of leadership literature is vast: At Medium alone the topic “Leadership” has 2.2M followers - there is so much advice out there, that it can be...
Fit for Success: 5 Quick Tips to Choosing Your Career
In the fast-paced world of career development, we can find ourselves stuck in jobs that drain our energy and leave us feeling unfulfilled. But how to choose...
My top 7 Books for 2024
As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading challenge. In 2023 I conquered 27 books exceeding my goal of 15 books by quite ...
Supercharge Your Management Skills: 5 More Books to Maximize Productivity
After the positive reception of my latest piece on management literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused o...
Sculpting Your Best Year Yet: A Practical 6-Step Guide to Life Design in the New Year
As the year draws to a close, it’s that special time when we pause to ponder the events of the past twelve months and envision the possibilities that lie ahe...
Why the Early Bird Mentality is Wrong
In the past years and month I’ve read a lot of books and articles about personal productivity. One of the overlapping recommendations is “waking up early” - ...
9 Learnings from “Thinking, Fast and Slow” You Can Apply in Your Day-to-Day Life
The workings of the human mind can be quite mysterious, particularly when considering our subconscious thoughts. Daniel Kahneman dissects this phenomenon in...
The Psychology of Choice: Understanding How Heuristics Shape Decision-Making
Let’s dive into the secrets of our minds, especially the part that thinks without us even realizing it. Did you know that a huge 90% of what we think is inf...
In the Realm of Thought: 11 Cognitive Biases and Heuristics Unveiled
In the recent years I read many non-fiction books, but one truly stands out: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. In the book the Nobel Prize-winning...
The Productivity Pulse: Uncovering 5 More Books for Success
After the positive reception of my latest piece on productivity literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused...
From Ivory Tower to Corporate Tower: 9 Learnings from My Transition to the Corporate World
Academia and the corporate world can vary significantly across various dimensions such as project execution, cultural dynamics, and task management approache...
Strategic Synthesis: Progressive Summaries Shaping Your Second Brain
In a recent article I delved into why you need to engage with your notes to increase their value. For effective learning, our brain requires challenges. Mere...
Taking It Further: 5 Additional Lean Approaches for Personal Productivity
In a recent article, I delved into the exciting realm of translating lean manufacturing methods into the realm of personal productivity. The world of lean of...
Learning Journey: My Top 33 Non-Fiction Bookshelf
The landscape of non-fiction books is vast. In this post I want to share my top 33 picks accompanied by a brief summary with you. ...
Building Success Brick by Brick: The Role of Habits
In this article I want to share what I learnt so far about the power of habits from sources like The Infinite Game, Atomic Habits and Leaders Eat Last. C...
7 Books for Highly Productive Managers
The world of management and leadership literature is expansive. In this piece, I aim to introduce seven captivating books from this realm that I enjoyed pers...
Notes That Work: How Engagement Drives Retention & Value
Notetaking is a crucial step in retaining information, storing valuable concepts and also to spark new ideas. In a world filled with an overwhelming amount ...
Lean into Productivity: 5 Methods for Personal Efficiency
In the recent decades lean manufacturing has established itself as the go-to form of organizing manufacturing. It improves the value for the customer, reduce...
The Total Recall Productivity Method
Efficiency and effectiveness are becoming more and more important to succeed in today‘s challenging corporate world. In my quest to supercharge my personal ...
Mastering Innovation: A Deep Dive into ‘The Lean Startup’
Agile project management, has reshaped the software development landscape in the past decade. In “The Lean Startup”, Eric Ries delves into agile methodologi...
My Productivity Revolution: A Story of Progress
In this article I want to share my productivity journey with you: starting from my first job in applied science to my current position as a manager in digita...
7 Books for Highly Productive People
There are tons of books about personal productivity out there. In this article I want to show you my personal top 7. The Effective Executive The Effective...
Inside the Mind of ‘Getting Things Done’: The GTD Methodology
The demands of work and personal life can often feel overwhelming, leading to stress and a sense of being perpetually behind. If you’re looking for a soluti...
Remembering in the Digital Age: Insights for Text, Audio and Visual Info
According to The New York Times, the average person consumes a staggering 34 gigabytes of data daily — that’s equivalent to 17 billion words or roughly 1,740...
Recall & Reflect: My Personal Approach to Remembering Books
Reading is fun. You can dive into the minds of great scientists, explore the thoughts of creative minds and learn new things. Reading a non-fiction book is l...
First Post
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash Hi and welcome! My name is Matthias Karner and what you are reading is my ...
Management and Leadership
Be Valuable, Not Available
In the world of personal productivity, it is nothing new that emails and meetings are time wasters. Yet, there are dozens of meetings per week (executives s...
10 Simple Phrases to Build Work Relationships
Recently I stumbled upon a LinkedIn post and decided to turn it into a short blog post: Photo by Windows on Unsplash ...
Sales Skills Aren’t Just for Salespeople – Here’s Why
I’ve never thought of myself as a great salesperson. The very idea of persuading someone to buy a product or service they didn’t even know existed just a sh...
My top 7 Books for 2025
The end of 2024 is approaching, and it is time to set my reading goals for 2025. As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading...
A Simple Framework for Understanding Psychology of Change: The 4 Rooms of Change
The only constant in life is change.- Heraclitus I really like this quote, as it is full of deep truth. Think of businesses, projects, biology, or the ...
Cluster Your Articles with this Simple Method: the Content Map
In the past year, I’ve written more than 100 articles online. The articles are spread among different topics. They are in different formats (short-form and...
7 Surprising Lessons from a Year of Online Writing
I always thought that the concept of “writing about writing” was a bit odd. It is quite popular on Medium though. There exist dozens of writers who only writ...
The Single Most Important Ingredient to Happiness
What makes people happy? When asked about their life goals, millennials mention money or fame. But do money and fame make us happy? ...
Learnings from Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash Some weeks ago I published an article on the STEPPS framework, summarizing t...
My 100th Blogpost
Wow, I can hardly believe it—this is my 100th blog post! When I first started this journey, I never imagined I’d get this far. Whether you’ve been with me f...
6 Step Guide on How to Make Ideas Spread
Have you ever wondered why certain ideas are shared more than others? Word of mouth and sharing are indeed powerful ways to spread information. Actually, it...
Unlock the Secrets to Effective Communication with the DISC Model
Everyone communicates differently. But have you ever wondered why? Our personalities, shaped by our beliefs, experiences, upbringing, emotions, and current ...
Say Goodbye to Energy-Sucking Questions
Did you hear of the concept of an “emotional vampire”? According to Mark Manson, emotional vampires […] tend to drain the emotional energy out of everyone t...
A Simple 3-Step Framework to Give Valuable Feedback
Feedback is a powerful tool for leaders. Positive and constructive feedback sparks growth, boosts performance, and strengthens trust within the team. By sha...
My Top 21 Productivity Books
As an avid reader and productivity enthusiast I’ve curated a list of my favorite productivity books I’ve read so far - their rank has no underlying meaning (...
The Ultimate Strategy to Boost Your Conversations
Our mindset is important. It has the potential to change not only the way we see things but also how we approach them. This is true in many areas of our liv...
If You Can’t Decide, the Answer is No
Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash According to Harvard Business Review, we make about 35,000 decisions per day...
5 Methods to Stay Productive in Times of Low Pressure
There are times when we are stressed out - we don’t know what to do, because there are hundreds of things to do. Being stressed reduces our cognitive ability...
Leadership Lessons From a Parenting Book
This sounds awkward, right? How can you draw lessons for leadership from a book about parenting? And yes, this had been my first thought as well after readi...
The Luck Formula
How lucky are you? Everybody has lucky moments, but can you influence your luck? Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash ...
Why Simplicity Always Wins
We live in a complex world. And I think this is a good thing! There are tons of information created and connected each day (according to Forbes, 2.5 quintil...
The Tech Trinity: IT, OT, and Digitalization Skills
Digitalization and IT are similar but not the same as I’ve explored in one of my recent articles where I’ve defined the tech trinity and analyzed their diffe...
A Snapshot of My 2024 Reading So Far
I’ve always enjoyed reading. Until some years ago I mostly read fiction. After completing my PhD, I was still hungry for more knowledge. So I started readin...
What role does IT play in the digital transformation of our world?
In some of my recent article, I unveiled my journey in becoming head of digital transformation management. But what does digitalization have to do with IT? ...
Tribute To Daniel Kahneman
One of the greatest psychology researchers just died. Daniel Kahneman received the Nobel Prize for his work in behavioral economics in 2002. Besides his sci...
I Have Written 50 Articles Online, Here is What Happened
It’s amazing how quickly time flies. It seems like just a few weeks ago I started writing online at Medium and matthiaskarner.com but now half a year has pa...
7 Valuable Insights in Digital Transformation Management
The ever-evolving landscape of the digital realm never fails to captivate me. For over four exciting years, I’ve been steering the ship as the Head of Digit...
6 Simple Strategies to Identify and Refute Misinformation
In today’s world, it’s hard to escape the term “fake news.” It became even more common during and after the election of Donald Trump, who often labeled news ...
Improve Your Happiness with 6 Simple Strategies
Happiness is something we all want, but sometimes it feels like it’s just out of reach. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
5 Proven Ways to Unlocking Wealth and Wisdom
In the past few years, I’ve been reading a lot of books on the topics of happiness and wealth. One book that is often seen on “best book lists” on those topi...
5 Learnings from A Head of Digital Transformation Management
For more than four years now, I’ve been responsible for Digital Transformation Management at my company. In this article I want to share some of my learning...
Unveiling My Journey in Digital Transformation Management
The digital world is fascinating. Think about how the world looked like just some years ago in 2007. We didn’t have smartphones back then. Could you imagine ...
A Definition of Happiness
We want to feel happy. We pursue it. The pursuit of Happiness is even part of the US Declaration of Independence. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
10 Effective Approaches to identify false information and refute it effectively
The term “fake news” has become a common term in today’s information-overloaded world. During and after the election of Donald Trump he often called news fak...
The Critical Factor in Identifying False Information
We work with a lot of data each day - according to Forbes, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created each day. But, having lots of data doesn’t guarantee we...
Gravity Problems: How to Deal with Unsolvable Challenges in Your Life
Life consists of many challenges: some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are some problems you could solve, but just seem almost too ov...
7 Strategies to Make the Most of Meetings
In the corporate world, meetings are omnipresent. According to Forbes, there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time. But wh...
Making the Most of Meetings - 4 Easy Rules
According to Forbes there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time.
Literary Treasures at No Cost: 7 Exceptional Free Books
A great thing about books is that there are so many treasures available - enticing novels, insightful non-fiction books, and great literature. You can read ...
My Number 1 Strategy to Think Clearly
Do you know the feeling of having 1,000 problems, ideas etc. in your head at the same time? I often feel like that. Sorting through all the thoughts is a bi...
My Online Writing: What I’ve learned so far
In the last few weeks, I wrote 34 articles, and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. As I’ve written in my about me story on Medium, I’ve always loved...
Milestones in My Writing Journey: 33 Articles and Counting
Writing online has been a great journey so far and I definitely want to continue. It’s a fantastic way to express thoughts and ideas, and it’s open to feedba...
Anchor Problems: How to Overcome Huge Challenges in Your Life
In life there are challenges - some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are those challenges that seem so huge you think you won’t be abl...
The Eye-Opening Journey to Embracing Stress in My Life
In our fast-paced world stress is often perceived as a badge of honor, although we are taught that stress is something negative. Stress leads to the product...
The Decoy Effect: How the Industry Tricks You into Buying More Expensive Products
There are many cognitive biases we have to watch out for - in a recent article, I unveiled 11 of them. Some days ago I stumbled upon another one: the Decoy ...
Navigating Leadership: 5 Learnings from Becoming a Department Head at 29
When I think back, I always had the goal of becoming successful. But what did (professional) success mean to me? I imagined success as being exceptionally go...
The 8 Faces of Leadership
The landscape of leadership literature is vast: At Medium alone the topic “Leadership” has 2.2M followers - there is so much advice out there, that it can be...
My top 7 Books for 2024
As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading challenge. In 2023 I conquered 27 books exceeding my goal of 15 books by quite ...
Supercharge Your Management Skills: 5 More Books to Maximize Productivity
After the positive reception of my latest piece on management literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused o...
9 Learnings from “Thinking, Fast and Slow” You Can Apply in Your Day-to-Day Life
The workings of the human mind can be quite mysterious, particularly when considering our subconscious thoughts. Daniel Kahneman dissects this phenomenon in...
The Psychology of Choice: Understanding How Heuristics Shape Decision-Making
Let’s dive into the secrets of our minds, especially the part that thinks without us even realizing it. Did you know that a huge 90% of what we think is inf...
In the Realm of Thought: 11 Cognitive Biases and Heuristics Unveiled
In the recent years I read many non-fiction books, but one truly stands out: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. In the book the Nobel Prize-winning...
The Productivity Pulse: Uncovering 5 More Books for Success
After the positive reception of my latest piece on productivity literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused...
From Ivory Tower to Corporate Tower: 9 Learnings from My Transition to the Corporate World
Academia and the corporate world can vary significantly across various dimensions such as project execution, cultural dynamics, and task management approache...
Learning Journey: My Top 33 Non-Fiction Bookshelf
The landscape of non-fiction books is vast. In this post I want to share my top 33 picks accompanied by a brief summary with you. ...
Building Success Brick by Brick: The Role of Habits
In this article I want to share what I learnt so far about the power of habits from sources like The Infinite Game, Atomic Habits and Leaders Eat Last. C...
7 Books for Highly Productive Managers
The world of management and leadership literature is expansive. In this piece, I aim to introduce seven captivating books from this realm that I enjoyed pers...
First Post
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash Hi and welcome! My name is Matthias Karner and what you are reading is my ...
Business
Why Your Worst Decisions Happen at 3 PM: Understanding Decision Fatigue and How to Beat It
Have you ever made a lazy choice late in the day - ordering takeout (again), skipping the gym, or sending a curt reply you later regret? You’re not alone. ...
Beyond Grit and Talent: What You Really Need for a Fulfilling Career
Photo by Armand Khoury on Unsplash What is the most important ingredient to a successful career? According t...
Exploring Freiheit by Angela Merkel: A Reflection on Leadership, Crisis, and the Politics of Freedom
In November 2024 Angela Merkel published her autobiography “Freiheit”, or in English “Freedom”. The book is more than just a look back at her time as German...
Harvard vs. FBI: A Deep Dive into Two Powerful Negotiation Methods
Life is a series of negotiations, at least if you believe Harvard Business Review. Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsp...
Never Split the Difference Explained: 6 Insights to Master the FBI’s Negotiation Secrets
Negotiation is everywhere. Whether you’re closing a business deal, asking for a raise, or simply deciding on where to go for dinner, you’re negotiating. But...
Getting to Yes Explained: The Secret to Conflict-Free Negotiation
Negotiation isn’t just for business deals - It’s a skill we use every day, from asking for a raise to deciding where to eat with friends. The ability to com...
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than You Think
In today’s world, success is often measured by intelligence—how well we perform in school, the jobs we land, and the salaries we earn. Traditionally, IQ has...
Good Power: Leading with Purpose
When you hear the word “power,” what comes to mind? Many people think of control, authority, or even fear. But power doesn’t have to be about dominance - it...
A Deep Dive into the 12 Week Year
As a productivity enthusiast, I’m always on the hunt for new methods and tools to try. Recently, while watching yet another Ali Abdaal video, he mentioned a...
Steal like an artist
What does it take to be creative? And more importantly, how do you keep that creativity alive in a world of distractions? ...
Unlocking Your Hidden Potential: 10 Key Lessons from Hidden Potential
On my journey of improving my productivity, I’ve already conquered a lot of books ranging from classics like The Effective Executive and 7 Habits of Highly ...
6 Proven Breathing Techniques to Increase Focus
Breathing techniques are a powerful way to boost your alertness, increase focus, or support relaxation. Photo by Jared...
A Deep Dive into The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
One of the aspiring online writers/bloggers I personally look up to is Mark Manson. With his articles, he created a big following. However, his major leap w...
The CHAOS Framework
If you’ve heard about the CHAOS Framework, you most likely heard it from Ali Abdaal – one of the most successful YouTubers on personal productivity. I’ve bee...
5 Proven Forms of Online Writing
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash Writing online can take different forms. According to Nicolas Cole, a v...
5 Whys for Building Your Own Website
How many people have a personal website? Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash How many people have a personal we...
How to Make Effective Decisions According to Peter Drucker
Making effective decisions is one of the most important things a leader has to do. Photo by Ben Rosett on Unsplash ...
Create and Host Your Website for Free with GitHub Pages: A Step-by-Step Guide
Having your website gives you the freedom to publish whatever content you want when you want. And building your website has never been easier than it is toda...
A Deep Dive into The Art and Business of Online Writing
A little while ago, I stumbled upon the book The Art and Business of Online Writing. As someone who writes online regularly, the title instantly grabbed my ...
A Proven Energy Booster: Micro-Breaks
Productivity is a matter of optimizing energy, not just time. Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash Productivit...
Why You Should Start with Why
Why? This simple question packs a punch. It’s more powerful than “How?” or “What?” because it digs deeper into why we do what we do: our true motivation and...
4 Important Leadership Traits in Less Than 150 Words
Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash What is the main job of a leader? To be there for your team. If you put sh...
A Summary of The Effective Executive
Don’t we all want to be effective in what we do? In The Effective Executive Peter Drucker, one of the most renowned economists and management researchers, s...
6 Essential Lessons for Better Leadership
There are countless leadership lessons to help you become a better leader. In this brief article, I’ve gathered some key insights from my leadership journey....
The Energy Investment Portfolio: Juggling Long-Term Goals and Short-Term Wins
No matter how many productivity hacks you try, there’s always a limit to how productive you can be: your energy. That’s why it’s crucial to manage your ener...
My 6 Top Learnings from Psychology of Money
I’ve read many books about investing, personal finance, and money. Some focus on creating valuable businesses (The Millionaire Fastlane, Million Dollar Weeke...
A Deep Dive into Leaders Eat Last
Have you ever wondered what sets great leaders apart? I did. And for the last couple of years, I’ve read many books on leadership. Some simply summarize co...
The Energy Balance: Factors Shaping Your Energy Levels
We need energy to function. We can increase our productivity to get more done in less time, but at some point, our energy becomes the bottleneck as I discuss...
The Best Book For Your Personal Finances: Psychology of Money
There are many books about money, investing, financial success, … and I’ve read many of them. However, there has been one book that stood out for its practic...
6 Lessons from Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Are you curious about what makes a strategy truly effective? Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash In “Good Strateg...
10 Ingredients for a Powerful Strategy
What does a good strategy look like? Is a good strategy a detailed plan crafted based on a vision, is it a set of guiding rules to keep you on the right pat...
A Simple 3-Step Framework to Give Valuable Feedback
Feedback is a powerful tool for leaders. Positive and constructive feedback sparks growth, boosts performance, and strengthens trust within the team. By sha...
The Infinite Mindset: A Powerful Strategy to Improve Your Leadership Style
What do successful companies such as Apple, Microsoft (in its early days and the recent months) as well as American Airlines have in common? ...
If You Can’t Decide, the Answer is No
Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash According to Harvard Business Review, we make about 35,000 decisions per day...
Elon Musk’s 3 Strategic Principles
These days, any article with ”Elon Musk” in the title feels like it’s just trying to get attention (this article won’t). ...
Managing Energy, Not Time
There is a limit to how efficiently you can use your time: your energy! Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash ...
A List of Proven Mental Models
This year, I’ve learned a lot about mental models and systems. Using these tools can really boost your productivity. P...
5 Methods to Stay Productive in Times of Low Pressure
There are times when we are stressed out - we don’t know what to do, because there are hundreds of things to do. Being stressed reduces our cognitive ability...
Leadership Lessons From a Parenting Book
This sounds awkward, right? How can you draw lessons for leadership from a book about parenting? And yes, this had been my first thought as well after readi...
Why Simplicity Always Wins
We live in a complex world. And I think this is a good thing! There are tons of information created and connected each day (according to Forbes, 2.5 quintil...
The Tech Trinity: IT, OT, and Digitalization Skills
Digitalization and IT are similar but not the same as I’ve explored in one of my recent articles where I’ve defined the tech trinity and analyzed their diffe...
What role does IT play in the digital transformation of our world?
In some of my recent article, I unveiled my journey in becoming head of digital transformation management. But what does digitalization have to do with IT? ...
7 Valuable Insights in Digital Transformation Management
The ever-evolving landscape of the digital realm never fails to captivate me. For over four exciting years, I’ve been steering the ship as the Head of Digit...
6 Simple Strategies to Identify and Refute Misinformation
In today’s world, it’s hard to escape the term “fake news.” It became even more common during and after the election of Donald Trump, who often labeled news ...
5 Learnings from A Head of Digital Transformation Management
For more than four years now, I’ve been responsible for Digital Transformation Management at my company. In this article I want to share some of my learning...
Unveiling My Journey in Digital Transformation Management
The digital world is fascinating. Think about how the world looked like just some years ago in 2007. We didn’t have smartphones back then. Could you imagine ...
10 Effective Approaches to identify false information and refute it effectively
The term “fake news” has become a common term in today’s information-overloaded world. During and after the election of Donald Trump he often called news fak...
The Critical Factor in Identifying False Information
We work with a lot of data each day - according to Forbes, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created each day. But, having lots of data doesn’t guarantee we...
7 Strategies to Make the Most of Meetings
In the corporate world, meetings are omnipresent. According to Forbes, there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time. But wh...
Making the Most of Meetings - 4 Easy Rules
According to Forbes there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time.
Anchor Problems: How to Overcome Huge Challenges in Your Life
In life there are challenges - some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are those challenges that seem so huge you think you won’t be abl...
The Eye-Opening Journey to Embracing Stress in My Life
In our fast-paced world stress is often perceived as a badge of honor, although we are taught that stress is something negative. Stress leads to the product...
Navigating Leadership: 5 Learnings from Becoming a Department Head at 29
When I think back, I always had the goal of becoming successful. But what did (professional) success mean to me? I imagined success as being exceptionally go...
The 8 Faces of Leadership
The landscape of leadership literature is vast: At Medium alone the topic “Leadership” has 2.2M followers - there is so much advice out there, that it can be...
From Ivory Tower to Corporate Tower: 9 Learnings from My Transition to the Corporate World
Academia and the corporate world can vary significantly across various dimensions such as project execution, cultural dynamics, and task management approache...
Building Success Brick by Brick: The Role of Habits
In this article I want to share what I learnt so far about the power of habits from sources like The Infinite Game, Atomic Habits and Leaders Eat Last. C...
Book
Beyond Grit and Talent: What You Really Need for a Fulfilling Career
Photo by Armand Khoury on Unsplash What is the most important ingredient to a successful career? According t...
What Essentialism Taught Me About Truly Leading Others
If you’re anything like me, you sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that being a great leader (or simply a productive person) means doing everything. Mo...
Exploring Freiheit by Angela Merkel: A Reflection on Leadership, Crisis, and the Politics of Freedom
In November 2024 Angela Merkel published her autobiography “Freiheit”, or in English “Freedom”. The book is more than just a look back at her time as German...
Harvard vs. FBI: A Deep Dive into Two Powerful Negotiation Methods
Life is a series of negotiations, at least if you believe Harvard Business Review. Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsp...
Never Split the Difference Explained: 6 Insights to Master the FBI’s Negotiation Secrets
Negotiation is everywhere. Whether you’re closing a business deal, asking for a raise, or simply deciding on where to go for dinner, you’re negotiating. But...
Getting to Yes Explained: The Secret to Conflict-Free Negotiation
Negotiation isn’t just for business deals - It’s a skill we use every day, from asking for a raise to deciding where to eat with friends. The ability to com...
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than You Think
In today’s world, success is often measured by intelligence—how well we perform in school, the jobs we land, and the salaries we earn. Traditionally, IQ has...
The Power of Essentialism: How Doing Less Helps You Achieve More
In today’s fast-paced world, being busy is a sign of success. We fill our schedules with endless meetings, tasks, and commitments. But what if doing less co...
A Deep Dive into the 12 Week Year
As a productivity enthusiast, I’m always on the hunt for new methods and tools to try. Recently, while watching yet another Ali Abdaal video, he mentioned a...
Steal like an artist
What does it take to be creative? And more importantly, how do you keep that creativity alive in a world of distractions? ...
Unlocking Your Hidden Potential: 10 Key Lessons from Hidden Potential
On my journey of improving my productivity, I’ve already conquered a lot of books ranging from classics like The Effective Executive and 7 Habits of Highly ...
My top 7 Books for 2025
The end of 2024 is approaching, and it is time to set my reading goals for 2025. As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading...
A Deep Dive into The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
One of the aspiring online writers/bloggers I personally look up to is Mark Manson. With his articles, he created a big following. However, his major leap w...
A Deep Dive into The Art and Business of Online Writing
A little while ago, I stumbled upon the book The Art and Business of Online Writing. As someone who writes online regularly, the title instantly grabbed my ...
A Summary of The Effective Executive
Don’t we all want to be effective in what we do? In The Effective Executive Peter Drucker, one of the most renowned economists and management researchers, s...
My 6 Top Learnings from Psychology of Money
I’ve read many books about investing, personal finance, and money. Some focus on creating valuable businesses (The Millionaire Fastlane, Million Dollar Weeke...
A Deep Dive into Leaders Eat Last
Have you ever wondered what sets great leaders apart? I did. And for the last couple of years, I’ve read many books on leadership. Some simply summarize co...
The Best Book For Your Personal Finances: Psychology of Money
There are many books about money, investing, financial success, … and I’ve read many of them. However, there has been one book that stood out for its practic...
10 Ingredients for a Powerful Strategy
What does a good strategy look like? Is a good strategy a detailed plan crafted based on a vision, is it a set of guiding rules to keep you on the right pat...
My Top 21 Productivity Books
As an avid reader and productivity enthusiast I’ve curated a list of my favorite productivity books I’ve read so far - their rank has no underlying meaning (...
How to Get a Job You Really Want
How do you find or design your dream job? There is the classic way: applying to dozens of job advertisements, hoping you get to the next stage and win them ...
The Infinite Mindset: A Powerful Strategy to Improve Your Leadership Style
What do successful companies such as Apple, Microsoft (in its early days and the recent months) as well as American Airlines have in common? ...
A Summary of Feel-Good Productivity
Getting more done in less time is a big topic these days. It’s called personal productivity. There are many guides to help, like the GTD method, Peter Druc...
30 Learnings From Think Again
Think Again is a best-selling book by Adam Grant about the power of critical thinking and why our intuition sometimes can fool us. ...
Why Rethinking Is Powerful
Somehow this year I’ve read a lot on motivation, mental models, and thinking in systems. A book I’ve recently finished is “Think Again” by Adam Grant. Essen...
7 Habits to Become Highly Effective
I am a productivity enthusiast. In the past four years, I’ve read well over 50 books on the topic and some are truly remarkable. One of them is ”The 7 Habit...
10 Challenges that Will Make You Mentally Invincible
A book that ranked particularly high on my reading list this year was “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins. It’s a motivational book where David Goggins tells h...
Leadership Lessons From a Parenting Book
This sounds awkward, right? How can you draw lessons for leadership from a book about parenting? And yes, this had been my first thought as well after readi...
The 1 Method to Creating Your Own Path to Fulfillment
Did you ever wonder where life might take you within the next 5 years? Have you made plans for the future like, changing your job, buying a car, or running ...
2 Approaches to Get Unstuck and Design a Life You Love
What prevents us from living a life we truly want to live? An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed...
Design a Life You Love, Starting From Where You Are Right Now
In the past years, I’ve read many books on career advice. Some focus on building small habits to gradually transform your life, while others focus on the pow...
A Snapshot of My 2024 Reading So Far
I’ve always enjoyed reading. Until some years ago I mostly read fiction. After completing my PhD, I was still hungry for more knowledge. So I started readin...
Why following your passion might not be the best career choice
Follow your passion. This is one of the most said career advice. And yes, it sounds plausible! Why shouldn’t you do what you’re passionate about in your jo...
Improve Your Happiness with 6 Simple Strategies
Happiness is something we all want, but sometimes it feels like it’s just out of reach. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
5 Proven Ways to Unlocking Wealth and Wisdom
In the past few years, I’ve been reading a lot of books on the topics of happiness and wealth. One book that is often seen on “best book lists” on those topi...
The Power of Persistence
From early childhood, we are often told that talent is the key to success and happiness. Whether it’s in academics, sports, or the arts, our society values i...
Literary Treasures at No Cost: 7 Exceptional Free Books
A great thing about books is that there are so many treasures available - enticing novels, insightful non-fiction books, and great literature. You can read ...
My top 7 Books for 2024
As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading challenge. In 2023 I conquered 27 books exceeding my goal of 15 books by quite ...
Supercharge Your Management Skills: 5 More Books to Maximize Productivity
After the positive reception of my latest piece on management literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused o...
9 Learnings from “Thinking, Fast and Slow” You Can Apply in Your Day-to-Day Life
The workings of the human mind can be quite mysterious, particularly when considering our subconscious thoughts. Daniel Kahneman dissects this phenomenon in...
The Psychology of Choice: Understanding How Heuristics Shape Decision-Making
Let’s dive into the secrets of our minds, especially the part that thinks without us even realizing it. Did you know that a huge 90% of what we think is inf...
In the Realm of Thought: 11 Cognitive Biases and Heuristics Unveiled
In the recent years I read many non-fiction books, but one truly stands out: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. In the book the Nobel Prize-winning...
The Productivity Pulse: Uncovering 5 More Books for Success
After the positive reception of my latest piece on productivity literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused...
Learning Journey: My Top 33 Non-Fiction Bookshelf
The landscape of non-fiction books is vast. In this post I want to share my top 33 picks accompanied by a brief summary with you. ...
Building Success Brick by Brick: The Role of Habits
In this article I want to share what I learnt so far about the power of habits from sources like The Infinite Game, Atomic Habits and Leaders Eat Last. C...
7 Books for Highly Productive Managers
The world of management and leadership literature is expansive. In this piece, I aim to introduce seven captivating books from this realm that I enjoyed pers...
Mastering Innovation: A Deep Dive into ‘The Lean Startup’
Agile project management, has reshaped the software development landscape in the past decade. In “The Lean Startup”, Eric Ries delves into agile methodologi...
7 Books for Highly Productive People
There are tons of books about personal productivity out there. In this article I want to show you my personal top 7. The Effective Executive The Effective...
Inside the Mind of ‘Getting Things Done’: The GTD Methodology
The demands of work and personal life can often feel overwhelming, leading to stress and a sense of being perpetually behind. If you’re looking for a soluti...
Methods
6 Proven Breathing Techniques to Increase Focus
Breathing techniques are a powerful way to boost your alertness, increase focus, or support relaxation. Photo by Jared...
The CHAOS Framework
If you’ve heard about the CHAOS Framework, you most likely heard it from Ali Abdaal – one of the most successful YouTubers on personal productivity. I’ve bee...
Learnings from Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash Some weeks ago I published an article on the STEPPS framework, summarizing t...
A Proven Energy Booster: Micro-Breaks
Productivity is a matter of optimizing energy, not just time. Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash Productivit...
6 Step Guide on How to Make Ideas Spread
Have you ever wondered why certain ideas are shared more than others? Word of mouth and sharing are indeed powerful ways to spread information. Actually, it...
The Energy Investment Portfolio: Juggling Long-Term Goals and Short-Term Wins
No matter how many productivity hacks you try, there’s always a limit to how productive you can be: your energy. That’s why it’s crucial to manage your ener...
How Running Boosted My Productivity
Energy and (physical) fitness are closely linked. If you are fit, you usually have more energy as well. I think everyone knows that. I knew that. ...
The Energy Balance: Factors Shaping Your Energy Levels
We need energy to function. We can increase our productivity to get more done in less time, but at some point, our energy becomes the bottleneck as I discuss...
Say Goodbye to Energy-Sucking Questions
Did you hear of the concept of an “emotional vampire”? According to Mark Manson, emotional vampires […] tend to drain the emotional energy out of everyone t...
6 Lessons from Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Are you curious about what makes a strategy truly effective? Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash In “Good Strateg...
A Proven Method to Check How Aligned You Are: Wheel of Life
Have you ever asked yourself how aligned your life is with your values? It’s a difficult question. Photo by Slav Roma...
A Simple Method to Boost Your Productivity
There are many strategies, methods, and guidelines to increase your productivity (the GTD method, Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive, the role of habits...
A Proven Method to Increase Your Productivity: Choose Your Character
Last month, I read Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal. One idea really caught my attention: picking your own productivity character. ...
A Summary of Feel-Good Productivity
Getting more done in less time is a big topic these days. It’s called personal productivity. There are many guides to help, like the GTD method, Peter Druc...
If You Can’t Decide, the Answer is No
Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash According to Harvard Business Review, we make about 35,000 decisions per day...
30 Learnings From Think Again
Think Again is a best-selling book by Adam Grant about the power of critical thinking and why our intuition sometimes can fool us. ...
Elon Musk’s 3 Strategic Principles
These days, any article with ”Elon Musk” in the title feels like it’s just trying to get attention (this article won’t). ...
Managing Energy, Not Time
There is a limit to how efficiently you can use your time: your energy! Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash ...
Why Rethinking Is Powerful
Somehow this year I’ve read a lot on motivation, mental models, and thinking in systems. A book I’ve recently finished is “Think Again” by Adam Grant. Essen...
A List of Proven Mental Models
This year, I’ve learned a lot about mental models and systems. Using these tools can really boost your productivity. P...
7 Habits to Become Highly Effective
I am a productivity enthusiast. In the past four years, I’ve read well over 50 books on the topic and some are truly remarkable. One of them is ”The 7 Habit...
5 Methods to Stay Productive in Times of Low Pressure
There are times when we are stressed out - we don’t know what to do, because there are hundreds of things to do. Being stressed reduces our cognitive ability...
Improve Your Time Management with this Proven Method
Managing time efficiently is key to personal productivity. By aligning our activities with our energy levels, we can achieve more and stay motivated longer....
Why I Do Not Like the Pomodoro Technique
As a confessed productivity enthusiast I’ve tried out many different productivity methods & techniques. But there is one technique I am not very fond of...
Why Simplicity Always Wins
We live in a complex world. And I think this is a good thing! There are tons of information created and connected each day (according to Forbes, 2.5 quintil...
2 Approaches to Get Unstuck and Design a Life You Love
What prevents us from living a life we truly want to live? An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed...
6 Simple Strategies to Identify and Refute Misinformation
In today’s world, it’s hard to escape the term “fake news.” It became even more common during and after the election of Donald Trump, who often labeled news ...
10 Effective Approaches to identify false information and refute it effectively
The term “fake news” has become a common term in today’s information-overloaded world. During and after the election of Donald Trump he often called news fak...
The Critical Factor in Identifying False Information
We work with a lot of data each day - according to Forbes, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created each day. But, having lots of data doesn’t guarantee we...
Gravity Problems: How to Deal with Unsolvable Challenges in Your Life
Life consists of many challenges: some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are some problems you could solve, but just seem almost too ov...
Let Your Thoughts Wander and Unleash Your Creativity
I’d define myself as a productivity enthusiast - I enjoy reading non-fiction and improving my efficiency. I am a big believer that we at least need some stre...
Craft Your Ideal Week: a User-Friendly Guide
A key element of personal productivity is managing our time efficiently. By making the most out of our energy levels throughout the day we can get more thing...
Mastering Effective Note-Taking: A Comprehensive Exploration
The human brain is great at having ideas, but it is terrible at remembering them. However, our busy life depends on us memorizing information (like names, n...
Anchor Problems: How to Overcome Huge Challenges in Your Life
In life there are challenges - some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are those challenges that seem so huge you think you won’t be abl...
The Decoy Effect: How the Industry Tricks You into Buying More Expensive Products
There are many cognitive biases we have to watch out for - in a recent article, I unveiled 11 of them. Some days ago I stumbled upon another one: the Decoy ...
Strategic Synthesis: Progressive Summaries Shaping Your Second Brain
In a recent article I delved into why you need to engage with your notes to increase their value. For effective learning, our brain requires challenges. Mere...
Taking It Further: 5 Additional Lean Approaches for Personal Productivity
In a recent article, I delved into the exciting realm of translating lean manufacturing methods into the realm of personal productivity. The world of lean of...
Notes That Work: How Engagement Drives Retention & Value
Notetaking is a crucial step in retaining information, storing valuable concepts and also to spark new ideas. In a world filled with an overwhelming amount ...
Lean into Productivity: 5 Methods for Personal Efficiency
In the recent decades lean manufacturing has established itself as the go-to form of organizing manufacturing. It improves the value for the customer, reduce...
The Total Recall Productivity Method
Efficiency and effectiveness are becoming more and more important to succeed in today‘s challenging corporate world. In my quest to supercharge my personal ...
Management
Why Your Worst Decisions Happen at 3 PM: Understanding Decision Fatigue and How to Beat It
Have you ever made a lazy choice late in the day - ordering takeout (again), skipping the gym, or sending a curt reply you later regret? You’re not alone. ...
Beyond Grit and Talent: What You Really Need for a Fulfilling Career
Photo by Armand Khoury on Unsplash What is the most important ingredient to a successful career? According t...
Exploring Freiheit by Angela Merkel: A Reflection on Leadership, Crisis, and the Politics of Freedom
In November 2024 Angela Merkel published her autobiography “Freiheit”, or in English “Freedom”. The book is more than just a look back at her time as German...
Harvard vs. FBI: A Deep Dive into Two Powerful Negotiation Methods
Life is a series of negotiations, at least if you believe Harvard Business Review. Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsp...
Never Split the Difference Explained: 6 Insights to Master the FBI’s Negotiation Secrets
Negotiation is everywhere. Whether you’re closing a business deal, asking for a raise, or simply deciding on where to go for dinner, you’re negotiating. But...
Getting to Yes Explained: The Secret to Conflict-Free Negotiation
Negotiation isn’t just for business deals - It’s a skill we use every day, from asking for a raise to deciding where to eat with friends. The ability to com...
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than You Think
In today’s world, success is often measured by intelligence—how well we perform in school, the jobs we land, and the salaries we earn. Traditionally, IQ has...
Good Power: Leading with Purpose
When you hear the word “power,” what comes to mind? Many people think of control, authority, or even fear. But power doesn’t have to be about dominance - it...
A Deep Dive into the 12 Week Year
As a productivity enthusiast, I’m always on the hunt for new methods and tools to try. Recently, while watching yet another Ali Abdaal video, he mentioned a...
Steal like an artist
What does it take to be creative? And more importantly, how do you keep that creativity alive in a world of distractions? ...
Unlocking Your Hidden Potential: 10 Key Lessons from Hidden Potential
On my journey of improving my productivity, I’ve already conquered a lot of books ranging from classics like The Effective Executive and 7 Habits of Highly ...
A Deep Dive into The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
One of the aspiring online writers/bloggers I personally look up to is Mark Manson. With his articles, he created a big following. However, his major leap w...
The CHAOS Framework
If you’ve heard about the CHAOS Framework, you most likely heard it from Ali Abdaal – one of the most successful YouTubers on personal productivity. I’ve bee...
5 Proven Forms of Online Writing
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash Writing online can take different forms. According to Nicolas Cole, a v...
How to Make Effective Decisions According to Peter Drucker
Making effective decisions is one of the most important things a leader has to do. Photo by Ben Rosett on Unsplash ...
A Deep Dive into The Art and Business of Online Writing
A little while ago, I stumbled upon the book The Art and Business of Online Writing. As someone who writes online regularly, the title instantly grabbed my ...
Why You Should Start with Why
Why? This simple question packs a punch. It’s more powerful than “How?” or “What?” because it digs deeper into why we do what we do: our true motivation and...
4 Important Leadership Traits in Less Than 150 Words
Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash What is the main job of a leader? To be there for your team. If you put sh...
A Summary of The Effective Executive
Don’t we all want to be effective in what we do? In The Effective Executive Peter Drucker, one of the most renowned economists and management researchers, s...
6 Essential Lessons for Better Leadership
There are countless leadership lessons to help you become a better leader. In this brief article, I’ve gathered some key insights from my leadership journey....
A Deep Dive into Leaders Eat Last
Have you ever wondered what sets great leaders apart? I did. And for the last couple of years, I’ve read many books on leadership. Some simply summarize co...
6 Lessons from Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Are you curious about what makes a strategy truly effective? Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash In “Good Strateg...
10 Ingredients for a Powerful Strategy
What does a good strategy look like? Is a good strategy a detailed plan crafted based on a vision, is it a set of guiding rules to keep you on the right pat...
A Proven Method to Check How Aligned You Are: Wheel of Life
Have you ever asked yourself how aligned your life is with your values? It’s a difficult question. Photo by Slav Roma...
A Simple Method to Boost Your Productivity
There are many strategies, methods, and guidelines to increase your productivity (the GTD method, Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive, the role of habits...
The Infinite Mindset: A Powerful Strategy to Improve Your Leadership Style
What do successful companies such as Apple, Microsoft (in its early days and the recent months) as well as American Airlines have in common? ...
A Proven Method to Increase Your Productivity: Choose Your Character
Last month, I read Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal. One idea really caught my attention: picking your own productivity character. ...
A Summary of Feel-Good Productivity
Getting more done in less time is a big topic these days. It’s called personal productivity. There are many guides to help, like the GTD method, Peter Druc...
30 Learnings From Think Again
Think Again is a best-selling book by Adam Grant about the power of critical thinking and why our intuition sometimes can fool us. ...
Why Rethinking Is Powerful
Somehow this year I’ve read a lot on motivation, mental models, and thinking in systems. A book I’ve recently finished is “Think Again” by Adam Grant. Essen...
Supercharge Your Management Skills: 5 More Books to Maximize Productivity
After the positive reception of my latest piece on management literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused o...
7 Books for Highly Productive Managers
The world of management and leadership literature is expansive. In this piece, I aim to introduce seven captivating books from this realm that I enjoyed pers...
Psychology
A Simple Method to Never be Late Again
Have you ever been so deep into something that time flies by? If you are sometimes in the flow state you might have been there. The problem? ...
What Essentialism Taught Me About Truly Leading Others
If you’re anything like me, you sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that being a great leader (or simply a productive person) means doing everything. Mo...
The Power of Essentialism: How Doing Less Helps You Achieve More
In today’s fast-paced world, being busy is a sign of success. We fill our schedules with endless meetings, tasks, and commitments. But what if doing less co...
Steal like an artist
What does it take to be creative? And more importantly, how do you keep that creativity alive in a world of distractions? ...
Why Comfort is Bad
Have you ever set a New Year’s resolution, like learning a new skill or starting a workout routine, but never followed through? I’m sure many of us have. I h...
Slow Down Time with the Holiday Paradox
How can you slow down time? Some might say that doing something boring makes time slow down. But does it really? Wha...
A Simple Framework for Understanding Psychology of Change: The 4 Rooms of Change
The only constant in life is change.- Heraclitus I really like this quote, as it is full of deep truth. Think of businesses, projects, biology, or the ...
The Single Most Important Ingredient to Happiness
What makes people happy? When asked about their life goals, millennials mention money or fame. But do money and fame make us happy? ...
Learnings from Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash Some weeks ago I published an article on the STEPPS framework, summarizing t...
6 Step Guide on How to Make Ideas Spread
Have you ever wondered why certain ideas are shared more than others? Word of mouth and sharing are indeed powerful ways to spread information. Actually, it...
My 6 Top Learnings from Psychology of Money
I’ve read many books about investing, personal finance, and money. Some focus on creating valuable businesses (The Millionaire Fastlane, Million Dollar Weeke...
Unlock the Secrets to Effective Communication with the DISC Model
Everyone communicates differently. But have you ever wondered why? Our personalities, shaped by our beliefs, experiences, upbringing, emotions, and current ...
The Best Book For Your Personal Finances: Psychology of Money
There are many books about money, investing, financial success, … and I’ve read many of them. However, there has been one book that stood out for its practic...
The Ultimate Strategy to Boost Your Conversations
Our mindset is important. It has the potential to change not only the way we see things but also how we approach them. This is true in many areas of our liv...
The Luck Formula
How lucky are you? Everybody has lucky moments, but can you influence your luck? Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash ...
Tribute To Daniel Kahneman
One of the greatest psychology researchers just died. Daniel Kahneman received the Nobel Prize for his work in behavioral economics in 2002. Besides his sci...
6 Simple Strategies to Identify and Refute Misinformation
In today’s world, it’s hard to escape the term “fake news.” It became even more common during and after the election of Donald Trump, who often labeled news ...
Improve Your Happiness with 6 Simple Strategies
Happiness is something we all want, but sometimes it feels like it’s just out of reach. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
5 Proven Ways to Unlocking Wealth and Wisdom
In the past few years, I’ve been reading a lot of books on the topics of happiness and wealth. One book that is often seen on “best book lists” on those topi...
A Definition of Happiness
We want to feel happy. We pursue it. The pursuit of Happiness is even part of the US Declaration of Independence. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
10 Effective Approaches to identify false information and refute it effectively
The term “fake news” has become a common term in today’s information-overloaded world. During and after the election of Donald Trump he often called news fak...
The Critical Factor in Identifying False Information
We work with a lot of data each day - according to Forbes, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created each day. But, having lots of data doesn’t guarantee we...
The Decoy Effect: How the Industry Tricks You into Buying More Expensive Products
There are many cognitive biases we have to watch out for - in a recent article, I unveiled 11 of them. Some days ago I stumbled upon another one: the Decoy ...
9 Learnings from “Thinking, Fast and Slow” You Can Apply in Your Day-to-Day Life
The workings of the human mind can be quite mysterious, particularly when considering our subconscious thoughts. Daniel Kahneman dissects this phenomenon in...
The Psychology of Choice: Understanding How Heuristics Shape Decision-Making
Let’s dive into the secrets of our minds, especially the part that thinks without us even realizing it. Did you know that a huge 90% of what we think is inf...
In the Realm of Thought: 11 Cognitive Biases and Heuristics Unveiled
In the recent years I read many non-fiction books, but one truly stands out: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. In the book the Nobel Prize-winning...
My Journey
Parental Leave Isn’t Just for Moms: A Father’s Perspective
Becoming a parent is one of life’s most powerful experiences. It’s hard to put into words - the joy, the overwhelm, the love. You really have to live it to u...
Read More and Make it Stick
Reading is great. You can stand on the shoulders of giants, dive into the thinking of others, or explore new worlds. However, in today’s fast-paced world, f...
I Am Changing My Publishing Pace
Since October 2023 I’ve been publishing two articles per week consistently: one article on Thursdays and another one on Sundays. Until now, I’ve written more...
Cluster Your Articles with this Simple Method: the Content Map
In the past year, I’ve written more than 100 articles online. The articles are spread among different topics. They are in different formats (short-form and...
The 6 Stages of Online Writing
Photo by Kanhaiya Sharma on Unsplash When I started writing online, I saw it as an experiment at first. My pr...
7 Surprising Lessons from a Year of Online Writing
I always thought that the concept of “writing about writing” was a bit odd. It is quite popular on Medium though. There exist dozens of writers who only writ...
My 100th Blogpost
Wow, I can hardly believe it—this is my 100th blog post! When I first started this journey, I never imagined I’d get this far. Whether you’ve been with me f...
How Running Boosted My Productivity
Energy and (physical) fitness are closely linked. If you are fit, you usually have more energy as well. I think everyone knows that. I knew that. ...
6 Lessons from Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Are you curious about what makes a strategy truly effective? Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash In “Good Strateg...
Do Not Be an Early Bird Unless You Want To
A common theme among productivity enthusiasts seems to be the “waking up early” mentality. There are countless recommendations like “Why I wake up at 5 a.m....
I Have Written 50 Articles Online, Here is What Happened
It’s amazing how quickly time flies. It seems like just a few weeks ago I started writing online at Medium and matthiaskarner.com but now half a year has pa...
Unveiling My Journey in Digital Transformation Management
The digital world is fascinating. Think about how the world looked like just some years ago in 2007. We didn’t have smartphones back then. Could you imagine ...
Let Your Thoughts Wander and Unleash Your Creativity
I’d define myself as a productivity enthusiast - I enjoy reading non-fiction and improving my efficiency. I am a big believer that we at least need some stre...
My Number 1 Strategy to Think Clearly
Do you know the feeling of having 1,000 problems, ideas etc. in your head at the same time? I often feel like that. Sorting through all the thoughts is a bi...
My Online Writing: What I’ve learned so far
In the last few weeks, I wrote 34 articles, and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. As I’ve written in my about me story on Medium, I’ve always loved...
Milestones in My Writing Journey: 33 Articles and Counting
Writing online has been a great journey so far and I definitely want to continue. It’s a fantastic way to express thoughts and ideas, and it’s open to feedba...
The Eye-Opening Journey to Embracing Stress in My Life
In our fast-paced world stress is often perceived as a badge of honor, although we are taught that stress is something negative. Stress leads to the product...
Navigating Leadership: 5 Learnings from Becoming a Department Head at 29
When I think back, I always had the goal of becoming successful. But what did (professional) success mean to me? I imagined success as being exceptionally go...
Why the Early Bird Mentality is Wrong
In the past years and month I’ve read a lot of books and articles about personal productivity. One of the overlapping recommendations is “waking up early” - ...
From Ivory Tower to Corporate Tower: 9 Learnings from My Transition to the Corporate World
Academia and the corporate world can vary significantly across various dimensions such as project execution, cultural dynamics, and task management approache...
My Productivity Revolution: A Story of Progress
In this article I want to share my productivity journey with you: starting from my first job in applied science to my current position as a manager in digita...
First Post
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash Hi and welcome! My name is Matthias Karner and what you are reading is my ...
300 words
What Essentialism Taught Me About Truly Leading Others
If you’re anything like me, you sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that being a great leader (or simply a productive person) means doing everything. Mo...
Good Power: Leading with Purpose
When you hear the word “power,” what comes to mind? Many people think of control, authority, or even fear. But power doesn’t have to be about dominance - it...
Sales Skills Aren’t Just for Salespeople – Here’s Why
I’ve never thought of myself as a great salesperson. The very idea of persuading someone to buy a product or service they didn’t even know existed just a sh...
Slow Down Time with the Holiday Paradox
How can you slow down time? Some might say that doing something boring makes time slow down. But does it really? Wha...
6 Proven Breathing Techniques to Increase Focus
Breathing techniques are a powerful way to boost your alertness, increase focus, or support relaxation. Photo by Jared...
The Single Most Important Ingredient to Happiness
What makes people happy? When asked about their life goals, millennials mention money or fame. But do money and fame make us happy? ...
6 Essential Lessons for Better Leadership
There are countless leadership lessons to help you become a better leader. In this brief article, I’ve gathered some key insights from my leadership journey....
The Energy Balance: Factors Shaping Your Energy Levels
We need energy to function. We can increase our productivity to get more done in less time, but at some point, our energy becomes the bottleneck as I discuss...
Say Goodbye to Energy-Sucking Questions
Did you hear of the concept of an “emotional vampire”? According to Mark Manson, emotional vampires […] tend to drain the emotional energy out of everyone t...
6 Lessons from Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Are you curious about what makes a strategy truly effective? Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash In “Good Strateg...
A Simple 3-Step Framework to Give Valuable Feedback
Feedback is a powerful tool for leaders. Positive and constructive feedback sparks growth, boosts performance, and strengthens trust within the team. By sha...
A Proven Method to Increase Your Productivity: Choose Your Character
Last month, I read Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal. One idea really caught my attention: picking your own productivity character. ...
Elon Musk’s 3 Strategic Principles
These days, any article with ”Elon Musk” in the title feels like it’s just trying to get attention (this article won’t). ...
5 Methods to Stay Productive in Times of Low Pressure
There are times when we are stressed out - we don’t know what to do, because there are hundreds of things to do. Being stressed reduces our cognitive ability...
Improve Your Time Management with this Proven Method
Managing time efficiently is key to personal productivity. By aligning our activities with our energy levels, we can achieve more and stay motivated longer....
Beyond Talent: The 5 Principles of Deliberate Practice
Our world sometimes seems to be obsessed with talent. The thing is we don’t just see talent. What we see is achievement and there is more to achievement tha...
Do Not Be an Early Bird Unless You Want To
A common theme among productivity enthusiasts seems to be the “waking up early” mentality. There are countless recommendations like “Why I wake up at 5 a.m....
5 Learnings from A Head of Digital Transformation Management
For more than four years now, I’ve been responsible for Digital Transformation Management at my company. In this article I want to share some of my learning...
The Critical Factor in Identifying False Information
We work with a lot of data each day - according to Forbes, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created each day. But, having lots of data doesn’t guarantee we...
Gravity Problems: How to Deal with Unsolvable Challenges in Your Life
Life consists of many challenges: some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are some problems you could solve, but just seem almost too ov...
Anchor Problems: How to Overcome Huge Challenges in Your Life
In life there are challenges - some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are those challenges that seem so huge you think you won’t be abl...
The Decoy Effect: How the Industry Tricks You into Buying More Expensive Products
There are many cognitive biases we have to watch out for - in a recent article, I unveiled 11 of them. Some days ago I stumbled upon another one: the Decoy ...
Reading
Read More and Make it Stick
Reading is great. You can stand on the shoulders of giants, dive into the thinking of others, or explore new worlds. However, in today’s fast-paced world, f...
My top 7 Books for 2025
The end of 2024 is approaching, and it is time to set my reading goals for 2025. As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading...
My Top 21 Productivity Books
As an avid reader and productivity enthusiast I’ve curated a list of my favorite productivity books I’ve read so far - their rank has no underlying meaning (...
The Luck Formula
How lucky are you? Everybody has lucky moments, but can you influence your luck? Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash ...
A Snapshot of My 2024 Reading So Far
I’ve always enjoyed reading. Until some years ago I mostly read fiction. After completing my PhD, I was still hungry for more knowledge. So I started readin...
Tribute To Daniel Kahneman
One of the greatest psychology researchers just died. Daniel Kahneman received the Nobel Prize for his work in behavioral economics in 2002. Besides his sci...
A Definition of Happiness
We want to feel happy. We pursue it. The pursuit of Happiness is even part of the US Declaration of Independence. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
Literary Treasures at No Cost: 7 Exceptional Free Books
A great thing about books is that there are so many treasures available - enticing novels, insightful non-fiction books, and great literature. You can read ...
My top 7 Books for 2024
As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading challenge. In 2023 I conquered 27 books exceeding my goal of 15 books by quite ...
Supercharge Your Management Skills: 5 More Books to Maximize Productivity
After the positive reception of my latest piece on management literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused o...
9 Learnings from “Thinking, Fast and Slow” You Can Apply in Your Day-to-Day Life
The workings of the human mind can be quite mysterious, particularly when considering our subconscious thoughts. Daniel Kahneman dissects this phenomenon in...
The Psychology of Choice: Understanding How Heuristics Shape Decision-Making
Let’s dive into the secrets of our minds, especially the part that thinks without us even realizing it. Did you know that a huge 90% of what we think is inf...
In the Realm of Thought: 11 Cognitive Biases and Heuristics Unveiled
In the recent years I read many non-fiction books, but one truly stands out: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. In the book the Nobel Prize-winning...
The Productivity Pulse: Uncovering 5 More Books for Success
After the positive reception of my latest piece on productivity literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused...
Learning Journey: My Top 33 Non-Fiction Bookshelf
The landscape of non-fiction books is vast. In this post I want to share my top 33 picks accompanied by a brief summary with you. ...
Building Success Brick by Brick: The Role of Habits
In this article I want to share what I learnt so far about the power of habits from sources like The Infinite Game, Atomic Habits and Leaders Eat Last. C...
7 Books for Highly Productive Managers
The world of management and leadership literature is expansive. In this piece, I aim to introduce seven captivating books from this realm that I enjoyed pers...
7 Books for Highly Productive People
There are tons of books about personal productivity out there. In this article I want to show you my personal top 7. The Effective Executive The Effective...
Inside the Mind of ‘Getting Things Done’: The GTD Methodology
The demands of work and personal life can often feel overwhelming, leading to stress and a sense of being perpetually behind. If you’re looking for a soluti...
Remembering in the Digital Age: Insights for Text, Audio and Visual Info
According to The New York Times, the average person consumes a staggering 34 gigabytes of data daily — that’s equivalent to 17 billion words or roughly 1,740...
Recall & Reflect: My Personal Approach to Remembering Books
Reading is fun. You can dive into the minds of great scientists, explore the thoughts of creative minds and learn new things. Reading a non-fiction book is l...
Productivity
Outlive: How to Live Longer and Better
As you might’ve noticed if you’ve read some of my previous posts, I’m big into leadership and productivity literature. But now and then, I like to branch out...
Parental Leave Isn’t Just for Moms: A Father’s Perspective
Becoming a parent is one of life’s most powerful experiences. It’s hard to put into words - the joy, the overwhelm, the love. You really have to live it to u...
Why Your Worst Decisions Happen at 3 PM: Understanding Decision Fatigue and How to Beat It
Have you ever made a lazy choice late in the day - ordering takeout (again), skipping the gym, or sending a curt reply you later regret? You’re not alone. ...
Beyond Grit and Talent: What You Really Need for a Fulfilling Career
Photo by Armand Khoury on Unsplash What is the most important ingredient to a successful career? According t...
What Essentialism Taught Me About Truly Leading Others
If you’re anything like me, you sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that being a great leader (or simply a productive person) means doing everything. Mo...
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than You Think
In today’s world, success is often measured by intelligence—how well we perform in school, the jobs we land, and the salaries we earn. Traditionally, IQ has...
Good Power: Leading with Purpose
When you hear the word “power,” what comes to mind? Many people think of control, authority, or even fear. But power doesn’t have to be about dominance - it...
AI and Productivity: A Productivity Enthusiast’s Perspective
If you’re like me - constantly looking for ways to work smarter, not just harder - then you’ve probably heard about generative AI. It’s everywhere right now...
The Power of Essentialism: How Doing Less Helps You Achieve More
In today’s fast-paced world, being busy is a sign of success. We fill our schedules with endless meetings, tasks, and commitments. But what if doing less co...
Sales Skills Aren’t Just for Salespeople – Here’s Why
I’ve never thought of myself as a great salesperson. The very idea of persuading someone to buy a product or service they didn’t even know existed just a sh...
A Deep Dive into the 12 Week Year
As a productivity enthusiast, I’m always on the hunt for new methods and tools to try. Recently, while watching yet another Ali Abdaal video, he mentioned a...
Steal like an artist
What does it take to be creative? And more importantly, how do you keep that creativity alive in a world of distractions? ...
Unlocking Your Hidden Potential: 10 Key Lessons from Hidden Potential
On my journey of improving my productivity, I’ve already conquered a lot of books ranging from classics like The Effective Executive and 7 Habits of Highly ...
6 Proven Breathing Techniques to Increase Focus
Breathing techniques are a powerful way to boost your alertness, increase focus, or support relaxation. Photo by Jared...
A Deep Dive into The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
One of the aspiring online writers/bloggers I personally look up to is Mark Manson. With his articles, he created a big following. However, his major leap w...
A Proven Energy Booster: Micro-Breaks
Productivity is a matter of optimizing energy, not just time. Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash Productivit...
How Running Boosted My Productivity
Energy and (physical) fitness are closely linked. If you are fit, you usually have more energy as well. I think everyone knows that. I knew that. ...
The Energy Balance: Factors Shaping Your Energy Levels
We need energy to function. We can increase our productivity to get more done in less time, but at some point, our energy becomes the bottleneck as I discuss...
If You Can’t Decide, the Answer is No
Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash According to Harvard Business Review, we make about 35,000 decisions per day...
Managing Energy, Not Time
There is a limit to how efficiently you can use your time: your energy! Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash ...
A List of Proven Mental Models
This year, I’ve learned a lot about mental models and systems. Using these tools can really boost your productivity. P...
150 words
6 Uncomfortable Lessons that We All Need to Learn
Recently I stumbled upon a LinkedIn post and decided to turn it into a short blog post: Photo by Pablo Padilla on Unsp...
10 Simple Phrases to Build Work Relationships
Recently I stumbled upon a LinkedIn post and decided to turn it into a short blog post: Photo by Windows on Unsplash ...
5 Proven Forms of Online Writing
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash Writing online can take different forms. According to Nicolas Cole, a v...
How to Make Effective Decisions According to Peter Drucker
Making effective decisions is one of the most important things a leader has to do. Photo by Ben Rosett on Unsplash ...
A Proven Energy Booster: Micro-Breaks
Productivity is a matter of optimizing energy, not just time. Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash Productivit...
4 Important Leadership Traits in Less Than 150 Words
Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash What is the main job of a leader? To be there for your team. If you put sh...
The Energy Investment Portfolio: Juggling Long-Term Goals and Short-Term Wins
No matter how many productivity hacks you try, there’s always a limit to how productive you can be: your energy. That’s why it’s crucial to manage your ener...
A Proven Method to Check How Aligned You Are: Wheel of Life
Have you ever asked yourself how aligned your life is with your values? It’s a difficult question. Photo by Slav Roma...
A Simple Method to Boost Your Productivity
There are many strategies, methods, and guidelines to increase your productivity (the GTD method, Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive, the role of habits...
The Ultimate Strategy to Boost Your Conversations
Our mindset is important. It has the potential to change not only the way we see things but also how we approach them. This is true in many areas of our liv...
If You Can’t Decide, the Answer is No
Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash According to Harvard Business Review, we make about 35,000 decisions per day...
Managing Energy, Not Time
There is a limit to how efficiently you can use your time: your energy! Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash ...
A List of Proven Mental Models
This year, I’ve learned a lot about mental models and systems. Using these tools can really boost your productivity. P...
Why I Do Not Like the Pomodoro Technique
As a confessed productivity enthusiast I’ve tried out many different productivity methods & techniques. But there is one technique I am not very fond of...
The Luck Formula
How lucky are you? Everybody has lucky moments, but can you influence your luck? Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash ...
Why Simplicity Always Wins
We live in a complex world. And I think this is a good thing! There are tons of information created and connected each day (according to Forbes, 2.5 quintil...
Work for Learning, Not for Money
Why do we work? Is it just for the money? Do we want to do something that we enjoy or something that contributes to society? ...
A Definition of Happiness
We want to feel happy. We pursue it. The pursuit of Happiness is even part of the US Declaration of Independence. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
Making the Most of Meetings - 4 Easy Rules
According to Forbes there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time.
Entrepreneurship
Sales Skills Aren’t Just for Salespeople – Here’s Why
I’ve never thought of myself as a great salesperson. The very idea of persuading someone to buy a product or service they didn’t even know existed just a sh...
Steal like an artist
What does it take to be creative? And more importantly, how do you keep that creativity alive in a world of distractions? ...
The CHAOS Framework
If you’ve heard about the CHAOS Framework, you most likely heard it from Ali Abdaal – one of the most successful YouTubers on personal productivity. I’ve bee...
5 Proven Forms of Online Writing
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash Writing online can take different forms. According to Nicolas Cole, a v...
I Am Changing My Publishing Pace
Since October 2023 I’ve been publishing two articles per week consistently: one article on Thursdays and another one on Sundays. Until now, I’ve written more...
The 6 Stages of Online Writing
Photo by Kanhaiya Sharma on Unsplash When I started writing online, I saw it as an experiment at first. My pr...
A Deep Dive into The Art and Business of Online Writing
A little while ago, I stumbled upon the book The Art and Business of Online Writing. As someone who writes online regularly, the title instantly grabbed my ...
Learnings from Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash Some weeks ago I published an article on the STEPPS framework, summarizing t...
Why You Should Start with Why
Why? This simple question packs a punch. It’s more powerful than “How?” or “What?” because it digs deeper into why we do what we do: our true motivation and...
4 Important Leadership Traits in Less Than 150 Words
Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash What is the main job of a leader? To be there for your team. If you put sh...
6 Step Guide on How to Make Ideas Spread
Have you ever wondered why certain ideas are shared more than others? Word of mouth and sharing are indeed powerful ways to spread information. Actually, it...
6 Essential Lessons for Better Leadership
There are countless leadership lessons to help you become a better leader. In this brief article, I’ve gathered some key insights from my leadership journey....
A Deep Dive into Leaders Eat Last
Have you ever wondered what sets great leaders apart? I did. And for the last couple of years, I’ve read many books on leadership. Some simply summarize co...
6 Lessons from Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Are you curious about what makes a strategy truly effective? Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash In “Good Strateg...
10 Ingredients for a Powerful Strategy
What does a good strategy look like? Is a good strategy a detailed plan crafted based on a vision, is it a set of guiding rules to keep you on the right pat...
Improve Your Happiness with 6 Simple Strategies
Happiness is something we all want, but sometimes it feels like it’s just out of reach. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
5 Proven Ways to Unlocking Wealth and Wisdom
In the past few years, I’ve been reading a lot of books on the topics of happiness and wealth. One book that is often seen on “best book lists” on those topi...
Mastering Innovation: A Deep Dive into ‘The Lean Startup’
Agile project management, has reshaped the software development landscape in the past decade. In “The Lean Startup”, Eric Ries delves into agile methodologi...
Writing
Balancing Your Article Publishing Schedule
What is the right amount of articles to publish per week? I’ve asked myself this question quite a lot and in this article, I’ll try to answer it. If you ar...
5 Proven Forms of Online Writing
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash Writing online can take different forms. According to Nicolas Cole, a v...
5 Whys for Building Your Own Website
How many people have a personal website? Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash How many people have a personal we...
I Am Changing My Publishing Pace
Since October 2023 I’ve been publishing two articles per week consistently: one article on Thursdays and another one on Sundays. Until now, I’ve written more...
Create and Host Your Website for Free with GitHub Pages: A Step-by-Step Guide
Having your website gives you the freedom to publish whatever content you want when you want. And building your website has never been easier than it is toda...
Cluster Your Articles with this Simple Method: the Content Map
In the past year, I’ve written more than 100 articles online. The articles are spread among different topics. They are in different formats (short-form and...
The 6 Stages of Online Writing
Photo by Kanhaiya Sharma on Unsplash When I started writing online, I saw it as an experiment at first. My pr...
A Deep Dive into The Art and Business of Online Writing
A little while ago, I stumbled upon the book The Art and Business of Online Writing. As someone who writes online regularly, the title instantly grabbed my ...
7 Surprising Lessons from a Year of Online Writing
I always thought that the concept of “writing about writing” was a bit odd. It is quite popular on Medium though. There exist dozens of writers who only writ...
My 100th Blogpost
Wow, I can hardly believe it—this is my 100th blog post! When I first started this journey, I never imagined I’d get this far. Whether you’ve been with me f...
5 Methods to Stay Productive in Times of Low Pressure
There are times when we are stressed out - we don’t know what to do, because there are hundreds of things to do. Being stressed reduces our cognitive ability...
I Have Written 50 Articles Online, Here is What Happened
It’s amazing how quickly time flies. It seems like just a few weeks ago I started writing online at Medium and matthiaskarner.com but now half a year has pa...
My Number 1 Strategy to Think Clearly
Do you know the feeling of having 1,000 problems, ideas etc. in your head at the same time? I often feel like that. Sorting through all the thoughts is a bi...
My Online Writing: What I’ve learned so far
In the last few weeks, I wrote 34 articles, and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. As I’ve written in my about me story on Medium, I’ve always loved...
Milestones in My Writing Journey: 33 Articles and Counting
Writing online has been a great journey so far and I definitely want to continue. It’s a fantastic way to express thoughts and ideas, and it’s open to feedba...
The Eye-Opening Journey to Embracing Stress in My Life
In our fast-paced world stress is often perceived as a badge of honor, although we are taught that stress is something negative. Stress leads to the product...
Strategic Synthesis: Progressive Summaries Shaping Your Second Brain
In a recent article I delved into why you need to engage with your notes to increase their value. For effective learning, our brain requires challenges. Mere...
Strategy
Beyond Grit and Talent: What You Really Need for a Fulfilling Career
Photo by Armand Khoury on Unsplash What is the most important ingredient to a successful career? According t...
Good Power: Leading with Purpose
When you hear the word “power,” what comes to mind? Many people think of control, authority, or even fear. But power doesn’t have to be about dominance - it...
Unlocking Your Hidden Potential: 10 Key Lessons from Hidden Potential
On my journey of improving my productivity, I’ve already conquered a lot of books ranging from classics like The Effective Executive and 7 Habits of Highly ...
A Simple Framework for Understanding Psychology of Change: The 4 Rooms of Change
The only constant in life is change.- Heraclitus I really like this quote, as it is full of deep truth. Think of businesses, projects, biology, or the ...
A Deep Dive into The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
One of the aspiring online writers/bloggers I personally look up to is Mark Manson. With his articles, he created a big following. However, his major leap w...
How to Make Effective Decisions According to Peter Drucker
Making effective decisions is one of the most important things a leader has to do. Photo by Ben Rosett on Unsplash ...
Why You Should Start with Why
Why? This simple question packs a punch. It’s more powerful than “How?” or “What?” because it digs deeper into why we do what we do: our true motivation and...
4 Important Leadership Traits in Less Than 150 Words
Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash What is the main job of a leader? To be there for your team. If you put sh...
A Summary of The Effective Executive
Don’t we all want to be effective in what we do? In The Effective Executive Peter Drucker, one of the most renowned economists and management researchers, s...
6 Essential Lessons for Better Leadership
There are countless leadership lessons to help you become a better leader. In this brief article, I’ve gathered some key insights from my leadership journey....
A Deep Dive into Leaders Eat Last
Have you ever wondered what sets great leaders apart? I did. And for the last couple of years, I’ve read many books on leadership. Some simply summarize co...
Unlock the Secrets to Effective Communication with the DISC Model
Everyone communicates differently. But have you ever wondered why? Our personalities, shaped by our beliefs, experiences, upbringing, emotions, and current ...
6 Lessons from Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Are you curious about what makes a strategy truly effective? Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash In “Good Strateg...
10 Ingredients for a Powerful Strategy
What does a good strategy look like? Is a good strategy a detailed plan crafted based on a vision, is it a set of guiding rules to keep you on the right pat...
The Ultimate Strategy to Boost Your Conversations
Our mindset is important. It has the potential to change not only the way we see things but also how we approach them. This is true in many areas of our liv...
Elon Musk’s 3 Strategic Principles
These days, any article with ”Elon Musk” in the title feels like it’s just trying to get attention (this article won’t). ...
Designing Your Life
A Proven Method to Check How Aligned You Are: Wheel of Life
Have you ever asked yourself how aligned your life is with your values? It’s a difficult question. Photo by Slav Roma...
How to Get a Job You Really Want
How do you find or design your dream job? There is the classic way: applying to dozens of job advertisements, hoping you get to the next stage and win them ...
Beyond Talent: The 5 Principles of Deliberate Practice
Our world sometimes seems to be obsessed with talent. The thing is we don’t just see talent. What we see is achievement and there is more to achievement tha...
The Luck Formula
How lucky are you? Everybody has lucky moments, but can you influence your luck? Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash ...
The 1 Method to Creating Your Own Path to Fulfillment
Did you ever wonder where life might take you within the next 5 years? Have you made plans for the future like, changing your job, buying a car, or running ...
2 Approaches to Get Unstuck and Design a Life You Love
What prevents us from living a life we truly want to live? An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed...
Design a Life You Love, Starting From Where You Are Right Now
In the past years, I’ve read many books on career advice. Some focus on building small habits to gradually transform your life, while others focus on the pow...
Work for Learning, Not for Money
Why do we work? Is it just for the money? Do we want to do something that we enjoy or something that contributes to society? ...
Why following your passion might not be the best career choice
Follow your passion. This is one of the most said career advice. And yes, it sounds plausible! Why shouldn’t you do what you’re passionate about in your jo...
A Definition of Happiness
We want to feel happy. We pursue it. The pursuit of Happiness is even part of the US Declaration of Independence. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
Gravity Problems: How to Deal with Unsolvable Challenges in Your Life
Life consists of many challenges: some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are some problems you could solve, but just seem almost too ov...
The Power of Persistence
From early childhood, we are often told that talent is the key to success and happiness. Whether it’s in academics, sports, or the arts, our society values i...
Anchor Problems: How to Overcome Huge Challenges in Your Life
In life there are challenges - some are easy to deal with, some are more daunting and there are those challenges that seem so huge you think you won’t be abl...
Fit for Success: 5 Quick Tips to Choosing Your Career
In the fast-paced world of career development, we can find ourselves stuck in jobs that drain our energy and leave us feeling unfulfilled. But how to choose...
Sculpting Your Best Year Yet: A Practical 6-Step Guide to Life Design in the New Year
As the year draws to a close, it’s that special time when we pause to ponder the events of the past twelve months and envision the possibilities that lie ahe...
Notetaking
7 Habits to Become Highly Effective
I am a productivity enthusiast. In the past four years, I’ve read well over 50 books on the topic and some are truly remarkable. One of them is ”The 7 Habit...
Improve Your Time Management with this Proven Method
Managing time efficiently is key to personal productivity. By aligning our activities with our energy levels, we can achieve more and stay motivated longer....
Craft Your Ideal Week: a User-Friendly Guide
A key element of personal productivity is managing our time efficiently. By making the most out of our energy levels throughout the day we can get more thing...
Mastering Effective Note-Taking: A Comprehensive Exploration
The human brain is great at having ideas, but it is terrible at remembering them. However, our busy life depends on us memorizing information (like names, n...
From Ivory Tower to Corporate Tower: 9 Learnings from My Transition to the Corporate World
Academia and the corporate world can vary significantly across various dimensions such as project execution, cultural dynamics, and task management approache...
Strategic Synthesis: Progressive Summaries Shaping Your Second Brain
In a recent article I delved into why you need to engage with your notes to increase their value. For effective learning, our brain requires challenges. Mere...
Notes That Work: How Engagement Drives Retention & Value
Notetaking is a crucial step in retaining information, storing valuable concepts and also to spark new ideas. In a world filled with an overwhelming amount ...
The Total Recall Productivity Method
Efficiency and effectiveness are becoming more and more important to succeed in today‘s challenging corporate world. In my quest to supercharge my personal ...
My Productivity Revolution: A Story of Progress
In this article I want to share my productivity journey with you: starting from my first job in applied science to my current position as a manager in digita...
Inside the Mind of ‘Getting Things Done’: The GTD Methodology
The demands of work and personal life can often feel overwhelming, leading to stress and a sense of being perpetually behind. If you’re looking for a soluti...
Remembering in the Digital Age: Insights for Text, Audio and Visual Info
According to The New York Times, the average person consumes a staggering 34 gigabytes of data daily — that’s equivalent to 17 billion words or roughly 1,740...
Recall & Reflect: My Personal Approach to Remembering Books
Reading is fun. You can dive into the minds of great scientists, explore the thoughts of creative minds and learn new things. Reading a non-fiction book is l...
Guide
5 Whys for Building Your Own Website
How many people have a personal website? Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash How many people have a personal we...
Create and Host Your Website for Free with GitHub Pages: A Step-by-Step Guide
Having your website gives you the freedom to publish whatever content you want when you want. And building your website has never been easier than it is toda...
How to Get a Job You Really Want
How do you find or design your dream job? There is the classic way: applying to dozens of job advertisements, hoping you get to the next stage and win them ...
The 1 Method to Creating Your Own Path to Fulfillment
Did you ever wonder where life might take you within the next 5 years? Have you made plans for the future like, changing your job, buying a car, or running ...
2 Approaches to Get Unstuck and Design a Life You Love
What prevents us from living a life we truly want to live? An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed...
Design a Life You Love, Starting From Where You Are Right Now
In the past years, I’ve read many books on career advice. Some focus on building small habits to gradually transform your life, while others focus on the pow...
7 Strategies to Make the Most of Meetings
In the corporate world, meetings are omnipresent. According to Forbes, there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time. But wh...
Craft Your Ideal Week: a User-Friendly Guide
A key element of personal productivity is managing our time efficiently. By making the most out of our energy levels throughout the day we can get more thing...
Sculpting Your Best Year Yet: A Practical 6-Step Guide to Life Design in the New Year
As the year draws to a close, it’s that special time when we pause to ponder the events of the past twelve months and envision the possibilities that lie ahe...
The Total Recall Productivity Method
Efficiency and effectiveness are becoming more and more important to succeed in today‘s challenging corporate world. In my quest to supercharge my personal ...
Career Advice
Beyond Grit and Talent: What You Really Need for a Fulfilling Career
Photo by Armand Khoury on Unsplash What is the most important ingredient to a successful career? According t...
How to Get a Job You Really Want
How do you find or design your dream job? There is the classic way: applying to dozens of job advertisements, hoping you get to the next stage and win them ...
The 1 Method to Creating Your Own Path to Fulfillment
Did you ever wonder where life might take you within the next 5 years? Have you made plans for the future like, changing your job, buying a car, or running ...
2 Approaches to Get Unstuck and Design a Life You Love
What prevents us from living a life we truly want to live? An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed...
Design a Life You Love, Starting From Where You Are Right Now
In the past years, I’ve read many books on career advice. Some focus on building small habits to gradually transform your life, while others focus on the pow...
Work for Learning, Not for Money
Why do we work? Is it just for the money? Do we want to do something that we enjoy or something that contributes to society? ...
Why following your passion might not be the best career choice
Follow your passion. This is one of the most said career advice. And yes, it sounds plausible! Why shouldn’t you do what you’re passionate about in your jo...
Fit for Success: 5 Quick Tips to Choosing Your Career
In the fast-paced world of career development, we can find ourselves stuck in jobs that drain our energy and leave us feeling unfulfilled. But how to choose...
Sculpting Your Best Year Yet: A Practical 6-Step Guide to Life Design in the New Year
As the year draws to a close, it’s that special time when we pause to ponder the events of the past twelve months and envision the possibilities that lie ahe...
Building Success Brick by Brick: The Role of Habits
In this article I want to share what I learnt so far about the power of habits from sources like The Infinite Game, Atomic Habits and Leaders Eat Last. C...
Digital Transformation
The AI Loop: Will AI End Up Summarizing Its Own Work?
Lately, generative AI has been making its mark in many areas. The AI Loop. Image created in cooperation with MS Copilo...
AI and Productivity: A Productivity Enthusiast’s Perspective
If you’re like me - constantly looking for ways to work smarter, not just harder - then you’ve probably heard about generative AI. It’s everywhere right now...
The Tech Trinity: IT, OT, and Digitalization Skills
Digitalization and IT are similar but not the same as I’ve explored in one of my recent articles where I’ve defined the tech trinity and analyzed their diffe...
What role does IT play in the digital transformation of our world?
In some of my recent article, I unveiled my journey in becoming head of digital transformation management. But what does digitalization have to do with IT? ...
7 Valuable Insights in Digital Transformation Management
The ever-evolving landscape of the digital realm never fails to captivate me. For over four exciting years, I’ve been steering the ship as the Head of Digit...
5 Learnings from A Head of Digital Transformation Management
For more than four years now, I’ve been responsible for Digital Transformation Management at my company. In this article I want to share some of my learning...
Unveiling My Journey in Digital Transformation Management
The digital world is fascinating. Think about how the world looked like just some years ago in 2007. We didn’t have smartphones back then. Could you imagine ...
Navigating Leadership: 5 Learnings from Becoming a Department Head at 29
When I think back, I always had the goal of becoming successful. But what did (professional) success mean to me? I imagined success as being exceptionally go...
First Post
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash Hi and welcome! My name is Matthias Karner and what you are reading is my ...
List of References
My top 7 Books for 2025
The end of 2024 is approaching, and it is time to set my reading goals for 2025. As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading...
My Top 21 Productivity Books
As an avid reader and productivity enthusiast I’ve curated a list of my favorite productivity books I’ve read so far - their rank has no underlying meaning (...
A Snapshot of My 2024 Reading So Far
I’ve always enjoyed reading. Until some years ago I mostly read fiction. After completing my PhD, I was still hungry for more knowledge. So I started readin...
Literary Treasures at No Cost: 7 Exceptional Free Books
A great thing about books is that there are so many treasures available - enticing novels, insightful non-fiction books, and great literature. You can read ...
My top 7 Books for 2024
As a member of the Goodreads community, I eagerly dive into a yearly reading challenge. In 2023 I conquered 27 books exceeding my goal of 15 books by quite ...
Supercharge Your Management Skills: 5 More Books to Maximize Productivity
After the positive reception of my latest piece on management literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused o...
The Productivity Pulse: Uncovering 5 More Books for Success
After the positive reception of my latest piece on productivity literature, I’ve chosen to continue the momentum by introducing five additional books focused...
7 Books for Highly Productive Managers
The world of management and leadership literature is expansive. In this piece, I aim to introduce seven captivating books from this realm that I enjoyed pers...
7 Books for Highly Productive People
There are tons of books about personal productivity out there. In this article I want to show you my personal top 7. The Effective Executive The Effective...
Digitalization
The AI Loop: Will AI End Up Summarizing Its Own Work?
Lately, generative AI has been making its mark in many areas. The AI Loop. Image created in cooperation with MS Copilo...
AI and Productivity: A Productivity Enthusiast’s Perspective
If you’re like me - constantly looking for ways to work smarter, not just harder - then you’ve probably heard about generative AI. It’s everywhere right now...
The Tech Trinity: IT, OT, and Digitalization Skills
Digitalization and IT are similar but not the same as I’ve explored in one of my recent articles where I’ve defined the tech trinity and analyzed their diffe...
What role does IT play in the digital transformation of our world?
In some of my recent article, I unveiled my journey in becoming head of digital transformation management. But what does digitalization have to do with IT? ...
7 Valuable Insights in Digital Transformation Management
The ever-evolving landscape of the digital realm never fails to captivate me. For over four exciting years, I’ve been steering the ship as the Head of Digit...
5 Learnings from A Head of Digital Transformation Management
For more than four years now, I’ve been responsible for Digital Transformation Management at my company. In this article I want to share some of my learning...
Unveiling My Journey in Digital Transformation Management
The digital world is fascinating. Think about how the world looked like just some years ago in 2007. We didn’t have smartphones back then. Could you imagine ...
Navigating Leadership: 5 Learnings from Becoming a Department Head at 29
When I think back, I always had the goal of becoming successful. But what did (professional) success mean to me? I imagined success as being exceptionally go...
Communication
6 Uncomfortable Lessons that We All Need to Learn
Recently I stumbled upon a LinkedIn post and decided to turn it into a short blog post: Photo by Pablo Padilla on Unsp...
10 Simple Phrases to Build Work Relationships
Recently I stumbled upon a LinkedIn post and decided to turn it into a short blog post: Photo by Windows on Unsplash ...
A Simple Framework for Understanding Psychology of Change: The 4 Rooms of Change
The only constant in life is change.- Heraclitus I really like this quote, as it is full of deep truth. Think of businesses, projects, biology, or the ...
5 Whys for Building Your Own Website
How many people have a personal website? Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash How many people have a personal we...
Create and Host Your Website for Free with GitHub Pages: A Step-by-Step Guide
Having your website gives you the freedom to publish whatever content you want when you want. And building your website has never been easier than it is toda...
Unlock the Secrets to Effective Communication with the DISC Model
Everyone communicates differently. But have you ever wondered why? Our personalities, shaped by our beliefs, experiences, upbringing, emotions, and current ...
The Ultimate Strategy to Boost Your Conversations
Our mindset is important. It has the potential to change not only the way we see things but also how we approach them. This is true in many areas of our liv...
Making the Most of Meetings - 4 Easy Rules
According to Forbes there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time.
Opinion
Why Comfort is Bad
Have you ever set a New Year’s resolution, like learning a new skill or starting a workout routine, but never followed through? I’m sure many of us have. I h...
Managing Energy, Not Time
There is a limit to how efficiently you can use your time: your energy! Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash ...
Why I Do Not Like the Pomodoro Technique
As a confessed productivity enthusiast I’ve tried out many different productivity methods & techniques. But there is one technique I am not very fond of...
Do Not Be an Early Bird Unless You Want To
A common theme among productivity enthusiasts seems to be the “waking up early” mentality. There are countless recommendations like “Why I wake up at 5 a.m....
Why Simplicity Always Wins
We live in a complex world. And I think this is a good thing! There are tons of information created and connected each day (according to Forbes, 2.5 quintil...
Work for Learning, Not for Money
Why do we work? Is it just for the money? Do we want to do something that we enjoy or something that contributes to society? ...
Why the Early Bird Mentality is Wrong
In the past years and month I’ve read a lot of books and articles about personal productivity. One of the overlapping recommendations is “waking up early” - ...
Effective
A Proven Method to Check How Aligned You Are: Wheel of Life
Have you ever asked yourself how aligned your life is with your values? It’s a difficult question. Photo by Slav Roma...
A Simple Method to Boost Your Productivity
There are many strategies, methods, and guidelines to increase your productivity (the GTD method, Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive, the role of habits...
A Proven Method to Increase Your Productivity: Choose Your Character
Last month, I read Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal. One idea really caught my attention: picking your own productivity character. ...
A Summary of Feel-Good Productivity
Getting more done in less time is a big topic these days. It’s called personal productivity. There are many guides to help, like the GTD method, Peter Druc...
30 Learnings From Think Again
Think Again is a best-selling book by Adam Grant about the power of critical thinking and why our intuition sometimes can fool us. ...
Why Rethinking Is Powerful
Somehow this year I’ve read a lot on motivation, mental models, and thinking in systems. A book I’ve recently finished is “Think Again” by Adam Grant. Essen...
7 Habits to Become Highly Effective
I am a productivity enthusiast. In the past four years, I’ve read well over 50 books on the topic and some are truly remarkable. One of them is ”The 7 Habit...
Time-Management
Be Valuable, Not Available
In the world of personal productivity, it is nothing new that emails and meetings are time wasters. Yet, there are dozens of meetings per week (executives s...
Read More and Make it Stick
Reading is great. You can stand on the shoulders of giants, dive into the thinking of others, or explore new worlds. However, in today’s fast-paced world, f...
Improve Your Time Management with this Proven Method
Managing time efficiently is key to personal productivity. By aligning our activities with our energy levels, we can achieve more and stay motivated longer....
7 Strategies to Make the Most of Meetings
In the corporate world, meetings are omnipresent. According to Forbes, there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time. But wh...
Making the Most of Meetings - 4 Easy Rules
According to Forbes there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time.
Craft Your Ideal Week: a User-Friendly Guide
A key element of personal productivity is managing our time efficiently. By making the most out of our energy levels throughout the day we can get more thing...
Money
5 Whys for Building Your Own Website
How many people have a personal website? Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash How many people have a personal we...
Create and Host Your Website for Free with GitHub Pages: A Step-by-Step Guide
Having your website gives you the freedom to publish whatever content you want when you want. And building your website has never been easier than it is toda...
My 6 Top Learnings from Psychology of Money
I’ve read many books about investing, personal finance, and money. Some focus on creating valuable businesses (The Millionaire Fastlane, Million Dollar Weeke...
The Best Book For Your Personal Finances: Psychology of Money
There are many books about money, investing, financial success, … and I’ve read many of them. However, there has been one book that stood out for its practic...
Work for Learning, Not for Money
Why do we work? Is it just for the money? Do we want to do something that we enjoy or something that contributes to society? ...
5 Proven Ways to Unlocking Wealth and Wisdom
In the past few years, I’ve been reading a lot of books on the topics of happiness and wealth. One book that is often seen on “best book lists” on those topi...
Motivation
Why Comfort is Bad
Have you ever set a New Year’s resolution, like learning a new skill or starting a workout routine, but never followed through? I’m sure many of us have. I h...
Read More and Make it Stick
Reading is great. You can stand on the shoulders of giants, dive into the thinking of others, or explore new worlds. However, in today’s fast-paced world, f...
Slow Down Time with the Holiday Paradox
How can you slow down time? Some might say that doing something boring makes time slow down. But does it really? Wha...
Why You Should Start with Why
Why? This simple question packs a punch. It’s more powerful than “How?” or “What?” because it digs deeper into why we do what we do: our true motivation and...
10 Challenges that Will Make You Mentally Invincible
A book that ranked particularly high on my reading list this year was “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins. It’s a motivational book where David Goggins tells h...
The Luck Formula
How lucky are you? Everybody has lucky moments, but can you influence your luck? Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash ...
Marketing
Sales Skills Aren’t Just for Salespeople – Here’s Why
I’ve never thought of myself as a great salesperson. The very idea of persuading someone to buy a product or service they didn’t even know existed just a sh...
Steal like an artist
What does it take to be creative? And more importantly, how do you keep that creativity alive in a world of distractions? ...
5 Whys for Building Your Own Website
How many people have a personal website? Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash How many people have a personal we...
Create and Host Your Website for Free with GitHub Pages: A Step-by-Step Guide
Having your website gives you the freedom to publish whatever content you want when you want. And building your website has never been easier than it is toda...
Learnings from Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash Some weeks ago I published an article on the STEPPS framework, summarizing t...
6 Step Guide on How to Make Ideas Spread
Have you ever wondered why certain ideas are shared more than others? Word of mouth and sharing are indeed powerful ways to spread information. Actually, it...
Lean
7 Strategies to Make the Most of Meetings
In the corporate world, meetings are omnipresent. According to Forbes, there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time. But wh...
Making the Most of Meetings - 4 Easy Rules
According to Forbes there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time.
Taking It Further: 5 Additional Lean Approaches for Personal Productivity
In a recent article, I delved into the exciting realm of translating lean manufacturing methods into the realm of personal productivity. The world of lean of...
Lean into Productivity: 5 Methods for Personal Efficiency
In the recent decades lean manufacturing has established itself as the go-to form of organizing manufacturing. It improves the value for the customer, reduce...
Mastering Innovation: A Deep Dive into ‘The Lean Startup’
Agile project management, has reshaped the software development landscape in the past decade. In “The Lean Startup”, Eric Ries delves into agile methodologi...
Energy
Outlive: How to Live Longer and Better
As you might’ve noticed if you’ve read some of my previous posts, I’m big into leadership and productivity literature. But now and then, I like to branch out...
6 Proven Breathing Techniques to Increase Focus
Breathing techniques are a powerful way to boost your alertness, increase focus, or support relaxation. Photo by Jared...
The Energy Investment Portfolio: Juggling Long-Term Goals and Short-Term Wins
No matter how many productivity hacks you try, there’s always a limit to how productive you can be: your energy. That’s why it’s crucial to manage your ener...
How Running Boosted My Productivity
Energy and (physical) fitness are closely linked. If you are fit, you usually have more energy as well. I think everyone knows that. I knew that. ...
The Energy Balance: Factors Shaping Your Energy Levels
We need energy to function. We can increase our productivity to get more done in less time, but at some point, our energy becomes the bottleneck as I discuss...
Health
Outlive: How to Live Longer and Better
As you might’ve noticed if you’ve read some of my previous posts, I’m big into leadership and productivity literature. But now and then, I like to branch out...
6 Proven Breathing Techniques to Increase Focus
Breathing techniques are a powerful way to boost your alertness, increase focus, or support relaxation. Photo by Jared...
The Energy Investment Portfolio: Juggling Long-Term Goals and Short-Term Wins
No matter how many productivity hacks you try, there’s always a limit to how productive you can be: your energy. That’s why it’s crucial to manage your ener...
How Running Boosted My Productivity
Energy and (physical) fitness are closely linked. If you are fit, you usually have more energy as well. I think everyone knows that. I knew that. ...
The Energy Balance: Factors Shaping Your Energy Levels
We need energy to function. We can increase our productivity to get more done in less time, but at some point, our energy becomes the bottleneck as I discuss...
Happiness
The Single Most Important Ingredient to Happiness
What makes people happy? When asked about their life goals, millennials mention money or fame. But do money and fame make us happy? ...
The Luck Formula
How lucky are you? Everybody has lucky moments, but can you influence your luck? Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash ...
Improve Your Happiness with 6 Simple Strategies
Happiness is something we all want, but sometimes it feels like it’s just out of reach. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
A Definition of Happiness
We want to feel happy. We pursue it. The pursuit of Happiness is even part of the US Declaration of Independence. But what does happiness actually mean? ...
Meetings
Be Valuable, Not Available
In the world of personal productivity, it is nothing new that emails and meetings are time wasters. Yet, there are dozens of meetings per week (executives s...
7 Strategies to Make the Most of Meetings
In the corporate world, meetings are omnipresent. According to Forbes, there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time. But wh...
Making the Most of Meetings - 4 Easy Rules
According to Forbes there are 55 million meetings each day - and half of them are a waste of time.
Decision Making
If You Can’t Decide, the Answer is No
Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash According to Harvard Business Review, we make about 35,000 decisions per day...
Why Rethinking Is Powerful
Somehow this year I’ve read a lot on motivation, mental models, and thinking in systems. A book I’ve recently finished is “Think Again” by Adam Grant. Essen...
2 Approaches to Get Unstuck and Design a Life You Love
What prevents us from living a life we truly want to live? An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed...
Gamification
A Proven Method to Check How Aligned You Are: Wheel of Life
Have you ever asked yourself how aligned your life is with your values? It’s a difficult question. Photo by Slav Roma...
A Simple Method to Boost Your Productivity
There are many strategies, methods, and guidelines to increase your productivity (the GTD method, Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive, the role of habits...
A Proven Method to Increase Your Productivity: Choose Your Character
Last month, I read Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal. One idea really caught my attention: picking your own productivity character. ...
Negotiation
Harvard vs. FBI: A Deep Dive into Two Powerful Negotiation Methods
Life is a series of negotiations, at least if you believe Harvard Business Review. Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsp...
Never Split the Difference Explained: 6 Insights to Master the FBI’s Negotiation Secrets
Negotiation is everywhere. Whether you’re closing a business deal, asking for a raise, or simply deciding on where to go for dinner, you’re negotiating. But...
Getting to Yes Explained: The Secret to Conflict-Free Negotiation
Negotiation isn’t just for business deals - It’s a skill we use every day, from asking for a raise to deciding where to eat with friends. The ability to com...
Second Brain
Strategic Synthesis: Progressive Summaries Shaping Your Second Brain
In a recent article I delved into why you need to engage with your notes to increase their value. For effective learning, our brain requires challenges. Mere...
Remembering in the Digital Age: Insights for Text, Audio and Visual Info
According to The New York Times, the average person consumes a staggering 34 gigabytes of data daily — that’s equivalent to 17 billion words or roughly 1,740...
Recall
Inside the Mind of ‘Getting Things Done’: The GTD Methodology
The demands of work and personal life can often feel overwhelming, leading to stress and a sense of being perpetually behind. If you’re looking for a soluti...
Remembering in the Digital Age: Insights for Text, Audio and Visual Info
According to The New York Times, the average person consumes a staggering 34 gigabytes of data daily — that’s equivalent to 17 billion words or roughly 1,740...
Parenting
Parental Leave Isn’t Just for Moms: A Father’s Perspective
Becoming a parent is one of life’s most powerful experiences. It’s hard to put into words - the joy, the overwhelm, the love. You really have to live it to u...
Leadership Lessons From a Parenting Book
This sounds awkward, right? How can you draw lessons for leadership from a book about parenting? And yes, this had been my first thought as well after readi...
Investing
My 6 Top Learnings from Psychology of Money
I’ve read many books about investing, personal finance, and money. Some focus on creating valuable businesses (The Millionaire Fastlane, Million Dollar Weeke...
The Best Book For Your Personal Finances: Psychology of Money
There are many books about money, investing, financial success, … and I’ve read many of them. However, there has been one book that stood out for its practic...
Artificial Intelligence
The AI Loop: Will AI End Up Summarizing Its Own Work?
Lately, generative AI has been making its mark in many areas. The AI Loop. Image created in cooperation with MS Copilo...
AI and Productivity: A Productivity Enthusiast’s Perspective
If you’re like me - constantly looking for ways to work smarter, not just harder - then you’ve probably heard about generative AI. It’s everywhere right now...
Tribute
Tribute To Daniel Kahneman
One of the greatest psychology researchers just died. Daniel Kahneman received the Nobel Prize for his work in behavioral economics in 2002. Besides his sci...
Models
A List of Proven Mental Models
This year, I’ve learned a lot about mental models and systems. Using these tools can really boost your productivity. P...
Running
How Running Boosted My Productivity
Energy and (physical) fitness are closely linked. If you are fit, you usually have more energy as well. I think everyone knows that. I knew that. ...
Politics
Exploring Freiheit by Angela Merkel: A Reflection on Leadership, Crisis, and the Politics of Freedom
In November 2024 Angela Merkel published her autobiography “Freiheit”, or in English “Freedom”. The book is more than just a look back at her time as German...
300 Words
A Simple Method to Never be Late Again
Have you ever been so deep into something that time flies by? If you are sometimes in the flow state you might have been there. The problem? ...
Books
Outlive: How to Live Longer and Better
As you might’ve noticed if you’ve read some of my previous posts, I’m big into leadership and productivity literature. But now and then, I like to branch out...