To make laziness work for you, put some effort into it

If laziness is written into our genes, why not embrace it?

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We are being lazy if there's something that we ought to do but are reluctant to do because of the effort involved.

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Sink or swim: How to survive waves of change in a fast-paced industry

Here's how to best position yourself for taking advantage of the unexpected.

  • Why are companies like Apple on top of the world while others like Blackberry have been relegated to a minor market share? Why is Netflix king and Blockbuster extinct? Netflix spotted a strategic inflection point and capitalized on it, says Rita Gunther McGrath.
  • A strategic inflection point is a shift in the external environment that changes the assumptions upon which a business is based—it could be technology, social norms, or a company's reputation.
  • People and organizations who see inflection points early and respond to them with a small investment or an experiment have an advantage. They will swim while their competitors may sink.
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4 ways to inject more creativity into your craft (and life)

Sometimes you have to take the road less traveled.

Photo by Joshua Newton on Unsplash
  • Creativity is not a magical force, but a discipline that's hard-won through patience and fortitude.
  • Breaking free from your comfort zone is often required to live a more creative life.
  • These four suggestions from psychologists and neuroscientists provide insights into injecting more creativity into your craft.
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The biggest threat to America? Americans.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Jared Diamond explains why some nations make it through epic crises and why others fail.

  • "A country is not going to resolve a national crisis unless it acknowledges that it's in a crisis," says Jared Diamond. "If you don't, you're going to get nowhere. Many Americans still don't recognize today that the United States is descending into a crisis."
  • The U.S. tends to focus on "bad countries" like China, Canada and Mexico as the root of its problems, however Diamond points out the missing piece: Americans are generating their own problems.
  • The crisis the U.S. is experiencing is not cause for despair. The U.S. has survived many tragedies, such as the War of Independence and the Great Depression – history is proof that the U.S. can get through this current crisis too.
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Perfectionism is on the rise – and we're all paying the cost

New research shows elevated risks of anxiety, depression, and suicide linked to perfectionism.

Photo by Taylor Ballantyne /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
  • A study of 41,641 college students shows that perfectionism is increasing year after year.
  • Along with perfectionist tendencies, researchers noted a symmetrical rise in anxiety, depression, and suicide.
  • The study looks not at parental influence, but at neoliberal policies that have fostered a cult of individualism.
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