19 May 2026
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The AI Apprenticeship: 5 Ways to Supercharge Your Growth in 2026

The AI Apprenticeship: 5 Ways to Supercharge Your Growth in 2026

In the philosophy we share with our Personal Kaizen community, Rule 6 of our 10 Rules for Life is to Learn and Grow throughout your Life. The moment we stop being students of the world is the moment we begin to stagnate. Traditionally, constant learning and growth required finding the right books, seeking out mentors, or enrolling in expensive courses. But as we write this in early 2026, Artificial Intelligence has shifted the paradigm from "searching for information" to "architecting knowledge." AI is no longer just a chatbot; it is a personalized tutor, a research assistant, and a sparring partner…
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21 Apr 2026
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Does Positive Thinking Result in a Longer, Healthier Life?

Does Positive Thinking Result in a Longer, Healthier Life?

Last month we encouraged you to try 5 Simple Exercises to Increase Happiness and Well-being from Martin Seligman’s book Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being. Seligman is a practicing psychologist who has long studied the benefits of Positive Psychology. Flourish mentions several studies Seligman and others had undertaken to study the effects of positive thinking on longevity achieving amazing initial results. Since the book is now 15 years old, I decided to research the updated results of these studies to answer the question, does positive thinking result in a longer, healthier life? Updated Studies In Flourish, Martin…
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24 Mar 2026
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5 Simple Exercises to Increase Happiness and Well-being

5 Simple Exercises to Increase Happiness and Well-being

Our recent post shared research covering 10 models on the meaning and pursuit of happiness. One of the models highlighted is from Martin Seligman’s book Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being. Seligman introduces his PERMA model (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement) of well-being and shares many of his thoughts on Positive Psychology developed as a practicing psychologist. Seligman shares several evidence-based exercises in the book designed to increase long-term well-being and decrease depression. Here are five of his exercises proven to increase your happiness and well-being, and our thoughts and experience testing them. The "Three…
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16 Feb 2026
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An Engineer’s Reasons for the Existence of a Grand Designer

An Engineer’s Reasons for the Existence of a Grand Designer

A recent post summarized Mo Gawdat’s 2017 book, Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy. Gawdat shares six "grand illusions," seven "blind spots", and five “ultimate truths” in his very thought-provoking book on happiness. The final chapter of the book is titled “Who Made Who?” and is an engineer’s reasons for the existence of a grand designer. I found this section didn’t fit particularly well with the rest of the book, but his argument was persuasive enough to share with the Personal Kaizen community and explore separately. The Problem Statement Trying to tackle the existence of God as the…
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27 Jan 2026
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10 Models on the Meaning and Pursuit of Happiness

10 Models on the Meaning and Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness. It’s the most universal and basic of human desires, driving our dreams, decisions, and aspirations. We all chase it throughout our life, yet often the thrill fades and we’re left wondering why we never found the lasting joy we expected. We are about to explore 10 models on the meaning and pursuit of happiness, by both philosophers long dead and modern authors who have looked into the topic for their own lives. I’ll then recommend how we obtain happiness based on this research. This is our final post (for now) in our recent series exploring happiness. We encourage you…
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16 Dec 2025
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Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy

Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy

Mo Gawdat, chief business officer at Google, took an engineer's approach to the problem of happiness after the tragic loss of his son. In his 2017 book, Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy, Gawdat shares that happiness is not a goal to be achieved, but our natural, default state. The key to living a joyful life is to remove the obstacles that prevent us from experiencing this innate happiness. Gawdat identifies these obstacles as "grand illusions" and "blind spots" that cloud our perception of reality. By understanding and dismantling them, we can realize “ultimate truths” and return to…
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18 Nov 2025
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How a Positive Mindset Results in a Happiness Advantage

How a Positive Mindset Results in a Happiness Advantage

In the pursuit of success, we've been sold a faulty formula: work hard, become successful, and then you'll be happy. But what if the equation is backward? What if happiness isn't the result of success, but the engine that drives it? Shawn Achor's international bestseller, The Happiness Advantage, dismantles this conventional wisdom and presents a compelling, science-backed case on the need to cultivate a positive mindset first. It's about training our brains to be happier, more resilient, and more effective; shifting the focus from simply reacting to life's challenges to actively creating a better future. Learn Achor’s seven principles of…
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26 Aug 2025
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Build Lasting Love: 9 Keys to a Healthy Relationship

Build Lasting Love: 9 Keys to a Healthy Relationship

Ever wonder what makes some relationships thrive while others falter? Clinical Psychologists John and Julie Gottman have dedicated their lives to answering this very question. Through groundbreaking research and observation, they've developed the Gottman Method, a renowned approach to couples therapy that helps partners build stronger, more fulfilling connections. To experience love and be loved is Rule 5 of the Personal Kaizen 10 Rules for Life, and this post shares the Gottman’s research on building lasting love and their nine keys to a healthy relationship. Who are the Gottmans? John Gottman, a clinical psychologist, and Julie Gottman, President of The…
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29 Jul 2025
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27 Conflicting Answers on How to Live

27 Conflicting Answers on How to Live

Have you ever asked yourself if the choices you are making in your life are the right ones? This month we are summarizing the 2021 Derek Sivers book How to Live: 27 conflicting answers and one weird conclusion. I love this simple book. Sivers goes all-in on 27 different, and contrasting, philosophies for how to live your life. All 27 are listed below, and Sivers makes a strong, rational, and logical case for each of these ways. Which one (or more) resonates with you? Conflicting Answers from How to Live Most of Sivers' answers to How to Live are explained…
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12 Dec 2024
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How to Have Dramatically Better Conversations

How to Have Dramatically Better Conversations

We recently came across a popular new TED Talk by Charles Duhigg titled, The science behind dramatically better conversations. Duhigg’s lesson about the three types of conversations, and knowing which one you are in, has been useful to me in my personal relationships. Read our summary, watch his talk, and become a supercommunicator! Charles Duhigg’s TED Talk Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter and bestselling author. We’ve reviewed some of Duhigg’s books previously, including The Power of Habit and Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive. I haven’t read his newest book, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret…
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