failure

There are two simple reasons you and I will or won’t take a risk.

The first reason is we know enough about the situation to make a decision based on our values. Take something like bungee jumping. Thousands of people are going to bungee jump this week. We all know there is a chance we’d get injured or even die bungee jumping, yet some will do it and some won’t. If you talked to the people who did it, you’d find out they valued something more than that chance of getting hurt. That something could be excitement, or not being bored, or not being the only person they’re with who decides to watch.Read more

Besides getting a company’s attention and blowing them away in the interview, here are the 59 things you should consider just in case Plan A does not work perfectly.

1) Make sure your cover letter and resume reference the position you are applying for. It shows you paid attention, and in a downturn nobody wants to hire someone who’s not paying attention.

2) Some people say to skip the cover letter. I love them. It’s the best chance I have of getting to know someone before I call them on the phone.

3) Give the person going through applications some way of getting to know you in your cover letter.Read more

I’ve gone over why, how, and what to plan. Right now I’m going to tell you the one last piece you need to take into consideration: The context.

What I mean by the context is the combination of the environment, people, time of day, your personal experiences, and your emotions at the moment you’re doing something. It’s a law of nature that the context of a situation has a significant effect on anyone in the situation. Willpower is not always enough to do what you want. And yes, I’m saying sometimes there’s nothing more you could have done (rejoice, rejoice!).Read more