Pete Michaud

Enduring Value

I start working around 8 in the morning, and I’m normally done by 8 at night. Last week I took Sunday off, and built some games. But what am I doing that I call work? How can I look back at the end of the day and know I was “productive”? Hours worked are irrelevant. The real question is:...

You Suck At Everything

People are born with talents. You better hope you get one that’s impressive or lucrative, because otherwise you’re screwed. Take these two artists for example: Artist #1 Artist #2 I didn’t choose these two artists so I could pick on the first one though. I actually picked these two because...

The Art of Honesty

Honesty is something I’ve talked about here because being honest begins with self-honesty. You can’t “be authentic,” or build the life you want without self honesty because you’ll have no idea who you are or what you want to do if your entire mental life is walls and facades....

Words Have Power

“Tiff’s a chocolate whore.” Ben is Tiffany’s husband, and he’s a well-meaning guy. He has a bit of a way with words. The three of us are walking into a Godiva store to pick up a treat for Tiffany. Ben says “Tiff’s a chocolate whore.” “Aficionado?...

Ritual Creates Change

Some days I try to inspire you to make you feel like success is within reach (it is). Other days I tell you to just do something, anything, every day. I go on about showing up, and adding one stroke to your gallery, even when it’s hard, even when the stroke sucks. That emotional oomph that fills your...

Dealing with Setbacks

Summary Setbacks, even minor ones, send most people packing. The people who stick with it always win. I haven’t really had a place to live for a few weeks now, since my ex-wife is staying in the house. So I’ve been traveling and floating between hotels and friends’ houses. I haven’t...

I Create My Reality, Thank You Steph

My former wife thinks everything happens for a reason, and that we’re put in situations meant to test us. If we learn from the situation, we graduate beyond it. If we don’t learn, we repeat the situation until we get it. A more plausible explanation is that we get stuck repeating negative...

Behavior Change Grid

Much of what I write is about changing behavior to get the results you want. I try to inspire you to action by telling stories about what’s possible if you consistently trudge forward. Today I’m sharing a more analytical approach. This approach breaks behavior change into 15 categories according...

Akrasia, or How to Stop Checking E-mail

My calendar says I should write today from 8:00am until noon. I began thinking about possibly writing at 9:28, and I’ve been glancing back and forth between potential titles, hacker news, and my e-mail since then. It’s 10:31. I like writing. I want to write. The moment I get stuck on a word or...

What is the Key to Success?

You have goals and projects that you want to be wildly successful. You’re a writer who wants to be published. You’re a programmer who wants your weekend project to turn into a company. You’re hoping you meet the right people, learn the right things, have the right ideas. You’re...