Daniel H. Pink is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. His other books include the New York Times bestsellers When and A Whole New Mind — as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. Dan’s books have won multiple awards, have been translated into 46 languages, and have sold millions of copies around the world. He lives in Washington, DC, with his family.

Daniel Pink

Here are 5 things I wish I knew at 21 (now that I’m 61):

1. Don’t work with jerks.
Even if they’re smart or well-connected—jerks will drain you. They’ll ruin your energy, your progress, your joy.

2. Shortcuts are scams.
If it’s meaningful, it’ll take time. The “quick route” usually leads nowhere—or backwards.

3. Nobody’s watching you.
You think people are judging you. They’re not. They’re too busy thinking about themselves.

4. You’ll regret inaction more than action.
It’s the jobs you didn’t go for… the risks you didn’t take… that will haunt you.

5. Build a body of work—not just a résumé.
In the long run, people don’t hire credentials. They hire evidence. Proof. Work that speaks for itself.

If you’re in your 20s, steal this list.
I’ve had 40 years to earn it.

#1 New York Times bestselling author of 7 books.

A ceramics teacher once split her students into two groups. One had to make a perfect pot, the other as many pots as possible quality didn't matter. By the end, the best pots came from the quantity group.

Why?

They stopped overthinking and learned by doing. Most people fail to master skills because they chase perfection instead of just getting the reps.

So whatever you're learning, writing, filming, anything, don't aim for perfection. Just make more because quality comes from quantity.

This is the Pottery Class Paradox, a simple experiment that will change how you approach mastery forever.

What do people think about at the end of their life?

Despite what you may think, the research shows that it’s not money, accomplishments or fame.

Death doula Diane Button has sat with hundreds of people at the very end.

Here’s what she’s learned about living well, from those who’ve reached the finish line.

1. The ordinary is everything.
    It’s not the vacations or awards people miss most, it’s pasta with family.
    Messy photos. Pajama nights.
    The small stuff is the big stuff.
    
2. Count your joy.
    One client kept a “joy counter” above his bed, tallying small moments of delight.
    The more he clicked, the more he found.
    Joy multiplies when you look for it.
    
3. Live with a clean slate.
    Say the thing. Fix the thing. Do the thing.
    Every moment you wait is one you won’t get back.
    Leave nothing important unsaid.
    
4. Kindness builds community.
    The end of life isn’t judged by résumés but by casseroles, tangerines, and hugs.
    The smallest acts often echo the loudest.
    
5. Don’t miss the moments.
    One client spent his life building a fortune, only to die alone in a mansion
    He missed what mattered most:
    The people inside it.
    
The takeaway:
Live now.
Say what needs to be said.
And don’t wait for the end to live a life worth remembering.

90% of your productivity comes down to just 3 things:

1. Energy.
You can’t manage time if you don’t manage energy.
Sleep, movement, and breaks. That’s your real fuel.
Run out of energy, and no system or app can save you.

2. Focus.
Distraction is the enemy.
Every notification is a tax on your brain.
The best performers protect their attention like it’s gold… because it is.

3. Priorities.
Most of what we do doesn’t matter.
The key is knowing the few things that do and doing those first.
Everything else is noise.

Master these 3 and the rest takes care of itself.

Neuroscience has taught us more about how we think and act in the last few decades than ever before.

Here are 3 discoveries everyone should know:

1. Your brain has two modes of thinking.
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman called them:

System 1: fast, emotional, automatic
System 2: slow, rational, deliberate
Most of your decisions? System 1.

The skill is knowing when to slow down — and let System 2 take over.

2. Neuroplasticity is real.
For years, scientists believed the brain stopped changing after childhood.
They were wrong.
Experience reshapes your neural connections at any age.
Learn a language. Pick up a skill. Change your habits.
Your brain literally rewires itself.

3. Dopamine isn’t about pleasure — it’s about anticipation.
The “reward chemical” spikes before you get the reward.

That’s why countdowns, cliffhangers, and goals hook us.
It’s not the reward itself — it’s the chase that keeps dopamine flowing.

The lesson?
Your brain isn’t a machine to control.
It’s a partner to understand.

This tiny toilet might be one of the best mental health hacks.

Here are 3 discoveries everyone should know.

“If I can do it, so can you”, sounds supportive.

But for leaders, this mindset can quietly hold your team back.

New research from Muriel Wilkins introduces a hidden blocker, the belief that your capabilities should be your team’s baseline.

It often leads to:
— Unfair expectations
— Harsh feedback
— Missed growth opportunities

Not because leaders lack good intentions, but because they project their own standards onto others.

This is rooted in something called naïve realism, the assumption that your view of the world is objective and everyone else should see it the same way.

Here’s the problem:
Your way isn’t the way.

Exceptional leaders don’t measure others by their own pace, preferences, or past.

They meet people where they are.

They ask:
What support would help you most?
How do you define success?
Where do you want to grow next?

The best leaders don’t raise the bar by replicating themselves.
They raise the bar by helping others realize their own potential.

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