Jim Randel's (jimrandel) Blog

I was recently with a friend of mine from upstate Connecticut. My friend plays a lot of golf. He believes in leisure. He does not admire my work ethic. He had been receiving my e-letters and concluded that I spend too much time reading and writing. He felt the need to give me advice. “Randel, you...

One of the hot topics in best-selling books these days is talent – the debate being around nature versus nurture. Are some people born with a gift? Or is talent the result of years of training and practice? Most scientists today seem to favor nurture over nature. Here is a study I recently came a...

One of the most thought-provoking books that I have ever read is Flow, written in 1992 by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, at the time Chairman of the Psychology Department at The University of Chicago. This small print, 300-page book is full of important thoughts. And it is with a lot of humility that I...

I have always been fascinated by how some people rise to the top of their profession or endeavor … and others do not. In certain activities – e.g., business, sports and entertainment – the word “talent” often comes up. An explanation for success almost always uses the word “talent.” “That Roger F...

Last night my wife and I had dinner with friends.  They were telling us about a new couple they had met. The couple they met were very well travelled.  Stories of great hotels.  Had a deer problem on their 8-acre property in the Hamptons. “OK, I get it, they’re rich,” I said.  “What did you tell ...