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Research going back decades suggests that personality dimensions don’t vary much over the course of a person’s life. But of course that doesn’t necessarily limit a person’s achievement; it may limit only the fields in which a person is most likely to excel.

…research finds that in many fields the relation between intelligence and performance is weak or nonexistent; people with modest IQs sometimes perform outstandingly while people with high IQs sometimes don’t get past mediocrity.

The best performers go into their work with a powerful belief in what researchers call their self-efficacy – their ability to perform. They also believe strongly that all their work will pay off for them.

Research confirms what common sense tells us, that too high a standard is discouraging and not very instructive, while too low a standard produces no advancement.

…on creative tasks in particular, some research suggests that people perform more innovatively when they are offered no extrinsic rewards; offering them a reward can actually reduce their creativity.

…one of the most consistent findings in the research is that nobody makes the journey alone.

Research shows that more extrinsic rewards do not add up to greater inner drive. In fact, they have the opposite effect – a decline in intrinsic motivation.

According to brain research, true multi-tasking does not actually exist.

…research… [has] found that imbuing an otherwise ordinary day with personal meaning generates the power to activate new beginnings.

…research found that at the core of meaningful endings is one of the most complex emotions humans experience: poignancy, a mix of happiness and sadness.