I’m inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said:

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

I strive for living a life of usefulness, contribution, and productivity—that’s what my blog is about. And research shows that the more productive you are, the higher impact results you achieve, and the bigger impact you make.

The more impact we make, the happier we feel, and the more value we create. You see? It all feeds off each other—one enhances the other.

Living a useful life starts with action. Don’t overthink it. Just DO something that’s useful. Start by joining the thousands of other readers who get my newsletter. Together, we inspire each other to take more action.

I’m not the formal type. I like to get to know my readers, clients, partners, etc. Life is about building relationships. So feel free to drop me an email and introduce yourself.

Here’s more about my background:

• Studied business and marketing from 2004 until 2011, and I got two degrees—a Bachelor’s degree in business, and a Master’s degree in marketing from The University of Groningen (Holland)
• I live in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Our city is mostly known for setting the record for toppling domino stones
• I also have a workspace in Amsterdam
• In 2010, when I was writing my Master’s thesis, I co-founded Vartex (a laundry technology company) with my dad. That forced me to become effective with my time. So I started researching productivity. I’m an advisor now.
• Worked for Gartner (IT research firm) in London. Quit the job
• Moved back to The Netherlands (where I grew up) in 2015 and started my blog
• I write about building a better life and business. I’ve learned a few lessons from writing articles
• Author of 6 books
• Think Straight and What It Takes To Be Free are #1 best-sellers on Amazon
• Published 300 articles (and counting)
• Teach 4 online classes and have more than 2,500 online students
• I design, draw, and make everything you see on my website myself
• I host a podcast, where I answer questions from readers. I also interview other entrepreneurs and writers

Articles Written About My Work

• How to stop being so busy and get more done — NBC News
• The productivity pit: how Slack is ruining work — Recode by Vox
• Manage Your Energy to Manage Your Mood — Lifehacker
• 3 Powerful Tips to Help You Read 100 Books This Year — INC Magazine
• These are the 5 reasons why you procrastinate—Fast Company