Thanks, this is really practical advice. The consistency is difficult; for reasons not (fully) understood to me, I often isolate myself after a mounting internal pressure, described in this comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46139449

Don't feel you have to add anything more, but if you have advice not covered in the article, I would love to hear what you have to say.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check them out.

> I highly recommend the book "To Sell Is Human" that reframes "sales" as something more, i.e. convincing a child they need to brush their teeth before bed is also "sales"

It sounds like there might be some overlap with my favourite book, Never Split the Difference (:s/sales/negotation). Quote:

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Life is negotiation. The majority of the interactions we have at work and at home are negotiations that boil down to the expression of a simple, animalistic urge: I want.

“I want you to free the hostages,” is a very relevant one to this book, of course. But so is:

“I want you to accept that $1 million contract.”

“I want to pay $20,000 for that car.”

“I want you to give me a 10 percent raise.” and

“I want you to go to sleep at 9 p.m.”

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> Another book recommendation, "The Now Habit"

I've heard of this one, and tried a few systems. Right now I'm reading Getting Things Done, and I really like it so far. It emphasizes simplicity and developing a system you can trust so you have less running around wild in your brain.

I think my two big problems are:

1. Lack of writing experience generally; and

2. It's hard to explain, but I'm very much stuck in my own head. I do put myself out there, in personal life and professionally, but I tend to have this sickly feeling that grows until I delete my public profiles (professionally) and let most relationships go (personally). I guess I'm "Prone to isolation". This is a big problem in life, but I know I can't just easily solve it, I need to solve it by taking action in my life, like trying to work in my field. I can't wait until I'm perfect to start living and taking action, it's the action itself that will change things. But emotionally, I'm so twisted up that it's hard to get anywhere at all.