Below is a collection of Dr. McGlaughlin's most recent observations (500+). Most of these observations are made throughout the course of everyday life, captured by dictation, and added to FlintsNotes.com. You can read more about the observation capture process here. The content here changes 5 days a week, so be sure to check back often. Also, feel free to leave a comment in the comments section of each observation.

On Achieving Discipline from the Whole

Many of us struggle with self discipline and these struggles are characterized by attempts to achieve consistency in a number of different areas. We try to…

On Balancing the Long-Term with the Short-Term

My whole life has been a combination of short-term and long-term investments. In a sense, I am very sensitive to the cash conversion cycle of my own production.…

On the Dilemma of Knowing What You Cannot Say

There is a dilemma in life that comes not from what you do not know, it comes from knowing that you cannot say what you do know – it defies articulation. How…

On the Danger of Mistaking Activity for Productivity

While I have stressed in other observations, the importance of being able to develop a proper list and check it off, it is a mistake to substitute list-checking…

On the Presence of Beauty

The presence of beauty does not guarantee the absence of ugliness. But the absence of beauty guarantees the pervasiveness of ugliness.   

On Music as the Means of Experiencing the Texture of My Life

How can I be more intentional about the use of music in my life? Music is a drug. I feel its capacity to alter my conscious state. I suspect it has the capacity…

On the Father and the Importance of Allowing your Son to Brag

An essential job of the father is to be available so that his son can brag to him. One of the high and sacred roles of the father is to listen attentively over…

On the Priority of Energy Management over Time Management

Remember that when you are managing time, you are actually managing energy. The true unit of capacity cannot be measured in minutes. It is burned across a…

On the Difference between Sacrifice and Compromise

A man needs to know the difference between compromise and sacrifice. The same activity may be construed as one or the other. When I make a change to an important…

On the Danger of Pattern Recognition and the Perception of Truth

Truth often defies the patterns we expect. We miss the truth because we expect it to come in a familiar form. The problem with pattern recognition, despite its…