Welcome to Forge

A new Medium publication focused on how to be more productive, inspired, and whole

Welcome to Forge! Medium’s newest publication is here to examine and illuminate our constant struggle to get more done, invest in creativity and focus, and be happy doing it.

We live in the era of self-optimization. Everyone wants to be better at life, whatever that means to them. “Self help” has come a long way, and in its current iteration we talk more about progress, bravery, and mindfulness; doing more, and being more creative. The field has become less gendered, more universal and global, and a whole lot more interesting than it once was.

But it’s also a place where charlatans, self-made gurus, and pseudoscientists thrive. Forge brings journalistic rigor and credible, peer-reviewed science to bear. We don’t use vague inspiration-speak or glibly suggest quick fixes to major personal problems. Medium is ad-free, and Forge will not peddle product recommendations or embed affiliate links. And while our approach is thoughtful, we don’t take ourselves terribly seriously.

We are launching with a collection of stories on focus, one of our fundamental preoccupations (and we’ll have more in the days to come, so stay tuned).