A thought-provoking conversation with Jamie George about the concepts of agreements and expectations. Jamie shared insights on how expectations can lead to resentment and how shifting to agreements can improve relationships and foster collaboration. We delved into the dynamics of the Drama Triangle, exploring victim, perpetrator, and rescuer roles, and how moving to the Green Triangle can empower individuals to take ownership, set boundaries, and engage in negotiation. Jamie emphasized the importance of being an empowered chooser and highlighted the impact of fear and shame on decision-making. We discussed the significance of addressing shame in a healthy way and the power of inviting change rather than imposing it. Overall, the episode provided valuable insights on navigating relationships, personal growth, and overcoming internal barriers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this transformative episode titled "Smiles That Transform: Unlocking the Power of Positive Energy," we delve into the groundbreaking insights of Dr. Rich Castellano, also known as The Smile Doctor, exploring the profound impact of smiles on our personal and professional lives. Drawing from his best-selling book "The Smile Prescription," we uncover the science and stories behind the life-changing benefits of smiling, from enhanced happiness and health to greater abundance in life.Dr. Castellano challenges entrepreneurs to manage and measure their Emotional Intelligence (EQ) with innovative tools like the SMILE Score, offering a fresh perspective on the critical role of smiles and EQ in achieving success. We explore the intricacies of how our facial expressions not only reflect our internal states but also influence them, and how this understanding can lead to improved patient compliance, sales call success, and overall life satisfaction.Listeners will learn practical strategies for maintaining a positive demeanor even in the face of stress and burnout, fighting resistance to adopt a more positive outlook, and leveraging the power of positive energy to create lasting change in their lives and the lives of those around them. With compelling evidence that smiling more can increase pain tolerance and even extend life expectancy, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to harness their greatest asset—their smile—for a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this enlightening episode of "The Art of Supercommunication: Unleashing the Power of Connection," we dive into the transformative power of communication, exploring it as the ultimate superpower that can redefine our relationships and interactions. Our journey takes us through the nuances of the three critical conversations we engage in: practical, emotional, and social, uncovering how an understanding of these layers is crucial for meaningful connections. With vivid examples ranging from a jury room's tense deliberations to the high-stakes world of international espionage and the delicate conversations in medical offices, we illustrate the potent combination of skills required to navigate and influence these interactions effectively. We delve into the Matching Principle, a strategic approach to identifying the type of conversation you're in and aligning your communication style accordingly. Through discussions on looping for understanding, asking deep, impactful questions, and the importance of laughter and active engagement, we reveal communication not just as an art but as a learned skill accessible to anyone—even those who feel awkward or out of their depth in social situations. This episode is an indispensable guide for anyone looking to harness their communicative potential, transform their interactions, and master the secret language of connection.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we start with a dive into evolutionary psychology and how biases have been programmed into you by millions of years of evolution, look at why our guest condemns the concept of Empathy, how the science demonstrates that empathy has no correlation with doing good in the world, how empathy creates disastrous outcomes, and more with our guest Dr. Paul BloomSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how your environment plays a tremendous role in shaping who you are, look at how personality develops and what underscores it, talk about how to engineering your own environment to make yourself more productive and effective, examine at how to battle self sabotage and much more with our guest Benjamin Hardy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we take a journey into the inquiry know as “The Work’ and uncover the 4 question framework that you can use to break down negative thoughts and limiting beliefs. We examine what happens when we argue with reality, look at the difference between being right and being free, explore the causes of suffering, and much more with our guest Byron Katie. Byron Katie is an American speaker, author, and founder of the method of self-inquiry known as “The Work”. She has worked with millions of individuals at both private and public events in prisons, hospitals, treatment centers, universities, and schools. She is the author of three bestselling books and her work has been featured in TIME, The Huffington Post, Oprah, and much more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the danger of getting addicted to your screens. We look at how technology is designed to be as addictive as possible, and how those addictions specifically make you spend more time on things like social media and news that make you less happy. We discuss how screens rob us of time and attention and why it’s so hard to break away from them. We also look at how-how you can structure your environment to spend more time away from your phone and create ways to get out of these addictive behavior loops with our guest Dr. Adam Alter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to become a “superconnector." We look at the idea that networking is not about tactics, it’s about a fundamental shift in how you think about interacting with people. We examine how to break free from the lazy and shallow networking that social media often creates, discuss why you should never ask “how can I help?”, look at the power of curiosity and asking better questions and much more with our guest Scott Gerber. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss becoming a SuperLearner. We dig into questions that I’ve pondered for a long time - does speed reading work? Can we actually speed read and increase our reading comprehension? Are there strategies you can use to improve your memory? And perhaps most importantly - how can we align the way we think, learn, and remember with the way our brains actually operate? We go into this and more with our guest Jonathan Levi.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how our guest went from a childhood head injury to becoming an accelerated learning expert. We cover memory, speed reading, improving your focus, taking notes like an expert and go deep into tactics for accelerated learning. We talk about the importance of mastering the fundamentals, and get into tons of highly specific and actionable advice you can use today with our guest Jim Kwik. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we explore emotions and facial expression in depth with one of the world’s top experts - the psychologist who pioneered much of the work in this field - Dr. Paul Ekman. We discuss the 6-7 major universal emotions, how emotional reactions are unchanged across cultures, ages, and even species, we discuss micro expressions, reading people’s faces, how to manage and control your emotions, and much much more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss whether time speeds up as we get older, why your life story only makes sense looking in reverse, whether or not brain games actually work, the importance of proactive learning instead of passive learning, why psychology confirms all your worst fears about studying and getting smarter – and much more with a special TWO GUEST interview featuring Dr. Art Markman & Dr. Bob Duke!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we look at how to live a healthy, happy, successful life - from the inside out. We explore what it means to have an “integrated” brain, look at lessons across vastly different scientific disciplines, and share the accessible, simple strategy you can use in 20 minutes to integrate the most important learnings from scientific research to create an integrated brain, body, and mind - to improve your health, happiness, wellbeing and success with our guest Dr. Dan Siegel. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how you create your own reality. We explore the idea that your life experiences are not random or arbitrary, but rather a direct result of your subconscious beliefs. When the conscious and the subconscious conflict, the sub-conscious wins and you’ll never get over your past until you realize how you use it to justify yourself. We dig into the powerful revelation that life only ever changes in the paradigm of action. You must do something differently than what you’ve done before in order to change. All of this and much more with our guest Gary John Bishop.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to beat FOMO - the Fear of Missing Out. How do you overcome the emotional barriers and fears of missing out and saying no to things? How do you get over the awful feeling of turning down opportunities? We share simple actionable strategies for you to say yes to yourself and for you to say yes to what’s really important and actually matters in your life. We share a great strategy you can use to make a huge difference in your life in two minutes or less and we dig into the important concept that in a world drunk on speed, slowness is a superpower - all that much more with our guest Carl Honore.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss PRIDE – and why it may not be the deadly sin that it’s often cracked up to be. We dig into how the research defines pride, examine the critical distinction between self esteem and narcissism, the deep importance of being able to accept criticism, and look at the difference between strategies of dominance and strategies of prestige with Dr. Jessica Tracy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss what Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking all consider the single greatest threat to humanity, why “death” is not binary event that makes you transition from being alive or dead at a specific moment in time, we ask if you would spend $1000 on a chance to live forever, we look at the biology behind cryogenics, vitfrication, and putting your body on biological pause, and we explore why poverty, climate change, war, and all our problems melt away in the face of one massively important issue with our guest Tim Urban. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss why you should not follow your passion, the two biggest pitfalls people struggle with trying to build a career they love, the incredible importance of DEEP WORK, why deep work is so valuable and how we can cultivate it, as well as how you can structure your lifestyle to attain autonomy and mastery with Cal Newport.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the incredible power of kindness, show how kindness triggers “the helpers high” and causes dopamine and oxytocin to flow through your brain, look at study data from 136 countries showing science behind why kindness is so powerful, we walk through several concrete examples you can use RIGHT NOW to take action and be kind to someone today, and much more with John Wang.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the errors people make in their reasoning and how to correct them, we explain a number of statistical principles to help sharpen your thinking and make you a better decision maker, why every $1 spent on a “scared straight” program creates $400 of cost for the criminal justice system, the illusion of objectivity, why you should NOT rely on your intuition and much more with Dr. Richard Nisbett. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the radical mismatch between your intuitive sense of risk and the actual risks you face. We look at why most experts and forecasters are less accurate than dart throwing monkeys. We talk about how to simply and easily dramatically reduce your risk of most major dangers in your life. We explore the results from the “good judgment project” study of more than 20,000 forecasts. We talk about what superforecasters are and how they beat prediction markets, intelligence analysts with classified information, and software algorithms to make the best possible forecasts and MUCH more with Dan Gardner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview, we discuss why “creativity is the new literacy” and how you can unlock your own creative genius to create the life you want to live. Most people are completely wrong about what they think creativity is and how to be more creative. We dispel the myths about creative work and show you how to build your creative muscle so that you can create breakthroughs, find your calling, and live your dream life with our guest Chase Jarvis.Chase Jarvis is a photographer, director, and social artist. He is the CEO of CreativeLive and works with major brands like Nike, Pepsi, and more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we ask: how do you become an active and informed citizen? What are the challenges of forming a coherent view of history and politics? What do you do if your foundational beliefs are coming into question? In a world full of noise, confusion, and fake news - we sit down with our guest the legendary podcaster Dan Carlin to uncover how we can make sense of today’s confusing world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss how to hack your brain to finally create the results you want in life. We take a hard look at what really drivers results and the reality that knowledge and skill aren’t what make you successful - the subconscious drives your behavior, that’s it. You don’t need any more tools to achieve your goals, you just need to change your beliefs and your subconscious set points for success, happiness, and achievement. Action is the ultimate arbiter of your success, are you taking enough of it, and how can you take more? We discuss all of this and much more with our guest John Assaraf.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss conscious capitalism, transformational leadership lessons, and how to use win-win-win thinking to create breakthroughs in your business with Whole Foods co-founder and CEO John Mackey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we share powerful strategies for dealing with uncertainty, some of the most important tools for making better decisions, how to get more flexibility in your life, and much more with our returning guest Josh Kaufman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we explore the power of mentorship to transform your life with our guest Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we ask - why you don’t follow through on the things that are most important to you? How can someone facing down near death fail to follow essential health protocols? What causes people to self sabotage? Why is it so hard to follow up and follow through with your goals? We share the important lesson that it’s not about more information - it’s about finding the right pattern of behaviors and habits to match with your desired goal - and building a scientifically validated process to make sure you actually achieve them. We discuss this and much more with our guest Dr. Sean Young.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you feel uncomfortable in conflict with others? Do you experience fear and anxiety when dealing with tough situations? Most negotiation tactics and strategies assume you’re already a master negotiator with nerves of steel - that’s the wrong starting place. In this episode we discuss how you can get comfortable with having tough conversations and build the foundation to become a real master of negotiation - using a simple and easy to apply framework. We discuss how you can deal with tough situations and conflict from a place of poise, curiosity, and confidence with our guest Kwame Christian.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to train yourself to think and act like a spy, with lessons from a real world expert. In the game of spycraft, the stakes couldn’t be higher and one mistake may land you dead or in a foreign prison. In that deadly crucible, only the best ideas survive. We crack open the secrets you can use to influence, develop relationships, and create a bridge with anyone you meet with the die hard rules from the world’s top secret agents with our guest Jason R. Hanson.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we ask the big question - how do you find meaning in your life and work? When you’re starting death in the face, life’s purpose becomes clear. We learn how to harness those lessons to find meaning in your own life and discover a few simple things you can do every day - starting right now - to increase your odds of living a longer, healthier, happier life with our guest Tom Rath. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Irshad Manji is an internationally acclaimed educator, author, and speaker. She serves as the Director for Courage, Curiosity, and Character at Let Grow, a national nonprofit that promotes intellectual independence and emotional resilience in young people. Its signature program is Moral Courage College, which has been brought to K-12 audiences and further adapted for universities and businesses. Her latest book, Don't Label Me, is a guide to doing diversity without inflaming the culture wars. Irshad’s two previous books detailed the need for reform within her faith of Islam. Using the Moral Courage Method, she shows how to be disruptive without becoming destructive.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Blake Mycoskie is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and best-selling author most known for founding TOMS Shoes and is the person behind the idea of One for One®, a business model that helps a person in need with every product purchased.Born and raised in Texas, Blake now resides in Jackson, Wyoming with his family, dogs, and horses. In his free time, you can find him outside enjoying nature whether it is rock climbing, surfing, or snowboarding. Most recently, he’s started a new company called Madefor to help you find specific things you could learn that would transform your daily life!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Phil Jones is an international business speaker and bestselling author. Phil has made it his life’s work to completely demystify the sales process. He has gone on to deliver over 2,500 presentations in 57 countries across five continents, training more than two million people (both sales and non-sales professionals, leaders, and experts) to learn how to have more influence, confidence, and control when steering their conversations.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

James is an American author, entrepreneur, and photographer. His personal blog, jamesclear.com has over 400,000 email subscribers. Since his last visit to the show, his first book Atomic Habits has gone on to sell over 1 million copies worldwide. James’s work focuses primarily on habits and human potential looking to answer the question “How can we live better?” by focusing on science-backed methods. James’s work has been featured in The New York Times, CBS, Forbes, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kamal Ravikant is the author of the bestselling books, Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On I, Live Your Truth, and Rebirth. He’s been a US Army Infantry soldier, held the hands of dying patients, climbed in the Himalayas, spoken to audiences around the globe, walked 550 miles across Spain, meditated with Tibetan monks, and has worked with some of the best people in Silicon Valley. But more than anything, he is passionate about writing books that improve lives. He lives — for now — in New York City.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

***CONTAINS PROFANITY***In this episode, we discuss how to identify and defeat the stories that hold you back, how to use your complaints as a compass to improve your life, powerful methods for creating permanent habit change, and we unmask the number one reason why you resist making big changes in your life with our guest Jen Sincero. Jen Sincero is a bestselling author, success coach, and motivational speaker who spent more than a decade traveling the world helping people transform their lives and their bank accounts via her public appearances, private sessions, coaching seminars, and books, including the New York Times bestseller You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. Jen has since come out with more books in her You Are a Badass Series including her most recent, Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaries, and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview, we dig into what it takes to be a fearless leader with the first-ever female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy, Carey Lohrenz. We dig into fearless leadership, what it was like being a pioneer in her field, how she came over the many obstacles in her way, and the mindset you need to lead and succeed. Carey Lohrenz is a WSJ bestselling author, a CSP designated keynote speaker, teambuilding expert, and was the first female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy. Carey has delivered Keynotes, Leadership Training, and Executive Coaching to both top Fortune 100 businesses, and associations. She is the author of “Fearless Leadership: High-Performance Lessons from the Flight Deck.” Carey has worked at developing senior executives & management teams for companies such as Cisco, AT&T, and State Farm Insurance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the surprising science of creativity. We begin with a fascinating look into how your brain create reality around you and assigns meaning to things that often have no meaning at all, then we examine the unlikely relationship between doubt, ambiguity, and creativity. We ask how you can chip away at your assumptions so that you can open spaces of possibility to be more creative, we explore the foundations of asking truly good questions, and examine the way that doubt can be a powerful force for unleashing creative insights and more with our guest Dr. Beau Lotto. Dr. Beau Lotto is neuroscientist, author, and the founder of the Lab of Misfits. His studies in the science of human perception have led him to work in several fields including education, the arts, business, and more. Beau has given multiple TED talks, has spoken to companies such as Google, and his work has been featured on the BBC, PBS, Natural Geographic, Big Think, and much more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss why the “happiness” movement has done us a disservice and sometimes makes things worse, how perfectionism creates an illusion of control and distorts your reality, how to become aware of the critical inner voice at the root of your pain and unhealthy habits, the incredible power of self compassion, and much more with Megan Bruneau.Megan Bruneau is a psychotherapist, wellness coach, writer, podcast host and creator of oneshrinksperspective.com After years of perfectionism-fueled depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, she discovered how to like herself, take risks, and find success without beating herself up to get there. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss real life inception with a former bank robber turned neuroscientist. Is it possible to plant ideas in your head? Are your memories an accurate reflection of past reality? Can you change and mold your memories to be different? We open the door on human irrationality and explore why and how we make bad decisions, and what you can do to make small changes that will create a big impact in your life and much more with our guest Moran Cerf.Dr. Moran Cerf is a professor of neuroscience and business at the Kellogg School of Management and the neuroscience program at Northwestern University. He is also a member of the institute of complex systems and was recently named one of the “40 Leading Professionals Under 40.” His research uses methods of neuroscience to understand the underlying mechanisms of our psychology, behavior changes, emotion, decision making and dreams. His work has been featured on the TED Stage, In WIRED, The Scientific American, and much more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share how a college dropout went from waiting tables to becoming the owner of a Major League Soccer Team and the most powerful VC in the healthcare industry. We uncover the incredible strategy that can be used to break into ANY industry and become a dominant player sharing the stage with top CEOs, even without any connections or relationships. We share why you don’t have to be an expert to leverage the credibility of others, the power of public speaking, what it means to orchestrate a deal and much more with our guest Marcus Whitney. Marcus Whitney is an entrepreneur, an author, and a founder or co-founding partner in many businesses include Health:Further, Jumpstart, and the Nashville FC professional soccer team. Marcus is the author of Create and Orchestrate, a book for entrepreneurs about living a creative, purposeful life. He also runs the podcast Marcus Whitney’s Audio Universe. Marcus has been recognized by several business publications including Techcrunch, Fast Company, The Atlantic and many more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we tell the truth about self-awareness. 95% of people think they are self-aware but only 10% actually are. Where do you think you stand and what can you do to improve what our guest calls the superpower of the 21st century? All this and more with our guest Dr. Tasha Eurich.Dr. Tasha Eurich is an organizational psychologist, executive coach, researcher, and New York Times Bestselling author. She is the New York Times Bestselling author of Bankable Leadership and INSIGHT. Her TED talk has been viewed over one million times and her work has been featured in Business Insider, Forbes, The New York Times, and many more! In 2019, she was named one of the top 30 emerging management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, as well as the #1 self-awareness coach in the world by Marshall Goldsmith.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share how you can be more confident when make the tough decisions in your life, discuss how to deal with FOMO and show you the key to ultimately achieving greatness with our guest Patrick McGinnis. Patrick J. McGinnis is a venture capitalist, writer, and speaker who has invested in leading companies around the world. He is the creator and host of the hit podcast FOMO Sapiens, with over 2 million downloads. Patrick coined the term “FOMO” short for “Fear of Missing Out”, which was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013. He is also the creator of the term “FOBO” or “Fear of a Better Option” and has been featured as the creator of both terms in media outlets including the New York Times, The Financial Times, Boston Globe, Guardian, and many more! Patrick is also the author of the international bestseller The 10% Entrepreneur: Live Your Startup Dream Without Quitting Your Day Job and the newly released Fear of Missing Out: Practical Decision-Making in a World of Overwhelming Choice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What can video games teach us about real life? In this episode, we explore the science behind the concept that we may be living in a simulation, look at the hard problem of consciousness, explore the relationship between quantum physics and consciousness and much more with our guest Rizwan Virk. Rizwan Virk is a successful entrepreneur, angel investor, bestselling author, video game industry pioneer, and indie film producer. Riz is currently Executive Director of Play Labs@ MIT, a startup accelerator for playful tech, and Partner at Bayview Labs, a Silicon Valley startup investment firm. Riz's startups and articles have been featured in Inc. Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, and many more! He is the author of Simulation Hypothesis (2019), Startup Myths & Models (2020), Treasure Hunt (2017), and Zen Entrepreneurship (2013).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we’re diving into the two sides of the topic of influence. Surprisingly, there are two very different schools of thought on the best way to influence someone. But which style is more effective? What are the pros and cons of each of them? In order to get to the bottom of this debate, we brought in some incredible experts to make their cases on the topic. First, we’ll dig into the light side of the force of influence. You’ll hear from Robin Dreeke. Robin began his career in law enforcement in 1997 after serving in the United States Marine Corp. Robin has directed the behavior analysis program of a federal law enforcement agency and has received training and operational experience in social psychology and the science of relationship management. Robin is currently an agent of the FBI and the author of “It’s Not All About “Me”, The Code of Trust and the newly released Sizing People Up. Then, representing the dark side of influence you'll hear from Chase Hughes, Chase Hughes is the founder of Ellipsis Behavior Laboratories and the amazon bestselling author of The Ellipsis Manual. Chase previously served in the US Navy as part of the correctional and prisoner management departments. Chase speaks on a variety of topics including brainwashing and attraction and frequently develops new programs for the US Government and members of anti-human-trafficking teams around the world. Both of these experts have INCREDIBLE backgrounds and some amazing stories as well. In the end, how you use these incredible powers is up to you. Which side are you on?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we talk about execution, how to break down big goals into actionable steps, how and why Neil hired a “mama” for himself, the “ten minute rule” that could help you achieve big productivity gains and how to optimize your life to free up huge amounts of time with entrepreneur Neil Patel.Neil is the co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and KISSmetrics. The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web, Forbes says he is one of the top 10 online marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies in the world. He was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and one of the top 100 entrepreneurs under the age of 35 by the United Nations. Neil has also been awarded Congressional Recognition from the United States House of Representatives.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss the truth about championship performance. Nobody becomes a champion by accident. We uncover the counter-intuitive reality that being a champion isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing less. We expose the reality that most people spend too much time planning and not enough time acting and share the specific habits and routines that you can use to model your behavior after champions with our guest Dana Cavalea.Dana Cavalea is a high-level performance coach, speaker, and author. He coaches Pro Athletes, Entrepreneurs, and Business Executives on lifestyle strategies to improve daily performance and outcomes. He is the former Director of Performance for the New York Yankees, whom he led to a World Series Championship in 2009. In his first book, Habits of a Champion, he shares his own secrets to becoming a champion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we show how you can decode scientific studies and spot bad science by digging deep into the tools and skills you need to be an educated consumer of scientific information. Are you tired of seeing seemingly outrageous studies published in the news, only to see the exact opposite published a week later? What makes scientific research useful and valid? How can you, as a non-scientist, read and understand scientific information in a simple and straightforward way that can help you get closer to the truth - and apply those lessons to your life. We discuss this and much more with Dr. Brian Nosek. Dr. Brian Nosek is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Open Science and a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. Brian led the reproducibility project which involved leading some 270 of his peers to reproduce 100 published psychology studies to see if they could reproduce the results. This work shed light on some of the publication bias in the science of psychology and much more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we talk about one of the MOST important skills in the modern world - the ability to be inDISTRACTable. Are you sick and tired of distraction? Do you feel constantly overwhelmed in a world of notifications, demands, messages, and more and more information flying at you? In this episode we discuss exactly how you can battle back from distraction, control your attention and choose the life you want using the power of being “indistractable” with our guest Nir Eyal.Nir Eyal is an expert in “behavioral design” having worked in both advertising and video gaming helping companies build and create more engaging products. Nir is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the book Hooked: How To Build Habit Forming Products and has been featured in Forbes, Psychology Today, and more. Nir is an active angel investor and currently writes to help companies create good habit and behaviors in their users on his blog NirandFar.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how our guest helped the secret agents become more creative. We look at specific strategies to navigate personal change while empowering and using your imagination. How do you become more imaginative? What are the keys to sparking imagination and creativity? How do you use creativity to get through challenging setbacks? We discuss all of this and much more with our guest Beth Comstock. Beth Comstock is a business executive and author with a deep history of leading large companies to success through innovation and new opportunities. Beth is currently a director at Nike, the trustee of The National Geographic Society and former board president of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum. She is the author of the best-selling book Imagine it Forward - Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change. She has worked in top leadership roles at GE, NBC, CBS, and her work has been featured across the globe.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss an old trick palm readers use that you can leverage to get people to do what you want, why persuasion does not lie just in the message itself, but rather in how the message is presented, what the research reveals about why the context matters as much, if not more, than the content itself, why you shouldn’t ask people for their opinion but instead ask someone for their advice, how small differences that seem trivial make a HUGE impact on human behavior, and much more with Dr. Robert Cialdini.Dr. Robert Cialdini is the president and CEO of INFLUENCE AT WORK. He is the multi best selling author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way To Influence and Persuade, and his most recent book Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion, available this May. He is also currently a Regents Professor Eremites of Psychology and Marketing at the Arizona State University. Commonly referred to as “The Godfather Of Influence” Robert’s work has been featured around the world with clients such as Twitter, Microsoft, London Business Forum, SXSW, and more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you don't feel worthy of love and belonging, if you feel lesser than other people; if you can't forgive yourself for your mistakes or your terrible moments or the stupid things you've done in life; if you can't accept your humanness; if you can't show your face or eyes to others due to shame; if you can't own up to your mistakes for fear of judgement; if you compare yourself to others; if you constantly strive to prove yourself to others but feel as if you never measure up; then this interview with Brene Brown is for you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we have two incredible guests on the show, Gay Hendricks and Carol Kline. We dig into some of the incredible stories of how Gay and Carol's past, how you can create luck in your life, see more opportunities, and how luck played a huge part in the writing of their latest book!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we take a journey into the inquiry know as “The Work’ and uncover the 4 question framework that you can use to break down negative thoughts and limiting beliefs. We examine what happens when we argue with reality, look at the difference between being right and being free, explore the causes of suffering, and much more with our guest Byron Katie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to make better decisions under conditions of uncertainty. We look at “the worst call in the history of football,” discuss examples from life, business and even high stakes poker to understand how to make the best possible decisions in a a world filled with unknowns. What exactly is a good decision? Is that different than a good outcome? We look at this key question - and uncover the wisdom hidden in the reality that these two things might be completely different. All this and more with our guest Annie Duke. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scott Kelly is an American engineer, retired astronaut, author and naval aviator. He is best known for spending a record-breaking year in space. He is a former US Navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and veteran of four spaceflights. Kelly commanded the space shuttle Endeavour in 2007 and twice commanded the International Space Station. He has documented his experiences in both films and his books including Endurance: My Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery, My Journey To the Stars, and most recently his children’s book Goodnight Astronaut.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we have two incredible guests on the show, Gay Hendricks and Carol Kline. We dig into some of the incredible stories of how Gay and Carol's past, how you can create luck in your life, see more opportunities, and how luck played a huge part in the writing of their latest book!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is the author of nine bestsellers (out of thirteen books total), including The Art of Impossible, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, TIME, and the Harvard Business Review. Steven is also the cohost of Flow Research Collective Radio, a top ten iTunes science podcast. Along with his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is the co-founder of the Rancho de Chihuahua, a hospice and special needs dog sanctuary.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Suneel Gupta is a teacher of innovation at Harvard University and is the author of the upcoming book, BACKABLE, where he explores how to get people to believe in your ideas. Suneel’s ideas have been backed by firms like Greylock and Google Ventures, and he served as an Entrepreneur in Residence inside Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The New York Stock Exchange has named Suneel “The New Face of Innovation”. He has personally backed startups including Impossible Foods, Airbnb, 23&Me, Calm, and SpaceX. In 2019, Suneel established the Gross National Happiness Center of America in partnership with the Kingdom of Bhutan.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jen Sincero is a bestselling author, success coach, and motivational speaker who spent more than a decade traveling the world helping people transform their lives and their bank accounts via her public appearances, private sessions, coaching seminars, and books, including the New York Times bestseller You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. Jen has since come out with more books in her You Are a Badass Series, including her most recent, Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaries, and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amy Morin is editor-in-chief at Verywell Mind, a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and psychology lecturer at Northeastern University. She’s also an international bestselling author. Her books include, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do, and 13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don’t Do. The Guardian dubbed her “the self-help guru of the moment” and Forbes calls her a “thought leadership star.” Her TEDx talk, The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong, is one of the most popular talks of all time with more than 15 million views. Her advice for building mental strength has been featured by major media outlets, including Fox News, CNN, Oprah.com, Time, and many more! Her most recent project is the newest book in her series, 13 Things Strong Kids Do: Think Big, Feel Good, Act Brave, being released this spring.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Michael Shermer is an author, the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, a regular contributor to Time.com, and Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. His new book is Giving the Devil his Due, a defense of Free Speech and Open Inquiry in Politics, Culture and Science. He is also the author of The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies, and many others. He appeared on such shows as The Colbert Report, 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, and Larry King Live (but, proudly, never Jerry Springer!). He has been interviewed in countless documentaries aired on PBS, A&E, Discovery, and other science and learning channels. He regularly contributes opinion editorials, essays, and reviews to: the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Science, Nature, and other publications. His two TED talks, seen by millions, were voted in the top 100 of the more than 1000 TED talks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how our perception of reality dramatically shifts what actions we take, why you should embrace 2000+ years of wisdom to be happier and more productive, how to stop judging yourself and others based on your achievements and root your identity in something within your control, we look at how we can cultivate a more humble and resilient world view, discuss strategies for connecting with top tier mentors, and much more with Ryan Holiday. Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and writer. He is the bestselling author of over five books including The Obstacle is the Way, Ego is The Enemy, and most recently his upcoming book Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work That Lasts. Ryan previously worked as the director of marketing for American Apparel, working on several controversial campaigns, before starting his own creative agency. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Fast Company, Forbes, and more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss whether time speeds up as we get older, why your life story only makes sense looking in reverse, whether or not brain games actually work, the importance of proactive learning instead of passive learning, why psychology confirms all your worst fears about studying and getting smarter – and much more with a special TWO GUEST interview featuring Dr. Art Markman & Dr. Bob Duke!Dr. Art Markman is a Professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas and Founding Director of the Program in the Human Dimensions of Organizations.Dr. Bob Duke is a Professor and Head of Music and Human Learning at The University of Texas at Austin, He also directs the psychology of learning program at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles.  Together they co-host the NPR radio show Two Guys on Your Head and recently co-authored the book Brain Briefs.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we bring back legendary FBI expert Joe Navarro to distill a lifetime of spy-hunting experience into the five principles that exceptional and outstanding individuals live byBefore he became internationally recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on body language, Joe Navarro was an eight-year-old refugee fleeing communist-controlled Cuba. In America as a non-English speaker, he survived by observing others, eventually going on to lead a career as an FBI Special Agent studying and applying the science of nonverbal communication. Navarro eventually went on to spend a quarter century with the FBI, pursuing spies and other dangerous criminals across the globe. In his line of work, successful leadership was quite literally a matter of life or death. Now he’s collected his hard-earned lessons in BE EXCEPTIONAL, distilling a lifetime of spy-catching experience into five principles that outstanding individuals live by.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we ask what really produces success by looking at what separates truly successful people from the rest, we examine many common and conflicting “success maxims” and look at what the data actually says really works, we dig deep into the vital importance of knowing yourself and your own strengths, look at the power of aligning your work with your environment, and discuss the dangers of constantly overcommitting your time with Eric Barker.Eric Barker is the creator of the blog “Barking Up The Wrong Tree” - with over 290,000 subscribers.  His work is syndicated by Time Magazine, Business Insider and he has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and more. Just recently, his new book Barking up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong was named a Wall Street Journal Bestseller.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the incredibly important thing that everyone (including you!) get’s wrong about presence, we explore how to prime yourself for the best performance in moments of pressure and high stakes situations where other people are watching and judging you. We look at the results from thousands of experiments over the last few decades to uncover the fascinating truth about power and powerlessness. And we share the exact strategy you can use to shift your brain into the mode that allows you to view the world as more friendly, help you feel more creative, and make you into someone who takes action. We dig deep into all this and much more with our guest Dr. Amy Cuddy.  Dr. Amy Cuddy is an American social psychologist, author, and speaker. She currently lectures on the psychology of leadership and influence at Harvard University and she and her work have won several awards including being named one of “50 Women Who Are Changing The World” by Business Insider. She is the author of the 2015 best-selling book Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges and her 2012 TED talk is the second most viewed talk of all time. Her work has been featured in TIME, Wired, Fast Company, NPR, and countless academic journals.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we go deep into the high performance habits of the worlds top performers, look at the only place confidence truly comes from, dig into why we struggle to perform when the pressure is on, examine the habits, routines, and strategies the world’s absolute best use to perform at their peak, and much more with our guest Dr. Michael Gervais. Dr. Michael Gervais is a high performance psychologist who has worked with some of the world’s top performers including the Seattle Seahawks, Felix Baumgartner (The Red Bull Athlete Who Completed the Stratosphere Jump) Olympians, musicians, and champions! His work has been featured on ESPN, CNN, The New York Times, and much more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how school gives you zero of the social and interpersonal skills necessary to be successful in life, the best starting point for build nonverbal communication, how to read facial expression and body language to discover hidden emotions, how to become a human lie detector, the secrets super connectors use to work a room, and much more with Vanessa Van Edwards.Vanessa Van Edwards is the lead investigator at Science of People, a human behavior research lab. She is a Huffington Post columnist and published author. Her work has been featured on NPR, Business Week and USA Today. She has written for CNN, Fast Company and Forbes. Her latest book, Captivate, was chosen as one of Apple’s Most Anticipated Books of 2017.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s episode is a bit different than a normal episode of Science of Success. We share the incredible "Real Life Story of The Epic Quest To See How The World’s Most Successful People Launched Their Careers” - including a wild journey of hacking the Price is Right, meeting Bill Gates and Lady Gaga, and an epic five year quest to study and learn form the world’s top achievers. This is a topic I’ve dedicated my life to and this fascinating discussion with our guest Alex Banayan shines some new light on one of the most important questions of our lives - what was the inflection point that set massively successful people’s lives on a different trajectory? Alex Banayan is the best-selling author of The Third Door, which chronicles his five-year quest to track down the world’s most successful people to uncover how they broke through and launched their careers. He has been named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list and Business Insider’s “Most Powerful People Under 30.” He has been featured in major media including Fortune, Forbes, Businessweek, Billboard, Bloomberg TV, CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC, and much more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss the relationship between bad ideas and creative genius, the three biggest lessons from studying the most successful hedge fund on earth, why a stranger may often be a better judge of your abilities than you are, and the key things that stand in the way of developing more self-awareness and how you can fix them, why it’s so important to invest in the ability to make better decisions, and much more with our guest Dr. Adam Grant. Dr. Adam Grant has been Wharton’s top-rated professor for six straight years and has been named a Fortune 40 under 40 and one of the world’s 10 most influential management speakers. He is the multi-bestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B, which have been translated into over 35 languages. His work has been featured on Oprah, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, and he is the host of the new TED Podcast, WorkLife...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you don't feel worthy of love and belonging, if you feel lesser than other people; if you can't forgive yourself for your mistakes or your terrible moments or the stupid things you've done in life; if you can't accept your humanness; if you can't show your face or eyes to others due to shame; if you can't own up to your mistakes for fear of judgment; if you compare yourself to others; if you constantly strive to prove yourself to others but feel as if you never measure up; then this interview with Brene Brown is for you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how our guest went from a hard-nosed skeptic who thought most self help was BS, to someone who uncovered the evidence based growth strategies that actually work. We talk about our guest’s journey from meeting self help gurus, to spiritual teachers, and neuroscientists to discover the biggest lessons about improving your mind and body, and the simple, scientifically validated tool that evidence demonstrates is the best way to be happier with Dan Harris. Dan Harris is a correspondent for ABC News and the co-anchor for the weekend edition of Good Morning America. Dan regularly contributes to Nightline, 20/20, and World News and has covered stories from all over the world including war reporting in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as investigative reports in Haiti, Cambodia, the Congo and more. Dan is the author of the book 10% Happier and his work has been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Dr. OZ, Good Morning America, and much more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we show you the power of listening, teach you to transform how you listen, and unlock an incredible set of communication skills that almost no one uses or understands with our guest Julian Treasure. Julian Treasure is the chair of the Sound Agency, a consultancy firm that advises worldwide businesses on how to effectively use sound. Julian has delivered 5 TED talks with more than 100 million views about listening, communication, and the effect sound has on the human brain. His latest talk, How to speak so that people want to listen, is in the top 10 TED talks of all time.  He is the author of the book Sound Business and How To Be Heard. His work has been featured in Time Magazine, The Economist, and many more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we explore the power of mentorship to transform your life with our guest Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington. Kevin Harrington is an entrepreneur, author, an original "shark" from the show Shark Tank, the creator of the infomercial, pioneer of the As Seen on TV brand, and co-founding board member of the Entrepreneur's Organization. His work behind the scenes of business ventures has produced more than $5 billion in global sales, the launch of more than 500 products, and the making of dozens of millionaires. He’s authored and co-authored several popular business books including the most recent Mentor to Millions: Secrets of Success in Business, Relationships, and Beyond.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the dangers of “playing it safe” in life, how we can learn to celebrate more, the power of cheering on, showing up, and serving other people, how to balance the acceptance of negative emotions with amplifying the good and focusing on the positive, what it means to live life in the “front row,” lessons learned about living life from people fighting for their lives, and much more with our guest Jon Vroman.Jon is the co-founder of The Front Row Foundation, a charity that creates unforgettable moments for individuals who are braving life-threatening illnesses. Jon teaches others to “Live Life In The Front Row” through teaching and inspiring others with the Art of Moment Making. He is also an award winning speaker, podcast host, and the bestselling author of his new book The Front Row Factor: Transform Your Life with The Art of Moment Making.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you know what you should do but you don’t do it? In this episode, we dig into the science behind WHY this happens and HOW exactly you can overcome this massive obstacle. No one’s ever actually stuck, but the reason you FEEL stuck is that what you want, your goals, desires, change you want in your life, etc., are bumping up against an emotional roadblock or subconscious belief. It’s like having one foot on the gas while the other slams down the breaks. In this interview with Dr. Sasha Heinz, we share what you can do to overcome that fear and anxiety and transform your life finally.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Phil Jones is an international business speaker and bestselling author. Phil has made it his life’s work to completely demystify the sales process. He has gone on to deliver over 2,500 presentations in 57 countries across five continents, training more than two million people (both sales and non-sales professionals, leaders, and experts) to learn how to have more influence, confidence, and control when steering their conversations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s episode is a bit different than a normal episode of Science of Success. We share the incredible "Real Life Story of The Epic Quest To See How The World’s Most Successful People Launched Their Careers” - including a wild journey of hacking the Price is Right, meeting Bill Gates and Lady Gaga, and an epic five-year quest to study and learn from the world’s top achievers. This is a topic I’ve dedicated my life to and this fascinating discussion with our guest Alex Banayan shines some new light on one of the most important questions of our lives - what was the inflection point that set massively successful people’s lives on a different trajectory? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we bring on Grant Cardone to give you a real look at what it means to be successful and what it really takes to get there. He shares the exact shifts you have to make in order to 10x your life. We share why you should ignore most people’s advice, how to push yourself to a new level, and why learning isn’t enough to get to the highest levels.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Matthew Walker is Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and Founder and Director of the Center for Human Sleep Science. He has published over 100 scientific studies and is the author of the book Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Which is currently the #1 Amazon Bestseller in Neuroscience . He has been featured on numerous television and radio outlets, including CBS 60 Minutes, National Geographic Channel, NOVA Science, NRP and the BBC.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Manson is the New York Times and international bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and his new already bestselling book Everything Is Fucked. His blog, markmanson.net, attracts more than two million readers per month. He is also the CEO and founder of Infinity Squared Media LLCSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

James is an American author, entrepreneur, and photographer. His personal blog, jamesclear.com has over 400,000 email subscribers. Since his last visit to the show, his first book Atomic Habits has gone on to sell over 1 million copies worldwide. James’s work focuses primarily on habits and human potential looking to answer the question “How can we live better?” by focusing on science-backed methods. James’s work has been featured in The New York Times, CBS, Forbes, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to boost your energy, focus, and happiness in 5 minutes or less using a dead simple strategy anyone can apply right away. We explore the power of self knowledge and why it’s one of the cornerstones of success in any area of life, and we uncover several powerfully uncomfortable questions we can ask ourselves to be happier, healthier and more productive with our guest Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen Rubin is the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, and The Four Tendencies and her latest book is Outer Order Inner Calm. She’s appeared on TV outlets such as the Today show, Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday Morning, and more. She’s also appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and many more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Victor Hansen is an American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Mark has spoken to over 6,000 audiences world-wide and continues to receive high accolades from his audiences as one of the most dynamic and compelling speakers and leaders of our time. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you don't find some of your beliefs challenged by this episode, you weren't listening hard enough. Michael defends holocaust deniers, debunks anti-vaxxers and much more in a sweeping conversation that hits at the heart of some of the most controversial issues of our time. How do we search for truth in a world full of noise? How do we uphold free speech and freedom of inquiry during that quest? How do we wrestle with some of the biggest and toughest issues we face as a society today?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we bring on author Charles Duhigg to share the secrets and the science of building better habits.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we bring on polymath Luke Burgis to discuss the fundamental question of DESIRE - why do you want the things you want in life?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we bring on innovation expert Suneel Gupta to discuss how you can make yourself and your ideas backable.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we bring on one of the father's of decision psychology to discuss several fascinating takeaways about how to make better decisions with our guest Robin Hogarth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we bring on Private Equity expert Perry Anderson to share the fascinating inside baseball of buying companies with no capital.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we bring former Buried Life star Ben Nemtin onto the show to discuss one of the most important questions in our lives - what do you want to do before you die?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we bring mental toughness expert Amy Morin onto the show to discuss how to help yourself and your family be mentally strong.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Greg McKeown is an international keynote speaker and the bestselling author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. Greg has spoek at events around the world including SXSW and interviewing Al Gore at the World Economic Forum, where he serves as a Young Global Leader.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we bring back legendary FBI expert Joe Navarro to distill a lifetime of spy-hunting experience into the five principles that exceptional and outstanding individuals live byBefore he became internationally recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on body language, Joe Navarro was an eight-year-old refugee fleeing communist-controlled Cuba. In America as a non-English speaker, he survived by observing others, eventually going on to lead a career as an FBI Special Agent studying and applying the science of nonverbal communication. Navarro eventually went on to spend a quarter-century with the FBI, pursuing spies and other dangerous criminals across the globe. In his line of work, successful leadership was quite literally a matter of life or death. Now he’s collected his hard-earned lessons in BE EXCEPTIONAL, distilling a lifetime of spy-catching experience into five principles that outstanding individuals live by.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's time... you knew it was coming... and it's finally here...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In November 2015 the first episode of the Science of Success hit the iTunes airwaves. This was after nearly six months of behind-the-scenes work recording episodes, planning the show, and getting ready for launch.I did not expect the show to do as well as it did, we garnered tons of initial traction, hit new and noteworthy, and so much more. What an incredible journey it has been!Now, more than five years later, we are coming up on 300 episodes, we have interviewed so many titans of our field, had some truly life-changing and incredible conversations, and now it's time for us to change things a bit too.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the incredibly important thing that everyone (including you!) get’s wrong about presence, we explore how to prime yourself for the best performance in moments of pressure and high stakes situations where other people are watching and judging you. We look at the results from thousands of experiments over the last few decades to uncover the fascinating truth about power and powerlessness. And we share the exact strategy you can use to shift your brain into the mode that allows you to view the world as more friendly, help you feel more creative, and make you into someone who takes action. We dig deep into all this and much more with our guest Dr. Amy Cuddy.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share the lessons from Astronaut Scott Kelly's amazing career - form what it takes to become an astronaut, to surviving NASA's grueling training, the powerful experience of being in outer space and the lessons you can apply to your life with our guest the first human to spend a year in space - Scott Kelly. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss how to identify and defeat the stories that hold you back, how to use your complaints as a compass to improve your life, powerful methods for creating permanent habit change, and we unmask the number one reason why you resist making big changes in your life with our guest Jen Sincero. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

John Warrillow is the founder of The Value Builder System™, simple software for building the value of a company used by thousands of businesses worldwide. His best-selling book Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You was recognized by both Fortune and Inc. as one of the best business books of 2011 and has been translated into 12 languages.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kristin Neff, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at UT Austin, an author, speaker, and a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research. Her books include The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Self-Compassion and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss the science of peak performance and share actionable takeaways for how you can achieve your goals and spend more time in the powerful state of Flow with our guest Steven Kotler. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss an old trick palm readers use that you can leverage to get people to do what you want, why persuasion does not lie just in the message itself, but rather in how the message is presented, what the research reveals about why the context matters as much, if not more, than the content itself, why you shouldn’t ask people for their opinion but instead ask someone for their advice, how small differences that seem trivial make a HUGE impact on human behavior, and much more with Dr. Robert Cialdini.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we have two incredible guests on the show, Gay Hendricks and Carol Kline. We dig into some of the incredible stories of how Gay and Carol's past, how you can create luck in your life, see more opportunities, and how luck played a huge part in the writing of their latest book!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we share an incredibly powerful annual planning ritual that can transform your entire year. We break down exactly what to do to set yourself up for success in the new year and show you how to avoid the biggest problems that stop you from achieving your goals. Don't let your 2021 goals become figments of your imagination by springtime, listen to this interview with returning guest Peter Shallard to crush your annual planning and goal setting.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we interviewed author and private investigator Tyler Maroney. We dig into what it’s like to be a private investigator, what’s fact and what’s fiction, and how you can learn to be more engaging, open-minded, and observant like a PI in your own life. Plus there are some incredible stories!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss several seemingly good ideas that are actually quite dangerous. We start with a look at how the immune system can teach us about the vital importance of being “anti-fragile.” We look at lessons from ancient cultural traditions all the way up to modern psychology research to peel back the layers of our current social dialogue and look at many notions that have permeated our current thinking.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tom Steding, Ph.D. has been CEO of more than 12 high-tech companies and active chairman of several others. He is co-founder of the Mayfield Alliance with former Facebook Executive Blaise Bertrand. Tom is also the co-founder of Quadrix Partners, providing leadership interventions. He is a “Seal Team Advisor” to the Stanford-Affiliated Alchemical Accelerator; a Founding member of the Silicon Valley Angel Group; and the Executive in Residence of the Palo Alto-based Venture Capital Private Equity Roundtable. He is also the co-author of the bestselling Built on Trust: Gaining Competitive Advantage in Any Organization and the author of the soon to be released Real Teams Win: What Smart Leaders Need to Know Now About Achieving Peak Performance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Phil Jones is an international business speaker and bestselling author. Phil has made it his life’s work to completely demystify the sales process. He has gone on to deliver over 2,500 presentations in 57 countries across five continents, training more than two million people (both sales and non-sales professionals, leaders, and experts) to learn how to have more influence, confidence, and control when steering their conversations.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss the surprising future of work, the truth about robots, automation, and jobs, and how you can best position yourself for a successful career within the future of work with our guest Jeff Wald. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

J. Clifford Hudson is an American business executive best known for serving as chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Oklahoma City-based Sonic Corp. He is the author of the new book Master of None: How A Jack of All Trades Can Still Reach the Top. He has served as a trustee of the Ford Foundation and is a past chairman of the board of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brant Cooper is the CEO of Moves the Needle and the New York Times best-selling author of The Lean Entrepreneur, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development, and The Lean Brand. He’s helped startups go from idea to IPO, acquisition, and rapid growth. But he also has first-hand experience with crushing failure. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss everything you ever wanted to know about sleep. We examine the findings from hundreds of studies across millions of people and pull out the major findings of how vitally important sleep is, the global sleep-loss epidemic, the stunning data about sleep and productivity, the simplest and most effective evidence-based strategies for getting better sleep, and much more with Dr. Matthew Walker.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michelle Seiler Tucker is the author of EXIT RICH: The 6 P Method to Sell Your Business for Huge Profit and the Founder and CEO of Seiler Tucker Incorporated. She has sold hundreds of businesses to date and currently owns and operates several successful businesses. She is a leading authority on buying, selling, and improving businesses, as well as increasing business revenue streams.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview, we dig into exactly what it takes to create one of the world’s largest personal development content producers, scale a company from raising money to monetizing, and so much more with Victoria Montgomery-Brown.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Annie Duke is an author, corporate speaker, and consultant in the decision-making space. Annie’s latest book, How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices, is available now. Her previous book, Thinking in Bets, is a national bestseller.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David was an early angel investor in AirBnB and SpaceX and remains an angel investor for over 40 startups. He's co-founder of Bionic, which offers proprietary organizational solutions to Fortune 100 companies. David would love to chat about how the world's most influential CEOs see the world similarly, and how anyone can develop the same sight.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we have one of our all-time favorite guests back on the show, Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar. We dig into how to cultivate more happiness in your life, the habits of the world's happiest people, how we can continue to cultivate relationships during COVID, and more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is near and dear to our hearts here at The Science of Success. This episode acted as a launching pad for our growth and we have a lot of people to thank for that. Listen to the episode intro for the full story and find out more about all the players involved in the resources below!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we sit down with Irshad Manji and discuss her latest book Don’t Label Me. We dive into how we can avoid making snap judgments about not only people we disagree with but also those we agree with. We use real-world examples to show how you can prevent small cues from making massively problematic assumptions about the world and those around you.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we dig into what the people who are most successful working from home do each and every day. We dig into how you can manage your time more effectively and how to stay sane and adjust in a world that has you working, living, and playing all in the same four walls. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss conscious capitalism, transformational leadership lessons, and how to use win-win-win thinking to create breakthroughs in your business with Whole Foods co-founder and CEO John Mackey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we share powerful strategies for dealing with uncertainty, some of the most important tools for making better decisions, how to get more flexibility in your life, and much more with our returning guest Josh Kaufman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kamal Ravikant is the author of the bestselling books, Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On I, Live Your Truth, and Rebirth. He’s been a US Army Infantry soldier, held the hands of dying patients, climbed in the Himalayas, spoken to audiences around the globe, walked 550 miles across Spain, meditated with Tibetan monks, and has worked with some of the best people in Silicon Valley. But more than anything, he is passionate about writing books that improve lives. He lives — for now — in New York City.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we explore the power of mentorship to transform your life with our guest Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we dive deep into an incredible conversation with returning guest Dr. Rick Hanson to explore neuroplasticity, the science of changing your brain, and how to supercharge your ability to learn anything. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bruce Feiler is an author, speaker, and television personality. He is the author of 15 books including six consecutive New York Times bestsellers; the presenter of two primetime series on PBS; and the inspiration for the drama series Council of Dads on NBC. Bruce's two TED Talks have been viewed more than two million times. In his newest book, Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age, Bruce describes his journey across America, collecting hundreds of life stories, exploring how we can navigate the growing number of life transitions with greater purpose and skill.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we get a behind the scenes peek at what it truly takes to rapidly scale a massive company - learning the inside lessons that enabled our guest to build his telecom startup from zero to twenty-five million dollars in recurring revenue in 18 months, with our guest Oliver Schmalholz.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alain Hunkins, author of CRACKING THE LEADERSHIP CODE: Three Secrets to Building Strong Leaders is a sought-after speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach. Over his twenty-year career, he has led over 2,000 groups in 25 countries. Alain’s clients include Wal-Mart, Pfizer, Citigroup, General Electric, State Farm Insurance, IBM, General Motors, and Microsoft. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we share the science of how to reprogram your body and reset your biological age. Can you permanently reverse aging? What should you do to slow down your aging process and stay young for longer.. maybe even forever.. with our guest Dr. David Sinclair. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview, we dig into the incredible story of Blake Mycoskie, the one for one model, and what it’s like to be an entrepreneur, be the founder of TOMS, and ultimately find happiness. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we dig deep into the science of decision making and thinking with best-selling author Ozan Varol. Ozan and I discuss how to pivot, dig into his incredible story and life journey, and how we can question our assumptions and challenge our own opinions!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we share some incredible insights into how you can improve your life, improve your thinking, and why advice so often gets it wrong with our guest Michael Bungay Stanier.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this wide-spanning conversation, we discuss the founding of a multi-billion dollar public company, the inside baseball of what it takes to build a truly massive company and then we dig into some of the biggest questions in life - how do we deal with the problem of evil? How do we merge science and spirituality? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share how to ask for what you want, get the help you need to succeed, and look at the evidence-based lessons for how you can get more of what you want with our guests Dr. Wayne Baker and Larry Freed.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we hear the incredible story of how our guest went from a bricklayer to working with some of the most powerful and influential people in the world and the amazing lessons that he’s learned about making things happen with our guest Steve Sims.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we share the story of how our guest went from teetering on the edge of virtual bankruptcy to transforming his company into a high growth startup with a massive exit seemingly overnight with our guest Saud Juman.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview, we dig into what it takes to be a fearless leader with the first-ever female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy, Carey Lohrenz. We dig into fearless leadership, what it was like being a pioneer in her field, how she came over the many obstacles in her way, and the mindset you need to lead and succeed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview, we share how you can finally make decisions with perfect confidence. We share what to do when you’re stuck in inaction and lack confidence in your decisions, and how to avoid being overconfident and making big mistakes with our guest Dr. Don Moore.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we are joined by Guy Kawasaki for a casual discussion - what we are calling a “fireside chat” where we touch on life, business, and success, and many stories from the trenches of scaling companies.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you stop being a victim, take responsibility, and make your life the life you want it to be? In this episode, we uncover the universal principles of success with one of the world’s top success experts, Jack Canfield.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview, we dug really deep into some of the stories from Robin’s past included in his new book. Everything from being in New York City near the towers when they fell to recruiting a Russian Spy asset. Some seriously intense stories, it flows like an episode of Homeland or something out of a spy novel. Then we go deep into the six-step system Robin has outlined to predict people’s future behavior, what motivated them, and some of the hard truths about behavior prediction. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we bring in legendary business expert Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth Revisited to share why most small businesses don’t work and show you exactly how you can build a truly scalable business.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we show you exactly how to build the habits and routines you need to succeed, break down what makes powerful habits, and share how to stay motivated and productive no matter what happens with our guest James Clear.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we tell the truth about self-awareness. 95% of people think they are self-aware but only 10% actually are. Where do you think you stand and what can you do to improve what our guest calls the superpower of the 21st century? All this and more with our guest Dr. Tasha Eurich.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we share how to feel bold, powerful, confident, and alive and get the motivation you need to finally take action and make your goals and dreams a reality. Learn to believe in yourself with our guest Evan Carmichael. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share how to face down your fears and we uncover what happens when you do. We hear the incredible story of how our guest, Michelle Poler, spent 100 days facing down her biggest fears and show what you can learn from her journey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we’re releasing a short bonus episode to let you know about the launch of The Science of Success: Business Mastery Season 2.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share how you can be more confident when make the tough decisions in your life, discuss how to deal with FOMO and show you the key to ultimately achieving greatness with our guest Patrick McGinnis.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share how to decide what’s really important in life, how self care can actually lead to massively increased productivity, and how you can put away the guilt of not working hard enough with our guest Denise Gosnell. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share how to deal with self doubt and what to do if you don’t feel like you belong. We explore the power of kindness and how to build your kindness muscle and much more with our guest Gabriella van Rij. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What can video games teach us about real life? In this episode, we explore the science behind the concept that we may be living in a simulation, look at the hard problem of consciousness, explore the relationship between quantum physics and consciousness and much more with our guest Rizwan Virk. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we explore the science of networks and human relationships, uncover how people you’ve never met have a huge impact on your life, and look at how we can respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic with our guest David Burkus.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss how to ask better questions, lessons from solving some of the world’s most interesting challenges, and why you need to think about the job to be done with our guest Bob Moesta. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Unless you've been living under a rock or (like Jared Leto) at a no phone meditation retreat for the past few months you're aware of COVID-19. In this episode, our producer Austin Fabel walks you through 10 creative things you can do in the world of social distancing to keep yourself entertained, healthy, happy, and with something to look forward to doing post insanity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we uncover the truth about networking. Why most people do it wrong, how you can do it right, and the key ingredient that’s been missing in your networking efforts with our guest Dr. Ivan Misner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we share the universal secret to growing any business, how to build a unicorn startup, what the real definition of an entrepreneur is and much more with our guest Jim McKelveySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share the power of the experimental mindset. How can you use experiments to make better decisions and improve your life? What makes for good experiments? We share all this and more with our guest Stefan Thomke. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share how to memorize a deck of cards in less than 60 seconds, how to remember anything, and hacks from one of the world’s leading memory experts, our guest, Nelson Dellis. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special episode, our producer Austin Fabel conducts his first standalone interview with Angelo Poli. They dig into the science behind a healthy diet and lifestyle and why most people fail to see their goals both in life and health. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re sorry about this episode.. or rather.. this episode is about BEING sorry. When should you say sorry and when should you stand your ground? What makes an apology meaningful? We uncover the truth about apologies with our guest Sean O’Meara. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we’re diving into the two sides of the topic of influence. Surprisingly, there are two very different schools of thought on the best way to influence someone. But which style is more effective? What are the pros and cons of each of them? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we’re bringing back one of the most impactful episodes from the archives of The Science of Success. We dig into the proven science of how we can live a happy life and the pitfalls that can throw us off track. The crazy thing about this research is it’s totally not what you’d think.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Modern work has become exhausting and dissatisfying, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We share strategies for defeating burnout and making progress on the most important and meaningful things in your work with our guest Bruce Daisley.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we show you the power of listening, teach you to transform how you listen, and unlock an incredible set of communication skills that almost no one uses or understands with our guest Julian Treasure. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this business focused episode of the Science of Success we share how to recruit extraordinary talent and build a remarkable culture for your business with our guest Dee Ann Turner. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when you peer into the dark underbelly of the human psyche? How should we react when we uncover the raw truth of human nature and emotion, sexuality, and racism? We explore all of this and much more in this fascinating interview with our guest Dr. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss all things sleep. Sleep has been under attack for the last 10+ years and yet it is one of the most powerful things you can do for your performance, your health, your mental wellbeing, and your body. We explore how to improve your sleep, how sleep works, and what you can be doing to sleep better with our guest Dr. Dan Gartenberg. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we expose the lie that success makes you happy and discover the truth about engineering happiness into your life. Can you choose to be happy? If so, what should you do and how should you change your behavior? We also confront the reality that in today’s world we no longer have the tools to handle real or even perceived failures. We discuss how to build mental toughness and what you can do to build your mental strength and resilience. All of this and much more with our guest Neil Pasricha. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy Holidays from The Science of Success! Consider this mashup to be your personal little Christmas present from Me, Austin, and our team over here at The Science of Success. For this Holiday Special we brought you some of the best moments on giving, connectedness, compassion, kindness, Courage, and much much more. You’ll certainly recognize some of these guests such as Brene Brown, Oscar Timboli, as well as some potentially new faces like John Wang, Dacher Keltner, and more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we ask: how do you become an active and informed citizen? What are the challenges of forming a coherent view of history and politics? What do you do if your foundational beliefs are coming into question? In a world full of noise, confusion, and fake news - we sit down with our guest the legendary podcaster Dan Carlin to uncover how we can make sense of today’s confusing world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you want to figure out why you’re not walking the talk? In this episode we uncover the truth about what really holds people back - and share the the secret strategy that all successful people use to achieve incredible things. We examine the world’s most successful people and figure out exactly what commonalities they share, and how you can use them in your own life. All of this and much more in our interview with returning guest Alex Banayan. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we share how a college dropout went from waiting tables to becoming the owner of a Major League Soccer Team and the most powerful VC in the healthcare industry. We uncover the incredible strategy that can be used to break into ANY industry and become a dominant player sharing the stage with top CEOs, even without any connections or relationships. We share why you don’t have to be an expert to leverage the credibility of others, the power of public speaking, what it means to orchestrate a deal and much more with our guest Marcus Whitney. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we ask the big question - how do you find meaning in your life and work? When you’re starting death in the face, life’s purpose becomes clear. We learn how to harness those lessons to find meaning in your own life and discover a few simple things you can do every day - starting right now - to increase your odds of living a longer, healthier, happier life with our guest Tom Rath. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we take a look back at some of our past guest's most valuable insights on gratitude! Enjoy the mashup!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Grant Cardone is the CEO of Cardone Capital, an international speaker, entrepreneur and author of The 10X Rule as well as two dozen best-selling business programs. Named the #1 marketer to watch by Forbes Magazine, Cardone founded The 10X Movement & The 10X Growth Conference, which has grown into the world’s largest business & entrepreneur conference. He has been featured on countless media outlets across the globe.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alec Torelli is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and professional poker player. As a poker player, Alec has won millions playing live cash games and some of the biggest tournaments live and online. As a coach and digital entrepreneur, he shares his knowledge and insight to help others achieve their life goals. Alec has been featured on ESPN, CBS Sports, Travel Channel, Fox Sports, Poker News and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we unlock the POWER of ASKING. When you ask for what you need, miracles can happen, but so many of us are too afraid to really ask, or we feel like we don’t know how or what we should be asking for. How do you get better at ask? How can you tap the tremendous power and potential of the social capital within your network by using the power of asking? We answer these questions and much more with our guest Dr. Wayne Baker. How to unlock the incredible power and potential of your network and the social capital Dr. Wayne Baker is an American author and sociologist on the senior faculty of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He is best known for his research in economic sociology, and his survey research on values, where he documented Americans’ core values. He writes in both academic and popular media on this theme and is often invited to present his findings across the U.S. What’s the difference between “paying it back” versus “paying it forward” - what’s the difference? What is a kidney chain? And what can it teach us about the importance of “paying it forward?" What is a reciprocity ring and how can it change the way you interact with your social network? What is social capital? The network that we are involved in and all of the resources that the network contains. When you ask for what you need - miracles can happen There is a wealth of opportunity at your fingertips - but you have to ASK for it! What are the biggest reasons that people don’t ask for what they need? What stops you from asking for help on the most important things in your life? Why is it so hard to ask for what we need? How do we get better at asking? What should you do if you aren’t clear about what you need? What should you do if you don’t know what to ask for? Start with figuring out your goal. What’s your goal? What are you trying to achieve? What resources do you need to achieve that goal? Money? Advice? Resources? Then you have to figure out WHO to ask Then you have to MAKE the ask The “two step” method for asking for anything you want. You may not directly know someone, but you probably know someone who knows someone. The “quick start method” for figuring out WHAT YOU NEED and ASKING FOR IT Visioning - developing a detailed, vivid, description of a positive future. Then you start to identify the goals that are in that vision, that back that into request. What is a SMART request? People don’t know WHY you’re asking for something unless you EXPLAIN. Research is very clear - the more specific your request, the more likely people are to help. If you make a smart, well formulated request people are more likely to think you’re smart and competent. People are more willing to help than you think they are. Action item: Make a small request in a safe place. Action item: Use the reciprocity ring or other tools to create structured ways to interact and ask. How to integrate the “Stand Up” into your routines and meetings to structure asking into the natural rhythms of your work and life. People are willing to help, they are willing to give, but you have to ASK - because people can’t read your mind Life is about connection and asking is what jump starts the power of your connections. Be a giver-request - be very generous and freely help other people even if they’ve never helped you, or can never help you in the future. Freely give help and freely ask for what you need - this the most powerful mode of being.Don’t be a lone wolf. Doing it all by yourself is a recipe for failure. Overly generous giving, without ever ASKING for what you need - leads to burnout. Homework: Apply the elements from the quick start method questions above to figure out what you need help with. Homework: Assess where you are on the spectrum of giving and asking. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview we show you how to grow a business with no capital, no product and no service. You will discover how to train yourself to spot outrageous business opportunities surrounding you in everyday life and we give you the strategies for building trust with your ideal clients and business partners. We ask what does it take to become GREAT? In your career, job, business, partnering, relationships we look at exactly how you can achieve greatness in the key areas of your life. All of this and much more with our guest the legendary Jay Abraham. Jay Abraham is founder and CEO of The Abraham Group, Inc., and is recognized as one of the world’s most successful marketing strategists, business innovators, entrepreneurial advisors, and masters of revenue acceleration. He has spent the last 30+ years solving problems and significantly increasing the bottom lines of over 10,000 clients in more than 400 industries worldwide. How do you grow a company with no capital, product, or service? What does it mean to mine, monetize and maximize relational capital? Whatever your resource impediment or impairment is, someone else has that and you just have to figure out how to ethically leverage it How Jay created 1.5mm in less than 6 months by finding arbitrage between products, services, and audiences Find “strategic investors” - who else benefits from your growth? Complementary or related products, companies that benefit and naturally grow when you grow - and demonstrate to them that your growth is beneficial for them too - and then get them to help you. How do you build trust in a business relationship? How do you get someone to introduce you to all of their clients? Before you expend a ton of capital and time on a project - try to get some validation. The only validation that counts is dollars spent, not what a focus group thinks. How to easily validate your business ideas without taking risk on the front end. There’s a huge amount of IP that’s available to license from places like the Navy, the government, etc Find “parallel universes” that aren’t competitive and plug those opportunities in. Never put anything at risk until you’ve de-risked and validated your product, service, or business model What happens when a typical business is STUCK? Figure out what you’re stuck with. How can you unlock an “unlimited business checkbook” to fund ANY problem within your business? How someone got paid $1mm and a free Porsche to buy a Porsche dealership with creative deal making Spend time traveling outside whatever you do and whatever you’re interested in. Study other businesses, study how other products and services market, how they sell, study topics that are outside your domain of knowledge. How to train yourself to spot outrageous business opportunities lying around you in everyday life. How you can make the “money connection” - you don’t need to be brilliant, but you have to have the right “sensors” turned on - and they only turn on when you broaden your understanding of what’s possible What is Greatness? And why do so many people fall short of it? Everyone has the ability to be great - and everyone wants to be great. 98% of people are mediocre - yet they want to be great - WHY? What does it take to become GREAT? In your career, job, business, partnering, relationships - how you can achieve greatness in the key areas of your life. There are 4 keys to achieving greatness With every improvement in greatness there is an exponential increase in quality and outcome - not a linear increase. Most breakthroughs don’t come from WITHIN an industry - they come from OUTSIDE it. Homework: Be curious, ask people questions, dig into how other businesses and industries do business. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we have one of the absolute living legends of psychology on the show - we discuss the GREATEST unanswered question in psychology, the biggest thing people mis-understand about flow, what advice young people can take away from our guest's incredible career, and what he thinks the absolute biggest takeaways from his own research are - and much more with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Your fate, your destiny, your future is not set out for you - you can shape it to be what you want it to be. You have the freedom to make life better for yourself and more worthwhile and meaningful for yourselves. Even the greatest traumas and struggles can be overcome. You don’t have to achieve fame and fortune to live a meaningful and wonderful life and to be truly alive.  Mihaly is Claremont Graduate University’s Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management. He is a bestselling author and founder and co-director of the Quality of Life Research Center. He is a member of the American Academy of Education, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Leisure Studies and his work has been featured on NPR,TED, WIRED, and more!! The key ideas supported by the data around how people respond to Trauma. People who are focused beyond themselves and their own wellbeing are more resilient to the things that happen to them. When you focus on the wellbeing of others, society, your family, etc - you’re much more resilient to Trauma How do you think of yourself? Do you think of yourself as the body in which you live? Do you see yourself as being part of a family, group, religion etc? This will shape your response to trauma. The self is a very poor site for meaning - don’t put all your eggs in the fragile basket of the self We are all connected - recognizing that helps contextualize our existence Flow and happiness are not the same thing - but they are very related Flow is a momentary state of experience and happiness is a general perspective towards life If your life is full of flow - it will be a happy life! How do we consistently create flow states in our lives? If you have those 2 traits you are more likely to be in flow more often Pay attention to the world around you and connect with it one way or another Life is quite malleable - we often feel like we’ve been dealt a tough hand, but its often how we react to it that is the most important How does Mihaly think about creating flow states in his own life? What is the greatest unanswered question in psychology today? What is the biggest mistake or pitfall that younger people (in their mid 20s) can make? You have to keep an open mind, be open to learning Don’t be too instinctive, don’t become an ideologue too soon What’s the biggest thing that people misunderstand about Flow and Mihay’s research? We have the opportunity to shape ourselves into whoever we want to be- but we have to take into account where we came from and what our experiences have been. What’s the biggest takeaway from all the research on Flow? Your fate, your destiny, your future is not set out for you - you can shape it to be what you want it to be. You have the freedom to make life better for yourself and more worthwhile and meaningful for yourselves. Even the greatest traumas and struggles can be overcome. You don’t have to achieve fame and fortune to live a meaningful and wonderful life and to be truly alive. It may not be an easy road to get there, but it’s possible for anyone to get there. This is open to everyone, but it’s hard to do the work and get there. Life can be much more fun than you think! We have to look past the limited perspective of our own egos and experiences to understand the beauty of life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we show you how to turn your fear into health, wealth, and happiness. If you want something you’ve never had before, you have to do something you’ve never done before. That means suffering and taking risks. Building a positive relationship with suffering is one of the most important life skills you can master. Suffering is the true training ground of self-transcendence. With our guest Akshay Nanavati we show you how to choose your struggle and build meaningful suffering into your life. Akshay Nanavati is a Marine Corps Veteran, speaker, adventurer, entrepreneur and author of "Fearvana: The Revolutionary Science of How to Turn Fear into Health, Wealth and Happiness." He is also the founder of the nonprofit, the Fearvana Foundation. His work has been featured in Forbes, Psychology Today, entrepreneur.com, CNN, Huffington Post, Military Times, FOX 5 NY, ABC, NBC and other media outlets around the globe. From drug addiction to marine corps Bootcamp - to hunting for bombs in Iraq - how Akshay learned to deal with fear The toughest battle Akshay had to fight was coming home - dealing with PTSD and suicidal thoughts We live in a world that demonizes stress, anxiety, fear, pain and suffering - and yet in the psychology and neuroscience research shows us that our emotions are normal and inevitable We don’t live in a world of life-threatening risks anymore, and so our brain creates these risks No emotions are good or bad - we assign and create the meaning via our beliefs Humans are meaning-making machines - we naturally create meaning out of everything What you are labeling yourself can powerfully shape your experiences. Typical behaviors like “depression” “PTSD” etc are just brain patterns, and they can be re-written using “Top-Down Neuroplasticity” Don’t wait for the fear to go away, act despite the fear.. or once you learn to train yourself.. BECAUSE of the fear Building a positive relationship to suffering is the single most important skill to master. “Hebbs Law” - neurons that fire together, wire together There is a war in your brain for neuronal real estate - use it or lose it. Should you try to SEEK Suffering instead of AVOID suffering? "There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own Soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” - Dr. Carl Jung “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” - Dr. Carl Jung Visualize yourself in the process of going through the struggle, the suffering, the tough part of your goals - not the easy parts at the end. There is tremendous beauty in pushing through and into your fears. Everything worthwhile is hard, and you have to train yourself to fall in love with suffering. Fall in love with the process. You cannot get better at something without doing it. Exercise is a “miracle grow for your brain.” If you could put all the benefits of exercise into a pill, it would be the best selling pill of all time. If you want something you’ve never had before, you have to do something you’ve never done before. That means suffering and taking a risk. If you don’t proactively search out a proactive worthy challenge - something to struggle and suffer for in your life - then suffering will find you anyway. Don’t follow your passion, find your "worthy struggle." You don’t discover a passion you develop a passion. You have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to develop your passion. You only evolve when you suffer. That’s why lottery winners typically lose their winnings. When you struggle for it, you become a different person. Homework: Find one little thing to test yourself. Do a little thing to push yourself outside your comfort zone. Don’t just do it, come back and reflect on it. Journal about it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss how to get started building your network and traffic online. We learn exactly how to build an audience from scratch, insider lessons about the best content marketing approach, how to get your content to go viral, a mind-blowing facebook advertising strategy and why email is still one of the most important marketing channels with our guest Joe Fier. Joe Fier advises businesses on marketing strategy and sales conversion to increase revenues. He consults and creates long-term selling assets for clients, which has generated over $50 million in revenue online. He runs a marketing and tech consulting company and full-scale content marketing agency. He and his Co-Founder at Evergreen Profits, Matt Wolfe are also the hosts of the Hustle and Flowchart Podcast and authors of The Evergreen Traffic Playbook, hosts of the Hustle and Flowchart Podcast and Evergreen Wisdom: Daily Habits & Thoughts To Optimize Your Business & Life. Producing the best possible content was one of the inflection points for Evergreen Profits Content Creation & Development is the cornerstone of their growth strategy “It starts with content - that’s the inflection point" Attracting the right people to your content hasn’t changed a lot in the last 10 years in the online world. When Joe kickstarted his podcast, he went to his network and got it front of them How do you build up a network or seed your initial traffic? Places like Reddit, Facebook groups, Quora - get involved in a community, get involved in a bucket of an audience, interject or inject value with the content that you produce - and be consistent. You have to be consistently involved in the community. You have to build your own “credibility” in the community before you post your own content Go into the community and spend a few weeks JUST answering questions Just keep adding a ton of value and get the other people to start self-promoting for you Get to know the OWNER of the subreddit or the MODERATOR of the subreddit (same strategy Sol used) that’s the KEY Spend a minimal budget to kickstart a piece of content Reddit Ads Quora Ads Facebook Ads Google Ads The target goal of the ads = join our email list Email Opt-Ins for a new audience Run these $1/day ads targeting Brene Brown on FB and point them straight to the show notes page There’s no commitment on their part, and you’re selling them on the podcast Retargeting Warm approach “Exclusive notes on this Brene Brown interview - click here to get them absolutely free" Driven by FB retargeting after they’ve already visited your page Start low and work your way up as you see it working / frequency getting higher They will have a pool of 10 potential ads and they will assign a budget to the pool, and FB will pull the various ads - let FB’s algorithm do the work for you Repurpose episodes into something more visual for FB / Instagram / Ads They try to do the opposite of the “Launch” model Have a longer-term mindset and know that the content you’re putting out in the world will live there for a long long time Create amazing valuable content that will pass the test of time Always try to follow up, the money is made on the follow-up Don’t try to rush the sale, don’t be too pushy, lead with value Homework: Start an email list and create a good opt-in freebie + pair it up with a checklist or short opt-in guide Then set up retargeting + simple FB ad strategy to bring people back to what you’re doing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you always wondered if the “Law of Attraction” is real? In this episode we dig into the science behind visualization, manifesting and much more to find out what really works and what doesn’t. We share strategies for access your intuition and aligning your emotions, your intuition and your rational thought process to supercharge your brain, show you how to beat imposter syndrome, and much more with our guest Dr. Tara Swart. Dr. Tara Swart is a neuroscientist and former psychiatric doctor. She is a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan and visiting senior lecturer at Kings College London, and an executive advisor to some of the world's most respected leaders in media and business. In 2016 she was named the world's first Neuroscientist-in-Residence at Corinthia Hotel, London. She is the author of the award-winning Neuroscience for Leadership, co-author of An Attitude for Acting, and lead author of her soon to be released third book, The Source. Can we merge science and spirituality? Is there science that actually explains the “law of attraction?" Because of the way that you think you attract certain things into your life. The concept of abundant thinking The mental model “loss aversion” and why losses are more painful than gains Mastering your emotions, cultivating intuition, they are all very similar to learning a new language Replace any negative thought with a positive thought immediately - an ancient Buddhist lesson that is supported by the neuroscience of neuroplasticity What should you do if you can’t dislodge a negative thought from your brain? If you have a repetitive negative thought or a theme to a negative narrative in your brain - distill it down to the basic underlying belief that drives that negative thought - create an opposite state and use that as your positive affirmation or mantra (check out limiting belief episodes for more) Use laughter and oxytocin to powerfully encode or recode beliefs How do you deal with imposter syndrome? Strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome Does visualization work? Visualization makes things more certain for the brain. How creating a vision board can powerfully improve your brain’s focus on your goals Value tagging and selective attention - by visualizing your future you start to prime the brain to focus on the things that you want to be important. “The Tetris Effect” - Do your visualization board as the last thing you do before you go to bed to prime and feed information into your subconscious. The period of time that you’re about to fall asleep is the period where your subconscious can be the MOST influenced. Visualization is an umbrella that three big things fall under Neuroplasticity is the ability to change your brain. What you think and how you live can actually change physical things in your body. Journaling is the “single best way” to access your intuition and align your emotions, your intuition and your rational thought process. You can avoid repeating the same mistakes if you start to tap into and access your intuition There’s a large neuronal connection between the gut neurons and the limbic system If you take a high-quality probiotic it can reduce negative thinking in your life There’s a deep connection between your gut and your brain Probiotics, prebiotics, and fermented foods can improve your brain, your happiness, and your performance Meta-cognition - thinking about your thinking. Stepping back and asking yourself if your thought processes are healthy and helpful. An awesome exercise you can use to improve your meta-cognition and reframe your thinking Homework: Create an action board. The structure of the board is important. Don’t use words - that go down the logical/rational pathway. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How did one of the greatest geniuses of all time lose his life savings overnight? Despite our illusions of rationality, even the most brilliant humans are not rational at all. We tell ourselves that it’s always the other person who is irrational, envious, and aggressive, and that it’s never us. But science shows that all of our brains are remarkably similar, sculpted by evolution to have baked in biases and bad habits. No one is exempted from the laws of human nature. In this episode we explore the path that all the world’s greatest strategists have used to master their own irrationality and achieve mastery with our legendary guest Robert Greene. Robert Greene is an author known for his books on strategy, power, and seduction. He has written six international bestsellers: The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law, Mastery, and The Laws of Human Nature. In addition to having a strong following within the business world and a deep following in Washington, DC, Greene’s books are hailed by everyone from war historians to the biggest musicians in the industry (including Jay-Z, Drake, and 50 Cent). How one of the greatest geniuses of all time lost his life savings overnight. Could it happen to you? Despite our illusions of rationality, humans are not rational at all - we are governed by our emotions. To be rational requires deep work and training. Many forces from evolution that are wired into our brains used to be adaptive, now they can be dangerous and even counter productive These primitive elemental forces form the cornerstones of human nature Are the emotions that you’re feeling actually from your life? Did they come from you or did they come from other people? We need to be independent, we need to think for ourselves, we need to gain control of our emotional responses. You can’t begin to be a rational strategist in life until you are aware of your own emotions It begins with humility. Turn your internal self absorption around. Rationality is being aware of your irrationality. Being aware of the emotions that govern your decisions. Step back. Cultivating the ability to step away, to pull out of tunnel vision, to see a bigger picture, is a cornerstone of rational thinking and strategic thinking. The brain operates by simplifying information - we often don’t have access to the SOURCE of our feelings and emotions. You need other people to do anything in life. Investing in the skill of influencing them is one of the most powerful things you can invest in. How LBJ was a master influencer and could melt away anyone’s defensiveness Respond to people as they ARE not as you want them to be Your natural tendency as you get older is for your mind to close up. Open, curious, having a mindset of discovery and openness is much more powerful than a deeply convicted rigid mindset. Having a rigid perspective is destroying your mind. A creative mind is incredibly flexible. That’s the quality of any truly great artist, entrepreneur, or political figure. It’s the path that ALL of the great strategists in life have followed. Do you want power, creativity, success, and influence? OPEN UP YOUR MIND. Homework: Use a journal or simply do a thought experiment in your own head - in the course of a day you will feel many different emotions - dig into those emotions and understand what is going on with yourself and your own emotions. Try to find one moment, one emotion, and think about the root cause, think about where that emotion comes from. Where does it REALLY come from? Question. Dig. Think before your act. Try to come up with one little nugget about yourself and why you feel that way and analyze it instead of giving into it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to make the most important decisions in your life. Where should you spend your time? How do you evaluate different opportunities? Are you focused on creating wealth or income, and which is more important for you? Should you make a big change in your career or industry? We dig into all of these important questions and give you the tools to answer them with our guest the legendary Roland Frasier. Roland Frasier is a serial entrepreneur who has founded, scaled or sold dozens of different businesses.  He is currently CEO of the War Room Mastermind, where he advises over 150 major companies and principal in DigitalMarketer.com, among several other successful online companies. Roland has experienced business success in several industries including real estate, law, publishing, consulting, and many others. He has worked with major companies such as Microsoft, Infusionsoft, Etihad Airlines, Harper-Collins Publishing and Uber.The biggest business breakthroughs often come from applying unexpected places and cross applications The importance of creating models and frameworks for solving business problemsTake what you read and break it down into something that’s simple and useable How do you take what you’re reading and learning and turn it into something that is actually usable and applicable?The Long and The ShortThe dangers of being “cash poor” and “asset rich”Are you over-focused on income or wealth? Are you a dancing bear? Its so easy to get trapped into reinvesting 100% of your profits into growing your company How do you balance our time between short term income creation and long term wealth creation? Formula: Income Needs = Long Term Growth Desires + Lifestyle Costs + Cushion If you want yourself too far on one side or the other, it’s time to rebalance your focus a bitLife is so fragile - you have to balance living for today and living for tomorrowClassify your opportunities as either “wealth” opportunities or “income opportunities”You should be hustling, but you shouldn’t be hustling all the time.You have to stop and think.You have to stop and recover too.If you study some seriously successful and ultra driven people - they often achieve that success at the cost of their own personal and family lives If you want to really innovate, you have to take time to think.The world will demand 400% of your time. You have to limit the number of opportunities you take on. It’s easy to drown in opportunity. Once in a lifetime opportunities come around 3 or 4 times per year. PFM + Will it move the needle in terms of what you want to accomplish personally and financially? PeopleFunMoneySaying “not now” is not the same thing as saying no - it’s a great way to defer opportunitiesThe power and importance of asking for things Be inquisitive and child like in asking the things you are curious aboutThe “No harm in asking” RuleIn a business deal, if you don’t ask for what you want, it sure as well won’t be handed to you. The power of “inception” via the principle of Socratic Influencing - how you can get people to think that your ideas are theirs Lead people logically to the conclusion that you want them to arrive atThe absolutely magical power Should you “grow where you are planted?"The power and importance of developing your personal brand to help your business Homework: Determine what are you going to spend your time on? IDEA: Create a “Life Priority Matrix”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss crazy research that can predict 94% of the time whether or not your relationship will be successful. We reveal why you should NEVER give someone unsolicited advice. We share the communication “Swiss army knife” that you can use to build rapport, influence anyone, and deepen the most important relationships in your life and much more with our guest Michael S. Sorenson. Michael S. Sorensen is an award-winning author, marketing executive, relationship coach, researcher, and personal development junkie. He is the author of the best-selling I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships and the 3-Minute Morning Journal.Listen, seek to understand, and then validatePeople question if we understand how they are feelingReflective listening vs validationCrazy research that can predict 94% of the time whether or not your relationship will be successful.The 3 primary ways of respondingHappily married couples validate each other more than 87% of the time. Divorced couples validated each other only 33% of the time.The biggest takeaway from this interview - don’t give unsolicited advice! When you give people advice they get defensive, and then both parties get frustrated pretty quickly. In today’s societies we have serious difficultly processing and understanding our emotions. Most of the time what people want is NOT advice, they want help processing the difficult emotions that they are experiencing. Reframe: Ask yourself “So, what are you gonna do about it?"When you jump in and give advice, you miss out on an opportunity to show them respect and an opportunity for them to grow. Validation can help when someone is experiencing both negative and positive emotions. Validation is a tremendously powerful negotiation tool. When people feel heard and understood they are more likely to listen to you and understand you. Validation helps you break down defensiveness.What is validation?Invalidating responsesTo be an effective communicator you have to communicate to people the way they ARE, not the way you want them to be. We often invalidate OURSELVES too - saying “it’s fine” or “I shouldn’t feel this way”You can’t repress an emotion and get away with it - they come back stronger and stronger. Repressed emotions are the root of many negative behaviors. We repress ourselves both ways - positively and negatively. When we experience positive things we should validate ourselves.Why you should accept compliments instead of deflecting them. How do you validate and justify an emotion that you don’t agree with? Lessons from dealing with someone who has schizophrenia - and how you can validate emotions that you “disagree with” Justifying emotions - “it makes sense, given what you think, that you feel that way” 4 Steps of ValidationDo you ever feel like someone isn’t listening to you? Maybe you need to flip the script and ask if you’ve really been listening to THEM.“Given what you’ve said, I completely understand why you would feel that way."A lot of emotional problems are a result of parents or people close in our lives who invalidated our negative experiences. Dealing with your emotions is HARD. Your emotions are unruly. Imagine how scary your emotions are as an adult, children don’t have the tools to deal with their emotions.Homework: the next tough conversation you have, don’t give them your advice.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you feeling too distracted to pay attention? Does listening make your brain hurt? In a world full of noise and distraction - listening is the biggest leadership hack in today’s world. In this episode we crack the code on how to deeply listen, how to listen to what is unsaid, and the tons of specific hacks and tactics you can use to take your listening to the next level with our guest Oscar Trimboli.Oscar Trimboli is on a quest to create 100 million Deep Listeners in the world. He is an author, Host of the Apple Award winning podcast--Deep Listening and a sought-after keynote speaker. He consults for organizations including Cisco, Google, HSBC, and many others. He is the author of the best selling works Breakthroughs: How to confront assumptions and Deep Listening: Impact Beyond Words.If you can listen, you can change the worldThe mission of creating 100 million listeners If you can achieve your goal in your lifetime it’s not ambitious enoughWe are struggling as individuals and the world is struggling - we are distracted, we can’t focus, we are overwhelmed86% of people struggle with distraction todayWe spent the 20th-century learning how to speak, the leadership hack for the 21st century is learning how to listenThe more senior you are, the more you lead, the more time you spend listeningLess than 2% of people have been trained how to listenHow do you teach your kids how to listen? How do you teach your employees how to listen?We listen in 2 dimensions - we listen in black and white right now - but we can listen in more colors, and we can listen more deeply.Listen to someone on TV who you fiercely disagree with. What’s the difference between hearing vs listening? What assumptions and prejudices do you hold?How do you become aware of your listening blind spots?Spend 30 minutes listening to someone who you fiercely disagree with, and you will start to really understand your listening blind spots.We spend a huge chunk of our lives screaming to be noticed. Hearing = here sounds. Listening = make sense of what you hear. The difference between hearing and listening is the action you take. Deep listening is helping the person who is speaking make sense of what they’re saying Three key lessons from neuroscience about listeningWe can listen so much faster than we can speak, it creates a massive opportunity for us to get distractedYou must be an “empty vessel” to focus on someone else and actually listen to them 3 Quick tips to center yourself in a conversationBefore you even think about listening to the speaker, you have to be ready to listen. When somebody says something, treat silence at the end of what they say like it’s another word. 3 Phrases to continue any conversationIn our rush to fill the silence, we miss out on quite a lot. When you use phrases like “tell me more” you give someone the opportunity to align their thoughts more clearly, think through the idea, and figure out the most important themes and ideas to shine through in the conversation. How many breakthroughs are you missing in your organization just because you’re not listening? 5 Levels of Listening“You’ve heard something in 25 minutes that we couldn’t hear in 3 months"A powerful question that can solve insurmountable business problems: Who are you not listening to right now?Sometimes the people you really need to listen to aren’t in the room. The only way to get someone to see the gap between where they are today and where they want to be tomorrow is by ASKING THEM A QUESTION, not by telling them. The magic happens when you put your attention on other people instead of just putting it on yourself.If the question if about YOU and YOUR understanding, it’s not as powerful as a question helping THEM improve THEIR understanding. Homework: Listen to something you deeply disagree with for 30 minutes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview we discuss how to finally break through what’s holding you back, take action, and create lasting habit and behavior change. Less than 30% of people succeed in changing their behavior without using the tools and strategies we share in this interview.  Uncover the neuroscience of how your brain gets stuck and finally start using strategies that really work to create more breakthroughs and results in your life with Dr. David Rock. Dr. David Rock coined the term 'NeuroLeadership' and is the director of the NeuroLeadership Institute. He co-edits the NeuroLeadership Journal and heads up an annual global summit. He is the author of the best-selling 'Your Brain at Work',  'Quiet Leadership',  and the textbook 'Coaching with the Brain in Mind'. He has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Fortune Magazine, PsychologyToday and many more publications.The brain gets stuck very easily. What happens when we get stuck?Its really hard for our brains to break out of their preexisting molds and patterns of thinking Even breaking out of the smallest mental “schemas” can be very difficult The mechanics of how we get trapped in mental schemas - your subconscious does most of the processing and heavy liftingChanging your thinking patterns is as hard as changing traffic flow on the freeway The unconscious brain is trillions of times more powerful than the conscious brain“Language gives you the ability to alter your experience."The more language you have for your own brain the more you can notice what is going on. Language connects the prefrontal cortex to the rest of the brain. How do you generate more creative insights?If you can even get one day a week of spending your mornings doing contemplative routine, your creative output will explode. After exercise or a nap, or after something fun and restful - when you have energy, when you have the urge to write or create - pay attention to those phenomena and try to tap into them when you get a chance. How do you do a better job paying attention to your mental state and your thoughts?There is ENORMOUS value in learning socially and learning with other people. “Hundreds of percentage” bump in the likelihood of real change.The number one reason that people change is because other people change. This comes from hard scientific data, it’s not theoretical.The default mode network is pretty much always on - and it focuses socially and thinks about how you fit in socially. Social factors are a huge motivation driver - social rewards and social threats are huge drivers of human behavior. The strongest carrots and sticks are SOCIAL. The “SCARF” Model for understanding human behavior, threat response, and how people behave.The brain classifies everything into either danger or opportunity, but it’s a continuum not binary.Managing your “threat state” is one of the most important things you can do. “Help people think better, don’t tell them what to do"Coaching is helping people have their own insights. Conversations, where you help anyone have an insight, is far more likely to create change. Advice is almost always MUCH more about the giver than about what you actually need. How do you actually turn your insights into action?Harness the positive social pressures of learning with other people. The social pressure of learning something together, in little bites, at a time. It helps constantly remind you of the importance of those learning and insights. How do we create organizational change at any scale?Most organizations are pretty good at making priorities, OK on systems, and terrible at the habits. 30% of change initiatives succeed because they ignore habits and human psychology HOMEWORK: Start building language, one habit at a time, find something you’re curious about or want to work on around improving your brain, and learn socially with others.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview, we discuss why “creativity is the new literacy” and how you can unlock your own creative genius to create the life you want to live. Most people are completely wrong about what they think creativity is and how to be more creative. We dispel the myths about creative work and show you how to build your creative muscle so that you can create breakthroughs, find your calling, and live your dream life with our guest Chase Jarvis.Chase Jarvis is a photographer, director, and social artist. He is the CEO of CreativeLive and works with major brands like Nike, Pepsi, and more. His personal and fine artwork has caught the attention of everyone from mainstream audiences to art critics across the globe. He is the author of the popular books Seattle 100, The Best Camera Is The One That's With You, and the soon to be released Creative Calling.Why “Creativity is the new literacy” and what that means for your career and life The transition between the Renaissance and the Dark Ages Creativity is everything. Creativity is not just art. It’s not just painting. Creativity is the driving factor behind being successful today. What is creativity? Putting two things together to form something new and useful. Fundamental lessons of creativityYou have agency over creating your own life. Humans are naturally creative machines.Creativity is the #1 most sought after characteristic of world-class CEOsCreativity is a superpower and it’s something that we all possess. Creativity is such an important skill set - in today’s world there’s so much noise, so much new information - stepping back and applying creativity is more important than ever The more that you study people who have become successful, the more you realize that you can’t follow the traditional narrative of business schoolThe school system has failed us - it’s a modern-day factory that hurts creativity. 4 Step Process To Live Your Dream LifeFind your calling, find your path, and make your life effortless Once you become creative, you start seeing creative opportunities everywhere - you can’t unsee them. Never tell yourself “I’m not creative” - everyone has the ability to be creative“Creativity is an infinite resource, the more you use the more you get” - Maya Angelou "Shitty first drafts” are the path towards creativityThere’s so much untapped reactivity in the world, so much untapped potential - you have to realize your own untapped potential and unleash it. To uncover your calling, start pulling threads - it’s not a direct journey, it’s an indirect adventureBecome creative is about a mindset shift - and it’s a shift you’re capable of making right now Don’t be the next "so and so” be the first YOU!Entrepreneurship is alchemy, part science part art Science, productivity, achievement etc - they all boil down to developing the skillset of creativityYour brain evolved to keep you alive, NOT to keep you happy! Your mind short circuits into fear in situations where it shouldn’t Homework: Find something that you can make a habit for 10 days that would meet your own definition of creativity, and do it! Homework: Think of more things in your life as CREATIVE ACTS"Make art, and while everyone else is judging your art, make more." -Andy WarholSuccess is not a map. It’s a compass. You have to walk that direction, navigate the obstacles, and figure it out along the way. Just start.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss how our traditional education system has given us the wrong perspectives on how learning actually works. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of looking for and waiting for the perfect step by step formula, but it’s actually the ability to flexibly experiment that empowers you to be successful in learning, and really anything. We share exactly how you can apply these lessons and much more with our guest Scott Young. Scott Young is a writer and programmer who has undertaken many incredibly challenging self-education projects in his career. These challenges include feats such as attempting to learn MIT's four-year computer science curriculum in twelve months as well as learning four languages in one year. He is the author of the best-selling book Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition and Accelerate Your Career and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Business Insider, TEDx, and more!Attempting to learn MIT's four-year computer science curriculum in twelve monthsOur expectations around learning are often wrong - and we frequently go about learning the wrong wayHow you can learn any language in less than 3 months How you can harness the power of immersive practice to rapidly accelerate your learningOur traditional education system has given us the wrong perspectives on how learning actually works Practice directly, get feedback, get your hands dirty Self-directed learning is super important - what you want to learn, how you want to learn, and what resources you want to use. It needs to be self-directed.Ultralearning also needs to be focused around efficiency - collecting and learning information as quickly as possible. The powerful concept of “meta-learning” - learning about learning. Before you start ANY learning activity, you want to do some research on what the BEST way to learn is Ultra learning is not a short cut to find a way so you don’t have to do the work but rather prevents you from going down dead ends. If you want to get good at something, you need to do the thing you want to get good at. If you want to know something, ask yourself WHERE and HOW will I use this knowledge?Human beings are really bad at “transfer” - transferring knowledge to new and different contextsThe important difference between “free recall” and “repeated review” when studying information Desirable difficulty in learning. Often the more difficult it is to learn, retrieve or remember somethingThe importance of experimentation. You often want a step by step formula, but those often do not exist. As soon as the formula becomes popular it gets copied to death. The ability to flexibly experiment is a huge skillset towards being successful in learning, and really anything.Start building a toolkit of software tools and mental models to improve your learning and thinking Cultivate a lifelong philosophy of learning new things and adding new thinking tools The greatest moments in your life aren’t because you get a reward, they’re because you experience something that expands your sense of what’s possible How you can use the Feynman Technique to improve your ability to think better and understand complex or confusing topics.How you can debug your own understanding and solve any problem using this powerful technique from a legendary scientist Homework: Think about something you’re learning right now (or trying to learn) think very clearly about the situations where you would use that knowledge or apply that skill. Ask, what kind of situations would this knowledge come up and be relevant? If you read a book, you have to actually IMPLEMENT the IDEAS that you learn from it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss powerful thinking tools and strategies you can use to break through tough problems and give yourself confidence and clarity when you’re dealing with uncertain situations. We share the breakthrough strategy that was used to invent astrophysics, explore how you can make tough life and career choices, and show you how you can use quick experiments to test, learn, and get results quickly. We share all of this and much more in with our guest David Epstein. David Epstein is the author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, and of the New York Times bestseller The Sports Gene. He has master's degrees in environmental science and journalism and has worked as an investigative reporter for ProPublica  and as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, writing some of their most high-profile investigative stories.We don’t teach the skill of actually THINKING in today’s world. There’s a HUGE advantage in connecting ideas and learning how to think broadly, especially as people specialize more. The more and more people specialize the more powerful range and broad thinking becomes. For much of the 20th century most of progress was driven by specialization, but beginning in the 1980s, most breakthroughs started coming from multidisciplinary combinations and breadth, not depth. The “cult of the head start” - the drive to specialize as narrowly and as early as possible. What can we learn from the story of Tiger Woods? Traditional chess is an activity where early specialization is really important. Moraveck’s paradox - humans and machines have opposite strengths and weaknesses.In freestyle chess, you outsource the pattern study to the computer, and you focus on the higher level strategy - it becomes a completely different game. That’s what has happened to success in today’s world.“A broader set of integrative skills” is where humans can add the most value. How “wicked learning environments” like business, investing, medicine, and human interaction are much trickier to navigate, and what that means for how you learn and improve Learning and improvement in “kind domains” vs “wicked domains” Using “Fermi Problems” to navigate tough situations and learning environmentsThe Importance of “broadly applicable reasoning tools” over highly specific knowledge Analogies are one of the most important tools for creative problem solvingSuccessful problem solvers are more able to determine the deep structure of a problem before they proceed to match a strategy to it.“Switchers are winners” - why changing your job or changing what you study can end up being a huge win for you. The economics concept of “match quality” and how it can impact the direction of your lifeWho wins the tradeoff between early and late specializers? Grit is great, but strategic quitting can be a great thing. Even the researcher of Grit, Angela Duckworth, supports changing directions. Which among my various possible selves should I start to explore now? How can I do that?Taking a beginning fiction writing class helped David become a better nonfiction writer. How you can use the Japanese concept of “Bansho” to improve your thinking and become a more effective learner “Making connections” knowledge  vs “Using procedures” knowledge. Drawing broad and deep connections instead of learning routines. The power of using “Interleaving” as a learning method. Forcing learners into "conceptual thinking" improves deep and longer lasting learning. Homework: Create a “book of small experiments” and start testing the things you might want to do or learn. Do something new once a quarter. Create a hypothesis of why you want to explore that interest and test the hypothesis. Homework: Whenever you’re thinking about a project you’re going to take on, you will make predictions about how that project will go, use the ‘outside view’ instead of the ‘inside view.’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss what creates great performance at work. Uncover how you can do better work in fewer hours. Get rid of wasted meetings with hacks you can use to make your meetings radically more productive, finally remove the things that are distracting you, learn the recipe you need to say no to your boss the right way, and focus on the biggest things that will create the most value in your work. We share all of these lessons and much more with our guest Dr. Morten Hansen. Dr. Morten Hansen is a management professor at the UC, Berkeley and a faculty member at Apple University. His academic research has won several prestigious awards and he is ranked as one of the world’s most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50. He was also a manager at the Boston Consulting Group, where he advised corporate clients worldwide. He is the author of the best sellingGreat at Work, Great by Choice, and Collaboration.Study of 5000 people, how they work, and their performance. The biggest conclusion… most people work the WRONG way. Most people think working MORE is better. The VERY TOP PERFORMERS across PROFESSIONS and INDUSTRIES and AGE GROUPS tend to be those who are really really good at picking the most important priorities, engaging extreme focus, and going all-in on the few things that matter the most. Productivity is going down in today’s world, it’s not going up. You have to work hard, but after about 50 hours of work, there are massively diminished returns, and a sharp spike in marginal productivity, beyond 65 hrs per week you start performing less well than someone working 40 hours per week. It’s not about cramming more hours into your week, it’s about focusing those hours on the RIGHT THINGS and prioritizing appropriately. Evidence-based insights into what it means to be a top performer at work. “What creates great performance at work?"Focus is often misunderstood. “Do less, then obsess."Focus in the workplace means FEWER TASKS and FEWER PRIORITIES. Many people are not good at saying no“One of the greatest professional skills required to be successful today is the ability to say no."If you don’t say no, then you start doing mediocre work. What do you do when your boss fires back “all your projects are important?"How do you think about focus in the context of “portfolio” opportunities? (Investors, real estate agents, and so forth). If the execution of each one of those things depends on YOUR effort, then you should be FOCUSING on that. Whether or not it hinges on your specific effort, that is the key question. Whenever the execution is reliant on you, you have to FOCUS DEEPLY and execute. What’s the difference between passion and purpose?People who have more passion and purpose don’t work more hours, but they get more out of EACH hour they work. How do you find passion and purpose in your work every day?KEY TACTIC: What are the 3 most valuable things I can do at my job?Most people spend less than 40% of their time on their top 3 priorities. How do you change and remove things from your calendar that are distracting you?Routine busywork prevents you from taking the time to actually implement these kinds of contemplative routines.Are you tired of wasting your time daily in ineffective meetings?Hacks for radically improving the productivity of your meetings:Homework: Do Less, then Obsess. Review your calendar for the next 2 weeks and cut out one or two things. Say no to something or don’t accept the invitation. Free up your time and then dedicate it on the most important thing you need to get done.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we explore the mind-bending science of genetic engineering and why it’s going to change everything in our lives, whether we want it to or not. We share crazy stories and examples from the cutting edge of science, look at shocking examples around the world of what is going on with human genetic science and explore the science of immortality with a few simple life hacks can you implement right now to extend your life and help you live past 100, with our guest Jamie Metzl.   Jamie Metzl is a Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council. In February 2019, he was appointed to the World Health Organization expert advisory committee on developing global standards for the governance and oversight of human genome editing. He is the author of five books, including the non-fiction work, Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity. Jamie previously served in the U.S. National Security Council, State Department, Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as a Human Rights Officer for the United Nations in Cambodia. The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed yetOpen your eyes a little bit wider and see the radical technological developments that will fundamentally transform your life are on the short term horizonGenetic technologies are, in very short order, going to fundamentally transform our societiesThe genetics revolution is inevitable and it’s already here. Countries like China are already massively pushing the limits on genetic science, well beyond what we may even feel comfortable with in the US todayChina is extremely wealthy, extremely powerful, and has a “Wild West” culture around genetic engineering, designer babies, and human genome editing“The Arms Race of the Human Race” - what happens in a world where the US restricts or prevents genetic engineering but another country, for example, China, substantially embraces them?Slippery slope and how this radically starts to change our world pretty incredibly - most people would probably want to know if their child had a higher risk of a certain disease, so they could prevent it… what happens when we make that shift from a child to a human embryo?“The End of Sex” - “Old Fashioned Sex” will soon be viewed as reckless and dangerous.“Would you play Russian roulette with your child’s future health by NOT affirmatively selecting health?"Would you wish polio on a child because it’s natural? What about a genetic disease that could be prevented?It’s not a question of wonderful nature vs scary science. Nature is pretty scary. People die of horrible genetic disorders today.Why Jamie considers anti-vaccine “monstrous""In vitro gametogenesis” - what happens if you could make 100,000 potential embryos and pick the healthiest ones?What is a synthetic womb and why is it something that is so crazy it might make total sense in 30-50 years?Why Jamie’s goal is to live to 150, and what he’s doing to get there. Simple life hacks can you implement to extend your life as much as possible?Do everything that people who live in the blue zones are doing.Homework: Get yourself educated on genetic science. Homework: If you’re planning on having children, freeze your eggs and freeze your sperm today. Freeze them when you’re twenty. It gives you the option of using healthy and vibrant genetic material in the future. Homework: For longevity: Exercise 45 minutes a day. Eat healthy food. Homework: Do your own homework and empower yourself about precision medicine. Medical knowledge is decentralizing. You are the primary agent of change in your life.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we talk about one of the MOST important skills in the modern world - the ability to be inDISTRACTable. Are you sick and tired of distraction? Do you feel constantly overwhelmed in a world of notifications, demands, messages, and more and more information flying at you? In this episode we discuss exactly how you can battle back from distraction, control your attention and choose the life you want using the power of being “indistractable” with our guest Nir Eyal.Nir Eyal is an expert in “behavioral design” having worked in both advertising and video gaming helping companies build and create more engaging products. Nir is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the book Hooked: How To Build Habit Forming Products and has been featured in Forbes, Psychology Today, and more. Nir is an active angel investor and currently writes to help companies create good habit and behaviors in their users on his blog NirandFar.com.How do we deal with distraction in today’s world?Why don’t we do what we say we’re going to do? Why do we do the things we know we shouldn’t do?What is “akrasia” and how did the greek philosophers deal with the challenge of distraction?Many of the “folk psychology” remedies to distraction don’t actually workMost likely you know what you want to do. It’s also equally important to avoid the things you don’t want to do. How do you become “indistractable"? It’s about CONSISTENCY over INTENSITY to achieve anything. What gets in the way of consistency moves you away from your goals. If you don’t focus on the CORE reason you’re getting distracted you won’t solve the issue. What is the job of a knowledge worker?What is the output of knowledge work? Problem solving. Coming up with novel solutions to hard problems. "The psychology of distraction”The opposite of distraction is NOT focus, the opposite of distraction is TRACTION. And both words end in ACTION. EXTERNAL TRIGGERS are NOT the DISTRACTIONEverything we do is about the avoidance of discomfort. In psychology, this is called the “homeostatic response."To begin, we have to master our internal triggers. One of the most common distractions in the workplace are OTHER WORKERSDistraction is the third leading cause of death in the United States! How nurses at UCSF made a simple yet earth-shattering change that saved thousands of lives by removing external distractions, reducing prescription mistakes by 88%!!What can you as a knowledge worker do to prevent being distracted during deep work?Mindfulness and meditation is fantastic when you can’t get rid of the internal triggers. The first question you should ask yourself before you meditate is can you change the SOURCE, can you FIX the problem? Self-compassion is a cornerstone of achievement and an essential component "You can’t call something a distraction unless you know what it distracted you from."The myth of the todo list. The magic to do list fairy doesn’t exist. Your to dos are your OUTPUTS not your inputs. They have nothing to do with your inputs. You can only control and schedule the INPUTS. That’s what you need to focus on. Schedule everything you want to spend time on, good, bad, fun etc - and when you’re NOT doing that, you’re being distracted. Homework: Know what you WANT TO DO with your TIME. Homework: Realize you have power, control, and agency to put distraction in its place in your life.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you know what you should do but you don’t do it? In this episode, we dig into the science behind WHY this happens and HOW exactly you can overcome this massive obstacle. No one’s ever actually stuck, but the reason you FEEL stuck is that what you want, your goals, desires, change you want in your life, etc, are bumping up against an emotional roadblock or subconscious belief. It’s like having one foot on the gas while the other slams down the breaks. In this interview with Dr. Sasha Heinz, we share what you can do to finally overcome that fear and anxiety and transform your life.  Dr. Sasha Heinz is a developmental psychologist and life coach, is an expert in positive psychology, lasting behavioral change, and the science of getting unstuck. She received her BA from Harvard, her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Columbia, and her master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she also served as a faculty member.Education is good. Application is better. Transformation is best.Focus on mitigating mental disorders vs focusing on happiness and mental health“The neurotic paradox"Focusing your life around “optimal human functioning”If you aren’t doing something, you aren’t going to see different results. Do you ever know what you SHOULD do, and yet you don’t do it? “The biography of your beliefs” shapes how you think, perceive, and ultimately act in the world. Your emotional brain is much more powerful than your logical brainNo one’s ever actually stuck, but the reason you FEEL stuck is that what you want (your desire, change, etc) is bumping up against an emotional roadblock or subconscious belief (often from your childhood). Are you actively directing and engaging the direction and amplitude of change in your life?If you want to know WHY you’re not moving forward, pay attention to what you’re feelingYour thoughts are totally optional. You have the autonomy to decide what you want to believe about yourself.You have to work at both ends of the psychological spectrum simultaneously - healing wounds and trauma, and focusing on optimal human functioningDo a deep inventory of your current belief systems. What were you taught about yourself? What were you taught about your potential? What did you believe about your health, competence, intelligence, lovability, etc as a child? Conduct a “belief blueprint” of yourself. You have one foot on the gas, that’s your neocortex, and you have one foot on the brake, that’s your emotional cortex saying “that’s way too scary."Often a coach or a psychologist can help you uncover those beliefs and figure out what is making your emotional brain freak out?When you’re doing something you don’t want to do… pause and reflect.. and ask yourself “WHY AM I DOING THIS BEHAVIOR?"The action that comes out of negative emotion is very narrow.Sometimes personal development work is hysterical because the human brain is so irrational You can rationalize anything.. Rational Lies.Managing your mind is the currency of the next generation because our world today requires it to be successful. Become more fluent in your own emotions and experience them. Don’t resist your emotions, just allow them to happen, feel them, and observe them. They last about 90 seconds. Growth and development require uncomfortable emotions. Homework: Make a list of all the things you do to avoid feeling your feelings. Homework: Make a list of the things you do that seem completely bonkers and seem completely contradictory to your goals and desires. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you feel like you don’t have enough time and you’re constantly in a state of reacting to external stimulus? How do you conduct a powerful monthly review that will unlock opportunities for growth, focus, and improvement? In this episode, we go deep into stacking powerful mental models, harnessing best practices, and optimizing your life with our guest Sebastian Marshall. Sebastian Marshall is an author, entrepreneur, and founder of Ultraworking.com. His blog SebastianMarshall.com has been read by over half a million people from a wide range of industries and walks of life. At Ultraworking, Sebastian helps those who are already tremendously productive take even greater leaps and get more done in record timeHow do you take things apart and learn what makes them tick?What stops people from applying ideas and techniques that they know, understand, and would help them?How do you learn about any topic that is interesting to you?How do you follow the ancient wisdom of “know thyself"The problem of losing weight is not a problem of lack of information - it’s a problem of something else stopping you - this can be applied to anythingThis idea of how to think, how to make decisions - if you want to lose weight - people spend 99% of their time trying to get the perfect bit of information and the perfect strategy, if you just took something that was “Good enough” - you could get 90% of the way there with extremely simple tactics - but I the big barrier to that is that people often don’t know how to THINKWhen you’re trying to create ANY result - you have to begin with studying some of the best practicesWhen you’re trying to learn, beginners want basic rules to follow Very advanced people tend to operate on heuristics instead of rigid rules What are mental models and why are they important? The 3 question weekly review that will revolutionize your time and priorities.Starting with big, aspirational goals can actually be dangerous or problematic If you want to take on any big goal and succeed, you have to start with an analysis of where you are and what’s working. How do you conduct a powerful monthly review that will unlock opportunities for growth, focus, and improvement?Do you feel like you don’t have enough time and you’re constantly in a state of reacting to external stimulus? How do you apply the idea of compounding your own personal development? If there’s a lot of junk in your life, you don’t have space for the good and important things in your life Cut the junk, set a baseline of contemplative routines, and start stacking them up If you stack enough best practices and mental models together, suddenly you start to build rockets. It’s not about being a super disciplined person - it's about creating the conditions that enable you to be successful. A lot of people break down the first time they have a failure, design your protocols and habits to have failure baked into it. Sebastian targets a 70% success rate for his daily habits. The ideal Olympic athlete doesn’t give 110%. Most people only give 40-60% of what they’re capable of, even when they think they are trying hard. Athletes should train at 80% of maximum ability.Why you should establish a “fire break” to clean your mental slate periodically. Homework: If you don’t have a structured introspection time or contemplative routine. Pick a time and do one. Create a calendar appointment to do this.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to train yourself to think and act like a spy, with lessons from a real world expert. In the game of spycraft, the stakes couldn’t be higher and one mistake may land you dead or in a foreign prison. In that deadly crucible, only the best ideas survive. We crack open the secrets you can use to influence, develop relationships, and create a bridge with anyone you meet with the die hard rules from the world’s top secret agents with our guest Jason R. Hanson. Jason R. Hanson is a former CIA Officer, New York Times bestselling author and serial entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of the survival company, Spy Escape & Evasion which was featured in the 5th season of Shark Tank landing a deal with Daymond John. He is the author of Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life, Survive Like a Spy, and coming soon Agent of Influence: How to Use Spy Skills to Persuade Anyone, Sell Anything, and Build a Successful Business.If you’re a spy, the stakes are high - if you screw up you may end up dead or in a foreign prisonWhen you’re a spy you’re often alone and you have to figure things out for yourself. Resourcefulness is an essential skill for survival as a spy. How spies “throw people to the wolves” to see how resourceful they truly areHow spies use resourcefulness, creativity and problem solving to always find a way to win“Never give up, never take no for an answer, there’s always a way to figure it out."Empathy and emotional intelligence are two cornerstones of the spies toolkit - you can’t be fake. In the CIA - you HAD TO PUT IN THE WORK because if you made a mistake, you might end up dead. Spies have really truly battle-tested their concepts in a brutally unforgiving proving ground “Treason is not an easy product to sell” - how do you sell someone on betraying their country?If you want to influence an “asset” - you have to research the “hot button” that is important to them - figure out what matters and frame everything in terms of their top prioritiesThe “SADR” Cycle Spies use to Recruit and develop assetsHow do you quickly identify people who can help you succeed?How to generate a warm introduction or referral from anyoneThe “Art of Elicitation” - how to question and read people like a spy The “hourglass conversation technique” Flattery works. Period. But you have to be GENUINE about it. And do it in a sincere way.“Die hard rules” for creating a bridge with someone The Law of Reciprocity is HUGE in the spy game. In today’s world its a huge strategic advantage to spend your time LISTENING instead of TALKING. Recruiting - if you’re not 100% sure the deal is gonna close, don’t go for the sale - do more work on developing the relationship first How do you transfer or terminate a previously important relationship?Spy skills are just “Enhanced Common Sense” - how do you leverage the basic common sense to improve your effectiveness in communication“Extreme preparation” is the difference between players and people who won’t be that successful. To be a successful spy you must always be VERY teachable  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sign Up For Unlimited Confidence Secrets for FREE here - https://aziz34e14e.clickfunnels.com/webinar-registration-2 Dr. Aziz Gazipura is a clinical psychologist and founder of The Center for Social Confidence, which is dedicated to helping others break through their shyness and social anxiety. He is the author of the #1 Amazon best-seller Not Nice: Stop People-Pleasing, Staying Silent, & Feeling Guilty... And Start Speaking Up, Saying No, Asking Boldly, And Unapologetically Being Yourself. Aziz’s work has helped thousands of people through workshops, coaching, media appearances, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss information overload. How do you deal with a world where there is a constant and overwhelming stream of noise. How do you filter and decide what to pay attention to? How can you determine what’s worth your precious time and attention? What should you do with information that you disagree with? In a world full of more and more information, this interview with Dr. Thomas Hills explores the solution that will help you finally deal with information overload.  Dr. Thomas Hills is a professor of Psychology at the University of Warwick. His research involves using algorithmic approaches to understanding the human condition through language, wellbeing, memory, and decision making. He is a current fellow of the Alan Turing Institute and the Director of the Bridges-Leverhulme Doctoral Training Centre. He also, co-directs Warwick's Global Research Priority in Behavioural Science and his works have been published in numerous academic journals.What is Information Overload?This is a phenomenon that has crept into our lives and yet it’s gone largely unnoticed - we’ve had to outsource the information filtering in some way There’s so much information that we have to outsource the filtering process in some way - either to other people, experts, thought leaders, or algorithms Dr. Hill’s research began from studying how we make tough choices across hugely complex fields, beginning with things like how children learn language The question we have to ask ourselves - what’s the best way to go about dealing with something like information overload? Whether we are looking at religion or even something as simple as the food you eat - you have the same problemPeople only look for information that supports their existing beliefs and that is “incredibly dangerous.” We only know the language/vocabulary of our past experiences - and that’s what we begin with to filter out our understanding of the world People tend to have very similar reactions to similar situations - learn from the experiences of similar people You must look for people who have done or experienced what you want to understand and learn from them - case studies and base ratesIt’s essential to seek out the beliefs and ideas from those you disagree with There is an infinite amount of information around you - your brain can’t process all of it and is forced to filter out certain experiences and events What is an attentional bottleneck? How does it shape our understanding of reality?What is negativity bias? How does the innate, evolutionary bias baked into our brain cause us to focus on things that are negative It’s really important to ask yourself - WHAT AM I BIASED ABOUT?If you’re not getting outside of your box, your safety zone, you’re getting dumber. By exposing yourself to other people’s criticism you get smarter You have to be willing to be wrong about something to get more right about itAsk yourself - how might I be wrong? Why might I be wrong? Try to harness the wisdom of the crowd in your own head Homework: If you know ahead of time what it is you want out of your relationship with reality and what it takes to get there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to beat FOMO - the Fear of Missing Out. How do you overcome the emotional barriers and fears of missing out and saying no to things? How do you get over the awful feeling of turning down opportunities? We share simple actionable strategies for you to say yes to yourself and for you to say yes to what’s really important and actually matters in your life. We share a great strategy you can use to make a huge difference in your life in two minutes or less and we dig into the important concept that in a world drunk on speed, slowness is a superpower - all that much more with our guest Carl Honore. Carl Honore is a bestselling author, broadcaster and the creator of the Slow Movement. His TED talk on the benefits of slowing down has been viewed 2.6 million times. Carl has spoken all over the world to audiences ranging from business leaders and entrepreneurs to teachers, academics and medical practitioners. He is the author of In Praise of Slow, Under Pressure, The Slow Fix, and most recently Bolder. His books have been translated into 35 languages and been on the bestseller’s list of as many countries.The world is speeding up and speeding up - how do we deal with the constantly accelerating pace of change and the rush for speed?“Forget frantic acceleration, mastering the clock of business means choosing when to be fast, and when to be slow."Do you suffer from FOMO? Are you like a hamster on a wheel trying to do, learn, experience and achieve as much as possible as quickly as possible? By becoming a hamster on a wheel you end up missing EVERYTHING and getting NOTHING and skimming the surface of life. “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything.” - Warren Buffet "You can have anything you want but you can’t have everything” - Ray Dalio How do you get over the emotional barriers and fears of missing out and saying no to things?Take one thing off your to-do list each day and put that item on your “not to do” listBy saying NO, you say YES to something much more important - your really important priorities and goals The most creative minds, the people who’ve gotten the most done throughout history are the people who understand the power of MOMENTS OF QUIET. You will be more engaged, more switched on, more effective when you are in fast mode when you take the time to have moments of quiet. Sometimes you can get things done more quickly when you slow down.Multi-tasking is nonsense, the human mind cannot multitask. A “fast” multi-tasker will take twice as long and make twice as many mistakes as a slow “mono tasker"When you move too fast everything becomes a blur and nothing remains with you. It harms your memory. There’s an intimate bond between memory and slowness. There is no such thing as a quick fix. Slow fixes actually work. When a quick fix blows up later on, sometimes we're forced to spend the time and money to get it right the second time. Invest that time and money now on a real solution.What does it mean to be aging in a world that is obsessed with youth?We are in the “golden age of aging” - there’s never been a better time in human history to be agingHomework: Do less. Look at your todo list and start cutting things out of it. Drop one thing a day and let more oxygen into your schedule. Homework: Create time where you aren’t reachable and can unplug from gadgets. Turn your smartphone into a tool instead of a weapon of mass distraction. Homework: Integrate some kind of slow practice into your day. Meditate, cook, go for a walk. Anything that can inoculate you against the virus of hurry.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss cutting edge brain hacks that sound like they are straight out of science fiction. Is it possible to use technology to rapidly change the structure of your brain? How does your brain actually learn? What is neuroplasticity and why is it so important? What are the key things you can do in your life to improve your brain health, memory and performance? We discuss all of this, along with a truly innovative technology that may be the key to unlocking super performance and massively accelerating your learning with our guest Dr. Daniel Chao. Dr. Daniel Chao is a neurotech entrepreneur, specializing in devices that improve brain performance. He is the co-founder and CEO of Halo Neuroscience. The company’s first product, Halo Sport, is the first neurostimulation system built specifically for athletes. Before Halo, Dr. Chao was the head of business development at NeuroPace, and a consultant at McKinsey & Company.Your brain is a living computer chip that can create new circuits on demandYour brain is “plastic” The Nobel prize in the year 2000 went to the scientists who discovered neuroplasticity and the mechanisms behind itNeuroplasticity is the process by which the brain learnsWhat actually happens in the brain when you are learning a new skill?What happens to the brain and your neural connections when you learn a new skill?Focused, repetitive, deliberate practice starts to build thicker and thicker and faster and faster neural connections Repetition is the foundation of practice - you’re literally building physical connections in your brain that get stronger and stronger, the more you repeat that practice The first time you learn something it’s like hacking a path through the jungle with a machete, then it’s like hiking through tough brush, then it’s a dirt road, then it becomes a paved road, then ultimately a highway and a superhighway “Myleanation”- the cabling inside the brain The brain is a plastic organ and it adapts to your needs Repeated practice, learning, and thoughts literally change the physical structure of your brain The brain is literally built on the principle of “use it or lose it” - if you aren’t using your brain, those parts atrophy and shrink What are some strategies we can implement to optimize our brain and improve our brain health?Sleep is one of the most important and obvious strategies for optimizing and improving brain health. Your day is “unequal”- you have better executive function in the first part of the day. Prioritize the most difficult and most important work in the early part of the day because you will be at a cognitive peak. How can we take advantage of emerging brain science to “hack” the brain or “hack” learning? What if you put electrodes into your brain to stimulate learning and memory?Starting in our late teens, our ability to learn stats to decline - can we use cutting edge science to reverse that?If you use electrical stimulation on your brain - it opens up about an hour of “hyper plasticity”- a super learning window Slapping a “motor cortex neurostimulator” onto your brain - can be for any physical activity, playing violin, shooting a gun, playing video games, performing surgery etc What happens to the additional “lift” in learning you get from neurostimulation? How “durable” is that learning?The safety data for neurostimulation is incredibly robust- over 250,000 neurostimulation sessions its incredibly safe, there are over 4000 scientific articles about the safety of neurostimulation Homework: Sleep, exercise is GREAT for brain health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we welcome legendary researcher Dr Brené Brown to the Science of Success. We discuss vulnerability and learn that vulnerability is not weakness, it’s not oversharing, it’s not soft. We learn that even brave and courageous people are scared all the time. We discuss the incredible power of learning to get back up when you’re down, how you can stop caring about what other people think about you, and much more in this in depth interview. Dr Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work. She is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers: The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, and her latest book, Dare to Lead, which is the culmination of a seven-year study on courage and leadership. Brené’s TED talk – The Power of Vulnerability – is one of the top five most viewed TED talks in the world with over 35 million views. She is also the first researcher to have a filmed talk on Netflix, “The Call to Courage” which debuted in April 2019.Life is about the willingness to show up, to put yourself out there, to be all in, when you can’t control the outcome It’s not the critic who counts - it’s easy to spend your life in the cheap seats and hurl judgement at people who are trying and failing Our society doesn’t teach people how to get back up when the fall. Everyone spends their whole life tiptoeing around to ensure they never fall, but the more important skill is to build the skill of GETTING BACK UP. The importance of experiencing adversity. There’s a line between adversity and trauma, we need to experience. It’s not about being perfect at walking, it’s about LEARNING THE SKILL SET OF GETTING BACK UP AGAIN AND AGAINCourage is learnable, teachable, and measurable Courage is essentially the same thing as vulnerability. The Willingness to show up, put yourself out there, and be seen when you can’t control the outcome. Vulnerability, at its core, is about Uncertainty, Risk, and Emotional Exposure“There is no courage without vulnerability” Vulnerability is not as hard, scary, or dangerous as getting to the end of your life and asking “what if I would have shown up?"One of the most defining lessons of Brene’s seven-year study on leadership is the importance of courageous leadership. Even brave and courageous people are scared all the time. It’s not fear that gets in the way of us being brave or vulnerable, it’s armor. What is your go-to armor? How do you self protect when you feel emotionally at risk or exposed?How do you start to take off the armor? Loving kindness and self-compassion. When you work so hard to keep the peace on the outside, you wage a war internally. It’s not your job to make sure you don’t disappoint anyone.You can replace the armor with something that helps you - CURIOSITYGet curious about how you’re showing up, is it serving you? Are you self protecting in a way that’s keeping you small? Your brain thinks in stories - it builds and creates stories to explain the world around you - even if those stories are wrong.A lot of the time we create stories that don’t reflect reality in any way. Why you should start using “The story I'm telling myself…” or “The story I’m making up right now is…"Homework: Take the daring leader survey. Homework: Educate yourself. Watch her TED talk, her Netflix special, read her books. Creating a shared vocabulary is the root of change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss how to hack your brain to finally create the results you want in life. We take a hard look at what really drivers results and the reality that knowledge and skill aren’t what make you successful - the subconscious drives your behavior, that’s it. You don’t need any more tools to achieve your goals, you just need to change your beliefs and your subconscious set points for success, happiness, and achievement. Action is the ultimate arbiter of your success, are you taking enough of it, and how can you take more? We discuss all of this and much more with our guest John Assaraf. John Assaraf is an entrepreneur, brain researcher and the CEO of NeuroGym. He is the author of two New York Times best-selling books and his latest work is titled “Innercise: The New Science to Unlock Your Brain’s Hidden Power”. Throughout his career, he has worked some of the world's top minds and has shared his expertise with millions of viewers on Larry King Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and dozens of other media venues worldwide.Emotions are triggered in your subconscious, that then trigger neurochemicals, which cause feelings, which you either like the experience of or don’t like How do you deal with the subconscious fear of failure or disappointment? Emotions are just signals for what’s going on in your brain and in your body Instead of focusing on just on the emotion - focus on what’s CAUSING the emotion - use the emotion as a signal When you don’t understand what’s causing you to be afraid and stopping you from taking action - you will be a VICTIM of your emotions Our behaviors are an EFFECT - if you take action, that’s an effect, if you don’t take action, that’s an effect. Ask yourself - why am I taking (or not taking) the action I want to take?What does real science say that can help you really understand what’s going on?Results are nothing more than effects… but the effects of WHAT?What causes RESULTS in your life?Whenever we have an implicit subconscious belief that differs from a conscious explicit belief we have “neural chaos” and you will “rationalize why you can’t or shouldn’t do it” Not taking action is a behavior. So is taking action. What’s going on in my subconscious mind that is preventing me from taking action?If your values are in conflict with your beliefs - you won’t get the results you want.Knowledge doesn’t drive behavior. Skill doesn’t drive behavior. The subconscious drives behavior. That’s it. How do you embark on the deliberate conscious evolution of yourself?People often confuse GATHERING information with what it takes to impregnate that information into the subconscious You have to practice and exercise and build “neuro muscles” over and over again It takes hours and hours of practice, hundreds and hundreds of hours in many cases - to learn behavior or habit into the brain. The new era of personal development and the new science of success is about understanding brain circuitry and reprogramming it People often don’t need more TOOLS - the problem is that your beliefs and financial set points get stuck How John’s mindset principles created $100mm in 6 months at his real estate company Are you interested in achieving your goals or are you COMMITTED to them?Homework: Cognitive priming. Ask yourself - what do you want from every area of your life?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss improving your “mental nutrition.” Decades ago we realized that our society had started eroding our physical health, with desk jobs and fast food, and we became conscious of the need for fitness and nutrition. Now, we stand at the precipice of an even bigger struggle - we are healthier and happier than ever before and yet anxiety, suicide, and depression are on the rise. How do we improve our mental fitness and take action to challenge our irrationality, our impulsiveness, and our bad habits? Do you want to finally move past inaction, procrastination, and laziness? Do you want to feel happier about the world? Listen to this interview with our returning guest Mark Manson. Mark Manson is the New York Times and international bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and his new already bestselling book Everything Is Fucked. His blog, markmanson.net, attracts more than two million readers per month. He is also the CEO and founder of Infinity Squared Media LLCThe world today is so polarized, mental health issues are on the rise, and yet we are physically safer and healthier than ever before. The better things get, the more anxious humans become about losing them Our world is filled with “hope narratives” that help us hide from the reality that on a cosmic scale we are truly insignificant How do you deal with life if you achieve all your goals early on?What happens when your hope narrative dies? The only defense against our own cosmic insignificance is creating meaning for ourselves Our values and emotions aren’t tethered to our rational thoughts. The thinking brain vs the feeling brain. All the issues around purpose, discipline, control and importance are EMOTIONAL issues, not intellectual issues. The first step to create value and meaning in your life is to develop an action oriented bias. Humans are largely irrational creatures. Most of our actions are impulsive, selfish, and not well thought through, and our conscious mind spends a huge chunk of it’s time and energy coming up with reasons - rationalizations - to explain and justify what the unconscious mind wants to do. You probably think that all your actions are rational and justified - but have you ever really thought about and looked into the narratives and stories you use to explain away bad habits and behaviors in your life?Emotional intelligence is the core of understanding the dialogue between your conscious thoughts and your emotional reactions to your thoughts You must learn to barter with your feeling brain, keep lowering the stakes until your feeling brain is willing to get on board with what your thinking brain wants to do Why is our society, and why are people, so fragile today, and how can we toughen up?Technology today is designed and geared to take advantage and exploit our psychological flaws -what if we had technology that did the opposite, that corrected our cognitive biases? Information diet & mental nutrition - you must take responsibility for your own mental consumption habits, your own mental habits, you must read things that challenge you, consider that your ideas may be wrongHomework: Unfollow or unfriend at least half of the people you follow or friend, including news and media sources Homework: In terms of personal habits think about your goals in terms of thinking brain vs feeling brain - you must find a way to work with your emotions instead of against them. Strike a bargain with your feeling brain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss the truth about championship performance. Nobody becomes a champion by accident. We uncover the counter-intuitive reality that being a champion isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing less. We expose the reality that most people spend too much time planning and not enough time acting and share the specific habits and routines that you can use to model your behavior after champions with our guest Dana Cavalea. Dana Cavalea is a high-level performance coach, speaker, and author. He coaches Pro Athletes, Entrepreneurs, and Business Executives on lifestyle strategies to improve daily performance and outcomes. He is the former Director of Performance for the New York Yankees, whom he led to a World Series Championship in 2009. In his first book, Habits of a Champion, he shares his own secrets to becoming a champion.Nobody becomes a champion by accident.When you study high-level performers and world champions - what habits and abilities make them different from everybody else?Champions are extremely consistent and extremely persistent It takes a lot of work to become a champion - but there are commonalities What makes people champions - a deep focus on the simple fundamentals and the basics. It’s not about quick fixes, it’s not about “hacks” and short cuts - it's about really executing the basics and the fundamentals. Step one for champions - MASTERY OF MINDSETSelf-awareness is another cornerstone of championship performanceWhat is the mindset of a champion? What are the common mindsets of champions?How do we learn from and emulate and ultimately create a championship mindset for ourselves?What can Derek Jeter teach us about the psychology and mindset of champions?Baseball is a sport that is “built around failure” and what that can teach us about the psychology of performance?Reframe negative moments into positive momentsIt’s about training your mind to see things in a certain way Focusing on externals - focusing on others and what they are doing won’t get you to where you want to go Championship performance is not about doing more, it’s about doing LESSNo two people should have the same daily routine - we are all at different places in our journey, we have different strengths, different needs, etc How do you go about crafting your own daily routine?Dana recommends starting with your health as the basis of your daily routine The best place to begin changing your mindset is to start with the physical body - activating the body, hydrating the body, taking care of your body What is your vision for yourself? What are you trying to build? What are you trying to create?How important is consistency to world-class performance?You can’t be consistent at everything. You have to keep it simple. Keep it small. Keep it very focused. If you have too many things, you won’t be consistent. Identify what is interrupting your ability to be consistent. Identify things that are draining your energy away. Environments can impact your feeling - it’s important to create environments that enable you to focus on rest and recovery. Create a transition between work and home Homework: Ask yourself if you’re ready to take action and commit to what it is you say you want. Ask yourself - are you willing to do the work?Homework: Start with the basics - hydration and mindset. Built consistency slowly with small habits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how you’re wrong about what you think will make you happy. Research shows that the vast majority of people are terrible at predicting what will actually make them happy and even when you think you know what makes you happy, you’re often wrong. We break apart the core delusions that stop you from being happy, and we dig into a scientific analysis of the state of “enlightenment” to uncover that it’s not just something for Buddhist monks, but a measurable brain state that can achieved by anyone, anywhere with our guests Dr. Ash ElDifrawi and Dr. Alex Lickerman. Dr. Ash ElDifrawi is a thought leader in clinical, social, and consumer psychology. He's been featured in The Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg, the WSJ and much more. Dr. Alex Lickerman is the author of The Undefeated Mind and physician. He is the former assistant professor of medicine, director of primary care, and assistant vice president for Student Health and Counseling Services at the University of Chicago. His work has been featured in The New York Times, TIME, USA Today and much more!What you think you need to be happy is wrong Your current beliefs about how to achieve happiness are “delusions” Most of the things you think will make you happy are “delusional beliefs"Does happiness come from getting the things you want?What happens when you lose the things that you’ve anchored your happiness to?It’s like a stick of gum - you get a hit, but then the taste and flavor fade over timeThe science shows that this is a neurological phenomenon - we habituate to any attachment we have. We start to take things for granted. It’s delusional to think that getting something you want is going to make you a happier person. Because of our psychology and our neurology - you can get stuck on a hedonic treadmill and you always come back to your baseline level of happiness. The question for happiness began with empirical study of science, psychology and researchBuddhist philosophers have been observing the mind for 2500 years, in many ways they were some of the earliest psychologists There has been an explosion of research on happiness and yet unhappiness is increasing, too much of the current research is too superficial How can the belief that happiness is about the avoidance of pain lead to more pain, suffering and unhappiness?The Nine “Core Delusions” that prevent you from being happy Any attachment, by definition it’s ability to provide you joy is temporary. All external attachments are eventually lost. All attachments are temporary. Every attachment contains the seed of future suffering. How do you get ENDURING INDESTRUCTIBLE HAPPINESS? Instead of temporary happiness?Could enlightenment be a reproducible life experience? “The default mode network” - the self referential part of the brain How do you “pierce the veil of illusion of the self?"Enlightenment, the scientific brain state of transdencent joy, is something that can be achieved by anyone, anywhere. It’s not just for buddhist monks. How can we reach for the state of awe in our every day lives? How can we move towards enlightenment in our everyday lives? Homework: Become mindful to the degree to which these core delusions determine how happy you are. When something makes you unhappy, ask yourself what has happened that has made you unhappy, what core belief has this event stirred up in you that has made you unhappy?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the important difference between competence and confidence and look at the dangers of focusing too much on building up your self esteem. We explore the “gift of failure” and why, sometimes, it’s better to let children fail than to try and make them feel better. We learn why frustration is a vital and important piece of the learning process, why we must consider the inevitability of failure, and we uncover “one of the most powerful teaching tools” you can use to learn, grow, and improve with our guest Jessica Lahey. Jessica Lahey is a teacher, writer, and author. She is an expert contributor for The Atlantic and the New York Times, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed. She is also a member of the Amazon Studios Thought Leader Board.The trajectory of parenting today into “overparenting” is dangerous and worrisome Propping up kids self confidence and telling them how wonderful they are has done children a serious disservice Kids today are more anxious, less interested in taking risks, less interested in learning, and less interested in being brave. They don’t have any experience trying and screwing things up and learning how to do things better. There has been a big drop-off in interest in learning, motivation for learning, and self awareness - all because of the self esteem movementWhen the vision of them being super talented doesn’t match up with their reality - having struggles and problems, which are inevitable - the disconnect creates serious problems for kids and erodes their trust in their parents. Kids become confused. At an early age - turn it around and ask your kids “What do YOU think?” Instead of just telling them they are brilliant. Help them build an internal compass for quality. To succeed - kids must be able to take feedback.It never gets easy to withhold praise from your kids and give them real feedback - but it’s vitally important. Emphasize the PROCESS over the END PRODUCT in what you praise 90% of kids feel like we love them more when they bring home high grades. The dangers of “outcome love” or “performance love” and why its highly destructive to kids on an emotional levelWhen your kids fail - that’s not the end point, that's the starting point for learning. Are you a parent listening to this who says “but I really do care about results, I care about grades” not this other BS - what should you do?How can we redesign our schools and learning system to focus on mastery instead of cramming and playing games?Kids feel like they can’t take to their parents when their parents become super fixated on grades. Focus on the long term - how do you want to shape your kids in the future? Not just this one particular grade or issue. Be an “autonomy supportive parent” and focus on preparing your kids to handle this particular challenge or problem NEXT TIME not just this immediate moment or problemWhy frustration is a vital and important piece of the learning process. Support your kids frustration and let them learn to direct themselves. What is “desirable difficulty?” And why is it “one of the most powerful teaching tools” we have?Kids who can’t be frustrated fall apart whenever they face difficulty. The way to overcome learned helplessness is to give your children autonomy and control. The reality is that failure is inevitable - and it's very dangerous to make our kids brittle in the face of a difficult and challenging world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how you can get smarter in a complex and complicated world. How do you deal with confusing and difficult situations? How do you work through some of your life’s most complex problems? In a world of accelerating change, how do you accelerate the quest for wisdom and creativity? We share simple, powerful, solutions you can use to handle complexity in this interview with our guests David Komlos and David Benjamin.David Komlos and David Benjamin - they are the CEO and CTO respectively of the company Syntegrity. Mr. Komlos is an expert coach for leaders on solving their issues. He advises top leaders and enterprises on how to dramatically accelerate solutions and execution on their defining challenges. Mr. Benjamin leads Syntegrity’s lab and client delivery organization. He has been recognized internationally for his work on global strategic planning with top executives in Fortune 500 companies.What is complexity? Why is it so important to be able to handle complexity in today’s world?How is complex different than complicated? Experts can help solve complicated challenges, but not necessarily complex challenges Complex challenges are multi-dimensional and human.What are some basic mental models for sorting complex challenges vs complicated challenges?Ask yourself:Has this been solved before? And how was it solved? Would this problem have been the same 5 years ago or 5 years from now?Complex challenges don’t have a recipe or a discreet playbook to be solvedPlanning a wedding is complicated, having a happy marriage is complex Building a fence is complicated, being a good neighbor is complex The Law of Requisite Variety / Ashby’s Law "Only variety can destroy variety"You can only solve complex challenges by bringing an equal amount of variety to a challenge When we are facing tough complex challenges - we need a variety of experience and expertise “A Lion In Your Office"Often a BIG chunk of the challenge is just SEEING the problem in its entirety An ounce of information is worth a pound of data. An ounce of knowledge is worth a pound of information. An ounce of understanding is worth a pound of knowledge. An ounce of wisdom is worth a pound of understanding. Shared understanding is essential - but we often rush to action before we get there We need FAST Wisdom and CREATIVE Judgement to solve our biggest challenges in today’s world - but wisdom takes a lifetime How do you accelerate the quest for wisdom and solve the world’s toughest and most complex challenges?Complexity is the defining challenge we face in todays’ worldHow do you engineer Fast Wisdom?The framework you can use to engineer “fast wisdom” and solve tough, complex challenges N*N-1 Mental Model and how to create “collaborative collisions” The ideal number of a group of people to work in a group is 5-8 people - you can have very creative and effective collisions How you can create groups to crunch through tough, complex challenges - by using this specific formulaObserversCriticsMembersHow do you ask good questions when looking to solve tough challenges?Homework: Think about a dinner party. What question will guide the conversation in the right way? Who would you invite to create variety?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how you create your own reality. We explore the idea that your life experiences are not random or arbitrary, but rather a direct result of your subconscious beliefs. When the conscious and the subconscious conflict, the sub-conscious wins and you’ll never get over your past until you realize how you use it to justify yourself. We dig into the powerful revelation that life only ever changes in the paradigm of action. You must do something differently than what you’ve done before in order to change. All of this and much more with our guest Gary John Bishop. Gary John Bishop is a personal development expert and is the author of the bestselling book Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life and the soon to be released Stop Doing That Sh*t: End Self-Sabotage and Demand Your Life Back. His approach blends a unique in-your-face approach with high-level training and development practices. Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland Gary’s work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Vice, Business Insider, and much more!You’re responsible for the creation of your life. You have to accept it, embrace it, be aware of it, and know it. In the living of your life - you will have to live the decisions and conclusions that you’ve made, whether you’re conscious of it or not As a human being, its incumbent upon you to go beyond yourself, expand your awareness, and live life being fully Just because you’re aware of a problematic belief or behavior -doesn’t mean you will stop doing it Why do people attend tons of personal development seminars, read books etc but then never actually change?Your life experiences are not random or arbitrary, they are defined by an invisible set of rules that you believe to be true - but the reality you experience may not be the same reality that other people experience - the same rules that others experience. You currently existing in a “Default” way of living your life - but there are infinite alternatives to being alive and living your life Freedom for a human being is defined as the actions you take, in relation to your default mode of being You have to actually take action, you have to actually DO something with it. Reading a book is nice, but if you don’t do anything with it, what’s the difference in having read it or not?Life ONLY EVER CHANGES in the PARADIGM OF ACTION. You must DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY than what YOU’VE DONE BEFORE. You don’t have to feel differently to do differently, you just have to DO differently.Some of the greatest breakthroughs of science and engineering where discovered by accident.You have to go into the unknown and work your way through it to achieve anythingIf you’ve had success, you try to preserve and maintain certainty, you lose the very strategy that made you successful (plunging into uncertainty) If you’re not as hardcore as Gary John Bishop - how do you start taking action? Start with small actions - and small steps to build momentum and credibility with yourselfIs your life about revealing the future you want or perpetuating the past? Whatever you don’t forgive lives on with you. That includes forgiving yourself and forgiving others. Withholding forgiveness perpetuates what happens, and you end up being left with the resentment. You’ll never get over your past until you realize how you use it to justify yourself.Homework: Look around in your life, look at something you’ve been tolerating, putting off, ignoring or pretending about - pick one item you’ve been tolerating and go handle it TODAY. Take that item, step into action, and go handle it TODAY, regardless of how you feel about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the the male and female brains. Are they different? If so, what are the differences and do they matter? We look at the science behind all of this and unlock key insights into how you can improve your health, happiness, and relationships with by using a few simple strategies with our guest Dr. Louann Brizendine.Dr. Louann Brizendine is the Founder of The Women's Mood and Hormone Clinic and a neuropsychiatrist at UCSF. She is the author of the New York Times best-selling books, "The Female Brain" and "The Male Brain"  and executive producer of the 2017 movie, The Female Brain. She has served as faculty at both Harvard and UCSF and her work has been featured in The Harvard Business Review, The Guardian, and much more!How do we use science of a decision-making framework?Should we stop using science to shape our decisions because it gets things wrong?Why do scientists and experts often hedge their bets when citing evidence and research?Can we believe Science? Is science useful or not?Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater - science and give us really actionable and useful information starting today The process and the progress of science is constantly questioning and constantly testing your assumptions - this is how you move towards the best answers and objective truthThe male and female brain are more alike than they are different, but they do have differences Starting as early as eight weeks of fetal life, the male’s tiny testicles start to pump out testosterone that shape substantial changes in the male’s brain vs the female’s brainThe biology is straightforward - males and females have different brainsThe major differences in the male and female brain have to do with reproduction Puberty impacts males and females differently, and shapes their brains and behaviors in a number of ways From age 11 to age 15 - a man's testosterone levels spike by 25x How much of our gender roles are a result of culture, parenting, and biology?“Relationship play” vs “rough and tumble play” for young boys and girls Is the debate on nature vs nurture dead?These behavioral patterns and traits are like a standard distribution that mostly overlap, but do have differences Does this research about the human brain reinforce gender stereotypes and biases?What is ‘daddy brain’ and how does it affect men?Testosterone decreases by 30% for about 6 monthsThis triggers the male brain to be more protective and more nurturing You can hear infants cry from much further awayVideo games impact the male brain by tapping into your search for mastery and flowHow do we shape or change our behavior as a result of our different brains?Other people are different from you - they think differently! Why offering people advice or solutions instead of validating their feelings can often be the wrong strategy If you’re missing the emotional component when to try to influence people, you’re missing a key piece Homework: For men - say “Honey, I know how you feel” and then pause Homework: For women - Men’s testosterone levels are 10x more than yours, that means your partner is (if you’re the same age) 3x more sexually interested than you are  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you ever desperately wanted something, and then as soon as you get it, or as soon as you achieve it, you seemingly toss it aside and move on to the next new thing? In this episode we explore the powerful brain science behind why this happens. We look at dopamine, how it shapes your behavior, why it causes you to desire certain things and motivates you to achieve new things, but also why it can be dangerous if it becomes too imbalanced. We share strategies for enhancing and harmonizing with your brains “dopamine circuitry” and much more in this interview with Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman. Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman is a professor at George Washington University. He has published over 50 scientific reports on behavioral science and provided insight on psychiatric issues for the U.S. Government. He is also co-author of the best-selling book Molecule of More, which discusses the effect dopamine has on the human desire and the human brainThe simple concept of “up versus down” and how it cascades through the way we all live and interact in the world The “paripersonal” space - everything within arms reach - things that you own, possess, and control. When you look “down” into the paripersonal space - you experience these things in “the here and now"When you look “up” you look into the “extra personal space” - beyond yourself - things beyond the here and now that require effort, planning, and motivation to get, acquire, or achieveThe idea of dopamine as the “reward molecule” is WRONGDopamine is not the molecule of reward, but rather the molecule of DESIRE and MOTIVATION People who are dopaminergic might have addictive personalities - excessively eating, gaming, watching porn, etc. A brain on dopamine is like a high performance sports car - it can produce spectacular results, but it breaks down easily What is a dopaminergic brain? A brain with a highly active dopamine system. How does dopamine impact our love circuitry and our experience of love?All dopamine derived pleasures DON'T LAST - as soon as what we desire in the future becomes what we have in the present, dopamine shuts down - and achieving it becomes a let downIf you’re spending most of your time in the dopamine circuitry - you’re ALWAYS focused on WHATS NEXTUnderstanding the brain is the most important thing we can do Highly dopaminergic people like ideas, concepts, and tools - not emotionsEmotional intelligence is the perfect counterbalance to being highly dopaminergicA more advanced strategy to spend more time in the here and now would be mindfulness meditationMeditation is all about clearing your thoughts of future clutter and focusing like a laser on the here and now. Meditation strengthens the circuitry in the brain responsible for processing the here and now. When those circuits are strong it becomes easier to shift into them.Homework: If you are dopaminergic - spend more time focused on the fine arts - fine arts are a great way to see the synthesis between dopamine circuitry and the here and now circuitry.Bonus Homework: Take up a hobby that involves the creation of something. Painting, cooking, playing an instrument, woodworking. These hobbies have fallen out of favor in our modern world. If you want to get the most out of your brain - you have to appreciate its structure, which has been built up for millions of years of evolution. Find ways to do things with your hands. Tinkering, making things. When you’re engaged in a sport or physical activity you’re also harmonizing the here and now (moving your body) + using dopamine to develop strategies to score points and defeat your opponents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss trauma and how it is stored in the body. What causes trauma and what does it do to your body? We explore whether the rational, thinking mind can deal with trauma and look at some of the ways you can deal with traumatic experiences in your life. What are the best strategies for feeling safe, feeling calm, and feeling in control of your own body? How do you release trauma from your body and feel safe? We discuss all of this and much more with our guest Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk.Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk is a Boston-based psychiatrist and The New York Times best-selling author of The Body Keeps the Score. He was previously the President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Medical School, and Medical Director of the Trauma Center. He has taught at universities around the world and his work has been featured in TIME, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and more!What is Trauma? How do we define and understand trauma in today’s society?It makes you want to forget, it makes you want to push it away, it makes you want to erase it. Trauma is something that is so horrendous that you can’t cope with it, it’s too much to deal with Trauma renders you helpless and makes you feel like there is no way out Helplessness is an absolute precondition for a traumatic experience Our society continuously ignores how trauma is formed and created - pushing it under the rug and hiding from itTrauma is not a story - trauma is not a memory about the past. Trauma changes the brain. Trauma sits within you and within your body. People experiencing trauma keep behaving and reacting as if they were stuck in that experience When we are traumatized - the brain often cannot process it and the body “stores it” - the body gets stuck in a state of hyper alertness, the mind gets stuck in a state of hyper-alertness The perceptual situation in the brain becomes rewired to be on “high alert"Your body, your mind, your entire system gets frozen or stuck in “fight or flight” mode When you’re traumatized, it’s very hard to learn or integrate new experiences - thats what makes treating trauma  so difficult Trauma is not typically rationally processed, it goes into the irrational part of the brain and your body gets locked into a place of constantly reacting as if you’re in a sense of danger One of the most tragic results of trauma is people try to shut the feeling down and end up shutting down their ability to feel - or they turn to drugs, alcohol, and pharmaceuticals Studies show that yoga is more effective than any drug that has been studied for solving trauma There is promising research around psychotropics (psylocbin and MDMA) for trauma reliefNeurofeedback is another promising solution for trauma Self regulation - learning to control your own physiology using ancient Chinese and Indian methods - research is starting to show these solutions help as mind body interventions to solve trauma in the body Exposure treatment misunderstands how to treat real trauma It’s not the memory its that your brain/body - entire system - is locked in a state of being “high alert” - and that these mind body interventions are some of the best ways to help people feel “Safe” inside their own bodies Once your body feels safe, you can allow yourself to slowly go to experiences from the past that caused the body to be put into a traumatic state Homework: Take care of your body. Develop a loving relationship to taking care of your body. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss emotions at work. Do they have a place? What can you do about them? We look at why you should be less passionate about your job, we explore the science behind actually being motivated at work and prevent yourself from being burnt out, and we share a powerfully simple emotion management checklist you can start using right now with our guests Molly West Duffy and Liz Fosslien. Liz Fosslien and Molly West Duffy are the co-authors of No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotion at Work. Liz has run workshops for leaders at organizations such as Google, Facebook, Nike, and Stanford on how to create inclusive cultures. Her writing has appeared in CNN, The Economist, The Financial Times, and NPR. Molly is an Organizational Designer at global innovation firm IDEO. Her writing has been featured in Fast Company, Quartz, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Entrepreneur, Quiet Rev, and other digital outlets, and she’s taught design courses at Stanford.Why you should be LESS passionate about your jobCaring too much about your job can actually be bad for your healthHow do we “take a chill pill” and distance ourselves from our work?The Power of Rest and Recovery and the diminishing returns of over workingCarve out time to think, carve out time to be alone, make time for friends and family What do people get wrong about motivating and inspiring themselves?Your emotions can create and sustain your motivationsWhat are the things that kill motivation?How to take back control of your work and deal with a tough or micro managing boss The “progress principle” - small incremental progress of small wins can snowball How do you build motivation at work? (And stop the things that kill your motivation) It’s biologically impossible to stop feeling emotion. You cannot make decisions without emotion. Is it possible that envy can be a productive emotion? Can envy help you make better decisionsCan anger and anxiety be productive tools to helping you achieve your goals?We walk through a great emotional management checklist that you can start to use right away to improve your decision making Discover your decision-making tendency - satisfiers and maximizers - what are the differences and why is that important?Run your thinking by another person - verbalizing them out loud forces you to synthesize information and identify biases in your thinking How do you create psychological safety? One easy strategy is to positively reinforce someone taking one of these risks. Use “generative language” to keep ideas flowing and open The concept of “task conflict” - we like each other, but we clash with each other over the CONTENT of our work Write your own “User Manual” or “How To Work With Me Guide” to give to your boss, coworkers, etc Your feelings aren’t factsWe often react and interact with each other based on assumptions that we never both to explore or look into at all The words we say are not always what we mean The 3 things to do if you have an issue with someoneLabel your feelingsUnderstand where those feelings are coming fromFeel calm enough to have a conversation about your emotions without getting emotional An in person request is more than thirty times more likely to be a yes than an emailed one What are some best practices for digital communication?Homework: Sit down and write down everything you’re feeling to develop your emotional granularity and self awareness. Take the time to reflect and think about what you’re feeling. Then identify the NEED behind those feelings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we share how to “get over yourself” and stop taking things so seriously, we discuss the important relationship between confusion and clarity, and we explore the art of letting go of the need for safety, security and control in your everyday life so that you can relax into who you’ve always been with our guest Dr. Mark Epstein. Dr. Mark Epstein is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City and the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy, including his most recent books The Trauma of Everyday Life and Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself. He is currently Clinical Assistant Professor in the Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis at New York University and his work has been featured in Psychology Today, The New York TImes, and more!How do we move from addiction/anxiety/depression/worry to love/relief/understanding?What’s the prescription for solving anxiety and worry?The prescriptions from the ancient texts of buddhism are still highly relevant in solving many of today’s problems with the human condition Realizing that the mind is trainable is the beginning of your journey towards relief and understanding The untrained mind is a wild thing - one of the challenges of adulthood is to get a handle on your own mindHow do we start to be honest with ourselves and confront our own mental addictions and negative thoughts?Anything that promotes self reflection is the way to begin confronting your thoughtsYou don’t have to overcome your fears - you just have to be willing to examine them The hardest thing is often just being willing to take the first step You can’t force someone into meditation - someone has to reach a critical point of personal suffering and to make their own decisionHow his father’s battle with brain cancer transformed Dr. Epstein’s relationship with helping othersHow do you handle your own mind when facing death or dying?“The craft of meditation” - the practice and technique of what to do and how to meditate - is only one part of the puzzle The “art of meditation” - beyond just the physical technique - is a rich field of exploration Ancient buddhist texts offer some deep insights into modern psychotherapy - but the language of ancient Buddhism is couched in the understanding of thousands of years ago and needs some interpretationWhy people “expect too much from meditation” and what that means In the west especially - we want the science to “do it for us” - but we have to do it ourselves There’s an important relationship between confusion and clarity The clarity that one seeks only comes from sitting and staring at your confusion The fundamental power of meditation and mindfulness comes from really staring and facing the difficult Creating a "therapeutic split in the ego"It’s possible to be both the observer and that which is being observed in your own stream of consciousness The ego - as we think about it in western society is all about self preservation and self control - it’s looking for safety, security, and control We can’t jump right into enlightenment - it's about the JOURNEY and the everyday work, practice, and moments of honest reckoning with ourselves  How to create humility and graciousness in your life Homework: Read a book, or go to an art museum. Go outside, close the door, stand there and listen. Trust yourself.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this interview we discuss how to create an “external brain” that lets you keep track of your tasks, projects, ideas and inspirations - while freeing your conscious mind for the most productive and focused thinking - we explore how you can connect the external world of meetings and events with your internal world of ideas and thoughts in a uniquely powerful way, and we demonstrate how you can save up to 144 hours a year using a few simple techniques with our guest Charles Byrd. Charles Byrd is a productivity and organizational expert and the founder of Byrd Word. He’s known as the world’s foremost Evernote guru.  As a productivity expert, Charles coaches CEOs and entrepreneurs how to "Kill the Chaos" of information overload.  Evernote is a “trusted system” you can apply to your life, profession, business etc. Creating an “external brain” to keep track of your tasks, projects, ideas, inspirationThe powerful merger of collecting things from your internal worlds and external world and connecting them Your “5 second superpower” - find whatever you want or need in 5 seconds or less Do you use Evernote for one “specific thing” instead of everything? How you can find key information you need in high pressure and difficult situations How you can cut down on task switching How you can be more focused and creative by taking processing load out of your conscious mind How to tag things in Evernote for instant and easy recallWho, What, Where Why How to hack Siri shortcuts to amp the power of Evernote to the next levelThe “Power Trifecta” - a combination of tools, work flows, and habits to create the most optimized routines possible Simple tactics you can use to start adding things to Evernote right away “Do I need it, do I dig it?"How to begin with Evernote if you’ve always wanted to, but aren’t sure where to startHow you can save 3 hours a week using Evernote - that’s 144 hours a year - 18 working days of reclaimed timeCreate a Siri shortcut for master list and marketing idea notesHow you can feel like a rock star who can do anything How to hack meetings to be more productive Click the “Task” Checkbox on any action items you have within a meeting or conversationWrite a 1-2 sentence summary of the meeting and any key action items Evernote is the “cornerstone” of productive sanity Evernote is the foundation of being productive in the modern day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to boost your energy, focus, and happiness in 5 minutes or less using a dead simple strategy anyone can apply right away. We explore the power of self knowledge and why it’s one of the cornerstones of success in any area of life, and we uncover several powerfully uncomfortable questions we can ask ourselves to be happier, healthier and more productive with our guest Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen Rubin is the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, and The Four Tendencies and her latest book is Outer Order Inner Calm. She’s appeared on TV outlets such as the Today show, Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday Morning, and more. She’s also appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and many more!I finally cleaned out my fridge and now I know I can switch careers.When we get control of the stuff of our lives we often see big results.American adults spend 55 minutes a day looking for misplaced items. Focusing on order can yield huge benefits VERY QUICKLY with simple focus. The “one-minute rule” - if you can do it in less than a minute, do it without delay.How to keep the scum of clutter on the surface of life go away.It’s much easier to keep up than to catch up.Figure out WHAT YOU NEED to do your best work and then GET IT - create the environment in which you can thrive.There isn’t ONE BEST WAY to set up your environment to thrive. Self knowledge is the most powerful and fundamental kind of knowledge you can create. One of the great challenges of our lives is really trying to grapple with - what is the truth about ME?Ask yourself uncomfortable questions. Whom do you envy?It’s a very revealing thing. It shows you that they have something that you wish for yourself.Whose job or life gives you a TON of envy? There’s information there about what you want to do. Most useful things involve discomfort - especially when it comes to self knowledge. When trying to decide - should I ask this of myself or not? Choose the BIGGER LIFE - what to YOU will create a BIGGER life? Sometimes it’s worth the insecurity and frustration and anxiety if you’re pursuing what - to you- represents a bigger life. Is it worth the time? The bandwidth? All reality is one interconnected mess.That’s why it’s so important to have a multi-disciplinary perspective.There’s a HUGE difference between “I’m right” and “This is what’s true for me."In a fight over dirty dishes at the office - that’s the tip of a giant iceberg of psychology that shapes hundreds of complex and nuanced interactions. There are so many ways to achieve your goals, experiment and try different methods.Homework: How do you decide what to get rid of? Do you need it, do you use it, do you love it? Don’t get organized, get rid of things first. Homework: The one minute rule - anything you can do in under a minute, do it without delay. It’s not so much WHAT should you do, but rather how can you get yourself to STICK to what you want to do? Experimentation is crucial. Homework: Ask yourself - how have you succeeded in the past? Ask yourself what you learned from that and model that behavior.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss why it’s so important to study and understand psychology if you want to master any aspect of life. We look at evolutionary science behind how your brain can often play tricks on you. We share a simple and impactful model from psychology for dealing with stressful and tough situations, and we discuss the dangerous illusion of the “quest for certainty” and how you should actively embrace taking risks in your life with our guest Dr. Daniel Crosby. Dr. Daniel Crosby is a psychologist and behavioral finance expert who helps organizations understand the intersection of mind and markets. His most recent book, The Behavioral Investor, provides an expert look at the useful mix of psychology and investment science. His work has appeared in the Huffington Post and Risk Management Magazine, as well as his monthly columns for WealthManagement.com and Investment News.In order to understand how the financial and capital markets work - we have to understand human behavior.Since almost everything we do is largely a function of interacting with humans - in order to understand life, business, the world - we have to understand human behavior and the human mindEvidence based growth is a powerful niche - because the leadership and personal development space is full of voodoo, bad thinking, and wrong common sense The evidence based approach is harder but ultimately much more fulfilling and impactfulThings that have served us well from an evolutionary perspective often serve us poorly in the modern world and the financial markets The human brain hasn’t been upgraded in over 200,000 years. Your 200,000 year old brain is trying to cope with systems that are tens if not hundreds of years old - this leads to a number of problems and issues. We are wired to act - we feel a burning need to take action and do something - and yet often times the best investment strategy is to do nothing The best performing investors are people who either died or forgot about their trading account! “Success begets failure.” As you win, you become more convinced of your skill, and you start to make worse and worse decisions,  becoming sloppy and undisciplined You must be a rules based, systematic investor when it comes to decision-making. There is a very real, physical side, of dealing with stressful and difficult situationsBefore you do any interventions to prevent anxiety - you can get a HUGE amount of mileage out of taking basic care of your body - sleeping better, drinking less caffeine, getting in some moderate exercise.We are more than what happens to us - at any time we can change our RESPONSE to any stimulus.There is NO substitute for TAKING RISK, DOING HARD THINGS and SINKING AND SWIMMING ON YOUR OWN MERITS. In our best efforts to protect ourselves from harm we bring about the very thing we are trying to avoid. You aren’t really protecting yourself - you’re bringing about the absolute realization of what you’re really scared of. The quest for certainty is very dangerous. There is uncertainty. It’s part of the game. The alternative of embracing uncertainty is to always settle for the lowest common denominator.The “backfire effect” - often times when presented with data and evidence that disagrees with people’s world view, people often become MORE committed to their idea or belief than they were before. Meet people who don’t share your beliefs and try to understand why they hold the beliefs that they do. Homework: Go somewhere that makes you uncomfortable.Homework: Seek first to get your own house in order. Take a hard look at yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we ask - how do you make decisions that let you see beyond your every day inbox, busy work, and demands of others? We uncover that there are huge mismatches between how you think you spend your time and how you actually spend it. We share you can deal with the fear, and the reality, of disappointing other people and not meeting their expectations and we share one simple strategy - in 30 minutes - that can help you reclaim control of your time with our guest Laura Vanderkam.  Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books. Her TED talk titled “How To Gain Control of Your Free Time” has been viewed over 5 million times and she is the co-host of the podcast Best of Both Worlds. Her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune.While people are happy to get information, they remember it much better when its in the form of storiesYou should make time in your life for what’s important. Time is a choice, you’re ALWAYS choosing how you spend your time. You HAVE to choose how to spend your time, whether you want to or notWhat people often miss, especially when you try to be everything to everyone,  there are tradeoffs and opportunity costs to EVERYTHING - even if you don’t see it Saying yes to something is, by definition, saying no to something else. Every choice to do one thing is is, by definition, a choice to NOT do something else. Have you ever binged an entire book or TV series in a short amount of time? That’s proof that you have more time than you think, you’re just not spending it how you necessarily want to. How do you make decisions that let you see beyond your every day inbox, busy work, and demands of others?Envision your ideal future, and start to bring those things into your life. Your priorities should inform your scheduling choices. It’s that simple. And yet so few people do it. You must consciously choose to invest time in the things that matter to you. If you don’t your time will be TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU, by someone else’s priorities. It’s not a priority just because someone else thinks is it important or because society at large thinks it’s important. This doesn’t have to be huge chunks of time, even an hour or two a week can be transformational.Challenge yourself to find 30 mins a day, or 3.5hrs a week - of extra time per week. Anyone can achieve this. This can apply to both your PERSONAL life and to your professional life - too often we neglect one or the other or think time management only Is the bigger challenge to figure out your own priorities or just to make time for them?What questions or activities can you do to figure out what’s most important to you and where you SHOULD spend your time?How do you deal with the fear, and the reality, of disappointing other people and not meeting their expectations?What were you thinking about on today’s date, two years ago?Likewise, whatever is keeping you up now probably won’t matter in two yearsTrying to manage your time without measuring it is like losing weight without paying attention to your diet and exercise habits. There are HUGE mismatches between how you THINK you spend your time, and how you actually spend it. By doing a time audit you start to realize huge opportunities in your schedule and where you are spending your time.Often times the small chunks of time here and there start to add up - and don’t register on how you’re spending your time. Homework: Time tracking is the best starting point. Write down what you’ve done over the previous 24 hours. Try that out for a week.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how you can understand the world with powerful clarity. What makes other people behave in certain ways? What are the most important concepts and ideas in the business world? Do you often feel like you’re looking for a magic bullet or paint-by-numbers approach to solving your problems? The solution to all of these questions lies in the powerful framework that we explain in-depth and show you how to apply with our guest Josh Kaufman. Why Mental Models are so important and one of the best thinking frameworks you can use to organize information and understand the world.Mental models are universal, important, and flexible concepts that describe how the world works in some key way Mental models - for me - come from a fundamental place of curiosity - I'm obsessed with understanding HOW and WHY things work - businesses, humans, success etc - and I find mental models to be a very helpful tool for organizing the reasons that things happen in the world Mental models are cognitive tools to approach any situation and understand it better How does the world work? What makes other people behave in certain ways?What are the most important concepts and ideas in the business world?Mental models are one of the defining factors that separate ultra achievers from people who plateau in their lives and careersMental models are powerful and systematically underrated and studying mental models is one of, if not the most, high leverage activities you can do with your time We often fall prey to having too narrow of a focus and ignore the bigger picture, we often under-value versatility and a broader persecutive - which mental models give you. What are the most useful mental models to start with? What mental models does Josh frequently apply over and over again?How do you start with mental models? How do you begin to implement them into your life?What do people often get wrong about the 10,000 hour rule? Have you ever said “I would really like to learn how to do something new” but felt like you didn’t have the time?The “Law of Practice” - the early hours of practice at a skill lead to an extremely rapid improvement and development in skills What’s the method or framework for rapidly learning any skill in 20 hours or less?Adult learners often struggle when they compare their skill level with that of other people. Your job is not to compare yourself with others - it's to compare yourself AFTER the 20 hour framework to yourself BEFORE the 20 hour framework. How to fight a hydra is a story of - Ambition, Uncertainty, Risk, Fear of the Unknown How do you deal with the difficulties and self doubts of whether or not you are doing the right thing?Where do most people go wrong with their approach to uncertainty and fear of the unknown?Most people wish uncertainty would go away - they think that if the uncertainty is still there that they are doing something wrong and that they need to change course - but it’s the opposite - you have to be willing to tolerate, accept, and live with uncertainty.Homework: Do some research on mental models and do some reading and learning around mental models. Start filling your mental model toolbox. A practical way to do this - choose to read or listen to something that is dramatically outside your area of expertise. Broaden your intellectual landscape as much as you can. Homework: If you were going to invest 20 hours into learning how to do something that is either personally fulfilling or very helpful for work - if you invested 30 to 40 mins per day for a month - what skill would you focus on first and why? Is that skill really worth committing 20 hours of practice? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to find your purpose in life, especially when you’re lost or confused about what to do next. We hear some incredible stories and unforgettable lessons from people who are fighting through life threatening illnesses, and look at how to really push yourself beyond what you thought was possible to achieve what truly matters to you, all of this and much more with our guest Jon Vroman.  Jon Vroman is the co-founder of The Front Row Foundation, a charity that creates unforgettable moments for individuals who are braving life-threatening illnesses. Jon teaches others to “Live Life In The Front Row” through teaching and inspiring others with the Art of Moment Making. He is also an award-winning speaker, podcast host, and multi best-selling author.Learning about living life, from people who are fighting for their livesWhen you are facing down death - things become super clear. A lot of things that we used to worry about seem to fade into the backgroundWhy one woman was happy that people looked at her with disgust when she was going through her chemo treatmentYour life is going to end. The ride is going to come to an end. How does that shape and change your thinking?How do you face the reality of existence, and mortality, with a sense of vibrancy and positive urgency instead of anxiety and fear of death?If we ask powerful questions, we get powerful answers. Questions shape our lives.If we get ask the wrong questions, we get the wrong answers. You have to manage your mindset. You have to create a positive environment and you have to surround yourself with powerful positive relationships How do we foster powerful relationships Action Item: Write down the 8 most important people in your life, then write down that their #1 goal or dream. Do you know it? How can you help THEM achieve it. Hope can powerfully shape your behavior Hope is uniting, hope is collaborative, hope brings things to life When life throws you curve balls, when you get punched in the face - hope brings you through - it creates the power of possibilities Ask yourself and others “what dreams are making you come alive right now?” If this year was wildly successful for you how would it change your life? How do you fuel yourself? Why do you want to do what you do?The power of telling yourself “If you can’t, you must"When your why has heart, your how gets legs. When the why really matters, you will always find a How. You don’t have to know how, you can figure the how out if you have a strong enough why. How to create real purpose, real fuel in your life - to really push yourself beyond what you thought was possible to achieve what truly matters to youBeing a parent vs being a business person - where does your identity sit? How does shame show up in your life? The ego, the false self, and the true selfBeing a better parent isn’t about learning to say specific things to your kids, it’s not about practical and logical action steps and items - it’s about awakening and developing yourselfHomework: write out the list of your top 8 relationships and write out their dreams, do something once a month to support their dreams. And follow up. And do it right now. Do it with no expectation of anything in return.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we ask how champions are made. Are they born or are they built? Is nature vs nurture even a useful model for understanding human performance? We look at the incredible power of focus and how it translates into championship performance, we study how Navy Seals use the technique of “drown proofing” and how you can use the same thing to conquer your own fear and perform like a champion. All of this and much more with our guest Dr. Rowan Hooper. Dr. Rowan Hooper is managing editor of New Scientist magazine, where he has spent more than ten years writing about all aspects of science. He is also the author of the bestselling book Superhuman: Life at the Extremes of Our Capacity. He worked as a biologist and reporter in Japan and two collections of his long-running column for the Japan Times have been published in Japan. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The Guardian, Wired, and The Washington Post.Are champions and high performers born or are they made?How does expertise, traits, and personality develop over time? To be the best in the world at something, no matter what the rest of us may desire, you probably have a genetic leg up to help you achieve absolute greatness Even if you don’t win the genetic lottery, you can make huge strides and get a very long way with practice - it’s an essential component of achievement It’s not as simple as having a gene that simply makes you a better singer or better runner - it’s a mix or combination of dozens, if not hundreds, of genes - and whether those genes are expressed, via epigenetics Does nature vs nurture make sense? Is that still a useful model for understanding performance?For many complex traits, for example intelligence, around 50% of the variance in that trait is typically linked to genetics For memory - its one of the traits where you can substantially increase your memory without any real genetic help. What you can learn from the world record for sailing around the world solo The incredible power of focus - and how Ellen MacArthur organized her entire life towards setting an epic world record What does the science say about how we can become more focused?Massive meta analysis studies of meditation show that over time your brain structure changes and your cognitive ability improves What does “the science of bravery” say?What do scientists say about how we can increase bravery in ourselves? What Navy Seals training and “drown proofing” can teach us about conquering fear and being more brave What does it mean when “the training kicks in” in a moment of crisis?Exposure therapy - and why it’s so important to helping conquer fear Courage is moving slowly towards what you’re naturally inclined to fear The power of lucid dreaming - controlling your dreams to improve your performanceHow do we think about performance and achievement in our lives, in the context of this science?Think about WHY you are doing what you are doing. Is it really what you love doing? Why do you want to achieve that goal or improve that aspect of yourself?Cross train, and don’t specialize too early. Try different things until you find the one that just suits you perfectlyHomework: Practice whatever it is you’ve decided you want to improve yourself in, practice in a directed and deliberate way, check the science behind what you’re doing  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when a prominent neuroscientist finds out there is something wrong with his own brain? In this episode we explore the shocking discovery that our guest made when he realized, after years of studying the brains of psychopaths, that he had the exact same brain structure. We unwind the twisted narrative and the wild conclusions that come from his riveting discovery - and much more - with our guest Dr. James Fallon. Dr. James Fallon is a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at UC Irvine and internationally renowned neurobiologist. He is the author of the best-seller The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist’s Personal Journey into the Dark Side of The Brain. Fallon has lectured worldwide on neurolaw and the brains of psychopathic killers and dictators. His work has been featured on NPR, CBS, ABC, and numerous science specials.A neuroscientist studying the brains and brain scans of muderers and psychopathic killers discovers something truly shockingStudying and analyzing the brains of killers - Dr. Fallon found a surprising pattern of what the brain of a psychopath looks likeFrom studying the genes of Alzheimers patients - Dr. Fallon started uncovering the genetic links to brain structures of psychopaths and sociopaths Adult Stem Cells in your brain can be activated to reverse serious brain conditions Real life Criminal Minds - inside the brain of serial killers and psychopaths What it’s like to discover that you’re a psychopath What are epigenetics? Why don’t all genes express themselves? What’s the “junk DNA” in your cells and what does it do?One of the major things that triggers the expression of certain genes is stress and abuse, especially at a young age (between birth and 3 years old) Most serial killers were not only psychopaths, but also typically had serious damage to their brains as well Smart psychopaths are very hard to catch and very hard to spotFor an everyday person, how do you determine that someone is a psychopath or has psychopathic tendencies?What are the typical signs of psychopathy / narcissistic personality disorder?The use a lot of personal pronouns, more than an average person talkingTheir hands often move up higher and higher above their headsThey will talk very graphically about their own sex life, or their own body, etc They are very glib, they are very slick verbally, and know what to say They often seem very intelligent They are often over confidentThey are often very competent and aggressiveThey might seem too interested or care too much about you and your emotionsTheir conversations always seem like a performance Some of the most dangerous aspects of psychopathy are pro-social psychopaths who know how to navigate society Many of the pro-social traits of psychopaths are often overlapping with the major pro-social traits of psychopathy Psychopaths are always looking for what bothers you emotionally, and then they want to use it against you to manipulate you What’s the best way to defend yourself from a psychopath manipulating you? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss a proven way of overcoming the self-doubt, negativity, and insecurity that hold you back and we show you how to ultimately become your best self using a unique and unlikely strategy. We look at legends from pro athletes to MLK and uncover how they used the same exact strategy to get into the zone when it counts. We discuss all this and much more with our guest Todd Herman. Todd Herman is a high-performance coach and author of, 'The Alter Ego Effect: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life'. He is the creator of the 90 Day Year a performance system which is designed to create results for business owners, fast. He has worked with Olympic athletes, Entrepreneurs, and Leaders including members of the Spanish Royal Family. He's been featured on the Today Show, The Good Life Project, Inc Magazine and more.Nature is the ultimate litmus test of whether or not an idea has credence and truthIf something doesn’t exist in nature - we need to look at it and understand itBalance does not exist in nature - but equilibrium does If you want to achieve big things, if you want to explore your capabilities, you have to throw yourself out of balance, you have to push past your comfort zone, to achieve big goalsIn order to achieve big goals, you have to give up focus on other areas of your life to do it Integration is far more important than balance - how do we actually integrate things into our lives? How do you move beyond the idea of work-life balance and move into integration?An alter-ego can be an internal trusted friend. Bring an ally inside your mind. How do you get into the zone? How do you get into flow states? An alter ego ALLOWS you to have permission to achieveHow to leverage the science of "Enclothed Cognition” to transform yourself and create a powerful alter ego that can help you achieve anything How legends like pro athletes and Martin Luther King would use physical props to tap into their alter egosThe idea that you are one single self is completely flawed. Life is about context. You are different people in different contexts. You don’t build an alter-ego for your entire life. You build specific alter egos for specific contexts and opportunities.To meet force with force does not help when dealing with difficult people. All it does is prolong the tantrum and create problems. Be like Mr. Rogers.Don’t fight against yourself, leverage the way you naturally behave and turn that to your advantage.Resistance comes from the unconscious and is extraordinarily powerful. Willpower comes from the frontal lobe. It’s like a mouse fighting an elephant. At your core, you have unlimited possibility - you have to decide and choose WHO you are and WHO is gonna show up to get the results you want. If something is getting in the way of you doing what you want to do or know you can do - THAT’S being inauthenticWhat’s the critical difference between being childish and child-like? And why does that matter?Homework: Define what “field of play” it makes the most sense for you to use an Alter Ego in. Start with - what area of life are you most frustrated with?Homework: What are the traits you most want to bring into that field of play? Is there anyone or anything that already embodies that? A fictional character? A real person? A historical figure? Is there someone that you’re really drawn to? Your mind is constantly telling stories - if you tap into an existing story that’s already been written - you harness the power of it. Ask yourself - how can you ACTIVATE that? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how our guest helped the secret agents become more creative. We look at specific strategies to navigate personal change while empowering and using your imagination. How do you become more imaginative? What are the keys to sparking imagination and creativity? How do you use creativity to get through challenging setbacks? We discuss all of this and much more with our guest Beth Comstock. Beth Comstock is a business executive and author with a deep history of leading large companies to success through innovation and new opportunities. Beth is currently a director at Nike, the trustee of The National Geographic Society and former board president of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum. She is the author of the best-selling book Imagine it Forward - Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change. She has worked in top leadership roles at GE, NBC, CBS, and her work has been featured across the globe.What is the imagination gap?How does our quest for certainty end up killing possibility?We often fail to use our imagination to move ourselves, and the world, forwardWhat did a chance meeting with the CIA have to do with navigating personal change and using your imagination?We want a risk free world, a risk free life - but it doesn’t existRisk is the will to act on imagination The 5 key elements of sparking imaginationIn today’s world - we have to “Get good at change"How to handle change and the disruptive pace of change in todays world Do you have your own process or practice of adaptation?What does it mean to have a practice or process of adaptation?“Going on threes” - after you see something a third time, use that as a trigger to follow up and learn more about itTake back 10% of your time for these contemplative routines Pick up a magazine you would NEVER read and read it on a plane - expose yourself to radically new ideas The future is here, its just not even distributed yetYou have to put yourself out there to discover new ideas - “mushroom hunting” "Get outside the Jar” - getting outside creates a whole new perspective In a world where we often choose our filters based on what we already believe - its even more important to expose yourself to new and different ideaWhat is social courage and how can you create it for yourself?The power of small challenges and change to help build your skillsWhat do we do when gatekeepers limit us from what we want?Most of the time people give up on an idea when they hear No one timeThe power and magic of “No is not yet” - no is an invitation to come back in a new way Building up resilience and persistence when we really care about our ideas How do you build bridges instead of walls? Your critics can become your best advocates if you treat them the right way“I’m gonna work to do better, but I need your help”What problem are we trying to solve? Are you aligned with the people you work with on solving the same problem?Often times we try to protect ourselves, our ideas - even our own egos - by trying to hide from negative feedback - but it’s often essential to fueling creativity and getting to the best ideas and solutionsIt’s so easy to delude ourselves, to think things are they way we want them to be, or they should be, instead of the way they are - acknowledging reality is a vital step towards creating results Constraints are very powerful for fostering creativity Homework: Ask yourself what’s one thing you want to move forward on? Ask yourself what’s holding you back and write a permission slip to yourself “I give myself permission to do this." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss what causes the big moments that can transform your entire life in an instant and we show you how to create that kind of motivation and inspiration in your every day life so that you can be more productive and happier. We also expose why the common wisdom about willpower and “ego depletion” is completely wrong and what you should do instead. All this and much more with our guest James Fell. James Fell is an author, owner of BodyForWife.com, and science-based motivator for lasting life change. He is one of the most read health and fitness writers in North America and currently writes articles for the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous publications including TIME Magazine, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, and much more. He is the author of the recently released book The Holy Sh!t Moment: How Lasting Change Can Happen in an Instant.When we have a transformative experience it’s not about behavior change, its about a change in your CORE IDENTITY or your VALUESWhat causes the big moments that can shift or transform your life in an instant?Minimizing the discomfort of change so that it doesn’t combat your core identity to much In order to create lasting behavior change and form sticky habits its a slow and painful processIdentity and value change can happen in a flash, effortlessly Do we have to use willpower and grit? Do we have to tough it out and suck it up? The idea that people can’t change because they lack willpower is DEEPLY FLAWED The 1996 Case Western Study - would you rather eat chocolate or radishes? “Ego depletion” - the idea that willpower is a limited resource - is a flawed and dated ideaThe 2 big flaws with the studies about ego depletion and willpowerWillpower is often irrelevant to the equation of motivationWillpower training and efforts to increase willpower have never shown any effectHaving to power through and do things you hate has negative mental and physical consequences The “Rage to Master” and how it drives people to work relentlessly on things they are overwhelmingly passionate about Rather than trying to CREATE GREATNESS - find the thing that makes you WANT TO CREATE GREATNESS - the field that naturally makes you want to strive for greatness Happiness vs Flourishing Happiness is a state of mind - it’s temporaryWhat really drives people is flourishing - finding something where you a contributing to your own wellbeing and the wellbeing of othersThe science of epiphanies and eureka moments - how you can prep and prepare your brain for insights What could I accomplish if I had an endless fountain of motivation to do it? What could that be?Life changing epiphanies typically happen after you’ve done deep analytical preparation work The answers don’t come when you’re trying to solve the problem, they come later when the conscious mind is distracted. Go for a walk. Do something to distract yourself. You can’t be listening to a podcast, listening to an audiobook etc - you can’t be distracted in any way. You have to get inside your own head and let data meander and collide until you see a novel solution.“Most people tip toe through life trying to make it safely to death."What if life could be more of a thrill ride? Keys to creating life changing epiphaniesHomework: As soon as you finish listening to this podcast, go lie down in a quiet place with no distraction. No TV, no radio, no phone, no one talking. Be alone with your thoughts for ten or fifteen minutes and free associate, think about anything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to break into careers in tough industries, the skills it takes to succeed in difficult circumstances, how to deal with the difficulty of constant rejection, how to build the “muscle” of determination, a hack for switching your thinking that can make it much easier to face challenging situations and rejection and much more with our guest Alex Grodnik.  Alex Grodnik is the COO at the fin-tech startup Payclub. Alex holds a finance degree from UCLA Anderson and has spent the past 9 years in investment banking, digital media, business development, and more. He is the host of the “Moving Up” podcast by Wall Street Oasis where he interviews business leaders to learn and share their secrets to success and life.What does it take to get a job at one of the toughest industries in the world From sending out hundreds of resumes amidst the financial crisis - what does it take to really succeed in finding the career you desire?Always be moving the ball forward - leverage any possible way you can to get into the door Be dogged, be determined, don’t take no for an answerUnique outcomes, huge life changing moments, don’t come from your first trial or your first failure How do you deal with the challenges of constant rejection?It’s all about practice and getting reps - getting reps getting rejected and building that muscle of determination Every no gets you one step closer to a yes If you’re afraid of something, exposing yourself to it will actually lessen that fear What’s the conversation rate of the activity you’re working on? It’s probably not 100% - Its probably really close to 5% or 10% Everyone is so caught up in themselves that they aren’t paying attention to you You have to expose yourself to discomfort to become stronger and to become anti-fragile Evolutionarily we’re programed to be risk averse - and yet the risks today are so much lower than they were thousands of years ago - and yet we constantly stay within what’s comfortable to us The benefits of being rejected - Confidence, Humility, Seeing the world in a positive light The goal is to reduce the fear of rejection by constantly exposing yourself to it The risk reward of rejection is massively in favor of getting rejected Homework: Start small and get rejected now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we look at how to live a healthy, happy, successful life - from the inside out. We explore what it means to have an “integrated” brain, look at lessons across vastly different scientific disciplines, and share the accessible, simple strategy you can use in 20 minutes to integrate the most important learnings from scientific research to create an integrated brain, body, and mind - to improve your health, happiness, wellbeing and success with our guest Dr. Dan Siegel.  Dr. Dan Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. He is a multi-best-selling author and award-winning educator and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. His work has taken him across the globe to work with individuals such as the King of Thailand, Pope John Paul II, and The Dalai Lama.What is integration? What does it mean to live a fully connected life?Different parts can be honored for their differences and then linked and connected and allowed to communicate with one anotherThe linking of different integrated parts - is the fundamental way a complex system optimizes functioning - the way it “self organizes” An optimally integrated organism or organization is in a state of harmony, a state of flow, a state of healthA healthy life, a successful life, a happy life comes from being integratedThe opposite of integration is either Chaos or Rigidity Dan comes at the questions of happiness and successful lives from a wholistic integrated perspective across any and all scientific fields  “interpersonal neurobiology”A healthy mind is both integrated within - inside your body - and integration between - integration between other people and the planet Information.. IN FORMATION - information is just energy in a certain configuration that gives it context and meaning - information is meaning embedded via energy patterns How is the MIND part of the system of energy and information flow in reality and the world as a whole?“Emergence” - the essence of a complex system is that it interacts with itself and self organizes 3 Pillar Training - how to integrate the brain to be healthier and happier - how to live in harmony instead of chaos Do you feel like you belong? Does our society today foster a sense of belonging? This powerful story about a sense of belonging ties into the science of the mind and the brain - the “embodied brain” and the “relational” mind What is the self? What is the mind? Does the mind exist, as the source of your self, inside your skin encased body? Is that it?You also have a relational self that is equally as important as your individualized self By cultivating the 3 pillars you develop neuroplastic changes in your brain - changes in the physical structure of your brain - to create meaningful integration for the brain Integration is the basis of wellbeing in your body, mind, and relationships The accessible, simple strategy you can use in 20 minutes to integrate the most important learnings from scientific research to create an integrated brain, body, and mind - to improve your health, happiness, wellbeing and success.Homework: Take the Wheel of Awareness on Dan’s website (linked in the show notes) - most efficient, effective, science based, multi-disciplinary thing you can bring into your life . It’s wholly grounded in science and its accessible for you to do anywhere.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we show you how to solve any problem in your life - using a simple and no risk tool that you can start with right now. We dig into why you get stuck on problems and how we often deceive ourselves. We talk about why reasons are often a ruse and how they can become dangerous once they turn into excuses, and much more with our guest Dr. Bernard Roth. Bernard Roth is the co-founder of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. He is one of the world’s pioneers in robotics and the primary developer of the concept of the Creativity Workshop. He is the best-selling author of The Achievement Habit: Stop Wishing, Start Doing, and Take Command of Your Life. His work has been featured in FORTUNE, The New York Times, Fast Company, Business Insider, and more!Why do you get stuck in your life?Are you focused on the right problems in your life, or the wrong problems?Reframing problems opens up a tremendous new solution space to your problemEven if you solved the problem that you think you need to solve, it may not get you what you ultimately want to get What would it do for me if I solved this problem? Work on THAT solution instead of the original problem The no-risk tool you can use to solve any problem / reframe any problem The one question that can completely blow apart your thinking and help you solve any problemWe often lie to ourselves, we don’t tell ourselves the truth, you often try to deceive yourself to maintain your self image The importance difference between disappearing a problem vs solving a problem Why you have to get super clear about what you REALLY want to achieve (and how to do it)Tell yourself the truth about the REAL problem and open up the problem-space and solution space for new ways of conceiving of it - so you that you can find new solutions We all do things we aren’t proud of and we all have motivations we don’t want to admit - we have to develop the self awareness to see what the truth about ourselves and our motives areWhy Bernie says "Reasons are Bulls**t” The only function of reasons is that they let you pretend that you are a reasonable person There’s no one cause for anything you do - the moment you isolate that single cause you are lying The way your brain works - you do stuff, and then you make up a reason to do it There are a multitude of reasons for everything - we just single out one and pretend it’s the entire cause We explain the world with a simple cause and effect model - and yet there is not one single cause for anything in the worldReasons are an excuse for being late, not losing weight, not getting your job done, not creating the results you want, etcIf you stop lying to yourself, it becomes easy to change your behavior When saying NO to people, you will get more reception if you don’t give a reason (aka an excuse) Fix yourself first, don’t worry about fixing othersIn your own behavior, substitute the word REASON for the word EXCUSEWhat’s the difference between Trying and Doing? (Was Yoda right?)If you’re trying to do something it might or might not happen. If you’re doing something you will make it happen, no matter what. When people are DOING - obstacles don’t defeat them - they make it happen. Obstacles are often a gift, unless you let them be a deterrent Force often takes a lot more energy than power, when you’re powerful you flow and achieve Knowledge is useless if you don’t apply it Homework: Stop using reasons. Reframe your problems. Ask yourself if you’re doing or trying, and decide which one it is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s episode is a bit different than a normal episode of Science of Success. We share the incredible "Real Life Story of The Epic Quest To See How The World’s Most Successful People Launched Their Careers” - including a wild journey of hacking the Price is Right, meeting Bill Gates and Lady Gaga, and an epic five year quest to study and learn form the world’s top achievers. This is a topic I’ve dedicated my life to and this fascinating discussion with our guest Alex Banayan shines some new light on one of the most important questions of our lives - what was the inflection point that set massively successful people’s lives on a different trajectory? Alex Banayan is the best-selling author of The Third Door, which chronicles his five-year quest to track down the world’s most successful people to uncover how they broke through and launched their careers. He has been named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list and Business Insider’s “Most Powerful People Under 30.” He has been featured in major media including Fortune, Forbes, Businessweek, Billboard, Bloomberg TV, CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC, and much more!My passion has been studying the worlds top achievers - Alex took that to another level Alex’s seven year journey becoming obsessed with studying the world’s most successful people Do you know what do you want to do with your life? Are you on the right path?How did Bill Gates, Stephen Speilberg etc achieve epic results so early in their lives?When no one would talk to the world’s most successful people early in their careers - how did they break through?The ridiculous story of “hacking” the Price is Right“The Flinch” - when you become so nervous that you don’t do anythingBreakfast with Larry King The common strategy shared by the worlds top achieversThe world’s top achievers all treat success the exact same way The Power of the Third Door Framework Most people think success is either a function of waiting your turn or being born into it The reason most people never achieve their dream is not because the dream is unachievable but because of their fear stops them from going after their dreamsTop achievers don’t achieve fearlessness, instead they achieve courage Fearlessness is jumping off a cliff without thinking about it, courage is acknowledging your fears, looking at the consequences, and then deciding you care so much about it you’re going to take one step forward anywayFor the world’s most successful people there wasn’t one big single tipping point in their lives - it was a series of incremental small steps that compounded over time When you’re in the trenches building your dream there is no tipping point - it’s all just little steps Everyone tries to over-optimize and wait for things to be perfect. If things are 80% there it’s up to you to jump and close that gap. The founder of TED live’s his life by two mantras:If you don’t ask you don’t getMost things don’t work out The Power of Possibility transforms people much more than giving them the tools and resources to succeed Homework: If you’re looking to find your path, looking to find your passion - Take the “30 Day Challenge.” Buy a notebook, write “30 day challenge” on the front. Every day for the next 30 days you have to journal about the same 3 questions. It has to be 30 consecutive days, it can’t be spread out over several months. Pick the same time of day and consistently do it:What excited me today? What filled me with enthusiasm?What drained me of energy today? What did I learn about myself today?The magic happens on the last few days  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we ask - why you don’t follow through on the things that are most important to you? How can someone facing down near death fail to follow essential health protocols? What causes people to self sabotage? Why is it so hard to follow up and follow through with your goals? We share the important lesson that it’s not about more information - it’s about finding the right pattern of behaviors and habits to match with your desired goal - and building a scientifically validated process to make sure you actually achieve them. We discuss this and much more with our guest Dr. Sean Young. Dr. Sean Young is the Executive Director of the University of California Institute for Prediction Technology. He has previously worked with companies such as NASA and has spoken in forums such as the European Parliament. He is the author of the #1 Wall Street Journal Best-Seller Stick With It: A Scientifically Proven Process for Changing Your Life - For Good and his work has been featured across the globe.When we fail to create personal change, is it a question of lack of willpower?Why don’t we follow through on the things that matter most to us?It’s not about changing the person, its about changing the process What is the science behind sticking with your goals?It’s almost never a question of having enough information - smokers KNOW smoking is bad, and yet they keep doing it, people KNOW how to lose weight, but they don’t “A, B, C Behaviors"Automatic BehaviorsBurning BehaviorsCommon Behaviors Not all behaviors are created equal - and not all habits solve certain kinds of behaviors Automatic behaviors happen without conscious thoughtBurning behaviors - things like addictions, “having to do something” having to play video games, having to check your phone, having to text someone, etc. Common behaviors - we are aware of what we’re doing - but we often can’t stick with it because other things come up The 7 Forces of Behavior Change - well documented psychology research The “SCIENCE” Framework - each letter represents a different one of these 7 tools you can use to create behavior changeStep LaddersCommunityImportantEasyNeurohacksCaptivatingEngrained We have to create behavioral and habit change in small incremental stepsThe “steps, goals, and dreams” framework that helps quantify and looks at how to differentiate between steps, goals and dreamsA dream is something that takes more than 3 months A goal takes between 1 and 3 monthsA step takes a week or lessMake change easier for yourself - remove barriers to the behaviors you want to foster and create barriers towards the things you don’t want to do Joe Colombe and the story of building a business around making it easy for consumers What are “Neurohacks” and how can we use them to switch our behavior over time?If you want to create change it doesn’t start with the mind, it starts with the behavior first, and then your mind will follow Rewards sometimes work, but they need to be the right ones. The rewards you use have to be the most captivating First, figure out what kind of behavior it is. Then, determine the right Force of Behavior Change to use on that particular favor. Most powerful Tool for each behavior type?Homework:Step One: What Kind of Behavior Are You Trying to Change?Step Two: Put together a calendar, and take small action steps towards the goals you want to achieve.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we show you how to command your focus and attention. We discuss why many people have the wrong idea of what it means to be productive - and how thinking that you need to boil your life down to spreadsheets and checklists is the wrong way to approach productivity . We share the secret ingredient for true productivity - and look at exactly how you can implement it, practically and realistically, in your own life with our guest Chris Bailey. Chris is a productivity expert, speaker, and best-selling author. His career began by conducting a year-long experiment examining best practices for productivity which is documented in his book, The Productivity Project. His latest book Hyperfocus aims to help readers stay focused and avoid distractions. His work has been featured in The Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, TED, Fast Company, and more!Many people have the wrong idea of what productivity is - and it often leads to implementing the wrong solutions It’s not about efficiency and boiling your life down to checklists and spreadsheetsIf there’s one thing that underlies real productivity is INTENTION We are perfectly productive when we accomplish the things we set out to doIntention is like the “wood behind the arrow"The percentage of the day with which you act with intention is directly proportional to your results and to the quality of your life How much control of attention you have is correlated with happiness, satisfaction, and productivity What is intentionality and why is it so important?Most people manage their time relatively well, but where they massively fall short is managing their ATTENTIONThe novelty bias in our brains causes us to constantly jump into new phenomenon to get our next dopamine hitDeliberate mind wandering is as important as the time we focus on being productive“Not all those who wander are lost” - J. R. R. TolkeinCultivating “unfocus”, mind wandering, and contemplative routines open up space to focus on and determine what’s most important - to unearth the beautiful, brilliant ideas we wouldn’t arrive at otherwiseResearchers found that people who watched 6 or more hours of news coverage about a bombing were more likely to develop PTSD than someone who was actually at the bombing event (Boston Marathon) How do you go about taming your distractions?Does meditation waste time or does it make you more productive?Meditation is one of the few things that gives you more attention and focus for other thingsWhen you have an active meditation practice your working memory increases by up to 30% If you don’t execute on productivity ideas and strategies - what’s the point?Meditation has the best time-adjusted return of any productivity strategy We look at busyness as a proxy for how productive we are when that’s completely wrong. Working on a sleep deficit shrinks your ability to focus by up to 60% There’s a huge amount of guilt, especially in western society, around taking breaks, resting, and downtime - even though these are HUGE components of being highly effective and productive How do you deal with the GUILT of not feeling productive?Set 3 intentions every day, set 3 intentions every week, and set 3 intentions every year Pre-Decisions create intention throughout your day How do you Re-Charge your attention?Habitual tasks create the structure that frees our mind to think freely and wander Homework: What resonated the most for YOU - take action on that? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we explore how to unleash and live in your genius. How do you discover what your genius is? How can you spend more and more of your time doing what you love? We discuss how you can unlock the incredible potential within yourself and avoid the traps that may stop you from getting there. We share the lessons learned from working with more than 20,000 people to help them on their own journeys to genius - and give you the exact strategies and tactics to create a positive upward spiral of genius for yourself with our guest Dr. Gay Hendricks. Dr. Gay Hendricks is the president of the Hendricks Institute and has been a thought leader in the fields of relationship transformation and body-mind therapies for over 45 years. Gay earned his Ph.D in counseling psychology from Stanford and taught at the University of Colorado for 21 years and has conducted seminars across the globe. He is also a multi-bestselling author, having written more than 40 books most recently The Joy of Genius which was released earlier this year!The 2 big issues that human beings faceUpper limit problems Living in your genius People get used to operating at a certain level of success, happiness, etc - we often trip these fears that cause us to sabotage back to the levels we feel we deserveLessons from working with over 20,000 people and 5000 couples Almost everyone, no matter how successful you are, has a lot of potential left to be developed You need to make a commitment to bringing forth your genius. You have absolutely no idea how much potential you have left inside of yourself. It doesn’t matter how bright you are - it’s about making an inner commitment to bringing your genius out. That inner commitment is the first starting place. How Gay went from spending 10% of his life doing what he loves - it took him years to get to 30%, years more to get to 50% - until 20 years later he spends 90% of his time doing what he loves The first thing you need to do is find out if you’re courageous enough to make a heart felt commitment to living in your zone of genius Simple Mantra - “I Commit To Bringing Forth My Genius No Matter What It Takes"You must find 10 minutes per day committed to finding your geniusGenius is addictive and its contagious - the more you do it, the more you want to do it , the more you inspire people with your genius, the more people who get inspired What is the genius Move? How can you do it everyday?What’s a Genius Moment? We are confronted with them every day. A genius moment may look like a problem at the surface, but it’s often actually an invitation to spot your genius There are some things you can control, and some things you cannot control What often makes miserable is focusing on things that we don’t have control over whatsoever None of us have any control whatsoever over the past - the only reason to think about the past is to identify something in this moment that you can do differently True creativity is when you’re expressing your own genius - and when you’re doing it in a way that is inspiring others around you“All of humanities problems stem from not being able to sit quietly in a room” - Blaise PascalHomework: Sit for 10 minutes quietly living with the question of “What is my genius?"If you already know what your genius is - ask yourself “ How can I bring forth my genius in a way that inspires me and other people I interact with?"How and why you can use “Wonder questions” to discover your life’s purpose  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we explore how you can confidently be yourself - even if you’re afraid of what other people may do or think. We discuss how our obsession with niceness and people pleasing is often a problem and share specific tools you can use to overcome it. We also talk about the power and importance of saying no - and the right way to do it so that you can move away from approval seeking and step into bold authenticity with our guest Dr. Aziz Gazipura.  Dr. Aziz Gazipura is a clinical psychologist and founder of The Center for Social Confidence, which is dedicated to helping others break through their shyness and social anxiety. He is the author of the #1 Amazon best-seller Not Nice: Stop People-Pleasing, Staying Silent, & Feeling Guilty... And Start Speaking Up, Saying No, Asking Boldly, And Unapologetically Being Yourself. Aziz’s work has helped thousands of people through workshops, coaching, media appearances, and more.Do you struggle with people pleasing and being afraid to say no to people?What’s the difference between being nice and behind kind?A lot of the behaviors that we think are nice often come from fear, obligation, or guilt The opposite of niceness is BOLD AUTHENTICITYNiceness is a way of being that is focused on “damage control”- being in a place of “safety mode” When we are focused on being nice our #1 priority is to focus on avoiding possible danger - making sure everyone is pleased If you didn’t care at all what people thought of you - would couldn’t have any relationships - you would be a sociopath“Nice conditioning” - is a pattern that is conditioned into us from an early age. We’re systemically told not to trust our own desires and to instead “do the right thing” and “be nice” Why we’ve lost the ability to ask “what do I want” and how that is dangerousWhy you should be more selfishExcessive niceness is not benign - it’s coming from a place of fear, insecurity, and feeling threatened - and when you’re constantly in that space you are much more likely to experience symptoms of stress, anxiety, sickness, pain and more - TMS - Tension Mytosis Syndrome - from living in  place of chronic stress First become AWARE that it’s OK to say no and that we need to say noTo retrain from niceness to authenticity - it’s about being uncomfortable and discomfort training You live in a cloud of stories and dramatic fantasies about what will happen when you say no - TEST THE ASSUMPTION and see what happens. Why you should do a “social fitness” “warm up” to get out of your comfort zone. Friendly greetings to strangers is a great strategy for this. It’s like launching into orbit - after a few tries, you reach a breaking point where you “pop” into zero gravity and you’re no longer being held back. Niceness is not serving you, it’s not who you are, it’s a safety pattern.This is how you STOP BEING AFRAID TO BE YOUFind 2 opportunities per week to specifically ask for what you want. Then build that muscle, start asking for things that are edgier and edgier and edgier for you. Homework: Make a fundamental decision that you don’t want to be as nice anymore. Write out a short paragraph about why it’s no longer serving you to be the nice and that you are going to do something different. Homework: Pick one thing - what’s the one thing that will be the easiest for you to do that would benefit you and change your life the most? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss a highly counter-intuitive approach to learning that flies in the face of the way you think you should learn and how it might transform your learning process. We explore several powerful, evidence based learning strategies that you can start to apply right now in your life, we explain why you should focus on getting knowledge out of your brain instead of into it (and what, exactly, that means), we share a number of powerful memory strategies you can use to super charge your brain - and much more with our guest Peter Brown. Peter Brown is a best-selling author and novelist. He is the author of five books including Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Peter’s work turns traditional learning techniques on their head and draws from recent discoveries in cognitive psychology to offer concrete techniques for becoming a more productive learner. His work has been featured in The New York Times, American Public Radio, The New Yorker, and more!What teaching and learning strategies lead to better retention of material?The non-intuitive approach to learning that flies in the face of the way you think you should learnThe act of wrestling with knowledge and material is what actually builds learning that sticks3 Big ideas from Brian’s research (1) It's about getting the knowledge out of your head, not getting it in(2) When learning is easy it doesn’t stick. You have to challenge yourself.(3) Intuition leads us astray. We think that simple repeated practice makes it easier to learn, but that may not be the case. You can’t rely on learning that feels constructive. How does memory get stored? How can your lack of understanding about this lead to worse learning strategies?The more connections you make to existing knowledge, the more you are likely to remember something The more complex knowledge that you build and develop the more you can develop complex mental models for explaining and understanding realityVisual markers, memory palaces and mnemonic devices can be very powerful memory techniques They are not about learning, but rather ORGANIZING what you’ve already learned The key to learning is to put ideas in your own words, to digest them, play with them, and think about the application of them - not just to review the text or information you’ve already read. The “forgetting curve” is a mental model that helps interrupt your pattern of forgetting things - and remembering them at just the right time  Mass practice vs mixed practice - and why the feeling of improvement may be misleading your learning efforts Mental effort and persistence towards a learning goal help build deeper memories - literally change the physical structure of your brain and lead to better and richer memories Homework: Look back at your own life and the things that you’ve tackled that were a struggle, and yet you became good at it - use these as examples for how this strategy can work Homework: Read about the science of learning in generalHomework: Create flash card sets or quizzes for things you want to memorize (even if you aren’t a student)  in order to TEST yourself. Practice retrieving information, over and over again. The retrieval is key! Only by doing it can you be confident you know how to do it. Self testing, space it out, and come back later to do it again.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the incredibly important thing that everyone (including you!) get’s wrong about presence, we explore how to prime yourself for the best performance in moments of pressure and high stakes situations where other people are watching and judging you. We look at the results from thousands of experiments over the last few decades to uncover the fascinating truth about power and powerlessness. And we share the exact strategy you can use to shift your brain into the mode that allows you to view the world as more friendly, help you feel more creative, and make you into someone who takes action. We dig deep into all this and much more with our guest Dr. Amy Cuddy.   Dr. Amy Cuddy is an American social psychologist, author, and speaker. She currently lectures on the psychology of leadership and influence at Harvard University and she and her work have won several awards including being named one of “50 Women Who Are Changing The World” by Business Insider. She is the author of the 2015 best-selling book Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges and her 2012 TED talk is the second most viewed talk of all time. Her work has been featured in TIME, Wired, Fast Company, NPR, and countless academic journals. The incredibly important thing that everyone (including you!) get’s wrong about Presence Presence is a momentary state - its when you are attuned to and able to comfortably express your authentic best selfWhat is does it mean to be your “authentic best self?"Presence is about moments of pressure that come from human interaction - people judging us, high stakes situations throwing us off our games When you are present you become aligned, you become synchronous, you aren’t getting in the WAY of yourself you’re BEING yourself - you believe your story and people hear, feel, and see that in your verbal and nonverbal communication The people who do the best on Shark Tank are the ones who clearly buy what they are selling - there is no reservation, you can hear their belief and their conviction When you’re in a place of feeling Powerful - you see the world as more friendly, you’re more creative, you’re more likely to take action - you view the world from the “approach” systemThe vital difference between what Amy calls PERSONAL POWER and what many people’s traditional understanding of POWER might be.Make peace with the idea of Power - its OK to feel powerful. Power is not just power over others or power over resources - its about feeling that you control your own resources, your own destiny, your own life.You want to feel powerful - you want other people to feel powerful - power is a HUGE piece of your general wellbeing. As you start to feel less powerful, as you start to feel less control, you begin to flip into the “Inhibition System” Focus on feelings of expansiveness and try to prepare yourself before getting in high-pressure situations Often times “Mind-Body” Interventions are MUCH more effective, especially when we’re anxious, than “Mind-Mind” InterventionsIf the body is acting like it’s not being threatened, the mind will often follow into the same pattern How does Imposter Syndrome play into feelings of powerlessness? Homework: Before you go into a stressful situation - prepare by using expansive postures, in private, have good posture, carry yourself with a sense of pride, mind your posture. Notice when you slouch and make yourself small. Homework: Change how you’re holding your phone - sit back and hold your phone up over youHomework: Pay attention to other’s posture. Presence invites presence from others.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you feel uncomfortable in conflict with others? Do you experience fear and anxiety when dealing with tough situations? Most negotiation tactics and strategies assume you’re already a master negotiator with nerves of steel - that’s the wrong starting place. In this episode we discuss how you can get comfortable with having tough conversations and build the foundation to become a real master of negotiation - using a simple and easy to apply framework. We discuss how you can deal with tough situations and conflict from a place of poise, curiosity, and confidence with our guest Kwame Christian. Kwame Christian is a business lawyer and the Director of the American Negotiation Institute where he puts on workshops designed to make difficult conversations easier. As an attorney and mediator with a bachelors of arts in Psychology, a Master of Public Policy, as well as a law degree, Kwame brings a unique multidisciplinary approach to the topic of conflict management and negotiation. He also hosts the top negotiation podcast in the country, Negotiate Anything.Should we hide from conflict or should we seek it out and embrace it?Avoiding conflict is human, but it’s not healthyPowerful tactics and strategies don’t matter if you’re unable or unwilling to enter conflicting situations in the first place When people are afraid - their limbic system lights up and their prefrontal cortex is less active - your rational decision-making shuts down and you react more emotionally Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - an action oriented approach to pushing past phobias, fears, anxieties and moreRejection Therapy & exposure therapy - how to build the skillset of mental toughness By forcing yourself into difficult and tough situations - your brain actually changes (via neuroplasticity) and it gets easier over time How do you negotiate with someone and move them out of a negative place / negative emotional state so that you can help get what you want out of a tough situation?3 Step FrameworkStep one is to Acknowledge EmotionsGet Curious with Compassionate CuriosityEngage in Joint Problem Solving / Collaborative Negotiation How do you use the tool of “Acknowledging Emotions"Put it on YOURSELF, not on you “If I was in this situation, I would feel X (frustrated, etc)"Tell me more about what you’re experiencing?The goal is to help them get it out of their system?Then transition to "compassionate curiosity"How can we help you feel more secure?How can we help you solve this problem / situation?Often times people’s emotions will be hidden under a veil of professionalism - exploring the emotional side first helps to defuse themWhen exploring emotional issues - use the past tenseThe power of joint problem solving and joint brainstorming to develop a collaborative approach to solving problems The “copy machine” experimentFalse Belief Negotiations is a zero sum game.There is a difference between conflict and combat. Conflict is an opportunity to solve problems and learn more, there is a big difference. Negotiation isn’t the art of deal making, it’s the art of deal discovery 3 Pillars of NegotiationGet more of what we wantGet less of what we don’t wantStrengthen relationships Even if you don’t get a deal, there is still value to be achieved from a negotiationHomework: Take action - don’t avoid conflict, look at it as something to approach and use it as a Tool to strengthen your skills - find and seek out small conflicts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to deal with never feeling like you’re “enough,” show you how to overcome the insidious trap of "people pleasing,” look at the most effective treatments for OCD, panic attacks, anxiety and stress, discover the dangers of “toxic perfectionism” and how it might be holding you back, tell you why “should” is a dangerous word, and much more with our guest Taylor Newendorp.  Taylor Newendorp is the founder and president of Chicago Counseling Center and specializes in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Perfectionism, and Anxiety Disorders. He was worked as a practicing therapist for many years and completed the International OCD Foundation's Behavioral Therapy Training Institute Taylor is the author of The Perfectionism Workbook: Proven Strategies to Break Free from Perfectionism and Achieve Your Goals.What is the myth of perfection and how does it impact your life?You are more likely to grow, thrive, and succeed once you acknowledge and accept your weaknessesThe Five Tendencies of Toxic PerfectionismWhat is the root cause behind the “people pleasing” tendency? Perfectionism can often be genetically pre-disposed if your family has a history of OCD or anxietyPeople pleasing is rooted in the idea that for you to be loved you have to achieve and be successfulHow much of what you’re doing is is because you WANT to or because you feel like you HAVE TO in order to have other people like you?What activities are you doing that you do solely for the approval of others? Would you do them for their own sake?Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset and how that impacts perfectionist tendencies Do you feel a feeling of discontent? No matter what you do, no matter what you achieve, do you feel like it’s never enough? Do you keep pushing yourself harder and harder causing stress and anxiety for yourself?How do you deal with self criticism and negative self talk?What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and how does it work?Exposure and response prevention is a highly effective solution to OCD, panic attacks, anxiety disorders, etc Learn and familiarize yourself with the cognitive distortions that are out there and see how they are playing out in your head Understand the connection between thoughts and feelings and how that might be influencing how you’re behavingOne question you can use to challenge your negative thoughts - if you had to stand up in a court of law and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that this thought is 100% true would it hold up? When you feel something uncomfortable - avoidance and distraction are the two most common strategies for avoiding discomfortThe more you avoid something the more you increase your anxiety around that fear. The fear grows larger and larger in your brain. The more you face and spend time with your fears, your anxiety dissipates. Dig into and understand the triggers that make you uncomfortable and continually face them to build tolerance and resistance to them Exposure and response therapy creates new neural pathways that reduce anxiety over timeWhat is the relationship between perfectionism and OCD?A lot of people with OCD engage in compulsive behaviors to get a sense that things feel “just right"You should make your goals specific, measurable, and meaningful Mindfulness at its core is about observing yourself, observing others, without attaching judgement to it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the surprising science of creativity. We begin with a fascinating look into how your brain create reality around you and assigns meaning to things that often have no meaning at all, then we examine the unlikely relationship between doubt, ambiguity, and creativity. We ask how you can chip away at your assumptions so that you can open spaces of possibility to be more creative, we explore the foundations of asking truly good questions, and examine the way that doubt can be a powerful force for unleashing creative insights and more with our guest Dr. Beau Lotto.  Dr. Beau Lotto is neuroscientist, author, and the founder of the Lab of Misfits. His studies in the science of human perception have led him to work in several fields including education, the arts, business, and more. Beau has given multiple TED talks, has spoken to companies such as Google, and his work has been featured on the BBC, PBS, Natural Geographic, Big Think, and much more!Do we see reality as it really is? Do we see the world as it really is?We have no direct access to the world except through our senses Raw data from the senses is all the information the brain gets Data by itself is pointless - any piece of data could mean literally anythingYou can conflate so many different things from your senses The brain relies on history - on context - to interpret all the information it collects - the history of your life, your culture, your evolution, your family, and much moreYour brain has effectively encoded biases and assumptions that filter and shape your perception of reality We didn’t evolve to see the world accurately, we evolved to see it usefully - evolution didn’t optimize for accuracy, it evolved for utility Because of this conclusion we can constantly update and adapt our perceptionsYour brain does not create meaning by passively receiving content - it makes meaning by physically engaging with the world We think of creativity as putting two things that are far apart together - of a eureka moment or moment of insight - for YOU these ideas are far apart - the creative person is making the next logical step of assumption Creative people are making small steps to the next most likely possible. The key to creativity is to CHANGE what’s possible and change your perceptions and assumptions of what’s possibleNothing interesting begins with knowing - it begins with not knowing, it begins with doubt, it begins with a questionThe need for closure, the need for certainty is so strong that we constantly need closure Awe and wonder are also key skills to embracing uncertainty. When you experience awe and wonder you feel connected to the world, you feel curiousFind out what you care about, have the desire to shift/move/change, and ask the right question - then engage other peopleHow do we celebrate doubt? How do we chip away at our assumptions so that we can open spaces of possibility to be more creative?A KEY to asking good questions is to Doubt what you assume to be true alreadyHomework: Take ownership of your own biases and assumptions. Engage in a person you care about with a question of your assumptions next time you have a conflictHomework: Go from A to “Not-A” - Let go of reflexive meanings. Take a cold shower and feel the cold water, don’t attach the significant of uncomfortableness - just feel the coldness as neutral.Homework: Change the meaning of what’s happened in the past (which will change your assumptions and perceptions). The brain is a time machine - we can never change what happened, but we can change the MEANING of what happened. You can change history of your past meanings. That’s what therapy does.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss the science of Talent. We look at how great talent is built into the very physical structure of the brain itself, explore the incredible importance of striving at the edge of your ability and staying there as long as possible, the vital importance of mistakes in the learning process, how a group of kindergartners beat a bunch of CEOs at a simple team-building exercise, a powerful tool Navy Seals use to make better decisions that you can apply to your life right now, and much more with our guest Daniel Coyle.  Daniel Coyle is the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Talent Code, The Culture Code, several other books. He is a contributing editor for Outside Magazine and works as a special advisor to the Cleveland Indians. His most recent work focuses on how we can build cultures that last and high highly productive and his work has been featured on the TED stage and more.What is a talent hotbed? What are these little places that produce hugely disproportionate high achievers?How does the brain learn and what that has to do with Talent?What does great practice look like, what does great motivation look like,  what great coaching looks like?Repeatedly going to the edge of your ability, noticing your failure, and learning from it - that’s how great performance is builtIt’s not nature vs nature - it's not either or - its nature multiplied by nature How do we learn at the edge of our growth zone?You should be aiming for a failure rate of 20-30% of the timeIf you’re failing more than that, move the target closerIf you’re failing less, move the targets further away This concept of learning at the edge of your comfort zone flips the entire idea of mistakes on its head - mistakes are WHERE the learning takes place Mistakes are information that you can use for your next try - they’re a keep component of the learning process Mistakes are the gift - they ARE the moment - when the learning is embedded in your brainThe way to create feedback loops in business and areas with murky or long feedback loops is to define your scoreboard - define yourself against a very clear standard or dashboard for yourself - hold yourself accountable to metricsDefine what you want - make the bar really clearLearning = Experience + Reflection. Without the reflection, you won’t learn. Get really specific on what skills you want to improve - and then build a process towards improving those skills and make it as measurable as possibleCulture is the MOST IMPORTANT THING you do in a group - it's your most important asset, it's your Achilles heel High-performance groups operationalize truth, vulnerability, and safety Navy Seals “AAR” - After Action Review - hard conversation about what went wrong, what went right, what they’re doing to do differently next time Groups that hide vulnerability are weakLeaders who are constantly radiating humility have more strength - humility takes strength To be vulnerable at work - frame your vulnerability around learningWe have a powerful instinct to hide away from negative moments and things we don’t like - and yet leaning into mistakes and problems is the best way to grow as an individual - and the best way to form strong organizations Homework: “WSD” - Write s**t down. Have a place and a time every day where you can get away from things and reflect on what happened. A cool calm place where you can reflect, trace threads, connect dots, reflect on your performance. This is the most powerful thing you can do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss the foundations of evidence based thinking, the important balance between Habits and Decisions and how each of them shapes who you ultimately become and dig into the idea that your decisions set the trajectory of your life, but your habits determine how far you walk on that journey, from there we explore how to build high impact habits, what you need to do to determine the best habits to focus on first, how you can harness the the power of the “aggregation of marginal gains,” and much more with our guest James Clear. James Clear is an american author, entrepreneur, and photographer. His personal blog, jamesclear.com has over 400,000 email subscribers and his first book Atomic Habits is set to release in October this year. His work focuses primarily on habits and human potential looking to answer the question “How can we live better?” by focusing on science-backed methods. James’s work has been featured in The New York Times, CBS, Forbes, and more.There’s no real playbook, everyone is operating on their best guess and trying to do their best with limited informationScience and scientific research are the best tools we have for determining what the “Best guess” would be for improvementScience is still a guess, but its the best method we have to guide our actions and is much better than anecdote or opinion You are not the average - you have to adopt this philosophy of self experimentation to determine what works for youIt’s very hard to step outside of your own experience - but that experiment may not always be the best predictor or provider of informationYou could live a billion lives - its up to you to decide and determine which single version of YOU actually gets lived Your decisions set your trajectory and your habits determine how far you walkDecision making creates leverage, habits capture itIt’s always the process that leads to the outcomes. Focus on the process. And build a system so that process happens every dayTrue behavior change is identity change. Once you change your identity it doesn’t feel like work anymore. It’s NEVER the first mistake that ruins you - its the spiral of mistakes that follows it. Get back on track. A “craving” is a desire to change your state” to some small degreeMotivation is something that rises and falls arbitrarily - don’t rely on motivation to force yourself to adopt new habitsIt can be dangerous to “start too big” with new habits The true impact of habits is far greater than we realize - little habits are like an entrance ramp to a highway - the determine what we end up doing for minutes or even hours afterwardsFocus on mastering a few decisive moments that end up shaping how you spend your time - and make those moments as easy as possible.Find people who’ve achieved what you want to achieve - but also have SOME commonality with you nowHomework: downscale your habits until they can fit within 2 minutes (make sure your habits are small enough)Read one page in a bookMake the decisive moment as easy as possible Homework: reduce friction so that doing that behavior is as easy as possible. Start with environment designIncrease friction for bad behaviorsReduce friction for good behaviors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to become a high performer at work. We look at one simple question you can use to double your productivity, we talk about how to decipher scientific evidence and determine what’s really important to focus on for maximum performance, we examine how to get quality feedback on your work, share strategies for creating high performance habits and behaviors, and uncover what it takes to quickly improve your performance with our guest Marc Effron. Marc Effron is the founder and president of the Talent Strategy Group and publisher of the Talent Quarterly Magazine. He is a Harvard Business Press best-selling author and just released his latest book 8 Steps To High Performance. He has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Influencers in H.R. and he has worked and consulted with some of the largest companies in the country.We have so much science that tell us many of the right things to do - and yet its often so hard to discern signal from noise People like writing about individual topics - but often don’t combine them all into one cohesive view of reality as a whole“The Three Tiers of Proof” Bottom tier “Research" - a consulting firm does a study and comes out with a report - not peer reviewed, not validated, not controlled - but still may have some valueNext step up - "Science" - someone has published an article in a peer reviewed journal The best - "Conclusive Science" - 100 people do the experiment and all come to the exact same conclusion If you want to get better you’re much better off asking others for feedback than just looking at yourselfWhat’s your disciplined approach for gathering feedback from others about what makes you so successful?How do we gather quality feedback?Source of opinions and quality of opinion are not equal. Find your high performing peersFind your high performing people at your bosses level that you would like feedback fromIf you’re a solo entrepreneur your customers or investors are probably the best people to askCan we set goals that are too big and too ambitious? How do we strike that balance?Ask yourself - is your big goal too disengaging? Could it be harmful to the organization?Given where my company is - what needs to happen for me to be the most high performance I can be? What are the few behaviors that matter the most for performance right now?Three “buckets” of behaviors that cause us to derail:“Moving away” behaviors - behaviors that cause you to put distance between you and other people. Passive aggression, shyness, etc. “Moving against” behaviors - putting you into other people’s space and make them want to spend less time with you“Moving towards” behaviors - suck up behavior, managing up and the people below you don’t like itThere are many fixed traits of your life, background, abilities etc that you can’t change - focus on what you can change It’s the experience we have that grow us fastest - the most big, challenging, scary, risky experiences you have the faster you’re going to learn. It’s easy to get comfortable, but comfort is the enemy of growthWe often exaggerate the downside and underestimate the upsideHomework: Action begins with an assessment of where we are today - how do you compare against the 8 step framework - then determine what your ONE key priority going forward should be Homework: Ask your boss: I want to deliver 2x next year - what’s the ONE thing I could do differently to deliver more on that goal? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the shocking truth about the dangers of positive thinking. Is it always good to visualize your goals? Could there be potential downsides to daydreams and fantasies about the future? How can we identify what stands in the way of our goals and take concrete action to get there? We look at these questions and much more, along with a proven evidence-based methodology for creating effective behavior change - to actually achieve what you want - with our guest Dr. Gabriele Oettingen Dr. Gabriele Oettingen is a Professor of Psychology at New York University and the University of Hamburg. She is the creator of the WOOP process and author of the book Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside The New Science of Motivation. Her work has been featured in The Harvard Business Review, NPR’s Hidden Brain, and much more!Positive thinking must be positive, right?The shocking and counter-intuitive science behind the truth about positive thinkingPositive fantasies and daydreams about the future can be very helpful when we think about improving our mood - but when it comes to actually executing and creating results, positive fantasies can have a serious negative impact on our behavior and our resultsStudies show that inducing positive fantasies about the future causes a drop in energy and motivationPositive fantasies and daydreams sap our energy for moving towards our goalsMental Contrasting of the Positive Future and the Inner Obstacles of Reality standing in the way of that positive futureMental contrasting helps you prioritize your goals and figure out the right ones to pursue The myth of “positive thinking” and “being optimistic” is very seductive - but it can be dangerous and misleadingMost of our wishes are more challenging, difficult, and complicated than we think they areSheer positive visualization won’t help you get to your goals, and may be harming you and making it less likely for you to achieve your goals Positive visualization creates a measurable physical change in your body that makes you less likely to the action and create results The idea that you have an obstacle in the way will stir up the energy necessary to overcome your obstaclesThinking about your obstacles will produce strategies that will help you overcome your obstaclesThe Conscious Exercise of Mental Contrasting triggers nonconscius processes and the conscious processes do the workThe work of Mental Contrasting builds associative links to the subconscious that produces the behavior change necessary to achieve your goalsThe combination of Mental Contrasting + Implementation Intentions it the “WOOP” StrategyWishOutcome (imagine)Obstacle (imagine)Plan (if/then)It only takes 5-10 mins to apply the WOOP methodology - 5-10 mins of concentrated focusSlowUninterruptedFocusedBy yourselfWOOP builds the subconscious framework that creates the behaviors that result in actionWOOP is a skill you can learn and its different because it draws on automatic subconscious processes to create behavioral changeWOOP is a discovery tool - dig a little deeper into your wishes - what is it really that stands in the way?Homework: WOOP for yourself (details on woopmylife.org) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we go deep on the science of performing under pressure. We look at why some people perform under pressure and others don’t. We discuss the skill of flexibility and “fluid intelligence,” explore the differences between stress and pressure, look at concrete strategies for managing both in your life, and much more with our guest Dr. Hank Weisinger. Dr. Hank Weisinger is a psychologist trained in clinical, counseling, school, and organizational psychology. He is the originator of Criticism Training and the emerging field of pressure management. He is the author of several books including his most recent New York Times Best Seller How To Perform Under Pressure and his work has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, ESPN, NPR, and much more!The work on criticism and anger that Dr. Weisinger comes from deep clinical experience and informs his perspective on emotional intelligenceEmotional intelligence is not a new field - it’s been around for a long time - and yet most people don’t grasp the basic premises of emotional intelligenceWhy advice doesn’t work and what you should do instead of giving people adviceYou can’t criticize someone for something they can’t change - the goal of criticism is to create change - and sometimes people can’t change - sometimes the best way to create change is to change your own behaviorA good key to developing the skill of criticism is how quickly you can recognize the defensiveness of another person and use it as a clue that you’re being ineffective and need to try something elseThe faster your recognize that you’re being ineffective the faster change your behavior and create resultsIf you played your best and lost - don’t feel bad. You only feel bad when you play below your capability. Pressure is a villain in your life. There’s nothing good about it. The function of pressure is to weed people out. What is pressure? You're experiencing pressure in a situation where the (a) the outcome is uncertain and (b) its dependent on your performance. Stress and pressure are two different psychological concepts - you must treat them separately and handle them separately. Stress is about having lots of demands on your time and feeling overwhelmed. There are lots of ways to reduce stress. If you have to perform effectively under pressure 24x7 that's a terrible way to liveEvidence-based strategies for reducing the feelings of pressure during the moment“Pressure anxiety” vs “performance anxiety” - what’s the difference and why is it important?How people perform under pressure is often about how they perceive the situation - do they perceive it as threatening or do they perceive it as an opportunity?Don’t get over-attached to an outcome and define yourself and your self-esteem by your job performanceHomework: Literally write down your anxiety and you will do better in your pressure moments. Write them down and they will be less likely to surface during the moment of truth.Homework: Affirm your self-worth before a pressure moment with 3 things that have nothing to do with your performance. Homework: Share your feelings of pressure with others. Homework: Anticipate what might go wrong during a pressure moment.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss several seemingly good ideas that are actually quite dangerous. We start with a look at how the immune system can teach us about the vital importance of being “anti-fragile.” We look at lessons from ancient cultural traditions all the way up to modern psychology research to peel back the layers of our current social dialogue and look at many notions that have permeated our current thinking. What are the best ways to promote growth and development? How can we help heal people who have suffered from trauma? How can we create a framework that allows for our society to seek the truth and solve our toughest challenges? We take a hard look at the answers to these questions and much more with our guest Dr. Jonathan Haidt. Dr. Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and professor of ethical leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He is the author of multiple books including most recently The Coddling of The American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure. He is also the author of over 90 academic articles and his work has been featured across the globe.What can the immune system teach us about vital importance of anti-fragility?The reason peanut allergies are rising is because America started protecting kids from peanuts in the early 90sKids need to get sick and be exposed to dirt and germs so that they can be healthier - that’s the cornerstone of the immune systemComfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort - we must be uncomfortable to growOur extreme culture of overprotection has really harmed childrenYou don’t grow in a threatening world - you hunker down and get defensiveChildren need to be in the zone of exploration and excitementWhat happens when students themselves ask for protection from ideas and think that ideas will traumatize them?A desire to protect those who are emotionally fragile is wrong - exposure is how you solve fear and emotional fragilityIf the goal is actually to help people - the entire culture of safetyism - that people are fragile and need to be protected - is directly opposed to the scientific research around what actually helps peopleAre the phenomena of Safe space, trigger warnings, micro aggressions and the morality of “safetyism” that arose in the last few years healthy for individuals and society?If you goal is healing trauma and helping people improve - embracing discomfort is the best solutionIf your goal is to seek truth - then you must expose yourself to ideas you disagree with and have others challenge your ideas as well If you goal is ideological victory then you try to silence your opponents ideas If people don’t share ideas because they’re afraid of being attacked - then the entire goal of truth seeking cannot be achieved. Today people are afraid of speaking up and afraid of challenging many ideasThis is a pragmatic argument - its not moral or political - and yet the dialogue today prevents the discussion of truth from even happeningThe “Chicago Principles” for freedom of thinking - an open platform to speak, discuss, and debate ideas - so that you can make your case with evidence and good arguments. If you don’t have diversity of ideas when you’re searching for truth you often come to erroneous conclusions. When we lose viewpoint diversity the science itself is at risk. If you don’t have diversity you’re likely to have bad thinking. Homework: Spread these ideas to others.Homework: Think about the context and system you can to improve and think about how these principles can be appleid to keep healthy debate and productive disagreement  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss several simple strategies for thinking better by looking at lessons ranging from sources as disparate as the methods of Sherlock Holmes to the principles of professional poker. How do you create focus and engagement when you’re trying to solve a problem? What are the potential ways that you can improve your memory to supercharge your thinking ability? How can you train your mind to think more effectively about emotion, risk, and uncertainty? We discuss this and much more with our guest Maria Konnikova. Maria Konnikova is the author of two New York Times best-sellers Mastermind: How To Think Like Sherlock Holmes and The Confidence Game. Maria graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and received her Ph.D in psychology from Columbia University. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, WIRED, and much more and she is an avid poker player as well.Is is possible that a fictional character could teach us how to think and make better decisions?Mindfulness - the thing that distinguishes Sherlock Holmes from any other detective is that he is fully present and sees and observes small detailsThe hidden power of how remarkably quiet Sherlock Holmes is - he’s a great demonstration of the power of contemplative routinesHow do we create focus and engagement when we’re working on something?You carry this real estate with you all the time - your “Brain attic” - and how you can use it to think more effectivelyAny information you remember is only useful to you if you can retrieve it when you need - and that’s why you must store things properly A few strategies for making your memory more effective:Encoding - the moment where we first remember it. If you aren’t paying attention you won’t remember in the first place and the memory will never get encoded. Memories are most powerful when they’re tied to other existing memoriesEvery single point of encoding is an anchor or retrieval point that can retrieve everythingUse multiple senses to encode a memory - not just one - build a rich texture of memories to encode them Encoding is different than rote memorization - it’s much more powerfulHow Maria went from a psychology PhD to becoming a professional poker playerHow poker can teach you how to make decisions under conditions of risk, uncertainty, and emotion You can teach people about biases and yet they still make the same mistakes Poker is a way to teach your mind to think in the right ways about risk, emotion, and uncertaintyThere is no better metaphor for the game of life than pokerWhat enabled Maria Konnikova to go from a total outsider to a professional poker player in such a short period of time?Having one of the top players in the world mentor her was a huge piece of itHaving a beginners mind and being willing to not know and ask simple questions Being willing to study and put in massive hours to learnFully immersing yourself, studying 9-10 hours a day, reading, analyzing hands, watching streams, taking notes, talking to people about strategyThere are no shortcuts, ever. There’s no magic bullet. You must put aside your ego to learn and improveHomework: Single most important thing that you can do is meditate 10 minutes per day every day. It doesn’t matter what’s going on around you. Admit the distractions and then let go of them. It doesn’t need to be a quiet place. That one habit can be life changing.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we break down the complex and confusing world of body language and nonverbal communication. We discover the easiest starting point for learning the basics you need to know to get started with reading and understanding body language and we dig into the specific tools and strategies you can start using right away to not only decode the body language of others, but also change your own body language to communicate what you want. We explore all this and much more with our guest Joe Navarro. Joe Navarro was approached to join the FBI while working as a police officer at the age of 23. He spent the next 25 years at the FBI working as both an agent and a supervisor in the areas of counterintelligence and counterterrorism. Since retiring in 2003 Joe has written several best selling books on human behavior most recently The Dictionary of Body Language: A field Guide To What Every Body is Saying. His work is frequently featured on programs such as The Today Show, Fox News, Good Morning America, and more!How do we breakdown the maze of nonverbal communication and cues and use them to understand and influence others?Nonverbals are everything other than spoken communication - body language, clothes, cars, pens, accessories, etc You can use nonverbal cues to deeply understand other people, their behaviors and desires The most simple way to understand human body language is to break it down in to the basic categories of “comfort” and “discomfort”We are always transmitting, we’re always being examined, people are assessing us the minute we come into viewEasy signs of discomfort to spot and teach yourself to view:Eye touching / eye covering - a powerful phenomena that can even be seen in blind children Lip compression is a very good indicator that something is wrong - someone is struggling with something or worried about somethingJaw shifting - sign of struggle / difficultyNeck touching - welcome tend to touch the base of their neck with their finger, men tend to grab their necks or massage their necksVentilation behaviors - pulling on your shirt, lifting up your hair - shows difficulty or struggleIf you stand at an angle, people will listen to you for a longer period of timeTilting your head slightly to the side is one of the best ways to build rapport with peopleThe feet are the most honest part of the body - how you can read people’s feet to understand what they’re telling you When they’re something we don’t like our feet will immediately turn away from itThe limbic system in the brain - the “lizard brain” - is responsible for our survival and triggers many of these subconscious nonverbal reactionsTry this out at a meeting or cocktail party - pick out a behavior, observe it, and see if you can learn to watch for itIt’s very difficult to detect deception in someone’s body language - the story of the parking ticket All actors rehearse - it’s no different with the nonverbal personas you want to use to interact with peopleHomework: watch as people are reporting on the stock market on a good and bad day and watch their nonverbalsHomework: watch a TV show with the sound off and see if you can pick out what’s going on from just the nonverbal cuesHomework: 3 starting behaviors to look for Look for eye blocking/eye closureLook for lip compression & jaw shiftingLook for neck touching Notice when it happens, how it happens, what questions were asked, and how people answer - build that into your repitoirs and the expand your skills Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how a few crazy ideas from quantum physics might just change your life. We look at how some of the core principles from the hard sciences have huge implications for the way we live, love, and deal with a world of danger and uncertainty. It is possible that the laws of physics hold lessons that could help us redefine our relationship with anxiety and suffering and open the door to possibility? We discuss this and much more with our guest Mel Schwartz Mel Schwartz is a psychotherapist, marriage counselor, author, and speaker. He is one of the first contemporary practicing psychotherapists to distill the basic premises of quantum theory into therapeutic approaches. Mel is the author of the book The Possibility Principle: How Quantum Physics Can Improve the Way You Think, Live and Love and has been featured in Psychology Today, TED, and much more.How a panic attack led to a chance encounter with a worldview that transformed Mel’s perceptiveThe Core Principles of Quantum Physics and how they can redefine our livesThe epidemic of anxiety in our society has to do with our relationship with uncertainty - warding off uncertainty creates stress and anxietyQuantum theory holds the premise that reality is literally one inseparable wholeScience confirms the “mystic” belief that everything in life is inseparable “The myth of separation” - We are no longer separate disconnected cogs You don’t need to be a math wizard to understand how the principles of quantum physics can transform your world view Our thinking has been trained to compartmentalize and separate the worldDepression comes from a sense of alienation and alone-ness from Newton's deterministic worldviewThe Newtonian worldview - the deterministic / mechanistic worldview Quantum reality is in a state of potential - always waiting to occur Mistakes should not be feared - labeling your experience as mistakes causes you to live in a prison of fear and anxietyDon’t avoid it - embrace discomfort - we must embrace discomfort psychologically and cognitively to grow Embrace confusion - it’s exciting, its a sign post for growth, it gets you to places you’ve never been before The way to embrace uncertainty is by shifting your relationship with your thoughtsUncertainty = possibilityAddiction to certainty = anxiety, fear, stressAsk yourself - what is my thought telling me? How do I know it’s true? How often do I have these thoughts?What does it mean to really be strong? To be vulnerable. Sharing your insecurities, self doubts, and fears.You give other people the power to judge you - and judge yourself based on what you think, they think of youThe way we picture reality is the way we experience reality Homework: In the course of your day - try to capture the themes of your thoughts and ask yourself, what are they telling you? Homework: As yourself some larger question - how do you view life? How did you come to your core beliefs about the world? What informs your core beliefs about the world? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we tell the truth about time. We throw out the old and dated conceptions of “time management” and look at how time really works. We explore the fundamental way you must flip your approach to time so that you can focus on what really matters in life. We look at how you can become an artist manipulating time at your will - stretching your best moments so that they last longer and ruthlessly removing the things that clutter your life. If you feel pressed for time - like there is never enough - and want to figure out how to create time for what really matters - listen to this episode with our guest Laura Vanderkam.  Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books. Her TED talk titled “How To Gain Control of Your Free Time” has been viewed over 5 million times and she is the co-host of the podcast Best of Both Worlds. Her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune.Does time management work? Is time management a concept with too much baggage associated with it to even be meaningful?It’s not about cramming so much stuff into your life - it’s about focusing on the most important things. Fundamentally flip your approach - removing as much as possible is much more important than cramming as much as possible into your dayPeople who were highly relaxed around their time had a tendency to plan “mini adventures” in their lives Putting more valuable stuff into our lives makes time more memorable. If you want to feel like you have more time you need to create more memories. Can we become “artists manipulating time” to stretch the best moments so that they last longer?Anticipation is powerful - starting savoring before it startsBe as present as possible, notice details, think about how you might describe it to someoneTell the story of what happened - every time you tell it you get pleasure from itCommemorate it with artifacts (ticket stubs, t-shirts, etc)Play the same song over and over again to encode that song to a specific memory or experienceCreate as many memories as possible - more memories makes time expand Time is highly elastic - it stretches to accommodate what we need or want to fit into it Time management is not about shaving extra hours out of every day - it’s about selecting the right prioritiesIf you’ve ever binged something on Netflix - you found extra time because you had something that was a big priorityLack of Time = Lack of Priorities “Reflective Activities” like journaling, meditating, praying - stepping back from life and thinking about life - people with the highest time perception and time management scores did these every other day, the lowest scores people never did itPart of feeling relaxed about your time is knowing when and how you’re spending your leisure timeLetting go of expectations is a great time management strategy Planning your weeks before you’re in them is a great strategy to make time for your priorities FIRSTMake a 3 category priority list:CareerRelationshipsSelfEach one of those categories is key!!A great tactic for setting your short to medium term goals - writing a “Performance Review” (for next year)Look at this list all the timeIt can start informing your schedule choicesHow do we create more effective morning and evening routines?Homework: Track your time for a week (if you can’t track it for a day or two)Homework: Plan a “mini adventure” during the work day or after work this week - do something different, put a little adventure into your life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we show you the science of communication. Have you ever been afraid to speak or present? Are you worried about not having the skills or tools to communicate your ideas to the world? We dig into the science and the strategies of mastering skills like speaking and presenting, crushing the anxiety that often accompanies thee high stakes moments, and share evidence based strategies for becoming  a master communicator. Matt Abrahams is a Professor of Strategic Communication for Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He is the co-founder of Bold Echo Communication Solutions and author of the book Speaking Up Without Freaking Out. Matt’s videos and training techniques have been viewed tens of millions of times in TEDx, Inc. and much more!What happens when you rip your pants in the middle of a big speech?Anxiety can have a tremendously negative impact on our ability to to communicateConfidence in speaking and what it means to be authentic and how to be an engaging communicator Anxiety negatively impacts communication in two major waysAudiences have trouble listening to a nervous speakerYou get caught up in your own head A foundational tenant of all communication is to be audience centric - your job is to serve the needs of your audience Research sees anxiety about speaking and communicating as ubiquitous across ages, cultures etcFear of communication is hard-wired intro your brain by evolution and it’s social pressuresThere are two fundamental approaches to dealing with anxietyDealing with the symptomsDealing with the actual sources of anxietySpeaking in high stakes situations is internalized by your body as a threatHold something cold in the palm of your hand it can reduce your body temperature and counter-act sweating and blushing that results from anxiety. Distracting your audience is a great strategy to take their focus off of you. Give the audience something to distract them and get them more engagedIf you gesture more slowly you will actually slow down your speaking rateGreet your anxiety - give yourself permission to be anxious. This is how you short circuit the loop of getting nervous about getting nervous. This works with any emotion, not just anxiety. The powerful learnings from improv comedy that can make you be a more confidence speaker Dare to be dull - don’t strive for perfection. Do what needs to be done, and by reducing the pressure you put on yourself you increase the likelihood that you will actually achieve a great outcome.The “Shout the wrong name” exercise that can help you reduce your anxiety in real timeConstraints and structure invite more opportunities for creativity (in life) and in communicationThe components of confidenceManaging anxietyCreating presence & meta awareness - adapt your communication to what’s happening the moment Convey emotion - confidence speakers convey emotion You have to tie the data and facts back into the emotions - the implications of the science and the dataThe “What?,” “So What?,” “Now What?” Structure The answerWhy its importantWhat you do with the answer that’s just givenHomework - Take the opportunity too build your skills. Like any skill you’re trying to build -  it’s all aboutRepetition - find avenues to speak and give presentationsReflection - ask yourself what worked and what didn’t workFeedback - find a trusted other - a mentor, a colleague, a loved one who can give you honest feedback. We are bad at judging our own communication Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss happiness. Can the pursuit of happiness backfire? Why are people more depressed an anxious than ever in a time when the world is physically safer and healthier than ever before in history? We look at the crisis of meaning in our society and examine how we can cultivate real meaning in our lives, beyond ourselves, and move towards an existence of purpose with our guest Emily Esfahani Smith.  Emily Esfahani Smith is a journalist, positive psychology instructor, and author. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College and earned a master of applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Her articles have been read over 30 million times, her TED talk has over 1.3 million views and her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, TIME, the TED stage, and more.Should we be pursuing happiness?There’s more to life than being happyWhen we pursue happiness - it’s very self-oriented2 reasons why the “pursuit of happiness can backfire"It’s not possible to be happy all the time - and it’s a fool's errand to try and pursue happiness all the time - it’s not a realistic expectation for your lifeHappiness is very “self-focused” - how is this affecting ME - its a very selfish perception People are healthier, safer, more comfortable than any time in history - and yet anxiety and depression are increasing, suicide rates are increasing - why is this happening?Meaning is about connecting and contributing to something beyond yourself - being connecting to your family, to god, to nature, to the universe, etc Some of the essential characteristics of people with meaning in their livesYour life has worth and significanceYour life has a sense of purposeYour life is coherentHow can we find meaning beyond ourselves in a world where most of our major social institutions have eroded away to a large degree (patriotism, religion, family, etc)?In the modern era - the challenge of being alive is the challenge of trying to find meaning on your ownThe Four Pillars of MeaningBelonging - being in communities and relationships where you feel valued for who you are intrinsicallyPurpose - using your strengths to serve other people. Having something worthwhile to do with your time. Making a contribution to the world. Children who do chores around the house have a higher sense of meaningTranscendence - when your sense of self-starts to turn down or turn off completely. Stepping beyond yourself.Storytelling - the story that you tell yourself about yourselfHow do we create belonging in your life?Forming intimate relationships with othersBelonging is a choice that we make - and we can choose to cultivate in any given momentYou can also take the initiative to create these new types of communities within your own life and communityHow do we change the stories that we tell ourselves about ourselves?The first thing is to recognize that we are constantly telling ourselves stories about ourselvesA “contamination” story and how that can change your self-perception and create negative results in your life?Something happened in my life, then there was a negative result, not I’m “contaminated"A “redemptive” story - a story that moves from bad things happening to good things happeningSomething bad happened in my life, and that has made me grow, made me stronger If you’re telling a negative story, how do you start telling a better story?Narrative writing, journaling Is leading a meaningful life just about accomplishment and achieving results? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how the impossible becomes possible. We look at how to create paradigm shifting breakthroughs, dig into the science and research at the frontier of peak human performance to understand what’s at the core of nearly every gold medal or world championship - the powerful concept of flow. How do we create flow in our lives, how can we use it as a tool to become 400% more creative and learn skills 200% faster? We dig into this and much more with our guest Steven Kotler.  Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist and the cofounder and director of research of the Flow Genome Project. His most recent work, Stealing Fire, was a national bestseller and nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Steven’s work have been translated into over 40 languages and appeared in over 100 publications, including The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Wired and TIME.Wherever people are taking huge risks to change the world, you find flow How do you create Paradigm Shifting Breakthroughs?Whenever you see the impossible become possible you see two things:People leverage and take advantage of disruptive technologyPeople finding ways to extend human capacityPeak performance is about being fanatical - repeating, week after week, year after year, for your entire career. You have to have that level of hunger, motivation, and driveSteven’s work is focused on studying the peak performance state known as FlowHow can we use Flow to massively level up performance?Major Characteristics of FlowFlow is definable - it has  core characteristicsComplete ConcentrationTime DilationFlow is measurableFlow is universalFlow is a spectrum experience - you can be in micro flow or macro flowFlow often mistaken for a mystical experience before it was measured and studiedMcKinsey did a 10 year study on flow - it made top executives 500% more effectiveFlow creates a 400% - 700% increase in creativityCan that really be true?What is creativity?Soldiers learn skills 230% faster in flow statesWhen you’re in a flow state you’re actually using LESS of your brain not more of itYour brain is burning a lot of energy and so it shut’s this part of the brain downAs your need for concentration goes up, the brain starts shutting down non-critical areas to maximize attentionFlow also creates a huge dump of positive neurochemicals and stress hormones are flushed out of your system and replaced with “big five” neurochemicalsAnybody can access flow because flow stats have triggers - flow is universal provided certain initial conditions are metOne of the most important triggers is the challenge/skills balance - when the challenge slightly exceeds our skillset“Let my people go surfing” - PatagoniaTraining up flow while you’re surfing trains the brain to enter flow states in generalHeightened creativity lasts for several daysConscious altered and being focused is usually 1-1.5 hrsA place where most people screw up Flow - they take the amplified creativity from flow and ride it til the very bitter end until they are very exhausted. That makes it more difficult to jump into flow the next time. The intersection of flow states and the Science of SpiritualityThe same neurobiological states from flow show up in the same place as mystical experiences, psychedelic states, states of awe, near death experiences. All of these experiences neurobiologically are very very similar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to make better decisions under conditions of uncertainty. We look at “the worst call in the history of football,” discuss examples from life, business and even high stakes poker to understand how to make the best possible decisions in a a world filled with unknowns. What exactly is a good decision? Is that different than a good outcome? We look at this key question - and uncover the wisdom hidden in the reality that these two things might be completely different. All this and more with our guest Annie Duke. Annie is a professional decision strategists and former professional poker player. She has leveraged her expertise in the science of smart decision making throughout her life and for two decades was one of the top poker players in the world. She is the author of the book Thinking In Bets: Making Smart Decisions When You Don’t Have All The Facts and after being granted the National Science Foundation Fellowship, studied Cognitive Psychology at The University of Pennsylvania.How do we get create lessons from our experiences?How do we sort out the noise in the gap between decision quality and outcome quality?In poker (like life) you can make really good decision and have a really bad outcome - but that doesn’t mean that you made a bad decisionThis fuzzy relationship between decision making and outcomes can be very problematic for people “Resulting”- tying the quality of the outcome too tightly to the quality of decisionsAn unlucky / bad outcome is not the same as a bad decisionRed lights and green lights - and how they can shine a light on hidden risks to decision-makingThe only thing that matters is not the result - but the process  of making decisions - because that is all we can controlIn our own lives we constantly lurch into over-reactions when we focus only on results and not on our decision-making qualityStrategy #1: Approach the world through the frame of decisions as betsWhy you should ask “Wanna Bet?” to get more clarity about a situationThere are 2 major sources of uncertainty between Decisions and OutcomesLuck/RandomnessInformation AsymmetryStrategy #2: Get other people involved in the process with youYou are really good at recognizing other people’s bias, even when you can’t see your ownWhen you’re trying to make a decision (or a bet) the person who will win is the person who has the most accurate “mental model” or model of realityStrategy #3: Try to quarantine yourself from experienceEscape the quality of the outcome and how it impacts your assessment - unless you have enough data to actually verify it Key Steps to Focusing on the Decision-Making Process Not the OutcomeEvaluate decisions prior to getting the outcomeCreate a Decision Pod of other people who can challenge your thinkingThe key to making effective decisions is to multiply the probability of the outcome by the impact/magnitude Homework #1: find a group of people who are open minded, who want to be better decision-makers, and agree together that you want to question each others thinking, not be defensive, hold each other accountable to biasHomework #2: Start listening to yourself for signals that you might be engaging in biased behavior, using the words wrong/right, should ofHomework #3: Discuss a decision with 2 different people and give them opposite “outcomes” (Tell one it went really well, tell the other it went really poorly) to get clear sense of different sides of the coin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we go deep on the science of personality. We look at how we’ve moved way beyond the debate of nature vs nurture, we look at the “Myth of Authenticity" and the danger of “just being yourself,” we examine why human wellbeing (aka success) depends on the sustainable pursuit of core projects in our lives, explore the complex dance of self improvement between the limitation of biological, social factors and the identity of individuals, and look at how much agency and control we really have in shaping our personalities and lives among all of these different factors with our guest Dr. Brian Little. What is Trait Psychology?Traits do have predictive validity“The Big Five” personality model is the most dominant perspective in personality trait psychologyOCEANOpenness to experienceConscientiousnessExtraversionAgreeablenessNeuroticism Honesty / humility is a sixth factor that may not be included in the “Big Five” modelThese personality traits have consequential predictive ability for your life outcomes, happiness, marriage, success, divorce, etcThe trait of conscientiousness is a very good predictor of work place success but also predicts health outcomes, why is that?Disagreeable people also have a health risk factor - low agreeableness shows an increased risk for heart diseaseOpenness-to-experience and conscietouness have different paths to success - but both can be successful predictors of positive life outcomesThe myth of the creative hero. The creative project is much more important than the illusion of the solo creative.How changeable or immutable are our personality traits? Are we stuck with the personality we are born with?Your trait expressions can be shaped not just by your biology but also by the things that really matter to you - by your own “personal projects”If you constantly act out of character - you may eventually run the risk of burning outThe study of our traits gets us INTO the study of personality but not ALL THE WAY inWe’ve moved WAY beyond the nature vs nurture debate Genetic expression is a matter of external influence than shapes the expression of genesThere is a biological “base” to our personality - but it’s a base that we can either act against or act in accordance with itSelf improvement is a dance between biological, social, and individual factors Traits are a necessary way of understanding personality but they are not sufficient We explore "The Bodnarian Aspects of Matt"We are not just pawns - we can shape things and change the trajectory of our lives (within reasonable boundaries)“Go for it” feels good - but its often a cheap way out - take a harder look and really look at the best path forward for yourself Accepting and facing reality as it is - including your own limitations and weaknesses - is an essential component of successHuman wellbeing (“success”) depends on the sustainable pursuit of core projects in our lives. Natural dispositions that we don’t borrow from our cultural scripts are the first line of influence that help shape what becomes the core projects in our livesOut of the stew emerge biological shaped, but also socially influenced possible futures for yourself that are anchored in core projects The sustainable pursuit of core projects is vital - the way in which we get them isHomework: If you want to play outside your personality comfort zone, start with small uncomfortable changes and gradually build into more and more difficult situations Homework: Conduct short term experiments, self change experiments, “fixed role explorations” and then monitor the impact that has on your personality and behavior Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we show how you can decode scientific studies and spot bad science by digging deep into the tools and skills you need to be an educated consumer of scientific information. Are you tired of seeing seemingly outrageous studies published in the news, only to see the exact opposite published a week later? What makes scientific research useful and valid? How can you, as a non-scientist, read and understand scientific information in a simple and straightforward way that can help you get closer to the truth - and apply those lessons to your life. We discuss this and much more with Dr. Brian Nosek.  Dr. Brian Nosek is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Open Science and a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. Brian led the reproducibility project which involved leading some 270 of his peers to reproduce 100 published psychology studies to see if they could reproduce the results. This work shed light on some of the publication bias in the science of psychology and much more.Does the science show that extrasensory perception is real?Is there something wrong with the rules of the science or the way that we conduct science?What makes academic research publishable is not the same thing as what makes academic research accuratePublication is the currency of advancement in scienceNovel, positive, cleanWhat does “Nulls Hypothesis significance testing” / P-Value less than .05 even mean?Less than 5% of the time would you observe this evidence if there was no relationshipThe incentives for scientific publishing often skew, even without conscious intent by scientists, towards only publishing studies that support their hypothesis and conclusionsThe conclusions of many scientific studies may not be reproducible and may, in fact, be wrong How the reasoning challenges and biases of human thinking skew scientific results and create false conclusionsConfirmation biasOutcome bias“The Reproducibility Project” in psychologyTook a sample of 100 studies Across those 100 studies - the evidence was able to be reproduced only 40% of the timeThe effect size was 50% of what it was What The Reproducibility Project spawned was not a conclusion, but a QUESTIONHow do we as lay consumers determine if something is scientifically valid or not?We discuss the basic keys to understanding, reading, and consuming scientific studies as a non-scientist and ask how do we determine the quality of evidence?Watch out for any DEFINITIVE conclusionsThe sample size is very important, the larger the betterAggregation of evidence is better - “hundreds of studies show"Meta-studies / meta-analysis are important and typically more credibleLook up the original paperIs there doubt expressed in the story/report about the data? (how could the evidence be wrong, what needs to be proven next, etc)Valid scientific research often isn’t newsworthy - it takes lots of time to reach valid scientific conclusions It’s not just about the OUTCOME of a scientific study - the confidence in those outcomes is dependent on the PROCESS Where do we go from here as both individuals and scientists? How can we do better?Transparency is keyPreregistration - commit to a designThe powerful tool of “pre-registration” and how you can use it to improve your own thinking and decision-makingHomework - deliberately seek out people who disagree with you, build a “team of rivals" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss real life inception with a former bank robber turned neuroscientist. Is it possible to plant ideas in your head? Are your memories an accurate reflection of past reality? Can you change and mold your memories to be different? We open the door on human irrationality and explore why and how we make bad decisions, and what you can do to make small changes that will create a big impact in your life and much more with our guest Moran Cerf. How Moran went from an accomplished bank robber to a prominent neuroscientistMost times in life we tell our story backwards to make sense of the pastAre people rational actors who make decisions in their own best interest?Humans are not rational actors - they often make irrational choicesBehavioral economics opened the door to explaining human irrationality - but neuroscientists were necessary to truly explain WHY these mistakes were happeningIrrational behavior - why it works - and how we can change it Is losing a $10 movie ticket the same as losing $10? In case of most people’s behavior - almost certainly not.  Your memories are not a reliable reflection of reality or your past - despite the fact that you think they are “Don’t believe everything you think"Real Life Inception - Planting Ideas In Your Brain, re-shaping your memoriesHow neuroscientists use magicians and slight of hand to demonstrate our ability to rationalize and explain our decisionsIf you make a small positive step, the brain will start to build pillars of support to underpin that new behaviorHow does neuroplasticity impact our brains ability to change adapt and transform our beliefs and memoriesYour memories are never fixed - they aren’t sitting in a vault, perfect, unchanged. Your memories are changed and modified every time you remember them and pull them back. Ever time you use a memory, you change it a little bit - over time we change memories greatly - we can remember things that never existed and forget what truly happenedThis is how the brain deals with trauma and negative experienceEven when you’re sleeping your brain rehearses, loads, and engages with your memories.Bringing up and talking through negative memories physically reshapes those memories in your brainYou think you are very unique - in terms of your brain - but we are very similar and fall into predictable behavioral patterns and biases We often think our decisions are our own - but in reality they are often influenced by biases, the environment, and many things beyond our control. We are discovering that more and more of our brain is not really under our control. Subtle shifts in your environment change how you respond to things. “Embodied cognition” shows that many things are happening to us, that we don’t have full control over If you have a name for something you can think about it, if you can think about it you can control itCoding things is huge as well (what was the temparture, your mood, hunger level etc when you made decisions)Just by listening to this episode you’re improving your ability to think more effectively and make better decisions! How can we take these lessons of neuroscience and apply them to make ourselves smarter and better decision makers?Planting computer chips into your brain - and teaching your brain how to read and interact with them. Homework - surround yourself with people who are doing what you want to do Think about what you wantFind people who have it Spend time with them and in their proximity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss the secrets of perfect timing. Is there really a science to timing the most important things in life? Is it possible that something as simple as time of day could impact the effectiveness of doctors and other medical experts? Can you align your day to be more effective just by changing the time that you do certain activities? We dig into these questions and much more as we explore the truth about the power of time - with Dan Pink. Dan Pink is the New York Times bestselling author of multiple award winning books including his most recent work When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Dan has been named one of Thinkers 50’s top 15 business thinkers in the world. His TED talk on the science of motivation is one of the 10 most-watched TED talks of all time and his work has been featured across the globe.Is timing an art or a science?The science of timing is multi-disciplinary challengeThe power of multi-disciplinary thinking and how thinking between and beyond the boundaries of academic disciplines gives us the more coherent picture of realityWe don’t take WHEN as seriously as WHATScience say about constructing better daily architectures?The three major day parts - Peak / Trough / Recovery How we should think about aligning our day around each of these periodsOur “vigilance” peaks in the morningAlign Analytic, Administrative, Creative We see the same patterns across different domains of lifeAll times of day are not created equal The performance gap is pretty astounding Why you should never go to the doctors office in the afternoon“The Science of Breaks” is proving to be really powerful The science of “breaks” is where the science of sleep was 15 years ago“Breaks are for wimps, breaks are a sign of weakness” - this is totally wrongProfessionals take breaks, amateurs don'tThe three “chronotypes” - the field of chronobiology Morning people - “larksEvening people - “owls"Intermediate people - “third birds"“The Munich Chronotype Questionnaire"Does fasting raise your energy levels throughout the day?Does caffeine positively or negatively our energy flow throughout the day?Take a cup of coffee and then a short nap - will energize you tremendously Our lives are a series of episodes, not a clear linear progressionLife is full of Beginnings, Middles, and Ends - and each affects us differently Middles can bring us up or bring us downMid points are often invisible to usHomework: Make a “break list"A small break is better than no break at allMoving is better than not movingSocial is better than soloBest breaks are FULLY detachedHomework: Track your daily behavior Set an alarm every 45min to an hourHow do I feel right now 1-10How am I worked right now 1-10?Chart those answers over time for a week or twoHomework: Observe your own behavior and conduct small experiments - A/B Test on yourself Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we discuss why the way we think about grit and willpower is fundamentally wrong. Self-control is one of the most research-validated strategies for long-term success - but the way we think about cultivating is fundamentally wrong. Emotions don’t get in the way of self-control - they are actually the path forward to sustainable and renewable willpower. How do we develop the emotions that underpin grit, self-control, and achievement? We dig into that and much more with our guest Dr. David DeSteno.  Dr. David DeSteno is an author and professor of psychology at North-Eastern University where he directs the Social Emotions Group. He is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association. His work has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and more!What do Marshmallows have to do with success?What do Buddhist monks and hot sauce have to do with the most effective strategies for succeeding over the long term?Lower debt, lower addictive behavior, better SAT scores, and higher overall life success can be predicted by the ability to resist temptation and delay gratificationThere’s NO DOUBT that delayed gratification/resisting temptation is highly correlated with success The real question is - what’s the best way to create self-control. Does willpower actually work? Do our emotions get in the way of self-control?Self-control didn’t evolve so that we could save money for retirement or complete Whole 30. It evolved to help us develop strong relationshipsWhat are the mechanisms that create fairness and good character? Positive emotions. Rather than being a roadblock to self-control, emotions may actually be the best way to develop self-controlRevisiting the marshmallow test for adults - and determining what really works to help adults develop self-control The three emotions of developing self-controlGratitudeCompassionPridePeople who have more of these pro-social emotions (gratitude, compassion, and pride) persevere 40% longer than someone who doesn't. Most successful teams at organizations like Google are predicated on empathy and compassion, not technical skill. These emotions seem to form “pushing vs pulling” - more sustainable and powerful strategy of self-control The pro-social emotions are “the font of virtue” - you don’t have to struggle and remind yourself, they naturally create more self-control53% of Americans feel lonely in their work lives. Loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking. Pro social emotions not only give you “grit” - they give you “grace” - and the ability to invest in others and to help them. Resume virtues vs eulogy virtues - what are they and how do we balance them?Should you be a jerk or should you be nice in order to succeed?Self-control is double sided - it's about both controlling negative impulses (anger, etc) and making positive long-term choices (eat healthily, save money, etc)Meditation does not tamp down your negative responses, it prevents them from arising in the first placeKey strategies for cultivating pro-social emotionsGratitude practicesMeditationPerspective taking exercisesSelf-compassionWhy Pride? Is that really a positive and pro-social emotion?People will work 40% longer when they feel “proud” of the work they are doingEmotionally based strategies for self-control are more robust and sustainableHomework: Choose your emotion and pick a weekly practice to start implementing itGratitudeMeditationCompassion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we explore the power of moments in our lives. Moments are the way we remember our lives, they define us, and yet we don’t have a coherent way of thinking about and understanding them. Can you engineer the defining moments of your life? Can you create more moments that are powerful and impactful? We discuss that and much more with our guest Dan Heath. Dan Heath is a Senior Fellow at Duke University’s CASE Center where he founded the Change Academy. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School and is the co-author of several New York Times best sellers. Their book Switch was named one of the best nonfiction books of the year and spent almost an entire year on the bestseller list.The power of moments - why did Chip and Dan decide to study the defining moments in our lives?Are there patterns that link the defining moments of our lives?The four elements of defining moments?Elevation - the high pointsInsight - in an instant your view of the world shiftsPride - times when are at our best, when we’re recognized for what we’re capable ofConnection - when we deepen our ties to other people - either individual or groupsStruggle, especially with a group, can create deep connectionsIf you look at powerful moments, they tend to be composed of these four elementsYou can flip that around and make it practical - if you want to create better experiences in your own life - these are the ingredients of HOW to do thatWe don’t remember our own experiences What’s so special about the The Magic Castle Hotel in LA?What’s the secret behind the second highest rated hotel in Los Angeles?Ahead of the Ritz CarltonAhead of the Four SeasonsMoments have power. Great experiences hinge on peak moments The academic research on memory and how that shapes the power of moments“Duration neglect” There are two kinds of moments that we disproportionately recall - the Peak and the EndWe are in the business of creating great experiences for people. If you get the Peaks right - you can create a great experience.The power of things that are obvious in retrospect“Moments are the medium of memories” - and yet we don’t live in a way that’s intentional around creating more momentsInconveniencing yourself to create a powerful moment is worth it - you will remember the powerful moment but not the inconvenience “We feel most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel most alive when they’re not"What can we do to create more dramatic and memorable moments in our life?“The Saturday surprise” - how you can break your script and create novelty in your life. Sometimes you need to resist your routinesWhen you start thinking in moments you start spotting all kinds of strange phenomenon in your lifeFixing problems doesn’t make people happyHow do set about creating peak moments for ourselves (and others)?Peaks, ends, and transition points are disproportionately memorable for peopleWe can be the authors of amazing moments in our livesPowerful insights come with speed and force - in the flash of momentHow change happens:People see somethingThat makes them feel somethingThat makes them CHANGE sometimeHow can creating new rituals help us manufacture transition points in our lives that become powerful moments?“The Fresh Start Effect”The power of forgiving yourself for falling short and cleaning the ledger, starting fresh.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we take a look at the biggest failure of The Science of Success and what we can do about it. We examine the three types of people in the world and how they go about approaching their own development and achieving their goals. Peter and Matt dig into accountability, the impact it’s personally had on Matt and his businesses, and how you can build accountability in your own life with Matt himself. Finally, we examine the gap between learning and doing that prevents most people from ever actually applying what they’ve learned.  Known as “The Shrink for Entrepreneurs” - Peter is a renowned business psychology expert and therapist gone renegade, he works with entrepreneurs from around the globe to help them master the psychology of reaching their goals of success faster, better, and with a bigger impact.Matt has failed, failed you, failed his listeners. Matt shares his personal struggle with moving from learning to doing and actually applying everything he learns.  The three types of people and how they go through life…which are you?Close eyed and on autopilot - These people typically have a closed mindset and are not ambitious about achieving their goals. Learners - These people are curious and passionate about the world and their goals. Typically these types have a growth mindset.High Leverage Action Takers - There are not many. They concretely apply these learnings in their lives and execute every day. Are some people just born in group 3? Born High Leverage?If you want to become high leverage and level 3 then you cannot do it alone. It’s not possible.The importance of having AccountabilityThe Science Behind Accountability and what makes it so powerful. How Peter and Matt formed strategies for accountability and executing on Matt’s most important projects. It’s up to you to take the action, but group accountability will get you there. We take a deep dive into Matt’s past both accomplishments and failures. Learn the history behind the beginnings of The Science of Success. Matt’s first experience learning outside of a classroom and actually applying that knowledge for results in the real world. Matt’s list of his personal favorite influencers and thought leaders. The PERIL of the learning-doing gap. What is it? Are you in it? And how can we get our of this spiral?Are you stuck in the “bat-cave of learning?"Do you have a huge sense of what you’re capable and know you have potential… but never actually realize it?What evidence do you have for your own growth?How to move from intellectual learning mode to high energy doing mode.Matt’s unknown “selfish" reasons for starting The Science of Success. What you need to do after every episode of The Science of Success from this day forward. There is an aspect of development that simply cannot be taught, it must be experienced. The studies and research showing that conscientiousness is a learnable skill and can be a predictor of success. This IS NOT about doing more stuff. It’s about doing the right things that require courage and discipline. How isolation affects your productivity due to your mammalian brain. Technology is robbing us of that “paleo” accountability that would normally flourish. Do you have accountability - These questions will tell you!Is it even possible to hold oneself accountable?Unveiling of The Science Of Action! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we look at the real strategy for producing breakthrough results, high contribution and personally satisfying work .The last time someone asked you how you were doing - did you answer “Busy?” Then this episode is for you. We explore why smart, capable people end up plateauing and failing. We examine the culture of busyness that has overtaken us and examine how to avoid the traps of getting overwhelmed and focusing on the wrong things. We share strategies for determining what’s important, eliminating the non-essential, and making execution effortless with our guest Greg McKeown. Greg McKeown is an international keynote speaker and the bestselling author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. Greg has spoek at events around the world including SXSW and interviewing Al Gore at the World Economic Forum, where he serves as a Young Global Leader. Greg has worked with some of the largest and well known companies in the world and his work has been featured on Fox, NPR, NBC, and praised by many more.How do smart, capable people end up plateauing and failing?Success breeds options and opportunities, which can eventually undermine successSuccess can actually be a catalyst for failure via "the undisciplined pursuit of more"You have to become “successful at success,” success itself must be managed if we are to get to the next levelEssentialism is a continually process and a disciplined pursuit of lessThe three key strategies of essentialism are:Explore what’s essentialEliminate the non-essentialMake Execution as effortless as possibleThe forces of success are such that they tend to naturally push us away from that process of focusing on the essentialOur old responses are necessary but not sufficient to the challenge of focusing on the essentialDo you ever feel busy but not productive?Do you ever feel like your life is being hijacked by other people’s agendas?It’s not just about eliminating the time wasters, but also eliminating the good opportunities tooWe have to shift more deliberately than we have, more deliberately than we think we need to. We must become FAR more selective in what we go afterDoes this sound familiar: How are you? “Busy"What does the science say about being productive?The second most highly correlated item that distinguishes TOP PERFORMERS from good performers - is the number of hours of sleepIt’s not about doing more thing's its doing more of the RIGHT THINGS“First less, then obsess"The essentialist mindset can help both your personal and your professional lifeThe idea is not called “no-ism”  - the key is to figure out what IS essential - what’s the most important thing we could be doing - and then DO THATThe most graceful no is actually saying YES to something that’s more important. Yes to a bigger and more important opportunity.  How do you say no gracefully? How do you overcome the discomfort of telling people (especially your boss) NO?Are you falling prey to "Bertolt-Becht Thinking”? (and why that might be dangerous)What will matter when I’m no longer in the picture?This is what we need to do in order to not waste our lives Self actualization is not the same as self transcendence - and why that distinction is essential (no pun intended) to understand "Reducing oneself to zero""Humility and simple truth is more powerful than empire"How to cultivate a self-transcendent perspectiveThe most important thing to do is to figure out the most important thing to do is and to do itHomework - begin a daily reflection a journal - even just one sentence a day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to build self control and self esteem. We look at what happens when you lose control - and how to develop the strategies so that you can feel calm and collected in tough situations. We discuss the importance of having an “allegiance to reality,” share concrete strategies for building self esteem, discuss the relationship between pain and fulfillment - and discuss how you can never get angry again with our guest Dr. David Lieberman. Dr. David Lieberman is a New York Times bestselling author and expert in the fields of human behavior and interpersonal relationships. His most recent work Never Get Angry Again dives into the science behind our emotions and how we can stay calm in any situation. His work has been featured on ABC, The Today Show, NPR, Entrepreneur and more.Why do people get angry? What’s at the root of anger?At the core of anger is a feeling of vulnerabilityWhen we become angry the brain releases a number of neurotransmitters and hormones - and it gives us the illusion of feeling in controlAs our self esteem erodes, we like ourselves less, we get angrierThe degree that we don’t like ourselves, the more we need other people to validate us, engaging the egoWhen someone is angry - it's about them, its not about youThe core of anger is fear and a fear of losing control Anger creates the illusion of controlPeople with low self esteem are often the most controlling people - because they need to be able to influence things around them, because they feel like they don’t have control of themselvesSelf control is at the CORE of self esteem. If you can control your own behavior, you begin to build self esteem.How do you build self esteem?Recognize that you’re in pain. Acknowledge and accept that. Allegiance to reality at all costs. Don’t pretend that it doesn’t exist. Self compassion, not self pity. Don’t beat yourself up more. With self love, you begin to grow out of pain. Reconnect with who you are. What are you living for?Living being driven by the ego - causes pain and sufferingSlow simple progress, moving step by step out of darkness will begin to fuel self esteem The entire trajectory of our lives can be shaped by our egoFocusing on achieving to win the praise and approval of other peopleQuestions to break through the ego and understand what really matters to you:What would I do if I had all the money I needed?What would I do if I felt that I couldn't fail?What would I do if I was unconditionally loved?Neurotics build castles in the sky, psychotics live in them, and psychiatrists charge rentThe beginning of mental health is when you face yourself. Ask yourself: Where have I been trying to ignore a reality?By ignoring a problem, you end up compounding it and feeling worse and worse about yourself. "Blame mode" conflicts with "solution mode". We live in culture that fosters the idea of not accepting responsibility and blaming other peopleThe way to gain self esteem is to ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY “The lottery curse” - what is it?Money, intelligence, life experience have no bearing on happiness - just the QUALITY OF OUR CHOICESThe power of decision is the power to change your life.Painful experiences ultimately help create meaning in our livesJill Bolte Taylor "90 Second Rule" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss what happens when you mistake being busy with creating results, we take a hard look at time management and examine concrete strategies for carving out more time, we look at the dangerous power of “defaults” in shaping our behavior and how we can use them to our advantage, and examine how to have a healthy relationship with our inbox with our guest Jake Knapp.  Jake is the New York Times bestselling author of Sprint. He spent ten years at Google and Google Ventures, where he created the Design Sprint process and ran it over 150 times with companies like Nest, Slack, 23andMe, and Flatiron Health. Previously, Jake helped build products like Gmail, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Encarta, and his work has been featured in Tech Crunch, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and more.Jake’s own battle and journey with time, time management, and figuring out how to make the most of his time, effort, and energy to create more results Lessons from a “time dork” who has spent time in the trenches thinking about how to best spend your timeWe spend a lot of our time in the world of “defaults” - with our technology platformsThe “busy bandwagon” - the cultural norm of wanting to be and appear that you’re busyDeleting instagram, facebook, twitter and more from his phone helped Jake be more present What happens when you mistake being busy with creating resultsIf you're caught up in the minutiae of life - what can you do to step back and get clarity on priorities and what’s really important in your life?There’s no secret solution for everyone - it’s about trying strategies to see what works for you - and constantly engaging in contemplative analysis of what’s important A “burner list” strategy you can use to organize your todo list We’re not super human and we don’t want to be - many of us wouldn’t be happy with the life of Elon MuskThink about the space between a TASK and a GOAL - clear 60-90 minutes to really dive in and create results on your most important item on your ToDo listYou don’t need to be busier to create the results you want - its about taking control of what you’re doing“Someday” goals can become realities if you prioritize correctly and break them into executable chunks If you’re not taking steps toward your goals, they effectively don’t existThe importance of creating a meaningful connection to your goals - to create motivation in the near termYou have the ability to “recover time” in your day by spending less time in a reactive stateAs one of the early pioneers of email, spending his time help building gmail app and much more - Jake has some strong insights into how we can have a healthy relationship with our inboxes The difficulty of saying no - and how we can do a better job of itGet out saying yes/no to commitments in person, defer and come back later when you’ve had time to think about itSaying yes to something is a great way to kill your own priorities. They are like barnacles on the hull of your shipTrying to construct situations where a team can make really good decisions using the Design Sprint process Lessons from constructing environments to help people make better decisionsThe design sprint process and how it helps teams work together and make great decisions Making sure that you’re considering opinionated / conflicting solutions to, and creating an environment where it’s healthy to have disagreement  Anonymous disagreement on paper Homework - Lightning Decision Jam Homework - What is your distraction kryptonite? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we explore the brain. Are the two halves of the brain really that different? What is the idea of whole brain thinking? How do you get your brain to do what you want it to do? Can we become more “right brained” or “left brained” if we want to? And we also dig into the personal story of our guest - a neuroanatomist who suffered from a devastating stroke - and how the experience transformed her worldview - with our guest Dr. Jill Taylor.  Dr. Jill Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist. She is the bestselling author of her memoir My Stroke Of Insight which recounts her experience and recovery after a severe stroke, which left her unable to walk, read, write, or recall any of her life. Here iconic TED talk has been viewed over 22 million times and her work has been featured all over the globe from Oprah to the New York Times and more. Are the two halves of the brain really completely disconnected?The right hemisphere and the left hemisphere process the world completely differently Whole brain thinking - how to think about yourself and the world in a holistic way by integrating both hemispheres into your thinking process The different hemispheres have different value structures and ways of perceiving the world Every ability we have is a result of brain cells that perform that function - if those cells go away, we lose that functionThe more you practice/use a group of cells in the brain, the more automatically those cellular networks run - that’s true for an athlete training, and it's also true for how we think and act in the world Whatever cells we exercise become dominant, and those begin to shape our thinking and actionIs it true that people can be more left brained or right brained?How you can engage processing in the hemisphere that you are less dominant inHow do you get your brain to do you want it to do? Self-awareness is a KEY component and the first step  Get an understanding of how much time you’re spending with each brain hemisphere being dominant Do your brain hemisphere’s get along? Each of your own cognitive minds (left and right hemisphere) have their own emotional limbic systemsWhat should someone do if they don’t feel like they have the power or don’t understand how to CHOOSE which hemisphere to engage?Look at your own patterning and begin understanding how you react to given situationsHow do shape your reactions to negative emotional experiencesThe importance of observing your emotions instead of engaging in them - the simple fact that you’re alive and capable of having an experience of the negative experience is a powerful thing Why is not the question its the WOWWe all get caught up in the oh my gosh, I'm so important - when really we are just stardustThe incredible story of how Dr. Taylor’s own stroke was a profound experienceThe experience of being one with everything that came from Dr. Taylor’s strokeMindfulness research shows that certain thought patterns can transform and change our brain circuitry Is the idea that we are separate from everything else a controlled illusion maintained by the brain?The profound lessons that come from having your entire left hemisphere shut downWhat is neuroplasticity? Is it possible to change our brain?Neuroplasticity is a fundamental property of the neurological systemHomework “pay attention to what’s inside of your head" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we go deep into a scientific look at consciousness. We ask, how do our brains experience reality? What is consciousness? Is our perception of reality nothing more than a “controlled hallucination?” What is the “hard problem of consciousness” and what are the major aspects of consciousness? How can we use the neuroscience of consciousness to better ourselves and improve our lives? And much more with our guest Anil Seth.  Anil Seth is the professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex. He is the co-director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, the editor in chief of Neuroscience of Consciousness, and was the President of the British Science Association for psychology in 2017. His TED talk has been viewed over 2.5 million times and his work featured in The Guardian, the BBC, New Scientist, and more! How does our brain experience reality?Consciousness is a funny thing - we don’t have a good definition of it, but everyone knows what consciousness is There is a subjective experience of consciousness for being humanThe questions of consciousness are some of the most important and urgent questions we can askWhat is the “hard problem of consciousness?” and why is it so important?What are the problems of consciousness? The easy problem is figuring out how brains do what they do, how they implement functions, guide behavior, allow the world to be sensed, how the brain works as a mechanism - this will keep neuroscientists and biologists busy for a long time The hard problem is explaining how and why any of this should have anything to do with conscious experience and why conscious experiences happen However detailed your understanding of the brain is - it will leave untouched the question of how/why consciousness exists in the first place The three major aspects of consciousness (they inter-related and not necessarily independent) Conscious level - a scale from being completely lacking in consciousness (a coma, dead) all the way to being fully awake and fully conscious Conscious content - when you’re conscious you’re conscious OF something The experience of being a particular person When we perceive things, our brain is taking energy waves and electrical signals and interpreting them into prior predictions and expectationsOptical illusions really demonstrate how adapted our visual system isInformed skepticism is an incredibly valuable thinking framework - the scientific method and a healthy dose of humility help us move towards truthHow Anil’s own battle with negative emotions and negative emotional states has been shaped by the work he does in neuroscienceWhat interventions have helped Anil battle his own depression? Going for a long walk in the country Exercise Fresh Air Nature When you’re in the thick of it - you forget these interventions work, but they DO work Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps Anil as well You aren’t defined by your own suffering - does having the Flu define you as a person? Why should a psychological issue? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we look at how to use insights from behavioral science to improve your life. We look at what it means to have a “good day” and figure out how to reverse engineer more good days, by examining decision making, the power of rest and recovery, intention setting, setting boundaries, and much more with our guest Caroline Webb.      Caroline Webb is CEO of Sevenshift, a firm that uses insights from behavioral science to improve their client’s working lives. She was previously a partner at McKinsey consulting and is the best selling author of How To Have A Good Day, which has been published in 16 languages in more than 60 countries. Her work has been featured in Inc., Forbes, Fortune, and much more.       What does it mean to have a good day? What does that have to do with the science of improving your life?  What is a bad day? what is a good day?  3 Core things about having a good day  Working on your priorities  Feeling that you’re producing great work  Can it be repeated?  What is the science behind what actually allows people and organizations to change?  The two system brain - there are two systems that interact in the brain, as Kahneman called them System 1 and System 2.   “System 2” - the slow system, our conscious experience, deliberate thinking mind, but it moves slowly and can only process information slowly and clunkily   “System 1” - the automatic system - our subconscious mind, immense processing power, but it often takes shortcuts   How do we create the conditions for our deliberate system to be as successful as possible?  Breaks are not for wimps, breaks are crucial opportunities to reboot your deliberate system and improve your thinking and decision-making  Frequent, short breaks enormously enhance your mental ability   Short cardio activity will boost your focus and mood materially  When we are resting, we encode and consolidate information - and often create new insight  When you “single task” you work about 30% faster than someone who is multi-tasking - every time your attention switches, there is a cost in time and processing power  Why saying "ABCDEFG 1234567” is so much easier than saying "A1, B2, C3, D4, E5, F6, G7”  What’s the most important thing you’re doing today and how can you get yourself to single task on that?  Willpower is not the way to create big changes in your life, it's about changing your environment  Nudges vs Sludges - how to shift your environment to create behavioral change  Your brain is constantly filtering out a huge amount of information - and whatever is top of mind for you filter your reality  The hard science of setting your intentions - set what attitude you want to have, what your aim is, what your assumptions are, etc - setting intentions can have a material impact on your behavior Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we learn the memory tactics and strategies of an International Grandmaster of Memory, we look at why there is no such thing as a bad memory or a good memory - only bad memory strategies and good memory strategies, in real time we build a memory palace that you can use to memorize and effortlessly recall the ten emotions of power, go deep into the system for organizing and remembering huge chunks of information and much more with our guest Kevin Horsley.      Kevin Horsley is an International Grandmaster of Memory, and was one of the first five people in the world to obtain this title. Kevin is also the World Record Holder for the matrix memorization of 10,000 digits of Pi. He is also the bestselling author of several books on memory and his work has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Times, Forbes, Inc. and many more.      How Kevin went from severe dyslexia, almost being diagnosed with brain damage, to becoming a world record holder in memory  You can never be more than your definition of yourself, you have to question your labels as they aren’t often the absolute truth There is no such thing as a good memory or a bad memory - there are only good memory strategies or bad memory strategies Auditory memory is always sequential - improving your spacial/visual memory allows you to move seamlessly through information  The best way to get your brain engaged is to imagine content and connect it to something you know  There are 3 keys to developing a super memory A place A unique image Glue them together “PUG”  Place (long-term memory) Unique Image Glue We build a memory palace on your body to memorize the 10 emotions of power from Tony Robbins Long-term memory + short-term memory = medium-term memory Using google maps and tourist attractions to remember anything by exploring and planting memories anywhere on earth  There’s no real limit to what you can do with your mind - the only real limit is time  “The more you know, the easier it is to know more” We have a phenomenal brain and aren’t using all of its potential  Do you need to know something for Just in Time or Just In Case? The power and importance of periodic review to encode information for the long-term Just in case information - using a system of Evernote + Todoist to store and review information Book strategy:  Get the book - first do an overview of the book, look at the table of contents, make predictions what is the book about, what do you know about (active knowledge networks), once he’s overviewed the book, he does a preview of the book - what specifically do you want to know from this book? Lay the book contents out on a memory journey with the key principles ideas - what is the key content - put it on a journey  Put a little note - you put a specific information You need to work on these ideas and get the key fundamentals - it’s like driving. You have to train yourself and improve and grow.  Kevin spends 1 hour a day on new content, 1 hour a day on review. Discipline is a key to this Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we go deep into the high performance habits of the worlds top performers, look at the only place confidence truly comes from, dig into why we struggle to perform when the pressure is on, examine the habits, routines, and strategies the world’s absolute best use to perform at their peak, and much more with our guest Dr. Michael Gervais.      Dr. Michael Gervais is a high performance psychologist who has worked with some of the world’s top performers including the Seattle Seahawks, Felix Baumgartner (The Red Bull Athlete Who Completed the Stratosphere Jump) Olympians, musicians, and champions! His work has been featured on ESPN, CNN, The New York Times, and much more!      We love to put some of the world’s top performers on a pedestal - but there are extraordinary things that take place every day that aren’t capture on the cameras  Are extraordinary performers born that way? No. Why do we struggle to perform “when the lights are on”/ “when there is pressure” Top performers have fundamentally organized their lives around growth and improvement What does it mean to have your life organized around performance and growth? There are only 3 things we can train We can train our body We can train our craft We can train our minds When we look at the best in the world across domains - they are more similar to each other than dissimilar  Relentless dedication to building and refining their craft Relentless dedication to building the right body / carriage  Ability to adapt and be strong from a mental perspective Provide opportunities to stress the system (mind & body) and to recover the system  Feedback loops are both internal and external  The importance of having consequences - both natural/physical consequences and man made consequences Lessons from working with coach Pete Carroll from the Seattle Seahawks  Ask yourself: Who in your life helps you be better and what are the characteristics of those people? Internal feedback loops How am I doing? How does it feel? Am I executing at the right level? What is going on in my body? Being aware of the energy, tension in your body, your thoughts, etc  External feedback loops - having people in your life who can help you get better At any given time we can have our attention focused internally or externally - but we can’t spend too much time focused on the internal To do extraordinary things in life - NOBODY does it alone. We need other people. You have to invest in the true connection with other people.  The greatest wayfinders, when they set sail, they don’t pray for calm waters, they pray for rugged seas, moving through the rugged seas is what forges strength - that is where you get made, that is where you find your true nature The brain’s job is to scan the world and see what’s dangerous - but you can’t let the brain have too much control Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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