Lessons From The Samurai: The Secret To Always Being At Your Best
ading a few books by samurai there was one thing I saw repeated again and again and again that surprised me. It has nothing to do with swords, fighting or strategy. Actually, quite the opposite when you think about it. What did so many of history's greatest warriors stress as key to success and optimal performance? "Being calm." And it wasn't one random samurai mentioning it off the cuff. We're talking about some of the greatest samurai who ever lived writing about…
5 minutes
4 Lifehacks From Ancient Philosophers That Will Make You Happier
u've probably heard about Stoics or Stoicism -- and most of what you know is wrong. They weren't joyless bores. The ancient Stoics were the first lifehackers: The Original Gangsters of Making Life Awesome. Via A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy: The Stoics...were very much interested in human psychology and were not at all averse to using psychological tricks to overcome certain aspects of human psychology, such as the presence in us of negative emotion. Awesome. But…
6 minutes
Interesting People: 7 Things They All Have In Common
ve posted a lot of research from experts on getting people to like you, being influential and having great conversations. What's the best way to use all this information to be more interesting? 1) First, Don't Be Boring Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Look at it like the Hippocratic Oath of conversations: Do no harm. We're all terrible at realizing when we bore others because, well, we all think we're just fascinating. The #1 tip for never boring…
4 minutes
The Single Most Proven Way To Get Smarter And Happier
s, It's This Simple Many of the fixes for our problems aren't complex -- something that's clear in the things I recommend people do every day. What's a scientifically validated way to get smarter, happier, healthier and calmer? Stop reading this right now and go for a walk. It's that simple. Here's why. Exercise Powers The Body -- And The Mind They used to say you don't grow new brain cells. They were wrong. Via Spark: The Revolutionary New Science…
5 minutes
9 Steps To New Year’s Resolutions That Last Longer Than New Year’s Day
is year I resolve to... Hold on a second. Let's not join the lemmings who screw this up every year. 88% of people fail to achieve their New Year's Resolutions. There is a ton of science on this subject so if we want to do New Year's Resolutions, let's do them right. First, Stop Fantasizing Do fantasies give you the energy to achieve your goals? Nope. Fantasies steal the energy you need to achieve your goals: Positive fantasies allow people to mentally…
5 minutes
What Do Successful People Have In Common? 8 Things.
sy Busy Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, examines the work habits of over 150 of the greatest writers, artists and scientists. What did they all have in common? A relentless pace of work. Via Daily Rituals: How Artists Work “Sooner or later,” Pritchett writes, “the great men turn out to be all alike. They never stop working. They never lose a minute. It is very depressing.” What did Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer find when he looked at high achievers like LBJ and Robert Moses? 60-65…
6 minutes
Are You Making The Most Out Of Life? Here’s How You Can.
en Does "More" Finally Become "Enough"? You probably have far more now than you ever had in the past but you're probably not much happier. And, instinctively, we think the problem can still be fixed by more. More of whatever. More money. More food. More things. Generically, more. We're not even sure what we need more of, but whatever we have now sure as hell isn't doing it so turn it up to 11, Bertha. This isn't an anti-capitalist rant…
7 minutes
4 Books That Will Make You Happy And Successful
at is the good life? That's the primary question I'm trying to answer with this blog. Shortcuts and lifehacks are great. Surprising trivia is nice. But how can we really live great lives? I don't have time for much less. And I don't like corny fluff. I want answers backed by research, expertise or deep insight. Here are four books that really helped me. And I think they'll help you too. Find Direction In Life What is it? Clayton…
2 minutes
