The Science of Self

It’s not that self-discipline, habitualized behaviors, and intentional and analytical thinking are useless endeavors. No, these are some of the best changes you can make to your life. But you won’t be able to learn or implement them, or benefit from them in any way, unless you simply possess enough energy to use them. Energy is the battery for all our thoughts and behaviors. Without it, no other tactics, techniques, or tips will matter. This is essentially a real-life application of the concept of multiplying by zero. If your mathematical equation includes a zero, that means the overall result will be zero. This is another way of saying that energy is often the weakest link in the chain, and it is also the most fragile and elusive. It’s important.Get the audiobook on Audible at http://bit.ly/MoreEnergyHollinsShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think.#Hollins #HumanCondition #HumanNatureCheatSheet #PeterHollins #ItAllComesDownToEnergy #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #HaveMoreEnergy

The truth is that to-do lists often don’t take context into account. Q1 and Q2 thinking solves that problem by forcing you to understand the difference between urgent and important. Most people don’t have a grasp of these blurry lines, but it can mean all the difference in your output. Related to this is the don’t-do list, also essentially seen in Q4 of the Eisenhower matrix. Most people know what they should be doing but not what they shouldn’t be doing. This is where you eliminate tasks that (1) are insignificant, (2) are a poor use of your time, (3) don’t help your bottom line or end purpose, and (4) have a serious case of diminishing returns the more you work on them.Get the audiobook on Audible at https://adbl.co/3HhRPImShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition.Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think.#CoveyQuadrant #Eisenhower #UpgradeYourTo-DoListWithTheQ2Matrix #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #30DaystoSelf-Discipline

Being mindful and meditating are not just ways to reduce stress and improve wellbeing; theyre techniques to strengthen self-awareness, lower reactivity and improve self-discipline. When you meditate, you activate the parts of your brain responsible for self-control, strengthening those neural connections. Meditation is not just a discrete activity but a way of life. Find ways to become aware throughout the day and use these feelings of calm control and mindfulness to reconnect to your self-discipline. Pause, become aware of whats going on inside you and outside you in your environment, and notice your thoughts and feelings without judgment or interpretation.

Focus on a few main principles for lasting motivation: visualizing in detail our goal, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, and allowing our future selves to advise and guide our present selves. Finally, the most important may be to recognize that you will slip up, but will always be ready to forgive, learn from mistakes, and move on to be better next time.Email the show at Podcast@NewtonMG.com or let us know what you think at http://bit.ly/hollinscommentGet the audiobook on Audible at http://bit.ly/PowerOfSelfDisciplineShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think. #Discipline #EncounterDiscomfort #FutureSelf #ImmediateGratification #InstantGratification #SelfDiscipline #MainPrinciplesForLastingMotivation #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #ThePowerofSelfDiscipline

Another way to improve your to-do list is by using categories: immediate attention, in progress, follow-ups, upcoming, and ideas. This allows you to again sort by priority and make sure that you are properly addressing what needs to be addressed.Get the audiobook on Audible at https://adbl.co/3HhRPImShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition.Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think.#ActionItems #ImmediateAction #ImmediateAttention #Selfdiscipline #UrgentMatters #BreakYourTo-DoListIntoCategories #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #30DaystoSelf-Discipline

The irony is that simply having a little faith in yourself will start to shift things for you! As we’ve seen, gratitude, responsibility, honesty and allowing others to hold you accountable are great ways to improve your life, but there’s also a lot to be said for simply believing in yourself. Whatever your weaknesses are, whatever your obstacles, hold onto the idea that it can change, and you can change it. It’s this attitude that will most empower you. Every morning, wake up and say to yourself, “I can do this.” Your “this” will change day to day, but so long as you have self-belief, you will have a much greater chance of achieving it, whatever “this” is. Get the audiobook on Audible at http://bit.ly/41HabitsShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think. #InstantGratification #Inzlicht #MentalHealth #MichaelInzlicht #SelfDiscipline #TorontoUniversity #Willpower #BelieveInWillpower #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #41Self-DisciplineHabits

Focus on a few main principles for lasting motivation. These include not waiting for a right time, taking baby steps, working from intrinsic motivation, avoid temptation outright, cutting distractions, monitoring impulses with mindfulness, visualizing in detail our goal, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, and allowing our future selves to advise and guide our present selves.Email the show at Podcast@NewtonMG.com or let us know what you think at http://bit.ly/hollinscommentGet the audiobook on Audible at http://bit.ly/PowerOfSelfDisciplineShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think. #AnticipateDiscomfort #ColdShower #CommonDistractions #ConstantDistraction #CullDistractions #Discomfort #Distraction #MonitorImpulses #SelfDiscipline #Willpower #LeadYourselfNotIntoTemptation #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #ThePowerofSelfDiscipline

A to-do list hastily written on a Post-It might be one of the most ubiquitous tools for self-discipline and avoiding procrastination. It works on our psychology by manipulating dopamine, and this is one of the few instances that we can actually make our brains work for us. But ultimately, a to-do list just makes sure that things are not being forgotten or falling through the cracks, and it doesn’t necessarily assist you in doing more. It just prevents you from doing less. Thus, we need to level up the humble to-do list.We can start to do this by trimming the to-do list down to three items per day (yes, only three) to keep focused and lean. We can also set an intention or overall mission for the day and add only five (two big and three small) or nine (one big, three medium, and five small) tasks to the list in support of that mission. We can also add an element of reality-testing by evaluating your tasks through the metrics of seriousness, urgency, and growth in order to easily see what to prioritize.Get the audiobook on Audible at https://adbl.co/3HhRPImShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition.Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think.#DopamineRelease #EisenhowerMatrix #Hammadi #Pareto #Sisyphus #Zeigarnik #To-DoListsOnSteroids #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #30DaystoSelf-Discipline

• Have a healthy attitude toward control—though there are things in life we never have control over, we are always in charge of our own reactions and actions. Try the Stoic exercise to help you identify what you can change, what you can’t, and practice the wisdom it takes to know the difference.• Self-disciplined people know that their success in life is their own responsibility, and they own it. They don’t blame others, complain, or wait for permission. They embrace the freedom of responsibility.Get the audiobook on Audible at http://bit.ly/41HabitsShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think. #Gratitude #GratitudeJournal #GratitudePractice #OwnResponsibility #PracticeGratitude #Selfdiscipline #SelfDisciplineHabits #TakeOwnershipAndResponsibility #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #41Self-DisciplineHabits

For example, every day you could commit to walking for thirty minutes. You’re not committing to running a marathon or losing fifty pounds. All you have to focus on each day is walking thirty minutes, that’s it. You may certainly build up to the marathon or gradually lose all that weight, but that’s not what you focus on each day, each moment. Just take a baby step each day, then repeat it the next day. Biting off more than you can chew only means you give up sooner!Email the show at Podcast@NewtonMG.com or let us know what you think at http://bit.ly/hollinscommentGet the audiobook on Audible at http://bit.ly/PowerOfSelfDisciplineShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think. #ExternalMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #IntrinsicMotivation #SelfDiscipline #SmallAchievableTasks #PatientPerseverance #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #ThePowerofSelfDiscipline