The Science of Success

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.

A neuroscientist studying psychopathic killers discovers he has the same brain structure, leading to wild conclusions. Genetic links to psychopathy are examined, along with the impact of genes and early-life influences. The deceptive tactics of psychopaths are unveiled, emphasizing the importance of spotting their manipulative behaviors.

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.