The Science of Success

In this episode we approach the concept of the self from a concrete perspective, not in an abstract philosophical way. What do the hard sciences like biology and physics say about the existence of the self? Does the “self” exist from a psychological perspective? What does the science say and what does that mean for ourselves, our future, and how we think about change and self improvement? We explore the scientific search for the self with Dr. Robert Levine.      Dr. Robert Levine is a professor of psychology and former dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at California State University. Robert is the bestselling author of Geography of Time, Stranger in the Mirror, and The Power of Persuasion, which has been translated into eight languages. His work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, CNN, and more!      Is our current conception of “the self” accurate? The hard sciences demonstrate that there is not one, single, conception of the self The boundaries that we imagine divide us from the rest of the world are vague, porous, and sometimes non existent The self is a changeable object and we have control over changing it When does the self become the non-self? A huge portion of our body is bacteria - does that constitute part of the self? From a psychological perspective, we do not have a single personality or self Who are you?  Approaching the concept of the self in a real way, not in an abstract philosophical way What do virtual body parts have to do with the perception of the self? What are the consequences of the lack of a concrete, definitive, self? Your mind can be tricked, despite knowing that it’s being tricked Context and situation often determine your behavior moreso than your personality / self The interconnectedness of everything / are we actually separated from the universe / what is the “boundary” of the self? Where do our thoughts, decisions, and ideas come from? The notion from early psycho-neurology that your brain decides before we are aware that we have decided The self versus the non-self Where do our thoughts, desires, and impulses come from?  The boundary between ourselves and others is vague & malleable How do we use the fluidity of the self to reshape and edit ourselves? We are multiple personalities and selves - and this allows for and creates real possibilities for change What are the implications of this fluidity of the self? We can actualize the possibilities within our multiple and complex understanding of self-hood to create positive change in our lives We are the “editors” of our own lives and “selves” Creating positive change in your life requires thinking for self, introspection, and self honesty The lowest hanging fruit for keeping track of your “self” and editing to become the person you want to be 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 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.    Benjamin is a PhD candidate at Clemson University in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and is currently the #1 Writer for Medium.com with over 50 million page views recorded. He is the author of the upcoming book Willpower Doesn’t Work and his research and writing has been featured in Psychology Today, Business Insider, The Huffington Post, and more!   Success is about growth, never plateauing Always be a student, always be growing Living according to a value system that you believe in / a cause you believe in / serving people who you love The difference between security and freedom. Many people base their security in something external to themselves.  Develop your own worldview / beliefs / values / goals to help form a more independent Transformational learning experiences” helps transform your world view and perception of yourself Stretch your mind, push your body - to start to open up your world view If you do not create and control your environment, your environment controls you  The western belief that we exist independent of our context, what psychological research shows is that your environment has a tremendous impact. Your environment shapes who you are. Mindfulness is awareness of your surrounding and how those surroundings influence you You can also shape your environment, and this creates the possibility for radical change Epigenetics shows that your environment has a huge impact on your personality Personality is more of an adaptation to situations and unresolved trauma  The false belief of western culture is that we think personality is a fixed trait - science shows that it’s not Suppressed trauma can “freeze” your personality  “You are a sick as your secrets” - the things you keep isolated are the things that keep your personality frozen, your personality changes and continues to grow, you are stuck as a child in some aspects of your personality  Will Durant - most people believe that history was shaped by heroes, “It’s not heroes that shape history, its demanding situations that create heroes - the average person could have double their ability or more if the situation demanded it of them” How to “up the stakes” of your environment to create external situation to force you into the behaviors you want to create  The two kinds of “enriched environments” you need in order to maximize your performance Only 16% of creative ideas happen when you’re at your desk (when the mind is in a rested state) The concept of “psychological detachment” - letting go of work for a few days - really helps you fully engage when you come back to it The vital importance of recovery as a key component of being both happier and more productive How do you stop from self sabotaging? Put yourself in situations where its a self fulfilling prophecy. Create the environmental components necessary for you to succeed and thrive. 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 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!   What happens when you don’t accept reality? Do you like it when you scrape your knee? How should you deal with negative experience? Missing the miracle of life by arguing with it What happens when we get caught up in having to be right? Why it’s painful to “believe your own thoughts” and why you should question your own thinking The Four Questions of “The Work” that can allow you to challenge your negative thoughts and limiting beliefs Using the “Four Questions” to meditate on and reflect on challenges in your life How to become a better listener, listening is powerful When you argue with someone else, you miss valuable information and become disconnected with that person We are often looking outside for the answers to our questions - we should instead look inside The only way to change the world is to question what you believe about the world? How to be open and fearless What you think that causes your suffering - it's only what you’re thinking and believing that causes your suffering What we think and believe create our identities People don’t need to change - what you think and believe about them could use some work Be aware of your life right here, right now - the value and the gift of life and how to take care of it. The Four Questions of the Work and how you can apply each of themIs it true? Can I absolutely know that it’s true? Who am I when I believe this to be true? Who would I be without this thought? 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 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.        Dr. Adam Alter is an Associate Professor of Marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business, with an affiliated appointment in the New York University Psychology Department. His research focuses on judgment, decision making, and social psychology. He is the bestselling author of Drunk Tank Pink, and Irresistible, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, and much more!      Technology programs like Facebook are not designed to make you happy - they're designed to be as addictive as possible and consume you Steve Jobs didn't let his children use iPads Why technology giants in Silicon Valley often don’t let their children use technology (and why that’s important for you) The four negative affects of being addicted to your screens Your psychological wellbeing Your threshold for boredom declines dramatically Boredem is good, it creates creative and divergent thinking Negatively impacts your social wellbeing Lowers your emotional intelligence and your ability to read the emotions of others Negatively impacts you financially In app purchases Negatively impacts you in a physical way Too much time in front of screens Screens rob you of time and attention Can’t get into Deep Work Get less sleep Not spending time being present, enjoying time with loved one and friends The Drug of Choice Today is the PHONE There’s a huge rise in behavioral addictions today Social media and news make you LESS HAPPY when you use them - leaving you hollow and unfulfilled AR and VR will make it even more difficult to break away from technology addiction Apps today are built like slot machines - they are intentionally designed to hook you and not let you go Humans don’t like open loops - goals help close them  “Email is a lot like zombies” - you can kill them all and they just keep coming The abscence of stopping queues makes technology keep you addicted How can we mindfully create stopping queues in our own lives? You must become the architect of your own environment to control your own stopping queues 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 “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.      Scott Gerber is CEO of The Community Company and founder of Young Entrepeneur’s Council. He is also an internationally syndicated columnist, the co-author of Superconnector and the author of Never Get a “Real” Job. Scott has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bloomberg and has even been honored by White House.      How do we cut through the quagmire of endless linked-in connections, twitter followers and more? Self awareness is one of the key attributes of super connectors Rather than being authentic, we are being internet authentic - social media conscious  Providing real signal, being human, allowing your humanity to show through - amplify your humanity We live under the illusion that vanity metrics determine social status Step one is the cultivation of emotional intelligence Focus on being of service to others Networking is not about tactics, its about a fundamental shift in how you think about interacting with people One of the key principles to networking is that you have to be a real, authentic human What kind of service / value do you want to bring to a community of peers? Failure is often a result of not building your relationships and communities Come from a true place of wanting to help others first Don’t be a “networker": A taker Out for yourself Wolf in sheeps clothing Get back down to the basics - guru nonsense, marketing hucksters etc are full of it A connector thinks about - what questions / context do I need to ask that this person is not giving me, so that I can figure out how to play a role to help them in succeeding in life or business - where I can be helpful? Why asking “How Can I Help” is the Worst Question You put the onus on the other person to tell a stranger how they can help Directionally it provides no guidance It shows you don’t care - because if you actually wanted to help, you would be curious, keep asking questions, to come up with a thesis and then say “here are some ways I CAN help, proactively” Offer actual assistance, not the platitude that you can help It’s the new social script - but it has no meaning or value You MUST ask better questions. The best connectors are curious.  Great question - “what does success look like for you?” “what are the steps you need to take to get there” How to cultivate curiosity and ask better questions Start with auditing your conversations Be curious about the other person Figure out questions that you want to ask people 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 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.     Jonathan Levi is an author, learning expert, and founder of Super Human Enterprises. He is the author of the book Become a SuperLearner and has helped over 120,000 students improve their learning methodology through his online courses. He has been featured on the TED Stage and his work has been published in Inc. Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and more.      How Jonathan went from a “troubled student” to a learning and memory expert Memory strategies from greek philosophers to current day experts - what actually works? What to do if speed reading doesn’t work? You average college graduate reads about 250 wpm, at Jonathan’s peak he was reading 750-800 wpm with 80-90% comprehension Its vital to distinguish between rote memorization and how the memory actually works Most people have no concept of how powerful and effective memory techniques actually are By doing memory work you can change the physical structure and neurochemistry of your brain "Paleo Learning” - Get back to what actually works, from an evolutionary standpoint, with learning strategies Using our brains in the way they are intended to use - aligning our learning with our evolutionary design - creates an huge impact on your learning  The framework of 40 day study with 30 minute sessions per day Strategic memory techniques you can use to improve your memory How these two specific memory techniques could more improve your memory by 135% Pygmalion effect and the golem effect - people typically conform to the expectations of teachers and leaders  The same thing happens with your ego and your perception of yourself Even if these techniques don’t work for you, they still work for you Your ego’s incentive is always trying to prove you right Lessons from both the hard and soft sciences on how you can improve your memory Our brains are built in clusters / neural networks There are more neurons in your brain than stars in the known universe The 3 primary strategies for improving your memory Strongest memory effect are SMELL and TASTE - very deeply rooted in your brain Second most effective memory sense is sight - the "Picture superiority effect” Next most powerful is location-based memory Visual memory and location based memory are deeply ingrained in your brain and the keys to unlocking super learning Connecting all of your knowledge to preexisting knowledge “Hebb's Law” - Neurons that fire together, wire together Our brains thrive on novelty and newness - our brains are amazing at recognizing patterns and connections Learning how to use the memory palace technique  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 money messes with your brain. We look into the obvious traps we fall into when we think about money, examine how cultural influences shape our financial choices, and explore the key biases that underpin the most common and dangerous financial mistakes that you are most likely to make with our guest Jeff Kreisler.     Jeff Kreisler is a bestselling author and the winner of the Bill Hicks Spirit Award for Thought Provoking Comedy. He is most recently the co-author of the new book Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How To Spend Smarter with Dan Ariely. (who we have previously had on the show as well?) Jeff is a regular contributor for CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and more!    Get rich cheating??? What’s that all about? The common tropes within the self help industry (and how many of them are not based in evidence) The power of satire to explore the underpinnings of human behavior What is money? Why do we have such a hard time thinking about money? Awareness of your biases is a huge difference maker (even if you do nothing other than just being aware of your biases) Spending is very obvious in our culture, but saving is not Research shows men are more willing to admit they take viagra, than how much money they've saved in their 401ks We dig deep into several of the mental biases that stop you from understanding money The relativity bias and how that impacts spending habits ‘What do you want for dinner” vs “would you rather have chicken or fish for dinner” “The Pain of Paying” Bias and how it impacts what we think about money “The credit card premium” and how using a credit card makes you pay more Anchoring bias and arbitrary coherence.  How your social security number could impact how much you pay for a bottle of wine We often obsess about small financial decisions, but make judgements on a whim with large financial decisions like buying a home or car “Ulysseses contracts," reward substitution and how to create self control How self awareness is the cornerstone of making better financial decisions The locksmith example and how we misunderstand value and fairness 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 a rockstar brain. We get into the neurochemical compositions that create moods from happiness to depression and look at you can change the building blocks of the neurochemicals by changing your diet and your habits. In a world were people are more stressed than ever, sleeping less, and trying to do more - we look at the causes of “brain drain” and what we can do to have physically happier and more productive brains with Dr. Michael Dow.      Dr. Michael Dow is a psychotherapist, neurotherapist, and a New York Times Bestselling author. He has been the host of several television series examining relationships, brain health, addiction, and mental illness. Dr. Mike is frequently a guest cohost on The Doctors and his work has been featured in Today, Good Morning America, Nightline, and more.      Your brain is being drained every day by stress, life, etc  The 3 subtypes of brain drain Adrenaline Norepinephrine Cortisol What happens, neurologically, when you suffer from “brain drain” or brain fog The brain balancing neurochemicals that are the antidotes to stress hormones EPA and DHA Omega 3 Acids - and why they are important co-factors in building a healthy brain People are feeling more stressed than ever, working more, sleeping less How are we causing “brain drain” with our daily habits and activities? The 24 hour relationship between cortisol and melatonin Throughout the day, your melatonin level rises and your cortisol level decreases What we do every single day has a far more profound effect on our neurochemicals than we even realize Lifestyle interventions you can implement to rebalance and change your neurochemicals Sugar and flour drain and shrink the hippocampus - which is the main site of neurogenesis How do we cultivate GABA? Glutamine from spinach Vitamin B6 in bananas, magnesium and zinc Eat seven servings of whole fruits and vegetables every day Are vitamins and supplements are useful tool or should we get all our nutrients from whole foods? The importance of getting Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) EPA = Feel Better Omega 3 (stress less Omega 3) DHA = Sleep soundly Omega 3 (promotes restful sleep) EPA and DHA compete for space in your cells Omega 3s are one of the best foods you can eat for your brain - they are the building blocks of yo You can build a “rockstar brain” with a modified mediterranean diet Lean protein Nuts Olive Oil Fish Lots of fruits and vegetables The modified mediterranean diet has been shown via research to combat major depressive disorder Common sources of omega 6 fats - soybean oil and factory farmed meat products - most intense source of omega 6 fats which cause brain inflammation Strategies for shifting the brain from the sympathetic to the parasympat 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 luck. Does luck exist? Is there a science of luck? What does the research reveal about lucky people and unlucky people? Is it possible to manufacture your own luck? We speak with research psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman and learn the truth about luck and how you just might able to create a bit more in your own life.     Dr. Richard Wiseman has been described by The Scientific American as “The most interesting and innovative experimental psychologist in the world today” and his books have sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Richard started his career as a working magician and now holds Britain’s only Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology. His work has been featured across the globe and he has delivered keynotes to The Royal Society, The Swiss Economic Forum, Google, and more.      How Richard went from being a performance magician to being deeply interested in human psychology How studying "the psychology of deception” taught Dr. Wiseman to subtly influence human perception and behavior Most people think they are good lie detectors, but they are in fact not - they are no better than chance When you focus on reading only a transcript - average people go up to 60-70% effectiveness in detecting lies People prefer to lie with the spoken word rather than with written word What research reveals the difference between lucky and unlucky people For the most part, people are CREATING THEIR OWN LUCK by the way they are thinking and acting The research supports, with enormous consistency, that you can create luck The “newspaper experiment” and how it demonstrates the difference between being lucky and unlucky  How your “attentional spotlight” filters your perception and reality - causing you to miss basic opportunities - this is what the “unlucky” often do to themselves Then, Dr. Wiseman taught subjects in experiments to “think like a lucky person” and these simple exercises caused the “unlucky” to be more lucky Keep a “luck diary” - the most positive thing / positive thought that happens in a day - will rapidly reorient you towards being more “lucky” The lucky tended to be more intuitive, risk seeking, and resilient Generating “negative counterfactuals” and “finding the silver lining” can help you generate more luck You are creating your own good and bad luck by what you are thinking and feeling What happens if you don’t think you can train your mind to be more positive? Try these “luck producing strategies” for 1 month and you will be luckier in your life How people get stuck in an identity of being “unlucky” can sometimes trap you in a certain behavior pattern Creating and cultivating flexibility in your life - taking a different route to work, changing your conversational style - enables you to capture luck in your life Lucky people are “team players” and constantly look for win-wins - trying to help other people become successful and engaging and talking with other people constantly  Buying lottery tickets all day by exploring opportunities and relationships in an open way is how you can “create luck” in your life The biggest myths of self help - and what evidence actually says about them The danger of visualization - and why it doesn’t actually work - in fact “visualization is a terrible idea” 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 habits of high achievers, the motivation myth, dig deep into habits, routines, and strategies you can use to achieve more in less time, balancing hustle and hard work vs recovery and much more with our guest Jeff Haden.    Jeff is a contributing editor for Inc.com, author, and ghostwriter. Jeff has ghostwritten nearly 40 non-fiction books including four amazon best sellers. He is the author of the upcoming book The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up To Win and his articles for Inc.com were read by over 20 million people in 2016 alone.How Jeff achieved his dream and realized it wasn't nearly as exciting as he thought it would beTop achievers don't have special sauce - its hard work and hustle that gets them thereIn interviewing and studying top achievers and the lessons from studying themThe power of process and the power of routineMap out and create a blueprint of what you want to do The power of doing the right things every day without fail How do we find out what the right things to do are?Find someone who has achieved what you want to do, look at what they did to get there, create a blueprint based off of that and execute itYou don't need to reinvent the wheel The hard part is actually what gets you to where you want to be Motivation comes from action and progress - not the other way aroundYour muse comes from action, you get ideas from doing things, you get inspiration from getting out there and getting started2 quick and easy tricks to be as productive as possible every dayA fantastic daily productivity strategy you can implement right awaySetting your daily MIT every week to avoid decision fatigue and make high leverage choices every week"I can’t” vs “I don’t” and what research reveals about using one phrase vs the otherThe benefits of working out in the morningHow to generate energy in the afternoon with small rest periodsHow do you balance hard work and hustle with recovery?High leverage thinking, focusing questions, and avoiding busyworkThe “breaking a sweat” principle - starting with the smallest thing possibleHow do you deal with big, far off goals? “the distance between here and there”How Jeff did 100,000 pushups in a yearSet big goals, but focus on the routine/process every single day to execute How talking about your intentions and big goals can actually prevent you from achieving themHow Jeff want from being a factory manager to a prolific writer, writing more than 40 books and countless articlesJeff’s daily writing habit and how he developed itBreak down into parts, and execute each of those component parts by 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.