The Science of Success

In this episode we discuss the intersection between neuroscience and game theory, ask whether you are smarter than a Chimpanzee, examine how simple mental judgments can be massively wrong, explain the basics of game theory, and dig deep into strategic thinking with Dr. Colin Camerer.    Colin is the Robert Kirby Professor of Behavioral Finance and Economics at the California Institute of Technology. A former child prodigy Colin received his B.A in quantitative studies from John Hopkins University at the age of 17, followed by an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Chicago at the age of 19, and finally a Ph.D in behavioral decision theory from the University of Chicago at the age of 21. Colin research is focused on the interface between cognitive psychology and economics.    We discuss: How to out-think (and think one level ahead of) your competitionHow we make simple mental judgments that go wrongThe fundamentals of game theory and how you can practically apply it to your lifeAre you smarter than a chimpanzee? (the answer may surprise you)The psychological limits on strategic thinkingHow game theory cuts across multiple disciplines of knowledge from evolution to corporate auctionsThe concept of a nash equilibrium and why its importantThe fascinating intersections between psychology and game theoryThe game theory behind rock paper scissors (and the optimal strategy)Why people don’t think strategically (and why it matters)Discover if you re you a level zero thinker or a “Level K” thinkerWhy working memory has a strong correlation between making strategic decisions and cognitive flexibilityThe fascinating results behind the “false belief test"How to make strategic inferences from the knowledge that other minds haveAnd much more!  If you want to make better decisions or have always been fascinated by game theory - listen to this episode! 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 escape the feedback loop from hell, the paradoxical idea of embracing negative experiences, why struggle creates meaning, how discover the false values underpinning your worldview, and how to cultivate the ability to sustain and handle adversity with Mark Manson.   Mark is a blogger, author and entrepreneur. Most well-known for his site markmanson.net, where he writes personal development advice that doesn't suck. He also wrote a book called The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. It doesn't suck, either. We discuss:Alan Watt’s Backwards Law (and why its so important)How to escape the Feedback Loop From HellThe paradoxical idea of embracing negative experiencesHow your mind invents problems for you every dayWhy Mark gives the advice “don’t try"How to release the judgement of your own emotions The difference between indifference and “not giving a f*ck"The biggest “false values” you cling to that create unhappiness in your lifeWhy "entitlement" is the idea that you deserve happiness and don’t have to struggle for it (and how that causes suffering How to cultivate the ability to sustain and handle adversityWhy the key question to living a better life is NOT “what do I want out of life?"Why struggle creates meaning and its important to feel bad sometimesWhat champions and world class performers focus on every dayWhy you should listen to Disappointment PandaWhy pain is required for growthAnd much more!If you are dealing with a challenge and can't figure out what to do next - listen to this episode!  Warning this episode has some profanity!  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 mental game of world champion performers, examine the emotional issues preventing you from achieving what you want to achieve, how those issues happen in predictable patterns that you can discover and solve, look at why people choke under pressure, and discuss how to build mental toughness with mental game coach Jared Tendler.   Jared is an internationally recognized mental game coach. His clients include world champion poker players, the #1 ranked pool player in the world, professional golfers and financial traders. He is the author of two highly acclaimed books, The Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2, and host of the popular podcast “The Mental Game.”  We discuss:  -The emotional issues preventing you from achieving what you want are happening in predictable patterns, and you can discover them!   -Why people choke (and what to do about it)  -How to cultivate mental toughness over time  -Why the typical sports psychology advice doesn’t work  -Lessons from 500+ of the best poker players in the world of dealing with mental game  -How high expectations create self sabotage  -Why emotions are the messengers and not the root cause of performance issues  -Why mistakes are an inevitable and important part of the learnign process  -The yin and yang of performance and learning  -The characteristics of peak mental performers  -How to deal with “tilt" in poker and the different kinds of “tilt"  -How to use confidence intervals to deal with uncertainty   -And much 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 explore one of the biggest things disrupting your sleep, examine strategies for getting a better night’s rest, dig into sleep cycles, talk about the 30 Day No Alcohol challenge and break down how to read books more effectively with James Swanwick.   James is an Australian-American entrepreneur, former SportsCenter anchor on ESPN and host of The James Swanwick Show podcast. He is the creator of the 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge, which helps people reduce or quit alcohol; and creator of blue-blocking glasses Swannies which improve your sleep. Forbes magazine voted him one of Top 25 Networking Experts. Swanwick has interviewed celebrities including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger.    We discuss:   -The #1 reason you don’t get a good night’s sleep  -Melatonin and your sleep cycle  -The importance of a good night’s sleep   -Why you shouldn’t read your smartphone in bed  -The 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge   -How to build rapport and have a conversation with anyone  -How to read a book in 15 minutes  -Why you retain only 10% of what you read (and what to do about it)  -The 3 main lessons in radical honesty  -How to build a framework to retain everything you learn   -Why knowledge is NOT power  -We discuss "social skydiving" and how you can do it  -And Much More!     If you want to get a better night’s sleep - check out this episode! 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 strategies to jump start your creativity, how to think about the definition of success, how to retain the knowledge from all of the books you read, and how to be a better writer with best-selling author and publishing expert Tom Corson-Knowles.   Tom is a serial entrepreneur, blogger and international bestselling author. He started his first business at age 13 and is the founder of TCK Publishing whose mission is to help every client earn a full-time income as an author. Tom’s bestselling books include Secrets of the Six-Figure Author, The Kindle Publishing Bible, and The Kindle Writing Bible, among others.  In this episode we discuss:Why creativity is a learned skill and not an innate talentWhy creativity is important for everyone, not just “starving artists"3 simple strategies you can use to improve you creativity right nowThe incredible importance of “thinking time"The two parts of the creative processHow to improve your writing skillsHow you can double your creative output in 15 minutes per dayHow to stop yourself from pressing the gas and the brakes at the same time when trying to createAnd much more! If you want to boost your creativity - check out this episode!  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 have multiple limiting beliefs that you have yet to discover that, if uncovered, could radically transform your life. We go deep into limiting beliefs, look at how random childhood experiences can shape your worldview for decades, discuss how your outer world is created by your inner world, examine how to reverse engineer bad behavior and much more with our guest Catherine Plano.   Catherine is the founder of the I Am Woman Project and an International Executive Coach with more than two decades of experience working with top companies, having impacted more than 100,000 lives and whose mission is to aid companies and individuals in becoming aware of their limitless potential and in using their extraordinary abilities to achieve their desired outcomes. Catherine is also a certified Life Coach and a certified Master Practioner of NLP.  Catherine focuses on changing lives daily through her coaching and motivation speaking.   We discuss:How simple, innocuous things in our environment plant seeds that can dramatically change of our livesHow we give meaning to situations without fully understanding themHow your parents programmed many of your behaviors How limiting beliefs get planted into your mind from childhoodHow your memories can be completely falseHow your outer world is a reflect of your inner worldWhy your thoughts become self fulfilling propheciesWhy 95% of your behaviors are not “who" you are, they are “learned behaviors"programmed by your environmentAnd Much More!   If you feel like something is holding you back, but you can’t figure out what it is - Listen to this episode!  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 mastering the superpower that underpins all other powers, how your brain’s automatic survival mechanism tilts you towards unhappiness, growing the mental resources to deal with the biggest challenges of your life, and down the rabbit hole of exploring the idea of the self, ego, and much more with Dr. Rick Hanson. This was one of the most profound conversations we have had on this podcast.   Dr. Hanson is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and New York Times best-selling author. His books include Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha’s Brain, Just One Thing, and Mother Nurture. He’s also the Founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, he’s been an invited speaker at NASA, Oxford, Stanford, Harvard, and other major universities.  We discuss:  -How to master the SUPERPOWER that BUILDS ALL OTHER POWERS  -How to grow the mental resources inside yourself to deal with the biggest challenges in your life  -We reverse engineer the olympic athletes of the mind to learn their secrets  -We discuss how your thoughts change the physical structure of your brain  -How your brains 5 core survival strategies create suffering in your life  -How reality is continually constructed by the underlying hardware of the brain  -How to disengage from stress and suffering  -How to let go of attachment to your ego  -How to stop being defensive and taking things personally  -Why your “self” doesn't have an independent existence outside of the totality of the universe  -And MUCH more!    If you want to wire your  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 boundary where eastern and western medicine meet with international yoga expert Tiffany Cruikshank – we discuss how cultivating body awareness can put your nervous system in “Relaxation mode,” how meditation impacts your metabolism, the lessons Tiffany has learned from more than 25k patient visits, and how to jump in and start yoga TODAY as we demystify and examine some of the science behind the practices of Yoga!   Tiffany is an international yoga teacher who has been teaching for over 20 years, an author, health and wellness expert, the founder of Yoga Medicine, and she is internationally known for her focus on fusing the two worlds of eastern and western medicine together and apply it to the practice of yoga in an accessible and relevant way. We discuss:How to put your body in "relaxation mode"The science behind the parasympathetic nervous system (and why its so important)How to cultivate a mind-body connection and develop body awarenessHow to get started simply and easily with yoga todayThe impact meditation has on your metabolismThe differences between yoga and meditationThe lessons Tiffany has learned in more than 25,000 patient visitsAnd more!If Yoga has interested you and you don’t know where to start - or you just want to learn how to become more relaxed - listen to this episode!  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 are going to talk about how random dice rolls can influence judges to give people longer jail sentences, how so-called experts are massively influenced by completely random numbers – even when they explicitly deny it – and how you can better understand this crazy phenomenon – the Anchoring Effect.   As Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman puts it in his book Thinking Fast and Slow:   "The main moral of priming research is that our thoughts and our behavior are influenced, much more than we know or want, by the environment of the moment."   Arbitrary numbers and anchors can have huge implications for your decisions without you even realizing it and this all operates at a subconscious level beyond your conscious experience.    This episode is going to focus on drilling down and understanding a specific cognitive bias – a mental model – to help you start building a toolkit of mental models that will enable you to better understand reality.    Anchoring bias – along with Priming and Framing, which we have covered in previous episodes – are all cognitive biases that you want to know, understand, and be aware of – so that you can add them to your mental toolbox and make better decisions. 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 think that your doctor makes their decisions based on data or on trivial factors such as how a sentence is worded?   Do you think that your decisions are typically rational and based on the facts?   In this episode we discuss how a twist of phrase made 50% of doctors choose a more dangerous medical procedure, what explains an 88% difference in organ donations in two similar countries, and how experts can make vastly different choices based on the same exact data as we explore the Framing Bias.   As Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman puts it in his book Thinking Fast and Slow:   "It is somewhat worrying that the officials who make decisions that affect everyone’s health can be swayed by such a superficial manipulation."   The way things are presented can have huge implications for your decisions without you even realizing it and this all operates at a subconscious level beyond your conscious experience.    Behavioral economist Richard Thaler explains it this way: “The false assumption is that almost all people, almost all of the time, make choices that are in their best interest."   This episode is going to focus on drilling down and understanding a specific cognitive bias – a mental model – to help you start building a toolkit of mental models that will enable you to better understand reality.    Framing bias – along with Priming, which we covered last episode, and Anchoring – which we will cover in a future episode – are all cognitive biases that you want to know, understand, and be aware of – so that you can add them to your mental toolbox. 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.