Tag: Books

“Willpower” Book | Some Takeaways

A few takeaways from “Willpower” by Roy F. Baumeister & John Tierney

What Is “Willpower”?

Willpower is most easily defined as self-control. 

It refers to the ability one has to identify and resist impulses that may offer short-term rewards in hopes of achieving longer term, more rewarding goals.

Why Should You Care?

We all know that some things in life are outside of our control, but luckily, the amount of willpower you currently possess is not one of those things.

“Willpower” by Roy F. Baumeister & John Tierney

Willpower – unlike other human attributes that we may have less control over like intelligence (IQ) and personality – can be increased with effort.

And more importantly, a greater amount of willpower can help you achieve your goals regardless of what those goals may be.

It makes sense when you think about it.

No matter how you define success, the better your ability to utilize self-control to resist temptations and distractions that work against your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them.

So, How Can You Optimize It?

Clarify long-term goals first

Willpower is meaningless outside the context of long-term goals, and establishing clear, unconflicting long-term goals is an important first step before spending time trying to figure out how to accomplish them. Continue reading ““Willpower” Book | Some Takeaways”

Getting Things Done

How I Never Forget To Do Anything

Do you often have the best intentions but fail to follow through?

Do you make too many commitments and feel overwhelmed from trying to juggle way too many tasks?

Do you have piles of “stuff” that continually builds up in your mind that you’re never quite sure what to do about?

If so, this blog may be for you.

…

Ok… “never” may be a strong word. I do forget things on occasion, but I have found that it seems to happen much less frequently than many people.

In the past, I’ve been somewhat reluctant to talk much about productivity and self-improvement until a recent conversation with a couple of friends who encouraged me to share more often.

Getting Things Done by David Allen
Getting Things Done by David Allen

So today I thought I would share a simplified version of the system I use to organize everything that comes across my plate.

First off, I don’t believe that the ability to remember and keep track of commitments is a reflection of one’s character, work ethic or intelligence. It’s simply about having a trusted system in place that works for you.

The following 5 steps are Continue reading “Getting Things Done”

Tell to Win by Peter Guber

Some Key Takeaways in 100 Words

Quick Overview

Whether it’s conducting business negotiations, communicating a leadership vision or consoling a friend, a powerful, well-told story is the single greatest tool for effectively communicating ideas.

Why stories? 
Tell to Win by Peter Guber
People listen to and connect with stories because they quickly enhance the teller/listener relationship allowing for a greater exchange of empathy, people understand stories because they simplify complex ideas and people remember stories because they ignite a part of the brain that assigns meaning – the key to remembering.

How to tell a good one? 

A compelling story needs a challenge, a struggle and a resolution. Try creating an element of surprise by setting an expectation and then violating it or using metaphors and analogies to evoke images, create an emotional connection and enhance memory.

The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss

Summary & Highlights for Rapid Fat Loss

Introduction

Tim Ferriss is a problem solver. And he loves sharing with the world how he does it.

We’re not talking about math problems, geopolitical crises or world hunger (at least not yet, anyway), but what one might call “life” problems: those times when you find yourself at point A, want to get to point B but don’t quite know how to get there.

That’s where Ferriss might be able to help.

The Princeton graduate first shared how to “Escape 9 to 5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich” back in 2007 with the 4-Hour Work Week. It quickly became a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller.

He most recently published the 4-Hour Chef to tackle issues of self-improvement and accelerated learning, and just prior to that, he released the 4-Hour Body to share his journey to answer questions, expose myths and, yes, solve more problems, related to health, nutrition and physical performance.

4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss
4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss

His method remains consistent: 1) seek out experts in a chosen field, 2) put those expert’s theories to the test using himself as a guinea pig, and 3) deconstruct each expert’s system into a set of simple, actionable rules that can easily be consumed by the masses. Yes, that means you. 

He interviews elite bodybuilders to delve into topics like fat loss and adding muscle, grills Olympic lifting coaches for insights on strength and explosiveness, shadows endurance athletes to learn how to swim for miles with minimal training, uncovers Continue reading “The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss”

Tony Hsieh, The Science of Happiness & Employee Engagement

Whenever you want something in life, whatever it may be, that desire can usually be traced back to how you think having that something, might make you feel.

We often refer to this feeling as happiness.

One way to think about happiness is in 4 areas:

  • Perceived Control
  • Perceived Progress
  • Connectedness (number and depth of relationships)
  • Higher Purpose (vision/meaning bigger than yourself) 

In Delivering Happiness, Tony Hsieh talks about how these areas can apply to business. Employee engagement is a good example.

Employee Engagement

Happier employees are more engaged employees. So, what makes an employee happy and thus more engaged?

Perceived Control. Happy employees believe they ultimately control their career. They understand the company reward system and like the fact that performing well (which they can control) will eventually lead them where they want to go.

Perceived Progress. Every employee likes the feeling of progress. It’s nice to look back Continue reading “Tony Hsieh, The Science of Happiness & Employee Engagement”