Optimize With Brian Johnson | More Wisdom In Less Time

In our last +1, we talked about making a Purpose upgrade—going from a grand conception of one “big purpose” for life (Purpose 1.0) to finding micro-moments of purpose all day every day (Purpose 2.0).   I promised to chat about HOW to go about doing that Today.   So…    Here we are.   Let’s bring Tom Rath back for some more wisdom from Life’s Great Question.   Tom is a senior scientist at Gallup and shares some FASCINATING research he and his colleagues in the wellbeing-at-work industry have conducted.   Get this.   Tom tells us: “You can begin by connecting your daily efforts to the way they contribute to specific people’s lives—connecting what you do with who your work serves. There are now countless examples of how connecting your work to the meaning it creates for specific people leads to better results, as well as to more enjoyment in and satisfaction from one’s work.”   He continues by saying: “In food service, for example, when a cook or someone preparing food can literally see the

Richard Rohr is one of my new favorite teachers.   Alexandra got me his book called Falling Upward after I told her how much I loved David Brooks’ The Second Mountain. Apparently it’s recommended alongside that book on Amazon. With 1,400+ reviews, Alexandra thought I might like it.   And, well, YES!! Not only did I like the book, I loved it. (Check out those Notes for more.)   And… I fell in love with Richard Rohr.   Father Richard Rohr is a Franciscan priest. In fact, he’s been a Franciscan priest for FIVE DECADES.    This has particular resonance for me. As we’ve discussed, I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school for twelve years. At my elementary school and primary church, our priests were Franciscan.    Yet... The closest I’ve come to studying an integrated Catholic perspective thus far has been Anthony de Mello—a Jesuit priest.    So... I found Father Richard’s wisdom particularly resonant for a range of reasons.   Now... When I read a book, I use a blank note card as a bookmark

In our last +1, we talked about being Efficient vs. Effective.   Efficiency?    It’s GREAT for managing our time and completing tasks. Not so great for creating EFFECTIVE relationships with people.   We also hammered our “technology is the obstacle to presence!” theme one more time. (I promise to keep coming back to it.)   Today I want to chat about another big relationship idea I’ve been meaning to discuss.   We’re going to talk about the idea of “bids.”   I’m pretty sure I learned about this from Dan Siegel.    Enter: Search of my Mac for “bids”…   Oh, wait.    Actually, I learned about this from THE leading researcher on the science of effective marriages: Jon Gottman!   In his GREAT book The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Gottman tells us that we need to “Turn Toward” our partners and respond to their “bids.”    Here’s how he puts it: “Hollywood has distorted our notions of romance and what makes passion sizzle. Watching Humphrey Bogart gather teary-eyed Ingrid Bergman

In our last couple +1s, we flipped through my notes from session number 150-something with my Yoda/spiritual Godfather Phil Stutz.   On page one we had: “Success doesn’t matter in this world, commitment does.”   On the middle of page three we had: “Real enthusiasm is passing through the worst and realizing it’s the best.”   Looking at the bottom of page three, we see: “How you react to dramatic things is good. How you react to SMALL things is GREAT! That’s where the power is.”   As I reread my messy writing, I actually remember asking Phil to hold on a second so I could write that down. (Hah. Seriously.)   I repeat: “How you react to dramatic things is good. How you react to SMALL things is GREAT! That’s where the power is.”   As we’ve discussed, Phil (and all great teachers, really) is ALL ABOUT the SMALL THINGS.    He calls our moment-to-moment experiences (with ourselves and others) “micro transactions.” Although we tend to ignore them and think only the “big” stuff is “really”

Gratitude.   Yes, we’ve been chatting about it quite a bit recently.    That’s deliberate.   You know how we recently established the (scientifically-validated) Top 2 virtues as Zest + Hope?   Well…    Positive psychologists arm wrestle a bit about those top two virtues.    While Ryan Niemiec (via The Power of Character Strengths) tells us that Zest + Hope are our Top 2, Robert Emmons tells us that Gratitude is even more predictive of well-being than Hope.    We’ll leave the arm-wrestling debate on the precise order of those Top 2 to our academic friends but let’s shine a BRIGHT LIGHT on the Big 3 Virtues: Zest + Hope + Gratitude.   As I’ve been thinking about it, I actually like the order: Zest + Gratitude + Hope.   We’re Optimizing our Energy-Zest so we can give our best to our Work + Love. (Zest is still the undisputed #1 Virtue—although I’d say it’s technically achieved as a by-product of Wisdom + Self-Mastery/Discipline on the the fundamentals.)   Then… We practice Gratitude for t

William Damon is one of the world's leading scholars on human development. As the Director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, Professor of Education at Stanford University, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Damon's research explores how people develop purpose and integrity in their work, family, and civic life. In his most recent book, The Power of Ideals, Professor Damon shares how we all have the power to cultivate more noble, moral possibilities in our lives.

In our last couple +1s, we talked about the science of gratitude and explored some tips on Robert Emmons’ #1 practice: Gratitude Journaling.   Today I want to chat about one of the distinctions I most loved from his book Gratitude Works!   He tells us: “Think about and then write down those aspects of your life that you are prone to take for granted. Instead, take them as granted.”   I just LOVE that distinction.    Ungrateful people tend to take things (and people!) for granted.    For example, we take for granted all of the astonishing modern benefits that make our lives possible: like a warm house, a car, a smartphone, the Internet and all the other magical marvels of modern life.   Robert tells us we’d be wise to move from taking people and things FOR GRANTED to seeing them AS GRANTED.   Let’s think about that for a moment longer.   We can take the amazing people and goodness in our lives FOR GRANTED or AS GRANTED.    It may not seem like a big deal, but it’s a REALLY big distinction

In our last +1, we talked about how to sidestep depression and anxiety.    I still can’t believe that scientists have identified a threshold for our step counts under which we make ourselves more vulnerable for anxiety and depression.   As Kelly McGonigal tells us in The Joy of Movement: “The average daily step count required to induce feelings of anxiety and depression and decrease satisfaction with life is 5,649. The typical American takes 4,774 steps per day. Across the globe, the average is 4,961.”   Right before those step count thresholds, she tells us: “Other experiments in the U.S. and UK have forced moderately active adults to become sedentary for a period of time, only to watch their well-being wither. Regular exercisers who replace physical activity with a sedentary activity for two weeks become more anxious, tired, and hostile. When adults are randomly assigned to reduce their daily step count, 88 percent become more depressed. Within one week of becoming more sedentary, they report a 31

Alzheimer’s. Even just thinking about that dreaded disease freaks you out a bit, eh? Over 5 million people in the US alone have Alzheimer’s. 1 in 9 people over 65. We’re told that there’s little we can do to prevent it and even less (make that: nothing) we can do to reverse it. Well... What if we could put an End to Alzheimer’s? In his great book, The End of Alzheimers, and in this conversation, Dale Bredeson, MD shares how Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented, and in many cases its associated decline can be reversed.

In our last +1, we left Zeno the leopard gecko in his terrarium and hung out with Zeno the founder of Stoicism.   As we discussed, Zeno was a wealthy merchant who arrived in Athens via shipwreck, discovered philosophy and then told his students that “he had come to value wisdom more than wealth or reputation.”    He valued wisdom so much that he used to say: “My most profitable journey began on the day I was shipwrecked and lost my entire fortune.”    Today I want to talk about another Stoic practice we can use to get a firm grip on reality so we can alchemize our apparent misfortune into our greatest fortune.   Stepping back for a moment, let’s remind ourselves of the fact that the Stoics took the whole idea of living with wisdom VERY seriously.   They were ALL IN on playing the eudaimonia game and believed that living with virtue was THE means by which to win that game.    Therefore…   When a “disaster” struck, they stepped back (right there in between stimulus and response) and asked them

Virtues > Behaviors model. Big Ideas we explore include Superman + Clark Kent (who's who?), activating your Heroic Self (the science of), motivation and emotion (share a common Latin root), virtues as super powers (more on the science of), and Crossing the Threshold (Today the day?)."}" data-sheets-userformat= "{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":3,"12":0}"> The Alter Ego Effect. This is one of the most fun and compelling and inspiring books I’ve read in a while. I REALLY (!!!) enjoyed reading it, had a ton of fun constructing and playing with some potential Alter Egos and highly recommend it. I also really enjoyed how high-performance coach and mental game strategist Todd Herman describes the science behind the power of “secret identities” to transform our lives and I loved the parallels between his perspective and our Big 3 Identities Virtues Behaviors model. Big Ideas we explore include Superman + Clark Kent (who's who?), activating your Heroic Self (the science of), motivation and emotion (share a common Latin roo

In our last couple +1s, we’ve been hanging out with Emerson, playing the “I Love You!” game and taking a quick look at the story of our world.   Today we’re going to spend a little more time with Emerson and history.   First: Quick aside.   At the Optimize Coach graduation weekend, it was amazing how many of our Coaches came up to Alexandra and me and told us how much THEIR KIDS loved seeing Emerson in the +1s. (I actually got misty typing that.)   They told us that the +1s with him were a great way to share the wisdom with their kids and that their kids looked forward to more +1s with the little philosopher.   So… Here we are.   Now…   Back to The Story of the World: Volume 2: From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance.   After the fall of Rome, Western Europe entered what is known as the “middle ages” or the “dark ages.” Then there was a “rebirth” or renewed interest in ancient ideals that fueled the Renaissance.   As you know, a key player in the Renaissance was a guy named G

In our last +1, we had fun with the ultimate riddles of life—from skunks and giraffes to watches and pearls.    And… The answer to pretty much all of life’s riddles?   Love.   After Emerson gave me that answer to the hero-virtue riddle, we went to visit the ladies in the bath to tell mommy about his answer.    Which, of course, led to a whole ‘nother round of riddles.    Today we’re going to talk about the riddle I got from Ellen Langer—the “mother of mindfulness” research and the creator of the “psychology of possibility.”   In our interview, she asked me this little riddle…   Ellen: “What’s 1 + 1?”   … Before we carry on, whaddya think? What’s 1 + 1? …   Got it? Awesome.    Now, back to the show…   Ellen: “What’s 1 + 1?” Me: “Uhhh…”    (The quick look inside my head in that moment: “I know the answer can’t be 2 but…” “Hmmmm…” Insert thought from Part X: “Well! At least we’re filming this so I’ll look ridiculous!” Quick reply by Optimus: “That wasn’t helpful Part X. Just have

Ellen Langer is a professor of psychology at Harvard and one of the world's leading experts on the science of wellbeing, and what she refers to as the "psychology of possibility." Dr. Langer was first female professor to gain tenure in the Psychology Department at Harvard University, and is the the author of eleven books--including Mindfulness, The Power of Mindful Learning, and her Counterclockwise--and more than two hundred research articles. She has been described as the “mother of mindfulness” and through her work, Dr. Langer challenges us to overcome our mindless patterns, let go of false limits, focus on the process and notice all the wonders present in our lives.

In our last +1, we spent some time with John Maxwell and reflected on his wisdom on the pinnacle of leadership influence: Moral Authority.   Recall: “Moral authority is the recognition of a person’s leadership influence based on who they are more than the position they hold. It is attained by authentic living that has built trust and it is sustained by successful leadership endeavors. It is earned by a lifetime of consistency. Leaders can strive to earn moral authority by the way they live, but only others can grant them moral authority.”   Today I want to talk about another little gem from his most recent book called Leadershift.   He tells us that Babe Ruth (apparently) said: “Yesterday’s home run won’t win today’s game.”   Isn’t that AWESOME?!   “Yesterday’s home run won’t win today’s game.”   That’s Today’s +1.   Yesterday’s home run?   Well…   Congrats on rocking it yesterday but…    That epic performance is not going to win TODAY’s game.   So…   Start again. (And again… And again…)

In our last +1, we talked about the research on the fact that The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking.   Today I want to talk about another way to make what we’re learning stick.   We’re going to consult with Barbara Oakley on this one.   Barbara taught one of the most popular classes in history. Nearly 2 million people from 200 countries have taken her Coursera class called Learning How to Learn.   She also wrote a book on how to learn called A Mind for Numbers where she tells us: “The legendary Charles Darwin would do much the same thing. When trying to explain a concept, he imagined someone had just walked into his study. He would put his pen down and try to explain the idea in the simplest terms. That helped him figure out how he would describe the concept in print. Along those lines, the website Reddit.com has a section called ‘Explain like I’m 5’ where anyone can make a post asking for a simple explanation of a complex topic.   You may think

In our last couple +1s, we talked about a key (arguably the #1 key) predictor of our long-term health/morbidity: our visceral fat.    We also discussed the Optimized WHtR (Waist-to-Height Ratio!) that gives us some insight on how we’re doing with that facet of our lives. (+1 +1 +1 for the

In our last +1, we talked about the PM ritual Pythagoras came up with 2,500 years ago (!) that the Stoics liked to follow:   "Allow not sleep to close your wearied eyes, Until you have reckoned up each daytime deed:   ‘Where did I go wrong? What did I do? And what duty’s left undone?’ From first to last review your acts and then Reprove yourself for wretched acts, but rejoice in those done well.”   Today we’ll step back a bit and put in an AM Intention practice to go with that PM Reflection practice.   Let’s go back to Donald Robertson’s How to Think Like a Roman Emperor.   He encourages us to follow another one of Aurelius’s practices and “Contemplate the Sage.” Specifically, he tells us that Marcus made it a practice to think about the virtues he admired in others that he aspired to put into practice in his own life.   He also tells us: “In addition to the virtues of real people, the Stoics were also known for contemplating the hypothetical character of an ideal Sage, or wise person

In our last +1, we had fun chatting about the diploma we give to our Optimize Coaches.   It so perfectly captures the underlying purpose of all of our work together that I’d like to share it again.    Here it is one more time: Having demonstrated a commitment to areté through the mastery of ancient wisdom, modern science, and the fundamentals of Optimal living—both in their own life and in service to others—let it be known that [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE] is hereby recognized as a Certified Optimize Coach and granted all privileges thereunto appertaining, for as long as they continue to demonstrate their commitment through practice. In witness whereof, we hereby commit to do our best to operationalize virtue and live with areté, honoring the fundamentals and striving to be our Optimize = Optimus = Best = Eudaimōn = Hērō selves in Energy, Work, and Love.               Today I want to chat about one particular subtle little thing from this section:    “… is hereby recognized as a Certified Optimize C