First Things

In this episode, you will— Hear about the importance of Deep Work. Learn that without intensity of focus, we are left with spending more time to achieve quality work. Be offered a free worksheet/guide on the topic of this month. Hear a preview of what will be covered in future weeks. For a free worksheet/guide on this study, please click here.

In this episode, you will— Hear about the importance of Deep Work. Hear from Cal Newport about how he implements this in his life. Be offered a free worksheet/guide on the topic of this month. Hear a preview of what will be covered in future weeks. For a free worksheet/guide on this study, please click here.

In this episode, you will— Hear about the various ways in which we can take long breaks. Discover the importance of "mini vacations". Understand the necessity of sleep. Hear how longer time off is something to consider. Be offered a free worksheet/guide on the topic of this month. Hear a preview of what will be covered in future weeks. For a free worksheet/guide on this study, please click here.

In this episode, you will— Hear about the various ways in which we can take short breaks. Discover the importance of naps. Discover the importance of short walks. Hear how exercise is not optional for us. Be offered a free worksheet/guide on the topic of this month. Hear a preview of what will be covered in future weeks. For a free worksheet/guide on this study, please click here.

In this episode, you will— Hear about how 4 hours of intense work is about as much as we can do. Discover the importance of a morning routine for your productivity. Discover the importance of Stopping. Be offered a free worksheet/guide on the topic of this month. Hear a preview of what will be covered in future weeks. For a free worksheet/guide on this study, please click here.

In this episode, you will— Hear about how work and rest are partners. Listen to various statistical studies about the importance of rest. Discover some of the problems we push regarding rest. Be offered a free worksheet/guide on the topic of this month. Hear a preview of what will be covered in future weeks. For a free worksheet/guide on this study, please click here.

In this episode, you will— Hear about our new study on Rest. Listen to Alex Soojung-Kim Pang talk about the idea of Rest and details of his book. Be offered a free worksheet/guide on the topic of this month. Hear a preview of what will be covered in future weeks. For a free worksheet/guide on this study, please click here.

In this episode, you will— Understand why I quit podcasting. Learn why I decided to return to podcasting. Hear where we will be going with the podcast in the next year.

In this episode of First Things, I give a brief episode announcing that I am returning to the world of podcasting.  I give a few brief details of these plans.

Most would never guess the biggest secrets to verbal communication … learning to listen and observe.  This means our biggest hindrance is often our own mouths … from overuse! This week, we look once more at techniques to help us better observe and listen to people around us. Click to Listen “Listen & Observe” Show Notes […] The post #088 – Listen & Observe (Like Switch Pt 10) [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.

We can implement certain “attraction laws” into place that will better enable deeper friendships.  Last week, we discussed one such law … the law of similarity. This week, we look into the various attraction laws and how to practically implement them into our lives. Click to Listen “Attraction Laws” Show Notes Law of Reciprocity: When […] The post #087 – Attraction Laws (Like Switch Pt 9) [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.

There are certain “laws of attraction” that we can invoke as tools to help us establish friendships.  One of these is the “law of similarity.” In a culture that often idolizes diversity, it is the commonality that often builds the strongest relationships.  What is the “law of similarity” and how can we use it effectively? […] The post #086 – Law of Similarity (Like Switch Pt 8) [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.

We continue talking through the “Golden Rule of Friendship.”  How does this rule apply to compliments?  Do compliments help? Complimenting other people (especially new friends) can be a powerful tool. But … you must be careful and not abuse this technique. Click to Listen “Compliments” Show Notes I want to encourage you to give a […] The post #085 – Compliments (Like Switch Pt 7) [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.

The more you can let go of your ego, the better your friendships will be.  Making your conversations more about the other person (and less about you), the more people will love being around you.  This is referred to as the “Golden Rule of Friendship.” This can be very difficult to do since we want […] The post #084 – Golden Rule of Friendship (Like Switch Pt 6) [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.

In previous weeks, we have looked are the various “friend” signals. But what about foe signals?  What are some things we may do that make us appear unfriendly to other people? During every social approach, humans must assess each other’s intentions. Facial expressions provide cues to assist in these assessments via associations with emotion, the […] The post #083 – Foe Signals (Like Switch Pt 5) [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.

Trust … People size you up in seconds, but what exactly are they evaluating?  Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy has been studying first impressions alongside fellow psychologists Susan Fiske and Peter Glick for more than 15 years, and has discovered patterns in these interactions. In her new book, “Presence,” Cuddy says people quickly answer two questions when they […] The post #082 – Trust (Like Switch Pt 4) [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.

It’s well known that good communication is the foundation of any successful relationship, be it personal or professional. It’s important to recognize, though, that it’s our nonverbal communication—our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and tone of voice—that speak the loudest. The ability to understand and use nonverbal communication, or body language, is a powerful […] The post #081 – Three Nonverbal Friend Signals (Like Switch Pt 3) [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.

We continue our study on “The Like Switch” by Jack Schafer and Marvin Karlins. This week we look at the Friend vs Foe continuum as discussed in Chp 1. What is the “urban scowl”? And how might our nonverbal facial expressions be causing people to see us as undesirable or worse a foe in life? Click to […] The post #080 – Friend or Foe (Like Switch Pt 2) [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.

We begin a new study this week on “The Like Switch” by Jack Schafer and Marvin Karlins. This week we look at the “Friendship Formula” as discussed in Chp 1. The Friendship Formula is rather simple:  Friendship = Proximity + Frequency + Duration + Intensity. In this episode, we discuss each of these aspects in […] The post #079 – Friendship Formula (Like Switch Pt 1) [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.

No one would ever say they want to live with regrets at the end of their life. Yet, we can get so busy in life, that we can never think through the very things that will cause regrets later.   Numerous research has shown what a lot of people consider as regrets at the end […] The post #078 – Without Regrets [Podcast] appeared first on First Things.