Helping others is a noble effort. A steady supply of good deeds, however, can lead to a pattern of disruption. This episode explores when other people (and other people’s problems) become a distraction to our own time, goals, and progress.

Today’s topic offers a buy-one-get-one concept as it relates to a technique that can help improve our communications and also our productivity.  When we’re offering words or undertaking actions, it’s really easy to stretch and do too much and end up overwhelming ourselves or others – or both. Identifying the Most Important Next Step is a game changer in how you get heard in a noisy world and make progress in a busy world. Listen in to learn more.

Our brains are wired to look for information, and this built-in distraction feature is part of what extends our daily to-do list. This episode outlines a simple-yet-effective practice of selecting a "key three" focus at the start of your day and how its clarity can cut through the daily mental clutter.

I recently had a chance to return to the Chicago college where I went as a very ordinary 18-year-old and spoke about the path that led to an extraordinary life. This episode highlights seven key lessons I shared with students and alumni of what I wish I knew a few decades ago about confidence, achievement, wealth, and building a reputation.

Deferring your enjoyment of happiness is one sure way to dilute the very essence of it. Happiness gets to be a yes-and; it can be present today and be amplified with future actions and enjoyment.  Unlock your brain from the delaying the good and relishing in the joy snacks of the here-and-now.

We humans love a good reward. What isn’t sexy is the doing – the daily grind. The monotony of routine without right-now results. Growth occurs in spurts - and it's the grind that gets you there. Oftentimes your brain needs a boost to get past the blahs, a little encouragement to keep going. This episode offers a few tips (and a little rah rah).

There is a lot of research from the biological, neurological, and psychological camps about different elements that can boost or drain your day. This episode focuses on how you spend the first 30 minutes of your day and outlines four quick actions that can have big returns on your energy and focus the rest of the day.

This episode is celebrating progress over perfection. It explores our conditioning of why we are challenged to accept good and burn harder to try to achieve great.  We can be so busy preparing, perfecting, and polishing that we miss the here-and-now. The messy parts of us are important parts of us. We’re not supposed to sand it all away. If we do, we miss the opportunity to improve, evolve. Being real leads to real moments.

Any previous time, money, or effort that has already been expended is known in financial principles as a Sunk Cost. It is an investment that has already occurred and cannot be recouped. This episode explores how our brains assign value to actions already taken, investments already made, and where we sometimes continue to ask give more without even being asked.  It also offers a couple ideas on where you make investments today that will benefit your future self.

This episode explores the Rule of 100, which says you can dramatically improve a skill through 100 hours of learning or practicing. That amount of time gets you past the plateaus and frustration points as you gain skill proficiency. 100 hours over the course of a year comes out to 18 minutes a day. Learn more about this concept and how big things can come from small efforts.

A goal without a plan is just a wish. A habit without momentum is just a goal. This episode leans into the wisdom of the power of 5 good minutes, as mentioned in a conversation between habit authors Tim Ferriss and James Clear, based on Ferriss' January 6, 2023 podcast interview with Clear (see link below). Learn three tips to try to power 5 good minutes throughout your day.  Show note: Link to Tim Ferriss podcast: https://tim.blog/2023/01/06/james-clear-atomic-habits/

We make thousands of decisions every day. Some are conscious, clear choices and others are subconscious routines. There are also the Yes and No answers that are obvious and immediate. Other times, we find ourselves stuck between the Yes and the No and grapple with how to decide and then how to share that decision. This episode looks at the root of that resistance, how to recognize your internal signals, and move from discomfort to decision.

This roundup episode offers quick clips from six previous podcast conversations. Listen to a collection of brain snacks that includes how the attention economy affects our daily lives, the people we allow to make deposits (or withdrawals) from our energy, the science and psychology of decision making, what happens when we take too many productivity shortcuts, three words that can change your life, and why sleep is the magic ingredient for our brain.

We don't have to buy, buy, buy in order to give. This episode highlights 10 ideas on how to give from the heart (and the brain) versus from the wallet. See if any kickstart ideas for the people in your life or inspire ideas on future gifts you'd like to get.

Imagine you got an extra hour added to your day today. How would you spend those bonus minutes?  How we spend our time reveals how we value our time. This episode explores two tips to try if you find yourself with found time and how to make the most of minutes in your everydays.

In a world that is always on, there is a tangible benefit to making time to turn the brain off. Chronic fatigue is more than just a sleep issue. It ties back into the brain. This episode looks at mood and energy benefits that come when the brain has a little extra space + three tips to try in your daily life.

This episode explores the concept of the Ridiculously Small Step (RSS) and how a lot can be done by doing just a little. RSS is more than a methodology; it’s tied into the science of subtle shifts between the conscious and subconscious brain. Learn how consistent quick action can kickstart ongoing progress.

There is a crushing consumerism to buy in order to give. This short episode explores how the act of giving thanks returns a gift back to your body and brain. Gratitude is a multiplier. The more that you actively give thanks, the more the brain is programmed to look for positive experiences in your daily life. It's also a gift with purchase as each effort extended to others rewards you with feel-good hormones. Give thanks, get happy.  Show note: The Profound Power of Gratitude and "Living Eulogies" | Andrea Driessen | TED - YouTube

We all have places and spaces that have too much stuff, either physically or digitally. A recent experience led me to explore the scientific and psychological impact of more space. This episode also offers three simple tactics to help your brain shift to action vs. indecision to make room for space.

As we get back to more people-y activities, there are a few quick tools you can try to turn an interaction into a connection.  From extending a quick compliment to posing a curious (but easy) question, never underestimate the big importance of small things. This episode shares some of the psychology and brain science behind making conversations memorable.