Learn more about motivationandinspiration with this collection
How to apply new knowledge in everyday life
Why continuous learning is important
How to find and evaluate sources of knowledge
Ask anyone how they’re feeling these days and chances are they’ll reply with some version of “exhausted.” We’re tired of operating amid uncertainty. We’re tired of balancing childcare with work. We’re tired of staffing shortages and supply chain problems.
When we feel like this, our brains want to save mental energy by directing our focus to the most readily available, recallable information to help us make decisions quickly. We often do this by going with our gut and making our best guess.
140
897 reads
Expediency bias means doing the thing that feels right, or rushing to judgement, without properly considering all the variables. The brain does this because it’s much easier to process existing ideas than new ones, a principle in psychology called fluency. It’s the reason why if you speak Spanish, it’s much easier to learn Italian than Japanese. It’s also why, as explained by marketing professor Adam Altermany people think two single dollar bills are more valuable than a single two-dollar bill.
140
642 reads
The result is that many of us are naturally inclined to do what simply feels right — be that asking people to come back to the office because our brains can picture it or making an assumption that everyone wants a four-day work week. The Hedonic principle also comes into play: We are wired to move toward things that make us feel good and away from things that make us feel uncomfortable. Our brains tag effort as bad because it’s hard work. They default to what feels “normal” — the networks that tell us where and how to travel through our daily existence.
131
418 reads
We do hard things because we know they can have tremendous benefits — ones that may not be visible for some time. Think about starting a new exercise routine. Maybe we have an insight — “If I can run a mile, I’ll have more energy to play with my young kids” — that generates an impetus for action. Or maybe a doctor told us it’s a requirement for a lifestyle change or an incentive pops up to spur us on.
129
397 reads
A funny thing happens. When we go for that initial run, it doesn’t feel good. Neither does the next run, or the run after that. Our muscles hurt. The money we’ve spent on the new hobby causes friction in our household. The schedule keeps us from the quality time we used to spend catching up with friends. It compounds, continuing to signal all the reasons we should go back to the way it was before — when our muscles didn’t hurt, when we grabbed drinks with our friends, when we didn’t fight with our partners over spending $100 a month on a gym membership.
130
374 reads
So, how do we do hard things when our brains are constantly telling us to avoid effort?
Here are 3 things we can try:
148
359 reads
A 2016 study found that when people are upset, they’re less likely to try to do hard things. When they’re feeling upbeat, however, they’re more likely to take on the hard-but-essential tasks that ultimately make life better.
138
421 reads
One way we can get ourselves in the right mindset is to do what’s called “reappraisal,” in which we create a shift in our brain of how we perceive a task. Reappraisal can be incredibly effective when we choose one simple, sticky word or phrase that labels where we want to be. For example, literally saying to yourself, “I’m going to feel better once I get this new process down on paper,” might be enough to get your brain out of an unproductive loop.
143
349 reads
When we have a choice, our brains often want to default to something easy. But we can mitigate that response by challenging ourselves to be innovative and provide incentives. For example, instead of debating whether to take up that new work project, ask yourself: Do I want to experiment with a new project management tool that might make things easier for my team next week, or do I want to stick with the same spreadsheet that a former employee established that none of us feel great about anyway?
133
342 reads
The Individuals who have a growth mindset believe their talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others. These individuals tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset, those who believe their talents are innate gifts.
133
326 reads
To challenge patterns or systems that enable or inhibit new habits from taking hold, it’s helpful to have the support of others. One way to do that is by sharing stories of trying, in a setting where attempts are prized as much as the results. For example, a team of executives recently tried to block off their mornings from meetings to get their best work done. Some individuals thrived, while others preferred to do their deep thinking in the afternoon.
124
298 reads
A month after experimenting with the scheduling, the team decided it wasn’t working well because of conflicting time zones and opted for a different tactic: only making Monday morning free of meetings. By acknowledging the progress made by trying a new habit, the team was able to continue experimenting, instead of just reverting back to old ways.
124
315 reads
Doing things that feel uncomfortable and like hard work can seem counterintuitive. But by understanding what’s going on in your brain, instead of in your gut, you can work toward accomplishing hard things and manage your fears better.
127
364 reads
We are naturally inclined to do what feels good or comfortable or just “right”. Our brains tag effort as bad because it’s hard work. So, how do we do hard things when our brains are constantly telling us not to?
“
More like this
3 ideas
Why you love setting goals more than pursuing them
fastcompany.com
6 ideas
3 Conversational Tricks to EXCITE Anyone
medium.com
4 ideas
Explore the World’s
Best Ideas
Save ideas for later reading, for personalized stashes, or for remembering it later.
Start
31 ideas
Start
44 ideas
# Personal Growth
Take Your Ideas
Anywhere
Just press play and we take care of the words.
No Internet access? No problem. Within the mobile app, all your ideas are available, even when offline.
Ideas for your next work project? Quotes that inspire you? Put them in the right place so you never lose them.
Start
47 ideas
Start
75 ideas
My Stashes
Join
2 Million Stashers
4.8
5,740 Reviews
App Store
4.7
72,690 Reviews
Google Play
samz905
Don’t look further if you love learning new things. A refreshing concept that provides quick ideas for busy thought leaders.
“
Shankul Varada
Best app ever! You heard it right. This app has helped me get back on my quest to get things done while equipping myself with knowledge everyday.
“
Sean Green
Great interesting short snippets of informative articles. Highly recommended to anyone who loves information and lacks patience.
“
Ashley Anthony
This app is LOADED with RELEVANT, HELPFUL, AND EDUCATIONAL material. It is creatively intellectual, yet minimal enough to not overstimulate and create a learning block. I am exceptionally impressed with this app!
“
Ghazala Begum
Even five minutes a day will improve your thinking. I've come across new ideas and learnt to improve existing ways to become more motivated, confident and happier.
“
Giovanna Scalzone
Brilliant. It feels fresh and encouraging. So many interesting pieces of information that are just enough to absorb and apply. So happy I found this.
“
Laetitia Berton
I have only been using it for a few days now, but I have found answers to questions I had never consciously formulated, or to problems I face everyday at work or at home. I wish I had found this earlier, highly recommended!
“
Jamyson Haug
Great for quick bits of information and interesting ideas around whatever topics you are interested in. Visually, it looks great as well.
“
Read & Learn
20x Faster
without
deepstash
with
deepstash
with
deepstash
Access to 200,000+ ideas
—
Access to the mobile app
—
Unlimited idea saving & library
—
—
Unlimited history
—
—
Unlimited listening to ideas
—
—
Downloading & offline access
—
—
Personalized recommendations
—
—
Supercharge your mind with one idea per day
Enter your email and spend 1 minute every day to learn something new.
I agree to receive email updates