We all have talent that can give us an edge, but it can only take you so far. The reason some people are high performers is because they’ve formed good habits.Habits can be small and basic, but when you do them every day they compound over time. “A lot of these habits are what we call trigger habits. While they seem small, they actually trigger a series of other powerful habits. When you want to achieve a big goal, you need an entry point—a habit that’s as small as possible, so you’re most likely to do it and set your day into action.”

Good Habits Matter Most.

Though one may apply lots of clever and smart methods, without habits being well to mark, they all fetch hardly any success.

Talent can only take you so far. The reason some people are high performers is because they’ve formed good habits.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

habits

Habits

problemsolving

Problem Solving

timemanagement

Time Management

Want a Promotion? These 4 Habits Are More Powerful Than Talent

The 12 Rules of Life is a guide for anyone who craves for order, stability and a higher sense of purpose in life.

Jordan B. Peterson: 12 Rules for Life

Your posture can determine your societal status. If you appear to look weak, tired, or sloppy, you’ll be seen and treated as such. You’ll most likely be exploited, mistreated, or ripped off. Appear confident and you’ll be treated as a winner.It’ll boost your morale make you feel less anxious about how you may appear to others.

RULE 1: Stand up straight with your shoulders back.

Fact: People are better at filling and properly administering prescription medication to their pets than to themselves.You are important to other people, as much as to yourself. Consider the people who might depend on you, this might be your friends, family, employees, and even your pet(s). Because you have people who depend on you, you are, therefore, expected to take care of, help, and be good to yourself.You should do this the same way you would take care of, help, and be good to someone you love and value.

RULE 2: Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.


Don’t befriend someone because you think you can change his/her life. You might think you’re a strong, generous, well-put-together person who wants to do the right thing but you’ll end up doing more harm to yourself. Make friends with people who are already where you want to be.That way you’ll learn from their mistake, have more clarity as to the needs and actuality of your goals and career trajectory.

RULE 3: Make friends with people who want the best for you.


When we compare ourselves to people who’ve excelled in a certain field or area of expertise. It does little good to us and often leaves us with the feeling of incompetence. Rather, we should compare our performance and effectiveness today to that of yesterday and always strive for perfection.By comparing yourself today to who you were yesterday you are actively practicing a growth mindset.

RULE 4: Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.


Set clear rules for your children so they can be guided and know what’s the right thing to do and when. Most importantly, you don’t have to force them into doing things they don’t understand. Take time to make them understand why these rules are important and just how beneficial the rules are and would be to them.

RULE 5: Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.

Before blaming the world for why it is what it is today ask yourself how you’ve contribute to it being a better place. If you cannot make your household clean, then don’t blame the community for being filthy. Always look within yourself before judging others for what they are.

RULE 6: Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.

Pursuing things that give us more meaning provides us with a sense of fulfillment and higher purpose. Do things that make you feel good and elevated. The sense of fulfillment you feel when the tree you planted five years ago is now home to over a hundred birds or a shade for the community.That’s the kind of feeling you should strive towards. It makes your life worth living.

RULE 7: Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient).

We’ve all lied at least once in our lives and have felt guilt for doing so. The problem with telling lies is how quickly it becomes a habit. It’s so easy to get out of a difficult situation with just a lie but the effects can be exponential. A single lie can make you lose your job, friends or break your relationship with loved ones. Tell the truth always and don’t speak when you’re not sure.

RULE 8: Tell the truth—or, at least, don’t lie.

Rarely is listening done these days. If you’re going to listen to someone, at least listen attentively. Everyone needs to be heard and it’s how we think. Listening effectively, allows the person speaking to open up and express his/her thinking process, which can lead to some of the most amazing and oddly interesting conversations.

RULE 9: Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t.

Goals, when clarified become more attainable. Problems, when specified become easier to deal with. Being precise in your speech makes you sound less phony, more trustworthy, and honest. When engaged in or starting a conversation, try narrowing it down to a specific topic as it brings up unique insights. Rather than a general topic that might seem mundane and uninteresting to talk about.

RULE 10: Be precise in your speech.

Danger is part of growing. Falling is not always as awful it sounds, sometimes it might just be an opportunity for us to progress into more resilient beings. There’s always a risk involved in growth and the path to mastery in any area of expertise is never safe as there will be hurdles and stumbling blocks. Let people be who they are, don’t try to change them. If there’s anyone you should change the most, it’s YOU.

RULE 11: Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.

Take advantage of the little opportunities you find anywhere and everywhere. Life is tough and that’s just how it is for everyone. Accept that suffering is an undeniable part of reality and life. Make the most of the happiness found in doing the little things.

RULE 12: Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.

The 12 Rules of Life is set of rules to adhere by for social, mental and spiritual well being.

"What does everyone in the modern world need to know? [The author's] answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research. [The author discusses] discussing discipline, freedom, adventure and responsibility, distilling the world's wisdom into 12 practical and profound rules for life"--

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER  #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER What does everyone in the modern world need to know? Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson's answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research. Humorous, surprising and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street. What does the nervous system of the lowly lobster have to tell us about standing up straight (with our shoulders back) and about success in life? Why did ancient Egyptians worship the capacity to pay careful attention as the highest of gods? What dreadful paths do people tread when they become resentful, arrogant and vengeful? Dr. Peterson journeys broadly, discussing discipline, freedom, adventure and responsibility, distilling the world's wisdom into 12 practical and profound rules for life. 12 Rules for Life shatters the modern commonplaces of science, faith and human nature, while transforming and ennobling the mind and spirit of its readers.

Jordan Bernt Peterson is a Canadian psychologist, author, and media commentator. He began to receive widespread attention in the late 2010s for his views on cultural and political issues, often described as conservative. Peterson has described himself as a classic British liberal and a traditionalist.

Jordan B. Peterson

12 Rules for Life

Our society is built on the premise that human beings are more or less rational. We trust that our leaders, judges, scientists, and other experts are making fair and unbiased decisions, and that we ourselves are seeing the world as it is and making the best choices we can.If only that were true!

Human Beings Are Rational, Right?

In fact, human thinking is riddled with biases, oversimplifications, and distortions. And these mistakes aren’t random, either. In Thinking, Fast and Slow , Nobel Prize-winning economist and psychologist Daniel Kahneman attempts to uncover the patterns of error in human judgement, and suggests ways we can fine-tune our thinking to make better decisions and see the world more clearly.

No, Human Beings Are Not Really Rational

You don’t have one mind. When it comes to thinking, Daniel Kahneman argues, you have two. While they go by many names, Kahneman prefers the terms System 1 and System 2.

Like It Or Not, You Are Always Of Two Minds. 

System 1 thinks quickly and automatically, with little to no effort and no sense of voluntary control. System 1 lets you immediately recognize that one person is farther away than another, for example, or lets you solve 2 + 2 without having to think about it.

The 2-System Mind: System 1 Of 2

System 2 operates slowly, calculating and reasoning. It’s what we think of as our conscious, deliberate mind. System 2 is what lets you calculate just how far away that person is, or helps you solve a harder math problem like 16 x 43.

The 2-System Mind: System 2 Of 2

This division of labor is highly efficient. For a mind that is constantly being bombarded with stimuli, it keeps effort to a minimum. System 1 can take care of a lot of basic tasks without any input from System 2. It is the one that works most of the time because System 1, despite being automatic and intuitive, is pretty good at modeling familiar situations and reacting to challenges.

The Division Of Labour

System 1 is prone to biases, cognitive illusions, and overconfidence. We often fail to recognize these errors because they happen so quickly, before our conscious mind has even kicked into gear. By better understanding our two-system mind and how it operates, we can avoid mistakes in reasoning and make better decisions.

Mind 1 Makes Mistakes

Research has shown that when taking on risky projects or investments, decision-makers often fall victim to what Kahneman calls the “planning fallacy.” This is our tendency to make optimistic predictions based on what our fast-acting System 1 mind hopes will happen, rather than a careful analysis of what is likely to happen based on statistics or experience, as analyzed by System 2. This fallacy impacts both corporate and individual behavior, as we reliably overestimate benefits and underestimate costs.

An Example Of Distortion: The Planning Fallacy

The planning fallacy is just one of dozens of mental distortions that Kahneman and his fellow researchers have identified, a devastating critique of the rational choice theory favored by many economists. By learning about these cognitive biases, we’re more likely to avoid their false conclusions and see the world more accurately.

Using Our Mental Distortions To Our Benefit

You may think that your experiences (“I’m having fun!”) and your memories (“That was fun!”) are closely connected. But Daniel Kahneman points out that they can diverge drastically, and that has implications for the choices you make.

Experience And Memory Are In Conflict

Buying an expensive luxury item may give you a lot of actual joy in the moment. But with hindsight, the cost of the purchase may weigh on you, and you may decide it wasn’t worth it. So the next time you have a purchase to make, do you optimize for the in-the-moment experience, or for the memory of that experience, which is what you’ll retain over the long term? It’s not always easy to decide, because your two selves have different priorities.

The “Experiencing Self” And The “Remembering Self”

The “experiencing self” is rooted in System 1, which favors short periods of intense pleasure and dreads sharp pains. The System 2 “remembering self” tells a story about that experience, and that story changes over time. For example, patients undergoing brief but painful medical procedures report suffering more than patients who had longer procedures where the pain was initially just as great but lessened over time. Even though the second set of patients experienced more total pain, the way the pain was distributed over time made them remember the procedure more favorably.

Systems And Selves

First published by Kahneman and his longtime collaborator Amos Tversky in 1979, prospect theory is a model of decision-making behavior informed by Systems 1 and 2. It was cited in the 2002 decision to award Kahneman the Nobel Prize in Economics.A key aspect of the theory is loss aversion . This is the observation that the pain people experience from losing $50 is much more intense than the joy they experience from earning $50. In other words, we’ll do more to avoid a loss than we will to achieve a gain.

Losses Loom Larger Than Gains

“Reference dependence,” is what Kahneman calls our tendency to perceive the value of things and experiences relative to some status quo that we hold in mind—whether it’s our memory of how much a thing used to cost, or our neighbor’s fancy car that influences what kind of car we think we “should” have.

“Reference Dependence”

So, our two-system mind is subject to all sorts of cognitive errors. What can we do about it? How can we more reliably make good decisions?First, recognize when your automatic, System 1 thinking is leading you astray, then slow down and get reinforcement from System 2. While this can be very hard to do in the moment, knowing about the existence of cognitive biases and fallacies makes it more likely you’ll spot them. It’s also a lot easier to recognize when others are wandering into a cognitive minefield. Giving and getting feedback from people around you makes avoiding errors more likely.

To Think Smart, Think Slow

Put structures in place around you that make decision-making more deliberative. For example, Kahneman recommends leaders adopt checklists, which help avoid oversights and encourage a culture of slow thinking.

Structures Make For Deliberation

Broadly speaking, there are three stages to making a decision:<ul><li>Framing the problem</li><li>Collecting the relevant data</li><li>Reflecting on and reviewing the information</li></ul>According to Kahneman, paying careful attention to each stage of the process will result in improved decision-making. Whether it’s planning corporate strategy or making an individual choice, we think best when we think slower, when both System 1 and System 2 are allowed to do their jobs.

The 3 Stages Of Making A Decision

5 Key Insights from Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Hardships often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.

“Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.” — C. S. Lewis quotes from Quotefancy.com

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

“Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.”

<ul><li> You're building habits all the time.</li><li>Be the architect of your habits, not the victim of them.</li><li>Your results are a lagging measure of your habits.</li><li>There is a mismatch between our ancestors' behaviour instinct to receive instant gratification and our wished behaviours that have to delay gratification.</li><li>Genes don't tell you not to work hard, they tell you where to work hard to embrace your abilities.</li><li>People find pleasure from progress, either from comparing ourselves to others' or to ourselves.</li><li>Fix the inputs, and the outputs will fix themselves.</li></ul>

Key Insights (I)

<ul><li>Goals are for people who care about winning one time. Systems are for people who care about winning again and again.</li><li>You take pride in your habits and they provide proof of the story you tell yourself about your identity.</li><li>Your habits are the solution for the recurring problems you have</li><li>Variable rewards tend to intensify behaviour.</li><li>Environment is the invisible hand that drives our behaviour.</li><li>Contain the damage of failing once by dividing your day in 4 blocks.</li><li>Master the art of showing up.</li></ul>

Key Insights (II)

It increased my knowledge and understanding on habits

James Clear is the author of the New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits. His extensive research into human behavior has helped him identify key components of habit formation and develop the “Four Laws of Behavioral Change.” In this episode, James provides insights into how both good and bad habits are formed, including the influence of genetics, environment, social circles, and more. He points to changes one can make to cultivate more perseverance and discipline and describes the profound impact habits can have when tying them into one’s self-identity. Finally, James breaks down his “Four Laws of Behavioral Change” and how to use them to create new habits, undo bad habits, and make meaningful changes in one’s life.  We discuss:  Why James became deeply interested in habits [1:45]; Viewing habits through an evolutionary lens [6:00]; The power of immediate feedback for behavior change, and why we tend to repeat bad habits [9:15]; The role of genetics and innate predispositions in determining one’s work ethic and success in a given discipline [14:30]; How finding one’s passion can cultivate perseverance and discipline [23:15]; Advantages of creating systems and not just setting goals [29:15]; The power of habits combined with self-identity to induce change [36:30]; How a big environmental change or life event can bring on radical behavioral change [50:30]; The influence of one’s social environment on their habits [54:15]; How and why habits are formed [1:00:30]; How to make or break a habit with the “Four Laws of Behavior Change” [1:09:30]; Practical tips for successful behavioral change—the best strategies when starting out [1:16:15]; Self-forgiveness and getting back on track immediately after slipping up [1:30:30]; Law #1: Make it obvious—strategies for identifying and creating cues to make and break habits [1:39:45]; Law #2: Make it attractive—ways to make a new behavior more attractive [1:47:45]; Law #3: Make it easy—the 2-minute rule [1:58:45]; Law #4: Make it satisfying—rewards and reinforcement [2:03:30]; Advice for helping others to make behavioral changes [2:06:00]; More.  Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com/ Show notes page for this episode: https://peterattiamd.com/jamesclear/   Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content:  https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/  Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/  Connect with Peter on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

health

Health

Expert insight on health, performance, longevity, critical thinking, and pursuing excellence. Dr. Peter Attia (Stanford/Hopkins/NIH-trained MD) talks with leaders in their fields.

The Peter Attia Drive

#183 - James Clear: Building & changing habits

On violin, guitar, saxophone, percussion, and keys, the quartet pieces together a carefully arranged mixture of jazz, ambient, folk, and classical minimalism.Seasons change in the mind and the body before they change in the world. Anyone who has felt spring bloom in their hearts on the first false day of sunshine, or been transported to autumns past by the crunch of a stray brown leaf on a late-summer afternoon, knows that climatological reality is not always in sync with our perception of how things should be.

Fuubutsushi (風物詩)


The Japanese word “fuubutsushi” refers to this gap, capturing the feeling of longing for a new season at the first signs of its emergence. After months of life looking like one thing, fuubutsushi marks the moment when you believe it may begin to look like something else.

What's in a Word?

That feeling—not the out-of-time displacement of hope, so much, or the rush of anticipation, but the embodied understanding that things are about to change—suffuses this collaboration between violinist Chris Jusell, guitarist Chaz Prymek, percussionist and keyboardist Matthew Sage, and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi. All four are prolific composers who have hooked up in various configurations in the past, often playing challenging takes on jazz and ambient music.

Things Change

For Fuubutsushi (風物詩), which was recorded remotely with each musician in a different U.S. state, they piece together soothing bits of jazz, ambient, folk, and classical minimalism with the ease and grace of a group of pals working on a jigsaw puzzle over warm cider. Listening to it can feel a little like relaxing in the home you imagine as you unpack your belongings in a new apartment: Everything is expertly placed and arranged with care.

Minimalism

On violin, guitar, saxophone, percussion, and keys, the quartet pieces together a carefully arranged mixture of jazz, ambient, folk, and classical minimalism.

writing

Reading & Writing

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

Jusell, Prymek, Sage, Shiroishi: Fuubutsushi (風物詩)

People who are conscientious are more careful, efficient and self-disciplined — and they aim for achievement. Conscientiousness is one of the five major aspects of personality, along with agreeableness, extraversion, openness to experience and neuroticism. “Not only do conscientious individuals have better health habits and less risk-taking, but they also travel life pathways toward healthier psychosocial environments – such as more stable jobs and marriages – and may even have a biological predisposition toward good health.”

Care And Discipline Always Offer Rewards.

With discipline and care, one can achieve wonders against all odds.

The personality trait can be changed over the years.

The Personality Trait That Indicates Long Life - PsyBlog

“ If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four hours sharpening the axe ”

Just as you readily consult with other lawyers who specialize in areas 
outside your own, it's wise to consult with sales experts before engaging 
in sales activities. Coaching and guidance are your axes in the sales game.

Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. — RainmakerVT

Since no one wants to age, there is a tremendous incentive to prevent, slow down or even reverse it. But all these efforts run into the same obstacle. No one actually knows what aging is or precisely what causes it. On its face, this riddle shouldn’t exist. The universe is subject to entropy, which causes everything, including the universe itself, to run down like a child’s toy whose battery slowly runs down. Biology chimes in with the obvious fact that all higher living things grow old and die.

What is Aging?

But reality changes depending on your viewpoint, and one viewpoint tells us that aging, especially human aging, could be a mistake. First, we need to counter the evidence that living things must grow old and die. This is more easily done than you might suppose. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the counter-argument against aging.

Reality Changes

· Entropy refers to the dissipation of heat by which warm things grow colder. But those are inanimate things. Life preserves and increases energy. Putting on a coat in winter effectively defeats entropy, and so have all living forms for at least four billion years.· The universe may die a “heat death” as it approaches absolute zero, but in the meantime, complex forms keep arising and surviving. The force that creates them is evolution.· Unique among the living things yet discovered, Homo sapiens can consciously choose to evolve.

Evolution

· Long ago Homo sapiens escaped the prison of Darwinian survival of the fittest by moving in any direction that offers more complexity, creativity, and discovery.As you can see, these are fundamental facts that can be used to approach aging, making it far from inevitable. An ancient Indian scripture declares that “people grow old and die because they see other people grow old and die.”

An Indian Scripture

Since no one wants to age, there is a tremendous incentive to prevent, slow down or even reverse it. But all these efforts run into the same obstacle. No one actually knows what aging is or precisely…

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

What If Aging Is a Mistake?

So, why is the natural world good for us? The biophilia theory suggested that since we evolved in nature, our senses and body rhythms are best suited for that environment. According to biologist E. O. Wilson, there is an “innate emotional affiliation with other living organisms” that makes us calm and comfortable in nature. The sounds, smells, sights are our evolutionary “happy place” where we can rest and rejuvenate. We are deeply tied to a world from where we have strayed. Despite the comforts and safety of the modern world, there is a price to pay for urban living.

Nature, The Ultimate Healer.

It is quite obvious that we will be most comfortable at the place we originated and we finally take abode, i.e. nature.

A doctor explains why he prescribes time outside to his patients.

mindfulness

Mindfulness

mentalhealth

Mental Health

How Nature Helps Us Heal

Find  Self Improvement Tips - Curated from popular Books like Atomic Habits, 48 Rules of Power, Deep Work, Rich Dad Poor Dad and way more!