Optimize With Brian Johnson | More Wisdom In Less Time

For those of you in the States celebrating today, Happy Independence Day. For everyone else around the world, Happy 4th of July!

I planned to read this book since Cal Newport referenced it in Deep Work. I finally did so in preparation to teach Productivity 101. It’s fantastic. If you’re a business leader or entrepreneur I think you’ll particularly enjoy it. Big Ideas we cover include the 4DX, the whirlwind, your Wildly Important Goals, Lag vs. Lead measures, the power of keeping score, and avoiding the blackhole of the magnificently trivial.

Imagine this: It’s your first day of art class. You signed up for an intro class on pottery. (Nice! Go you!) The teacher does something a little weird. He points to one half of the class and says, “On the last day of class I’m going to bring in a bathroom scale. You guys will get an ‘A’ if you produce 50 pounds of pots. A ‘B’ for 40 pounds. 30 pounds gets you a ‘C.’” Then he points to the other half of the class and says, “You guys? You’ll get an ‘A’ for creating an amazing pot. I just need one pot from you. Make it awesome and you get the ‘A.’” Fast-forward to the end of the semester and who do you think created the best-looking pots? Answer: The group that produced the 50 pounds of stuff to get an “A.” Why is that? Well, as the authors of Art & Fear put it: “It seems that while the ‘quantity’ group was busily churning out piles of work—and learning from their mistakes—the ‘quality’ group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose t

Brad Stulberg is a writer focused on health and the science of human performance. (Amy Cuddy calls him her favorite health and science writer.) Steve Magness is a coach to some of the top distance runners in the world. Together, they’ve written a super-engaging, quick-reading book on how to pursue growth in a healthy, sustainable way—aka, without burning out. Big Ideas we explore include the secret equation of sustainable awesome (Stress + Rest = Growth), just-manageable challenges, the iPhone Effect Part 3 (aka how to decrease your productivity in one step!), the optimal work/rest ratio, and the paradoxical twist of fulfillment.

Continuing our theme of making TODAY (and every day!) a Masterpiece Day, let's take a quick look at Time Blocks. Gary Keller wrote The ONE Thing. He also created the largest real estate agency in the world. In his great little book, he tells us how important it is to ruthlessly focus on what’s most important—the key activities that drive the real results. He takes the 80/20 principle to the extreme and has you continue drilling down on the most important things until you get to the ONE Thing that drives the whole show. And then he has you ruthlessly focus on what you need to do TODAY to make that ONE Thing a reality—knocking over the next domino in a chain of dominoes that inevitably leads to the outcome you’re looking for. Just figuring out what your ONE Thing is (over the long run and today) obviously takes a lot of Deep Work. Gary tells us we need to create “Time Blocks” during our day. He calls them the #1 “power tool” of time management. The rules? You turn off ALL distractions for a set amount of

In our last +1 we talked about Spinny Fingers and how to quickly regain our equanimity when life spins us around. Here’s another way. Mark Divine is a former Commander in the Navy SEALs. He tells us that in the chaos of war, elite SEALs are taught to “simplify the battlefield.” When the fog of battle rolls in and things are nowhere near as clear as they were a moment before, it's absolutely essential that we simplify everything. Commander Divine tells us that we need to identify THE next most important target and then put ALL of our energy into successfully executing that micro-mission as we maintain what he calls “front-sight” focus. Simplify. Identify next target. Focus. Execute that micro-mission. Repeat. That’s an incredibly effective way to roll. ESPECIALLY when things are most challenging. That’s today’s +1. How can you simplify the battlefield of your life? What's THE most important thing right now? Give it your front-sight focus. Hooyah! P.S. The last four digits of my phone number are 5320.

You know those times when you need to initiate a tough conversation and you're kinda sorta dreading it and avoiding it? One of my old mentors once told me that you just need to move through what he called “sweaty five-minute conversations” to get to the other side of clarity and resolution. Most of us avoid the challenging conversations because we aren’t willing to endure those few minutes of discomfort. I definitely used to avoid them. Now, I remember that Speed Is a Force then I WOOP it, chant “Bring it on!” + “I’m excited!” and jump in. It’s become a really powerful practice for me as I've mastered it over the years. But here’s the funny thing. Once upon a time, I needed to have one of those “sweaty conversations” with that mentor of mine. Guess how it turned out? It was, by far, LITERALLY, the worst conversation I’ve ever had in my life. HAH. Seriously. I kid you not. As Campbell said, when you dare to go after bliss, there's always the chance for a fiasco. :) Here’s how Campbell puts it: “The he

George St-Pierre is one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the world. Ever. Of course, he wasn’t always one of the greatest. At one point, he was just a young guy working as a garbage man who DECIDED he was going to be the best in the world. People around him thought he was crazy. (Of course they did. Who says stuff like that? Hint: People who have a shot at making it happen.) So, when GSP decided (!) he would be the best in the world at what he wanted to do, he also decided what he WASN’T going to do. “Train instead of party. Work instead of play. Perfect practice instead of casual repetition.” ALL of his energy went into achieving his goal and making his dream a reality. (You should see the consistency in his schedule. Astonishing.) In his great book The Way of the Fight, GSP makes the important distinction that all those things he was no longer going to do weren’t sacrifices. They were decisions. Sacrifices vs. Decisions. There’s a huge difference between the two. One comes with a little whi

Have you ever made a mistake? (Hah.) Right. (I’ve made a mistake or 3 million as well.) Here’s the deal: When we approach it with the right mindset (that would be a growth, experimental mindset), we come to realize that those mistakes are P R E C I O U S. The data we get on what DOESN’T WORK is priceless. Therefore, never (!) beat yourself up about a mis-take. Simply remind yourself that we either win or we learn and that no movie was ever shot from start to finish without a ton of re-takes. Then say to yourself “Needs work!” as you rewind your game film, see yourself executing the oopsed scene perfectly and then get back at it. Repeat. Forever. So… Practical Reflection Time: What was your last mistake? What did you learn? Run it through our little Mis-take process above and +1 it.

In our last +1, we talked about the fact that Speed Is a Force. Jim Rohn said the same thing a little differently. He told us about the “Law of Diminishing Intent.” The basic idea: The likelihood of doing something diminishes the further away you get from the initial moment of inspiration. So true. And your confidence erodes as well. Not a winning combination. Jim Rohn’s protégé, Tony Robbins, echoes this wisdom as well. He tells us that we must never leave the moment of inspiration without taking action. Then we need to follow that up with sustained, MASSIVE action. That's powerful. Remember: Don’t let your intention to do something great diminish. Seize the opportunity. Take massive, sustained action. Speed is a Force. Stay grounded. And use it wisely. (Got anything in your life that could use some energy?)

Speaking of perfectionism, let’s look at the essence of Tal Ben-Shahar’s great book The Pursuit of Perfect. Tal is one of the world’s leading positive psychologists. He taught the largest class in Harvard’s history: Positive Psychology 101. He tells us that there are two distinct forms of perfectionism—one of them is actually adaptive and the other is not. He tells us they are so different that they need different names. There’s the unhealthy perfectionist who suffers from all the things you’d expect from perfectionism: anxiety, depression, etc. He calls them a “Perfectionist.” Then, there’s the healthy, high-functioning perfectionist who uses those high standards to fuel their growth. He calls them an “Optimalist.” Perfectionist vs. Optimalist. Here’s the primary difference between the two: The (unhealthy) Perfectionist fails to embrace reality. They actually think they can work for 16 hours a day in pursuit of their great work while staying super healthy and being a great spouse and parent and being s

I dropped out of law school before a semester was over but I do remember one Big Idea from Contracts class. Lawyers like to say that a contract is a good one when there are “bright lines”—when it’s super obvious what everyone is agreeing to. Fuzzy lines? Not so good. We want super crisp, obvious, BRIGHT lines. Research scientists borrowed that phrase to describe one of the key attributes of creating good deals with yourself as you architect your ideal life. They tell us that when we’re building new habits, we want to have VERY BRIGHT LINES about what is and what is not acceptable behavior. For example, when I wanted to quit eating fast food over a decade ago, the fuzzy line I had of “Eat at McDonald’s less often” wasn’t particularly helpful. Every time I’d drive by that McDonald’s on the way home I’d have to ask myself, “Is today the day I get to go there?” And, when did I go? On the days when I was feeling the worst, of course. Then, one day, I got BRIGHT with my lines. I decided I would NEVER eat at M

We all have areas of our lives we want to Optimize. Stephen Covey tells us to think about our “Roles and Goals.” Tony Robbins calls it “Categories of Improvement.” The challenge with those is that we can get confused with a near-infinite number of Roles and Categories. I like to boil it down to my Big 3: Energy + Family + Service. Energy. For me, it ALL starts with Energy. If I have a tough time getting out of bed in the morning, I’m going to have a tough time living optimally. Therefore, I prioritize making sure my Energy is strong. Family. Why do I want to feel radiantly alive and energized? First and foremost, I want to be an exemplary husband and father. I’m the only one in the world who can be a great husband to my wife and father to my children. In the midst of striving to do great things and make a difference in the world, it’s easy to forget that it all starts at home. Service. The other reason I keep my energy strong is to be of service. I want to be, in the words of the French movement philosop

Here’s another simple way to keep your motivation high: Journal. Sonja Lyubomirsky is one of the world’s leading scientists studying well-being. She tells us that one of the most robust ways to boost our optimism and positive thinking (actually, she says it’s "The most robust" strategy) is to journal daily—reflecting on our hopes and dreams, visualizing our success and reflecting on the steps we will take to make it all happen. Ten to twenty minutes per day. Even as little as two minutes has been shown to make people happier and healthier. So… What are your hopes and dreams? What steps will you take to make it all happen? Journal lately? Might be a good +1 for today.

Stephen Covey's seventh habit of Highly Effective People is "Sharpen the Saw." He tells us about the importance of renewal if we want to stay at our best and shares this parable to bring the point home: Imagine walking into a forest. You see a guy sawing a tree. He's working and working and working but not getting very far. His blade is clearly dull. So, you suggest he step back and sharpen the saw a bit. He says that's simply not possible. He's way too busy to slow down to sharpen anything. Hmmmm... Really? But with a sharp blade you'd hammer right through that tree! So… Which guy are you? And... What's one tiny little easy thing you could start doing (today!!) that would help you build a chainsaw? Let's do that!!

In our last +1, we chatted about the scientifically-proven power of gratitude: Simply writing down 5 things you're grateful for can boost your happiness up to 25%. (Wow.)    Here’s another way to practice the magic of gratitude right in the moment when you need it most.   The Tools guys call it “Grateful Flow” and it’s one of their ways to deal with any negative feelings you might be experiencing—overwhelm, depression, that sort of ick sauce.   Here’s the quick take on how to put the tool into practice: The moment you’re aware that a cloud of ick is floating into your day, step back, take a deep breath and simply look around you and notice things you can be grateful for.   For example, right now I’m grateful for the computer I’m working on, the bottle of water I just drank from, my wife and kids, the beautiful mountain out my window, my health, you, and so much more.   That’s Grateful Flow.   Tiny little things in our life that we can either take for granted or appreciate.    Note: It’s imposs

Patrick McKeown is one of the world’s leading experts on optimal breathing.    When I interviewed him recently, he made a very interesting point. He said that we spend all our lives in school learning how to think but that we’re never taught how to STOP thinking.   Fact is, most of our “thinking” isn’t thinking at all. We’re simply looping the same unproductive thought over and over again.   Get this: According to a study done at USC, the average person has 70,000 thoughts per day. And, according to some experts, 80-90% of those thoughts are useless.    That’s crazy. (Literally.)   It’s also really enervating. We waste a ton of energy spinning our mental wheels—creating more stress and anxiety and fatigue while diminishing our performance and well-being. (Not a winning combination.)   So, learning how to STOP thinking is a very important skill.   Patrick’s #1 tip on how to master the art of not thinking?   Breathe.   Specifically, breathe through your nose. Deeply (but lightly!) i

Gold-medal-winning mental toughness coach and author Lanny Bassham is all about focusing on the PROCESS of goal achievement. He tells a great story about one of his clients—a pro golfer.    Now, this professional golfer was struggling a bit. He was setting his goals for the year and Lanny told him not to think about winning tournaments but to put all of his attention on mastering the process of playing well—identifying the key components of a successful shot and then taking it, literally, one shot at a time.    So, this golfer embraces the wisdom. Early in the season, he's out on the 18th green in the final round of a big tournament. He's lining up his putt, following the process he and Lanny established. He makes the putt.    His playing partner shakes his hand and congratulates him.    Then he realizes something must be up when his wife runs on to the green cheering.    "Did I win?" he asks.    Yah. You just won the tournament and 1 million dollars.    Imagine that. Imagine being so focused

In his great book Antifragile, Nassim Taleb walks us through the fact that there’s a big difference between being fragile, being resilient, and being ANTIfragile.   In short:   If you’re fragile and life hits you hard, you break.   If you’re resilient and life hits you hard, you withstand more and… eventually…  you break.   But…   If you’re ANTIFRAGILE, when life hits you hard you actually get stronger.   Think about that.    The more you get kicked around and challenged by life, the S T R O N G E R you get.    Wouldn’t that be awesome?   As Nassim tells us and we would be wise to remember: “A wind extinguishes a candle but fuels a fire.”   Let’s build a bonfire.   (On that note, how about this gem from Rumi: “I am burning. If anyone lacks tinder, let him set his rubbish ablaze with my fire.”)

At this point, most of us know that Roger Bannister was the first person to break the 4-minute mile. Very smart people of his era said that it was impossible. Period. End of story. He, of course, wasn’t so sure.   But here’s what’s awesome: Do you know how Roger trained to do the impossible?    Hint: He broke down his goal into bite-sized pieces.   Here’s how: First, he trained until he could run a quarter mile in a minute. (Nice job!) Then he trained until he could run half a mile in two minutes. (Well done!) Then he trained until he could run three-quarters of a mile in three minutes. (Sweet!) Then he trained until he thought he could run the full mile in less than four minutes.   And, voila!!    On May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford, England, the time keeper looked down and saw these magic numbers: 3:59.4.   Roger achieved the impossible by breaking his “impossible” goal into little bite-size, do-able pieces—which is always a very good idea. (As Henry Ford once said, “Nothing is par