The execution phase of any work you do is where you find the most satisfaction. But it's possible that you aren't finding flow because you have a broken working process. It's difficult to stop working and fix the process, and especially difficult to balance fixing process with actually being productive. In this episode, we'll discuss this dichotomy and the practice of staying mindful during execution.

Everyone has the tendency to procrastinate. Is there something you're putting off? It seems simple, but finding the first step and putting it on your calendar in as much detail as possible is a proven way to break through the barrier of inaction.

Should you live every day like it's your last? What about preparing for the future? Chasing your goals and dreams? How can you both be mindful of the present moment and plan for the future? We don't have every answer to that question, but we'll discuss the tension on today's episode.

There's too much to remember. Instead, integrate that information. You don't need to memorize everything. Develop your intuition.

When two smart people or groups disagree, what is happening? Sometimes one is plainly wrong about the facts. But more often than not, these two people are arguing from a local rationale. We'll talk about local vs global rationale in this episode and how they apply to your job as an engineer or manager.

We intuitively imagine our skills and capabilities to be one-dimensional and permanent. However, what goes into whether we can actually execute on our skills is multi-dimensional. In today's episode, we'll discuss a frame of thinking for capabilities that provides a lens for thinking about constraints and context.

Call it luck, serendipity, or chance - all of these unexpected moments of life require entropy to occur. On the other hand, if we don't control our lives to some extent, we'll never be able to make meaningful progress in a chosen direction. How do we invite luck into our lives without floundering in place endlessly?

When you think about probabilities, you likely think in one of two ways. We'll talk about both of these models for probabilistic analysis, their drawbacks, and decision-making in the face of uncertainty.

Humans are driven to resolve cognitive dissonance as efficiently as possible. We pay little regard to whether our solutions are accurate or correct, but rather we only seek harmony in our minds. Unfortunately this can mean reinforcing unhealthy thought patterns and incorrect beliefs. However, cognitive dissonance can be turned around and used towards positive gains.

How does learning happen? In one fell swoop - linear? Or is there another path that learning takes? We pass judgment on ourselves and others, designing our attempts in ways that are suboptimal based on the assumption of linearity. Almost nothing is truly linear.

If you don't understand the motivations underlying your goals, you will always deal with brittle, high-stakes situations. If you understand your goals through the lens of your deeper human motivations, you will be more able to see the flexibility and many pathways to success.

We grow up believing there is a continuum from serious to fun, and that as you get older, you traverse towards the serious side. The truth is, the more serious you are, the more fun you need to be able to incorporate in your audacious goals. Throw out the continuum - it's a fallacy.

Your obstacles are not a test of pride or an opportunity to prove yourself. They are in your way. There's more than one way to deal with this - so why do we so often choose a difficult path? Perhaps it is pride, or maybe we like testing our fortitude. But if you care less about proving yourself and more about accomplishing your goals, you need to look at obstacles with more nuance. In this episode, we talk about making your obstacles irrelevant.

Growth and comfort rarely mix. But there's more to growth than getting uncomfortable. Different kinds of growth produce different kinds of uncomfortability; which types are you seeking?

What specific components of your situation have an outsized effect on you? What resonates in a given scenario? This mental model will help us understand and come to accept why sometimes things just "click."

You've hit a plateau - now what? Today we'll discuss two models for reframing your plateaus; perhaps you haven't hit the wall you think you've hit.

In today's episode, we talk about how your baseline perceptions and assumptions are the building blocks of your leverage.

Ethan Kross joins me today to talk about the importance of our inner voices. In his new book, Chatter, Ethan outlines how our inner voices affect us and how we can shape them as a helpful tool.

Ethan Kross joins me today to talk about the importance of our inner voices. In his new book, Chatter, Ethan outlines how our inner voices affect us and how we can shape them as a helpful tool.

Humans have the unique ability to intentionally practice and better ourselves. What makes you grow? Are you inviting those triggers and contexts into your regular schedule? How are you making time for growth?