Optimize With Brian Johnson | More Wisdom In Less Time

Way back in the early days of our +1 Optimizing together, we talked about the fact that our limbic systems evolved to deal with a single lion roaring at us at a time.    As we said in that little chat on Lions vs. Jungles, that lion’s roar triggers a fight or flight response. We fight or we flee. And, hopefully, we live to talk about the tale later.    But, the important thing to note is that the stress from that event, although extremely acute, is also extremely short-lived. We respond to the challenge and move on. Our nervous system resets itself, all good.   These days, we’re so bombarded with stimuli that it’s as if, to use Alberto Villoldo’s metaphor, the ENTIRE JUNGLE is roaring at us ALL DAY EVERY DAY.   Yikes.   The result?    A whole lot of enervated anxiety.   Today I want to talk about the single best predictor of people’s fear and anxiety.    Pop quiz: Can you guess what it is?   We’ll find the answer at the end of this little passage from Kelly McGonigal’s The Upside of Stress.   

In our last couple +1s, we talked about the art and science of lining up our dominoes in one neat and shiny staircase to moon-heaven.    It all sounds so nice and easy when it’s mapped out like that, eh? (Hah.)   But…    Alas, there are a few important asterisks to that little story.   As important as it is to have clarity on what’s important and worthy of our life force, nothing is ever quite that straightforward in real heroic living.    And, of course, it’s impossible to line up ALL the dominoes and see them perfectly arrayed before you actually start the journey.   That’s Today’s +1.   Embrace the mess.   It’s a feature of the Hero’s Journey, not a sign that something's wrong with you and your approach per se.   And, remember: The greater the challenge, the greater the need for a protocol to keep our emotional stamina Optimized.   That is all.   Here’s to joyfully embracing the wonderfully messy process of Optimizing and actualizing. Especially when you don’t feel like it. (Hah!)   Hi

The other day I headed to Google to look up the meaning of the phrase “force multiplier.”    Short story: When we initially launched our Optimize Coach certification program, I said that I believed our program could be a catalytic force multiplier in helping people Optimize their lives so we can change the world together.   After the first couple of months working with our first class of Coaches, I am more certain of that catalytic power than ever before.   Enter: A quick Google search on “force multiplier” so I could wrap my brain around the precise definition of that powerful phrase.   The best (and first) answer came from PersonalMBA.com. (Thanks, guys! And, thanks Google for connecting us!)   Here’s how they put it: “Force Multipliers are tools that help you Amplify your effort to produce more output. A hammer is a force multiplier. Investing in Force Multipliers means that you'll get more done with the same amount of effort.”   Brilliant, eh?   Would you rather hammer a nail in with you

In our last couple +1s, we’ve had fun exploring some wisdom gems from my recent PhilosophersNotes binge-athon.   Today we’re going to talk about another great Idea from another great Note. This one’s on Stephen Cope’s The Great Work of Your Life.   Quick context: Stephen is the director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living. Kripalu is the largest yoga research institute in the Western world. (And being the director of “Extraordinary Living” may be the coolest job title ever, eh?)    As the Senior Scholar in Residence at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, he has been integrating Eastern contemplative traditions and Western philosophy and psychology for years.   In his great book, Stephen brings the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita to life in our modern lives.   One of the big themes of the book is the idea of dharma.   He tells us: “The yoga tradition is very, very interested in the idea of an inner possibility harbored within every human soul. Yogis insist that every single human be

In our last +1, we explored the relationship between our food rotting and us rotting. Recall: The longer the shelf life of the food we eat, the shorter our lives will be!   That wisdom was from Michael Pollan’s Food Rules.    In fact, it’s Rule #13: “Eat only foods that will eventually rot.”   Today we’re going to talk about another Food Rule.   Food Rule #57 to be precise.   “Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.” Funny.   Here’s how Pollan puts it: “American gas stations now make more money inside selling food (and cigarettes) than they do outside selling gasoline. But consider what kind of food this is: Except perhaps for the milk and water, it’s all highly processed, imperishable snack foods and extravagantly sweetened soft drinks in hefty twenty-ounce bottles. Gas stations have become ‘processed corn stations’: ethanol outside for your car and high-fructose corn syrup inside for you. Don’t eat there.”   That’s Today’s +1.   Don’t eat at a gas station.    Ever again.  

Why We Sleep is a life-changing kinda book.   We’re going to spend a few more days mining a few more of the many gems from Matthew Walker’s masterpiece.   Today we’re going to flip open our virtual Optimize magazine to the kind of ad we’d allow in there.   Here it is:   “AMAZING BREAKTHROUGH! Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory and makes you more creative. It makes you look more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and the flu. It lowers your risk of heart attacks and strokes, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious. Are you interested?”   ← Wow!! I’ll take it! You?   Matthew continues: “While it may sound hyperbolic, nothing about this fictitious advertisement would be inaccurate. If this were a drug, many people will be disbelieving. Those who were convinced would pay large sums of money for even the

In our Optimize Coach certification program, we kick the party off by establishing the game we’re playing in Module I: Eudaimon-ology in which we connect ancient wisdom (Aristotle!) to modern science (Seligman!) to establish the fact that it’s all about flourishing/having a “good soul” via living with virtue.   Then we move on to get clarity on how to Operationalize Virtue—going from theory to practice to mastery. When? TODAY!!!    After a quick look at Module II: The Big 3 x 2 (aka: Energy + Work + Love x Identity + Virtues + Behaviors), we spend six (!!!) weeks on Module III: #carpediem as we begin systematically architecting our Masterpiece Days to cultivate emotional stamina and consistently express the (Optimus!) best version of ourselves.   We remind ourselves of the fact that our day actually begins the night before. As such, the first thing we focus on Optimizing is our PM Bookend. The #1 thing we focus on there is our digital sunset—aka, when we turn off our blue-light emitting device

Mike Erwin joins us as a guest teacher for this class! CEO of The Character Center, co-founder of the Positivity Project, and co-author of the book Lead Yourself First, Mike is passionate about inspiring leaders across the country. His secret sauce to leadership? Solitude! (More specifically, freedom from the input of other minds.) In this class, Mike debunks the assumption that great leaders must always be accessible and uncovers the personal + organizational benefits of leaders who seek out periods of solitude. Want the competitive advantages of clarity, creativity, emotional balance + moral courage? Get your solitude on!

In our last +1, we did some severe pruning with Steve Chandler and Ralph Waldo Emerson. (How’d that go for you? More specifically: What went for you?)   Today we’re going to spend some more time doing creative gardening with Steve.    Now, as we discussed in our +1 on our radish farm (oops!), I’m not much of a gardener. (Hah.) So… I’d never heard of “grow lights” before but I love the way Steve captures their metaphorical power.    Here’s how he puts it in CREATOR: “When an aware person (someone who knows and realizes that they are creative energy itself) notices that the sales of their services have been neglected—resulting in lower income—they simply turn their light (creative energy) toward the sales process. ‘Whatever you give your attention to grows’ is not just some positive slogan—it’s how the world actually works. The more you become aware that you are infinite, creative energy, the more you can see yourself as light.   Think of it the way a gardener uses a ‘grow light.’ Some

In our last +1, we had some fun soaking our minds in some epic “To Dare or Not to Dare” wisdom. We kicked that party off with a Søren Kierkegaard gem.   This one: “To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.”    (How’s your daring going?)   Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. (Thank you, Wikipedia.)   He was also the purveyor of other epically quotable wisdom gems.   Including this one: “God has given each of us our ‘marching orders.’ Our purpose here on Earth is to find those orders and carry them out. Those orders acknowledge our special gifts.”   That’s Today’s +1.   God has given each of us our marching orders.   What are YOURS?   Let’s know that our purpose here on Earth (and why we do all we do together Optimizing!) is to find those orders and carry them out.   So… What are your special gifts? How are you/will you give them

In our last +1 we talked about the fact that, as per legendary tough guy Vince Lombardi, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”    Then we operationalized a super-simple antidote to cowardice via a super-simple PM Bookend routine. (How’d that go for you?)   I mentioned the fact that we’d connect that fatigue-coward phenomenon to my heart rate monitor. So, let’s.   Not too long ago, I introduced you to my Suunto watch. Love it. Works great.    … Except when it doesn’t!   Every once in awhile, I’ll be training at a mellow pace and my watch will be telling me that my heart rate is WAY higher than it could possibly be.    To put it in perspective, my target Maffetone-approved aerobic zone is 131 to 141. I usually train in that zone every other day. On my mellow recovery days, I do the same trail at a slower pace and stay well below that 131.   So, imagine my surprise one day when I’m going at a super mellow pace and look down at my watch to see it telling me that I’m at 160-something. I’m like, “Reall

Michael J. Gelb is the world’s leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational development. He is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, accelerated learning, and innovative leadership. Gelb leads seminars for organizations such as DuPont, Merck, Microsoft, Nike, Roche and YPO. He brings more than 35 years of experience as a professional speaker, seminar leader and organizational consultant to his diverse, international clientele. Michael Gelb is the author of 14 books on creativity and innovation including the international best seller How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day. (1998) How to Think Like Leonardo has been translated into 25 languages and has appeared on the Washington Post, Amazon, and the New York Times best seller lists.

Continuing our time with my dear friend Katherine Collins, let’s talk about another micro-moment of Divine wisdom from our recent chat.   Quick context.   As you know if you’ve been following along, I’ve spent half of the last 20 years in Founder/CEO mode and the other half in Philosopher/Lover-of-Wisdom mode.   Although I’m not really into astrological signs (lol), I happen to be a Gemini and that myth happens to describe one of my primary challenges pretty well.   I often feel a pull to be one OR the other.    A CEO or a Philosopher.   Which recently made me think of the word ambivalence.   Which led to a trip to my 2,084-page American Heritage dictionary.   I flip to page 56. Here’s the definition: “the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.”   Alright. Got it.    But what I’m really interested in is the etymology of the word.   Get this: ambi means “on both sides of” and valence comes from the same root as valor and valence—it bas

In our last couple +1s, we talked about the 11 virtues that show up on our shiny new Optimus medallions and make an appearance in our Optimus meditation.   Wisdom + Arete + Confidence + Purpose + Self-Awareness + Telos + Energy + Presence + Courage + Love + en*theos.    I’ve been playing around with those virtues in my formal meditation practice and while I’m rowing and while I’m training and before I fall asleep and after I wake up and, well, a lot. (Laughing. “That’s like me!”)   I’ll either go through the meditation we walked through in our last +1 (with the I Am [Insert Virtue] on the inhale followed by the power-statement on the exhale) or just pull a virtue out that I think would be useful in the moment and repeat it in my mind—feeling its power flowing through me.   Which makes me think of mantras.   And makes me surprised we’ve done over 700 (!) +1s so far (go us!) and we haven’t talked about one of the most powerful tools to train our mind.   I mean…   Do you know what the

Continuing our exploration of how to endure the pain of walking over burning (psychological) coals in pursuit of the upper limits of our potential, let’s talk about one of Matt Fitzgerald’s recommended “coping strategies” to Optimize our perception of effort and get closer to that wall of our potential.   Today we’re going to talk about The Psychology of Pain. (Cue weird music?)   Short story: Researchers have studied how different people deal with pain and have discovered that some people are MUCH better at dealing with it (and, as a result, perform at a much higher level in the midst of experiencing pain).   Get this: There are basically two ways you can deal with the prospect of experiencing pain. You can accept it. Or you can try to suppress it.   (Which one do you think is more effective?)   Here’s how Matt puts it: “Research on the psychology of pain has produced similar findings. A number of studies have compared the effects of two contrasting anticipatory attitudes—acceptance and sup

In our last +1, we talked about you feasting on your Hero Bars—using memories of your past success as fuel to walk through fear doors today.   (You grab three for Today?)   All of those Cookies and Hero Bars remind me of an idea from former Navy SEAL Alden Mills’ great book Be Unstoppable.    I read it years ago and recently re-read it with Emerson.   It’s a fantastic parable about a young captain who meets a wise, older mentor-captain who teaches him how to Optimize and actualize his potential to become a “Master and Commander.”   Emerson and I loved it.   The Master Captain (who goes by Persistent Pete), has eight actions he teaches his young protégé. (One of which reminds me of the Hero Bars! We’ll talk about it tomorrow.)    The Actions form the acronym UPERSIST.   Emerson can rattle them off.   In fact, let’s invite him in so he can share!   Action #1: Understand Your Why Action #2: Plan Action #3: Energize to Execute (Alden may go with “Exercise” to Execute but we expanded it

In our last +1, we talked about the wonderful little book-gift I received from Cal Newport and we reflected on a particular passage from that book (Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin) that really jumped out and grabbed me.   The essence of that passage?   Our presidential luminaries differed in many ways. But they ALL shared a “fierce ambition.”   Of the heroic kind.   Today I’d like to talk about another passage from the book. This one’s from page 106. I actually STARTED reading the book on this page because, in his thoughtful gift note, Cal told me that the wisdom on that particular page made him think of me and of our recent chats.   Here’s how page 106 starts: “What fired in Lincoln this furious and fertile time of self-improvement? The answer lay in his readiness to gaze in the mirror and soberly scrutinize himself. Taking stock, he found himself wanting. From the beginning, young Lincoln aspired to nothing less than to inscribe his name into the book of communal memory.

Continuing our theme of seeking/conquering fear, let’s have some fun with Jon Eliot and his wisdom from Overachievement.   Here’s how he (brilliantly!) puts it: “Working on techniques to manage stress is a bit like trying to win the Indy 500 by putting a governor on the engine of your race car or swapping out a powerful V-12 for a V-4 because it offers a ‘quieter ride.’ You wouldn’t do that. Not if you were after the checkered flag. Not if you were racing star Jeff Gordon. No superstar is about to give his opponents an edge. Nor should you by trying to relax when the pressure’s on.”   So…   Important question.   Do you want to win the race of life?   Or…   Would you simply prefer to have a “quieter” ride?   (I say “YES!!!” to both, please! lol)   Ideally, we show up with THE most powerful engine possible AND we have fun learning how to handle that Beast as we drive at record-shattering speeds, eh?   Let’s do that.   But let’s agree not to get so overwhelmed by the sensations of fear that

Gary Taubes wrote a great book called The Case Against Sugar.   Basic idea: If you were a detective in charge of figuring out a series of crimes and you noticed a common pattern among those crimes, you’d be smart to put the pieces together and see if you could narrow your search down to a single suspect.   Right?   Well… That’s what Taubes does in his book.   The crimes? All the chronic diseases wreaking havoc on our society—from diabetes and obesity to heart disease and cancer.   Short story: All those chronic diseases are associated with metabolic dysfunction.   And the fastest way to make your metabolism dysfunctional? Sugar.   Enter: The case against it.    Remember our Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn? She discovered telomerase—the stuff that replenishes telomeres.    Here’s how she puts it in The Telomere Effect: “When we want to spot the parties responsible for metabolic disease, we point a finger at the highly processed, sugary foods and sweetened drinks. (We’re looking at you,