#059 – Play (Essentialism Pt 9) [Podcast]

Many of us have been lied to.  We were told that play is trivial. That it is a waste of time …unnecessary … childish. And this is further from the truth.

Play

Play

Play is essential in many ways. Stuart Brown, the founder of the National Institute for Play, has studied over six thousand individuals and has concluded that play has the power to significantly improve everything from personal health to relationships to education to organizations’ ability to innovate. “Play,” he says, “leads to brain plasticity, adaptability, and creativity.” As he succinctly puts it, “Nothing fires up the brain like play.”

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#058 – SPECIAL: My Essentials and the Future of First Things

I want to get personal today and tell you about some of my struggles (and successes) with Essentialism.  Also, I need your help!  I discuss some of the future of First Things podcast in this episode.

My Essentials

My Essentials

I hope you will consider taking the first annual survey of First Things listeners.  The survey link is in the Show Notes below.  There are only 10 questions, and it is completely anonymous.

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#057 – Look (Essentialism Pt 7) [Podcast]

Do you know how to LOOK for essentialism in your life?  How to find the essential things in your life?  Many people struggle with this vital aspect.

Look

Look

We discuss some exercises you can do to find that “signal” among the noise of your life.  If you know what to look for, it is often easier to hear that signal in your life.

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#056 – Space (Essentialism Pt 6) [Podcast]

Space … we all desperately need it, yet our society does not give us space by default.  We must proactively build space into our lives.

space

space

We need to set aside time to take a breath, look around, and think. You need that level of clarity in order to innovate and grow.  We talk about the issue of space in our continued study on Essentialism.

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#055 – Anything Not Everything (Essentialism Pt 5) [Podcast]

You can do anything not everything.  Which problem do you want?  Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs.  It’s about deliberately choosing to be different.

Anything Not Everything

Anything Not Everything

In this episode, we talk about the fallacy in which we think we must do everything.  The essentialist mindset, instead, realizes that we can do anything not everything.

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#054 – Vital Few (Essentialism Pt 4) [Podcast]

Not everything in life is important … just a few … the vital few.  Most of what exists in the universe – our actions, and all other forces, resources, and ideas – has little value and yields little result.  On the other hand, a few things work fantastically well and have tremendous impact.

Vital Few

Vital Few

We have been taught from a young age that hard work is key to producing results, and many of us have been amply rewarded for our productivity and our ability to muscle through every task or challenge the world throws at us. Yet, for capable people who are already working hard, are there limits to the value of hard work? Is there a point at which doing more does not produce more? Is there a point at which doing less (but thinking more) will actually produce better outcomes?

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#053 – Choice (Essentialism Pt 3) [Podcast]

Choice, this is the very first pillar … the first mindset we need to embrace Essentialism.  It is the ability to choose that makes us human.

Choice

Choice

We often think of choice as a thing. But a choice is not a thing. Our options may be things, but a choice—a choice is an action.

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#052 – Essentialism Overview (Essentialism Pt 2) [Podcast]

Before we embark on the study of essentialism in detail, let’s first give an essentialism overview.  What is essentialism all about?  What is the big picture?

Essentialism Overview

Essentialism Overview

Greg McKeown did an excellent lecture at Linkedin over this very issue.  We listen through Greg’s presentation in this episode as we prepare to land and explore the Essentialism landscape.

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#051 – Essentialism Introduction (Essentialism Pt 1) [Podcast]

Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Do you sometimes feel overworked and underutilized? Do you feel motion sickness instead of momentum? Does your day sometimes get hijacked by someone else’s agenda? Have you ever said “yes” simply to please and then resented it?

Essentialism

Essentialism

If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.

The Way of the Essentialist involves doing less, but better, so you can make the highest possible contribution.

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#050 – Why We Suck at Email [Podcast]

We suck at email … no really, we REALLY suck at email.  I’ve heard countless podcasts and read many books that talk about being more productive at email … “inbox zero” … creating tasks from emails … but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anyone talk about why we have such a hard time communicating by email.

Why We Suck at Email

Why We Suck at Email

 

In this episode, I’m going to share the work of two psychologists to help explain why we suck at email.  Then I’ll give you 3 guiding questions you should ask yourself every time you email, and about a dozen practical suggestions to implement email etiquette.

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