Start with Small Steps

79 - Use Objects In All Their Imperfections As I explore the idea of finding joy in imperfection, I’m reminded of the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi and the Greek philosophy of Epicureanism. Both embrace the beauty of imperfections and find pleasure in life’s simple moments. I want to encourage you to appreciate the imperfections in yourself and the world around you, and to find beauty in the stori...

78 - Take Five and a Health Snack The book called "Feel Better in Five" by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is about taking small, quick actions, or "health snacks," to improve your physical and emotional well-being. Dr. Chatterjee emphasizes that it's not about the destination, but rather the journey. And he gives some awesome tips for creating healthy habits, like starting easy, tying habits to existing on...

77  - Why Say Yes to Life The book by Viktor Frankl’s book “Yes to Life” is about finding meaning in life, even when things get tough. I’ve been reading it lately and it’s really inspired me to take action and focus on loving others. Frankl asks some pretty deep life questions to help us find purpose. He also talks about how materialism can have negative effects and how we need positive role model...

76 – Be Negative and Be Prepared In this podcast episode, I talk about “The Power of Negative Thinking” by Bobby Knight. He makes excellent points about how being aware of potential negatives can actually lead to positive outcomes. It was fascinating to hear his perspective on why having a positive attitude all the time can actually be counterproductive. Instead, he emphasized the importance of di...

75 – Go For a Walk, Meet a Neighbor, and Be Happy I love discussing cultural concepts and this week the topic is related to appreciating our surroundings and finding happiness through leisurely walks, taming the environment, and connecting with nature. See how these concepts can help make your life better too. https://startwithsmallsteps.com/?p=3083 https://www.gearpatrol.com/archive/a266818/how-t...

74 - Be a Scientist of Your Own Life   I discuss the book “Skip the Line” by James Altucher, it challenges us about how to achieve our goals and dreams. Altucher suggests setting up small experiments in life that are easy to do, have little downside, and have a potential upside. I love the idea of becoming a scientist of my own life and being obsessed with what I’m working on. It’s also important...

73 - This Episode Correlates to Success I talk about something really important: how to avoid being misled by correlations. I've seen so many people fall for statistical mistakes and manipulations, and I want to help you avoid making the same mistakes. One of the most common ways people manipulate statistics is by cherry-picking data. They'll choose only the data that supports their argument and i...

72 - Can We Trust Statistics? I'm sure you've come across them before, maybe even unintentionally used them yourself. But it's crucial to know when statistics are being misused, whether it's through tainted data, bad questions, or a lack of understanding of sample size. As a consumer of information, it's essential to be able to identify when statistics are being used correctly and when they're not...

71 – Take On Fear I talk about facing our fears and solving problems instead of avoiding them and encourage people to take small steps towards addressing our fears and turning fear into excitement. I discuss the negative effects of the confirmation, coherence, and compliance effects. I encourage dropping the rope in the tug-of-war with anxiety. I challenge everyone to identify one fear and take sm...

 70 - Say YES to Yourself I review the book "Getting to Yes with Yourself" by William Ury which really struck a chord with me. It got me thinking about the importance of negotiating with ourselves and how often we hold ourselves back because of fears and anxieties we may not even be aware of. But by taking the time to listen to ourselves, understand our needs, and find acceptable negotiating point...

69 - Let the Reticular Activating System Fill Your Thoughts Today, I talk about the Reticular Activating System (RAS). I've been doing some research on this bundle of nerves in the brainstem that filters out important information and boosts things that it thinks we want to pay attention to. It's fascinating how it can cause dysfunctions like attention deficit or PTSD and even validate negative sel...

I discuss the movie “About Time.” I love this movie; it really got me thinking about the importance of living in the present moment. The main character, who discovers he can time travel, initially uses his power to try and fix his life and find love. But as he learns, changing the past can have unintended consequences. In the end, he realizes that true happiness comes from enjoying the present and...

67 – Follow the Red Nose to Your Dreams I’m so excited to share with you my thoughts on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and what we can all learn from it. This classic children’s story is all about accepting and embracing differences, discovering our strengths, and working hard to achieve our goals. When Rudolph and Hermie, the aspiring dentist, faced rejection and discrimination for being differen...

66 - Observe and Deduce I share some tips on how to improve your observational skills and use deductive thinking to make better decisions. If you're looking to become more detail-oriented or want to focus 100% on things that matter, this episode is for you! We'll be covering some great strategies, including noticing differences from baseline, understanding people's self-perceptions, and seeing the...

65 - Solve Problems With Sherlock Today, I talk about how we can think like Sherlock Holmes to solve problems using the SCAMPER and CPS methods creatively. I truly believe that when you leave no stone unturned and consider all factors, you can devise a solution with the fewest downsides and the most benefits. It’s all about brainstorming and converging on the best possible solution while also crea...

64 – Quest Your Goals Hello fellow geeks! I review Chris Hardwick's book "The Nerdist Way", and I have to say, it's a game-changer. Get it? Games? Hardwick suggests that we approach life like a role-playing game, creating our own character page, assigning skills and abilities, and setting experience points and levels. It's a fun and engaging way to take control of our lives and achieve our goals....

63 - Be the GOAT with Neutral Thinking I recently read a fascinating book by Trevor Moawad, a mental coach to major athletes, called “It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life.” This book resonated with me because it’s all about transforming your thinking to achieve high-performance moments through neutral thinking. Moawad emphasizes the importance of judgment-fr...

62 - With Lagom, Life is Just Right I talk about a philosophy that's been gaining popularity lately - Lagom. I recently read a book called "Hygge and Lagom: The Ultimate Guide to Scandinavian Ways of Living a Balanced Life Filled with Coziness and Happiness" by Barbara Hayden, and it really resonated with me. Lagom is a Swedish word that means "just enough," and it emphasizes simplicity and declut...

61 - Get Cozy in Your Own Chair Welcome to today's episode where I'm diving into the philosophy of Lagom. I reviewed the book called "Hygge and Lagom: The Ultimate Guide to Scandinavian Ways of Living a Balanced Life Filled with Coziness and Happiness" by Barbara Hayden. In this episode, I'm going to talk about the concept of "hygge" and how to incorporate comfort and coziness into your daily life...

60 - Grit or Quit?  Best or Rest? I discussed the book by Eric Barker's book, Barking Up the Wrong Tree, and I share what it takes to be successful. One of the biggest takeaways was the importance of both grit and strategic quitting. It's not just about working hard, but also being smart about how you use your time and making sure you prioritize rest and a balanced life. And let's not forget that...

59 - Can Nice People Get Ahead I talk about the book “Barking Up the Wrong Tree” by Eric Barker and I have to say, it really got me thinking. As a nice person, I often wonder if it’s possible to get ahead in life and work without being a jerk. And according to Barker, it is! Sure, appearance and making a good impression on bosses are important, but in the long run, it’s the givers who are more suc...

58 - Be a Leader With or Without Filters Today I am thrilled to review an amazing book “Barking Up the Wrong Tree” by Eric Barker which is a game-changing read for anyone who wants to understand the science behind success and leadership. This book will challenge your assumptions about what makes a great leader and will inspire you to embrace your own unique qualities. Barker’s insights are both su...

57 - Pick the Full or Half Ikigai I'm excited to talk about a book that's all about finding your life's purpose and achieving happiness - How to Ikigai by Tim Tamashiro. In this book, Tamashiro takes us on a journey of self-discovery and helps us overcome our fears of failure, success, and judgment from others. He suggests experimenting with different things and interviewing people to help you dis...

56 – Improve to Improve Today’s episode is about how improv comedy can revolutionize various aspects of your life, including parenting, relationships, and work. I dive into how improv encourages being present in the moment, taking risks, and working as a team while helping with communication skills and adaptability. You won’t want to miss examples of fun improv exercises and techniques, like the i...

55 - Have a Great Day Today, we're going to be talking about something that we all strive for - making the most out of our day. So, what can we do to ensure that we're having a productive and fulfilling day? Well, first things first - let's talk about arriving early to appointments. It might seem like a small thing, but trust me, it can make a huge difference in how you approach your day. By getti...