Optimal Living Daily - Personal Development and Self-Improvement

Cal Newport of the Study Hacks blog shares the difference between experiments and goals and how to balance spontaneity with the focused pursuit of fame. Episode 1105: The Difference Between Experiments and Goals: How to Balance Spontaneity with the Focused Pursuit of Fame Cal Newport is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, who specializes in the theory of distribute...

Courtney Carver of Be More With Less shares a gentle warrior's guide to navigating the new world. Episode 1104: A Gentle Warrior's Guide to Navigating the New World by Courtney Carver of Be More With Less Courtney Carver was stopped in her tracks with a scary MS diagnosis after decades of debt, discontent, and trying to do it all. She had to slow down, prioritize her health, and figure out what wa...

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits asks 5 questions to simplify your life during the holidays. Episode 1103: 5 Questions to Simplify Your Life During the Holidays by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits on Simple Living Leo Babauta created Zen Habits, which is about finding simplicity and mindfulness in the daily chaos of our lives. It’s about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what’s important, create something...

Melissa Camara Wilkins with No Sidebar shares why confidence is the key to a simple life. Episode 1102: Why Confidence is the Key to a Simple Life by Melissa Camara Wilkins with No Sidebar on Minimalism No Sidebar was created by Brian Gardner and is all about designing a simpler life. He and the contributing authors want to help you figure out what's getting in your way, at home and at work. They...

Tynan shares his thoughts on making the biggest decisions. Episode 1101: Making the Biggest Decisions by Tynan on Decision Making Skills & Resilience Tynan was named as one of the top 25 best bloggers in 2013 by Time Magazine. He believes in making deliberate decisions and breaking away from the herd mentality. He likes learning new things, building habits, exposing the world, connecting with awes...

Angel Chernoff of Marc and Angel Hack Life shares 9 ways to become an optimist. Episode 1100: 9 Ways to Become an Optimist by Angel Chernoff of Marc And Angel on How to be Happy Marc and Angel Chernoff are New York Times bestselling authors, professional coaches, full-time students of life, admirers of the human spirit, and have been recognized by Forbes as having "one of the most popular personal...

Dr. Chris Patti shares his thoughts on suffering and surfing. Episode 1099: On Suffering and Surfing by Dr. Chris Patti of Appalachian State University Dr. Chris J. Patti (PhD) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Appalachian State University. As an ethnographic writer, his research highlights stories of love, loss, and transformation. He also leads a meditation club in...

Michael Mehlberg of Modern da Vinci shares his thoughts on finding quality information in a sea of rubbish. Episode 1098: Finding Quality Information in a Sea of Rubbish by Michael Mehlberg of Modern da Vinci on Clarity Michael Mehlberg is an entrepreneur and certified agile project manager who specializes in productivity and organization systems. His blog, Modern da Vinci has been called "The Own...

Skylar Liberty Rose with Tiny Buddha shares 5 ways to redefine success. Episode 1097: It's Not All About Money: 5 Ways to Redefine Success by Skylar Liberty Rose with Tiny Buddha on Happiness Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha and Recreate Your Life Story, an online course that helps you let go of the past and live a life you love. Her latest book: Tiny Buddha's Gratitude Journal, which i...

2 short posts from James Altucher where he shares the greatest pleasures in life and the most important factor to be happy. Episode 1096: The Greatest Pleasures In Life & What Is The Most Important Factor In Being Happy? by James Altucher on Happiness James Altucher is an American hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and podcaster. He has founded or cofounded more than 20 companie...

Farnoosh Brock with Becoming Minimalist shares how she became an accidental minimalist. Episode 1095: Falling into Minimalism: How I Became an Accidental Minimalist by Farnoosh Brock with Becoming Minimalist Joshua Becker and his family decided to live with fewer possessions after a conversation with his neighbor in 2008. As a result, they found a better way to live, centered on more important pur...

Steve Pavlina shares his thoughts on self-acceptance versus personal growth. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 1094: [Part 2] Self-Acceptance vs. Personal Growth by Steve Pavlina on New Year's Resolutions Steve Pavlina is widely recognized as one of the most successful personal development bloggers on the Internet, with his work attracting more than 100 million visits to his website, StevePavlina.com....

Steve Pavlina shares his thoughts on self-acceptance versus personal growth. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 1093: [Part 1] Self-Acceptance vs. Personal Growth by Steve Pavlina on Self Improvement Steve Pavlina is widely recognized as one of the most successful personal development bloggers on the Internet, with his work attracting more than 100 million visits to his website, StevePavlina.com. He has...

Cylon George of Spiritual Living for Busy People shares why we need suffering. Episode 1092: Why We Need Suffering by Cylon George of Spiritual Living for Busy People on Developing Resilience Cylon George is a spiritual chaplain, musician, devoted husband, and busy dad of six. He loves listening to people’s stories and helping them gain perspective on life’s opportunities and challenges. The missi...

Greg Audino shares his thoughts the problem with chasing your dreams. Episode 1091: The Problem With Chasing Your Dreams by Greg Audino on Personal Development Greg Audino of gregaudino.com is both a certified life coach and an actor. He combines his passions to create short and digestible videos which shine new light on the turbulent areas of life that many of us already have our minds made up ab...

An excerpt from the book 50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life by Maria Leonard Olsen. Episode 1090: An Excerpt from 50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life by Maria Leonard Olsen on Personal Growth At age 50, Maria Leonard Olsen drank her way out of her 25-year marriage. She had, against advice, put all her eggs in the motherhood basket, willfully derailing her success...

Chalene Johnson of Build Your Tribe asks if you know how to tell your story. Episode 1089: Do You Know How To Tell Your Story? By Chalene Johnson on Finding Your Passion Chalene Johnson is a world-renowned motivational speaker with more than 30 years as a health expert. She is a New York Times best-selling author, health and lifestyle expert, and top health podcaster with over 20 million downloads...

Anthony Ongaro of Break the Twitch shares his thoughts on how we spend our days. Episode 1088: How We Spend Our Days by Anthony Ongaro of Break The Twitch on Personal Development After years of impulse spending on Amazon and elsewhere, Anthony Ongaro realized that his one-click purchase habits were more of a physical Twitch than an intentional action. It turned out, this Twitch wasn’t just limited...

Allison Carmen shares her thoughts on finding hope in the new year. Episode 1087: Finding Hope In The New Year by Allison Carmen on Being Happy & Optimistic Allison Carmen holds a B.A. in accounting, a J.D. of Law, and a Master’s of Law in taxation. After working for a large law firm in Manhattan, Allison founded her own law firm and built a successful practice focusing on real estate, corporate,...

Mr. Money Mustache shares the magic of thinking big. Episode 1086: Weekend Edition: The Magic of Thinking Big by Mr. Money Mustache on How to Be More Positive Mr. Money Mustache is a thirty-something retiree who now writes about how we can all live a frugal, yet awesome, life of leisure. He and his wife studied engineering and computer science in Canada, then worked in standard tech-industry cubic...

Paula Pant of Afford Anything shares the ONE critical thing holding you back from happiness. Episode 1085: The ONE Critical Thing Holding You Back From Happiness by Paula Pant of Afford Anything Paula Pant is the founder of the award-winning website AffordAnything.com and a writer and speaker specializing in money, business, and real estate investing. She is a real estate investor, as the owner of...

An excerpt from the book A Year of Living Kindly by Donna Cameron Episode 1084: An Excerpt from A Year of Living Kindly by Donna Cameron After many deeply-satisfying years of non-profit management, Donna Cameron is spending time exploring the good life that Rachel Remen describes as "pursuing unanswerable questions in good company." Donna believes kindness is an undervalued quality that has the po...

Colin Wright of Exile Lifestyle shares his thoughts on building community. Episode 1083: How You Get There by Colin Wright of Exile Lifestyle on Building Community Colin Wright is a professional author and international speaker who co-founded a publishing company and travels full-time, moving to a new country every four months or so--that country determined by the votes of his readers! He also blo...

Nir Eyal and Stuart Luman share their thoughts on getting over your fear of missing out. Episode 1082: Getting Over Your Fear of Missing Out by Nir Eyal and Stuart Luman of Nir And Far on Improving Happiness Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. The M.I.T. Technology Review dubbed Nir, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology.” Nir f...

Helene Massicotte of Free To Pursue shares why you should avoid the obligation creep if you want a happier version of you. Episode 1081: Want a Happier Version of You? Avoid The Obligation Creep by Helene Massicotte of Free To Pursue on Simple Living Helene Massicotte blogs about living life on your terms and experiencing true personal freedom. She describes herself as a person in search of all th...