The Next Big Idea Daily

We are as likely to interrupt ourselves as to be interrupted by others. What can we do about it? Gloria has the answer in today’s episode. --- Gloria Mark is a professor at UC Irvine and the author of the new book “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity.” Be sure to check out our newsletter where we take listeners behind the scenes of these episodes.

Today, Gloria explains how you can use rote activities — like solving a puzzle or weeding your garden — to replenish your attentional reservoirs. --- Gloria Mark is a professor at UC Irvine and the author of the new book “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity.” Be sure to check out our newsletter where Michael takes listeners behind the scenes of thes...

Picture this. You sit down to read a book. You know the one — the book all your friends have raved about. So, okay, you read the first sentence. Maybe you make it to the end of the paragraph. But the next thing you know, your hand, as if possessed, reaches for your phone and calls up Twitter or Instagram or the New York Times, and you let the book drop to the floor before you've even finished the...

In the final installment of his master class, Greg McKeown shares the three questions he asks to make life easier: 1️⃣ What is a problem that irritates me repeatedly? 2️⃣ What is the total cost of managing that over several years? 3️⃣ What is the next step I can take immediately, for a few minutes, to move towards solving it? Tune in to learn how to apply this at work and in life. --- • Check out...

You need to establish upper and lower bounds. “Okay, but what does that mean?” Listen to find out. --- Greg McKeown is the author of “Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most.” He’ll be here all week to share key insights from the book. If you can’t wait until tomorrow to hear the next episode, you can get early access by downloading the Next Big Idea app.

What happens when you stop assuming the answer to every problem is to work harder and instead ask, “What if this could be easy?” That’s effortless inversion. Today, Greg explains how you can use it to tackle problems big and small. --- Greg McKeown is the author of “Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most.” He’ll be here all week to share key insights from the book. If you can’t wait un...

Forget your never-ending to-do list. Greg says you need a “done for the day” list, a rundown of tasks you can actually accomplish and that will leave you feeling satisfied. --- Greg McKeown is the author of “Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most.” He’ll be with us all week to share key insights from the book. If you can’t wait until tomorrow to hear the next episode, you can get early...

If you want to accomplish great things, you must work relentlessly, right? Not so, says author and leadership strategist Greg McKeown. In his latest book, "Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most," Greg makes the counterintuitive argument that by working less, you can accomplish more. You just have to learn how to ask the right questions and use the right tools. All this week, he'll sho...

In our final episode with Marc, he says you’re never too old to forge new relationships. --- • Marc Schulz is the co-author of “The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.” • Sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. • Listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors by downloading the Next Big Idea app.

Americans spend 11 hours a day interacting with media. From the age of 40 to the age of 80, that adds up to 18 years of waking life. What would happen if we put down our phones, turned off our TVs, and tried talking to each other? --- • Come back tomorrow for the final installment of our micro master class with Marc Schulz, co-author of “The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific S...

Relationships may be good for your well-being, but that doesn't mean they're always easy. In this episode, Marc shares what 85 years of research have revealed about how to overcome relationship challenges. --- Marc Schulz is a professor of psychology at Bryn Mawr College and the associate director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. He'll be with us all week, discussing his new book, "The G...

“We tend to think," says Marc Schulz, "that once we establish friendships and intimate relationships, they will take care of themselves. But like muscles, neglected relationships atrophy.” Today, Marc shares the fitness regimen to keep your relationships fit and trim. --- • Marc is a professor of psychology at Bryn Mawr College and the associate director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development....

What makes for a good life? Over the last 85 years, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has attempted to answer that question. This week, one of the study's directors, Marc Schulz, joins us to share the surprising things they've found. --- To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading...

We are not the sum of our missed opportunities or the unfinished projects we decide to call failures. We are the sum of our starts. --- Today concludes our week-long master class with Becky Blades based on her book “Start More Than You Can Finish,” which is available for purchase here. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of...

Today, Becky explains how to get more done by embracing a creative process based on iteration. --- Come back tomorrow for the final installment of Becky’s master class. If you’re looking for something to do in the meantime, join us on LinkedIn and download the Next Big Idea app.

So you took Becky's advice. You imagined more, thought less, decided to decide, and acted fast. Now you're ready to get your swag bag. That's what Becky calls the mood-boosting chemicals that flood over us when we start an exciting new project. --- It's day three of our week-long master class with Becky about her new book, "Start More Than You Can Finish." To get a behind-the-scenes look at this s...

You have an idea. Great! Now what? In today’s episode, Becky shares her four-part process for getting started. --- Becky Blades will be here all week sharing tips and tricks from her new book, “Start More Than You Can Finish,” which is available for purchase here. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries writt...

Doing is more important than being done. That’s the provocative argument at the heart of a new book by artist and entrepreneur Becky Blades, “Start More Than You Can Finish: A Creative Permission Slip to Unleash Your Best Ideas.” Becky says you’ll be amazed by what you can accomplish when you stop worrying about the finish and just get started. --- Becky will be here all week sharing insights from...

No one likes a know-it-all. Try becoming a learn-it-all instead. --- Today concludes our week-long master class with Daniel Coyle, based on his book “The Culture Playbook,” which is available for purchase here. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction authors, download th...

Studies show groups that invest in deep fun are more profitable than those that don’t. But what exactly is deep fun? Daniel Coyle is here with the answer. --- It’s day four of our week-long master class with Dan about his new book, “The Culture Playbook.” To get a behind-the-scenes look at this show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and r...

Does your team, family, or friend group have a cheesy catchphrase? It should. Here’s why. --- Daniel Coyle is on the show all week sharing essential lessons from his latest book, “The Culture Playbook,” which is available for purchase here. To get a behind-the-scenes look at this show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading...

What are the four most important words a leader can say? Tune in to find out. --- Daniel Coyle is on the show all week sharing essential lessons from his latest book, “The Culture Playbook,” which is available for purchase here. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the show, sign up for our newsletter on LinkedIn. And to listen to hundreds of audio summaries written and read by leading nonfiction au...

If you've ever been part of a team, then you know the scale of your success often depends on the strength of your culture. The mistake many of us make, however, is assuming that strong cultures happen by accident. In reality, says Daniel Coyle, a journalist who has spent years studying the world's most effective groups — from the hitmakers at Pixar to the soldiers on SEAL Team Six — there are conc...

Do your mornings ever feel a little uninspired? What if your cup of coffee came with a shot of insight? Or if walking your dog could include a hit of wisdom? Every day on “The Next Big Idea Daily,” you’ll get a quick master class in better, smarter living from thinkers like Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Daniel Pink, Greg McKeown, Kim Scott, and lots of others you may not have heard of but who have ideas...