The OptimalWork Podcast

#71: Maslow proposed his famous Hierarchy of Needs in 1943, and it remains a foundational idea in psychology. In this episode, we explore the deep consistency between Maslow’s understanding and OptimalWork’s approach, discussing reframing, mindfulness, challenge, and Maslow’s paradoxically selfless understanding of self-actualization.

#70: Cultivating a spirit of service lies at the heart of OptimalWork’s approach to work. Striving for a spirit of service ultimately means changing not just what we do and how we do things, but also why we do them. But how do we really assess and change something as intangible as the why behind what we do? This is the starting point for today’s discussion.

#69: What makes OptimalWork different from other productivity systems? What makes the Golden Hour different from any other period of focused work? And what is the difference between OptimalWork and Dr. Cal Newport’s highly popular Deep Work? These questions and more in today’s episode.

#68: We’ve often spoken about the importance of reframing challenges according to ideals. Inspired by questions, we’ve decided to revisit this topic, discussing ideals, what they are exactly, where they come from, and how to live them out in your life.

#67: Reading is the best example of a skill that we use on a daily basis, and that much depends on, and yet we seldom think of practicing or improving. We’ll discuss how reading fits into OptimalWork’s approach, how to improve at both your speed and comprehension, and, yes, how to read sixty books per year.

#66: Are you hypnotized right now? It might surprise you to learn that, in a technical sense, you very well may be. Understanding how trances work, the topic of today’s episode, will allow you to free your attention from the things that capture it.

#65: Do you think you need a deadline imposed on you in order to get focused and motivated? Ultimately this can mean letting emotions drive your behavior. The better path is to act according to ideals, which leads to you shaping your emotions over time.

#64: What is emotional intelligence? Can OptimalWork help in developing emotional intelligence? And what is the relationship between working at our best and developing a greater sensitivity for others? These questions and more in today's episode.

#63: Feeling uncertain can paralyze us. In those moments, we might seek reassurance from ourselves or others. In this episode, we discuss why you shouldn’t just seek certainty, and how these challenges provide the best opportunities for adventure and growth.

#62: How do you help others grow? How do you know when it’s the right time to help them grow? What’s the best way to pursue those conversations? This episode pursues these questions and others, so that you can thrive in any role in which others depend on you.

#61: Is the world divided between good sleepers and bad ones? Do poor sleepers simply have to be content with not sleeping well? In this episode, we’ll discuss the skills and ideals that can help you master sleep.

#60: Is personality something you can develop by working on it? What would it look like to grow your personality? In this episode, we’ll apply our theory of growth to this very tricky topic.

#59: We’ve all experienced times when we’re hungry and cranky and have a hard time focusing. But surprisingly, it doesn’t have to be that way. It can do the exact opposite. When you deliberately bring on hunger through fasting, your attention and cognition are supercharged.

#58: Just a few years ago, the CDC reported that 13% of Americans had taken anti-depressants in the last month. In this episode, we discuss the promises and pitfalls of these medications, and their relationship with OptimalWork’s approach of changing behaviors.

#57: How do you go about pursuing high ideals and forging relationships? You might immediately think of action, but also important is rest. In this episode, we look at the science of rest, showing how to rest well, so you can work more effectively and for higher ideals, stay energized, and forge deeper bonds with others.

#56: Stress is ubiquitous in these times, but it’s hard to know how to deal with it. Worrying is one response, but it can actually increase stress. So, what is stress, what causes it, and what can you do about it?

#55: Flow is something everyone experiences occasionally. Time flies by, you’re totally engaged, with no distractions at all. Is it possible to achieve it at will? Is it even good to aim for that? In this episode, we discuss the most helpful ways to think about flow.

#54: High stakes situations provide a unique challenge to the practice of reframing. How do we reframe failure, if we think that failure is not an option? This challenge gets to the heart of what reframing is, and how to do it.

#53: You might experience email as your worst nightmare — constantly interrupted, overwhelmed, unproductive. We’ll show you how to flip this around completely. We discuss strategies for managing your inbox and, more importantly, for crafting emails to make others’ lives easier. Improving the way you compose emails is a perfect opportunity to bring a spirit of service into your work.

#52: You might think that love and work have nothing to do with one another. In fact, work has a lot to learn from love, and love from work. In this episode, we explore the similarities between good work and love; how love can provide light and purpose to work; and how to “work” love to prevent it from growing cold.

#51: As you’re trying to develop new and better habits, there are some common obstacles you may run into — they might lead you to give up just when you’re on the cusp of great progress. In this episode, we discuss the most common reason people give up on new habits, and how to overcome it.

#50: Do you agonize over what to order at restaurants? Or struggle to make decisions that align with your highest ideals? The key to making a good decision is learning how to put your decision in the right context.

#49: You may think that anxiety is an inherent trait, something that cannot be changed, only managed. In fact, it’s a state of training — of a small region of your brain called the amygdala — and there are definite steps you can take, not just to overcome it, but actually to transform it into your best performance.

#48: What one practice can increase your energy and mental clarity, stop you from snoring, fix bad breath, and much much more? Transforming how you breathe has many surprising benefits. We discuss the best way to breathe, how to make the change, as well as some difficulties you might encounter along the way.

#47: You may think that the challenges in your life are there to stay, and all you can do is manage them or cope. When the challenges get bigger, you may feel overwhelmed by them. This episode covers the essence of OptimalWork, which is to take the challenging situation you are facing, and flip it to make the challenge happen within you. Instead of being challenged, you are then challenging yourse...