The OptimalWork Podcast

#107: Do you think you have a bad memory? Do you think summer goes by too fast? It turns out, there’s one solution for both problems. In this episode, we discuss strategies that can both improve your memory and enrich your experiences, which can apply to making your summer more fruitful and making it seem longer. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#106: Do you have any anxiety that you feel might be holding you back? In fact, anxiety is like a forge that you can use to shape yourself according to your highest ideals. In this episode, we show you how to find the challenge at the root of your anxiety and engage it as a unique opportunity. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#105: Have you ever worked with great intensity and lost track of time, only to realize later that it was all a waste? You had fallen for the trap of hyperfocus. In this episode, we’ll distinguish between hyperfocus and true flow, and show you how to always attain the latter. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#104: Does mindfulness present a paradox between self-referential thoughts and the ability to focus intensely on our work? Does mindfulness lead us to be overly focused on ourselves or lead us to forget ourselves? Can it help us to deal with a frenetic workplace? The answer to this seeming paradox and these questions gives a clear insight into OptimalWork’s theory and measure of growth. Find more...

#103: Do you ever find that you don’t have enough time to accomplish all the things you’d like to? Small blocks of time may seem inconsequential, but they add up. Making wise use of these blocks can increase your productivity by 20% — the difference between getting ahead and falling behind. How to do it? That’s the topic of today’s episode. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#102: Negative feedback is a part of life. It’s also essential in helping us identify our biggest opportunities for growth. In this episode, we discuss how to give and receive negative feedback and the role it plays in the social dimension of growth. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#101: Reframing means seeing the opportunity in any challenge. But is that always a good thing? Is it possible that reframing could make us more likely to put up with bad situations? In this episode we’ll address this possible objection to reframing. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#100: You may think that memory is a fixed trait: sure, some people may have a great memory, but yours is not so good. Well, the great masters of learning didn’t rely on natural talent — they all used strategies and techniques to memorize important texts, ideas, and arguments. In this episode, we discuss how they did it, so that you can learn to as well. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#99: We often put off big challenges — a large project, a different career path, a new hobby, etc. — because we don’t know how precisely to get started. Well, there’s a virtue for that! Study: the keen application of your mind to its proper object. In this episode, we discuss how to fruitfully engage challenges — new and old — with study. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#98: Is competition a good motivating force? Why are some people more competitive than others? Is being competitive a virtue or a vice, and can it be compatible with living a life of high ideals? These questions and more in today’s episode. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#97: When facing a conflict with someone close to us, our instinctive reaction can be one of rigidity, a desire to achieve a particular outcome, or even to fight. When this happens, our approach will harm the bond. In this episode, we show how to approach conflict with creativity, flexibility, and understanding, so that the source of the conflict can be an occasion for deepening the bond. Find mor...

#96: More and more people report experiencing “imposter syndrome,” often in new and challenging social or professional situations. They are unable to internalize their own success, attributing it instead to external factors like chance or luck; as a result, they often see themselves as “frauds.” In this episode, we introduce a solution to imposter syndrome that gives us independence from the valid...

#95: If you’re often frustrated, you may think you need more of the opposite: more satisfaction. In this episode, we discuss how frustration is actually related to failed strategies. Each experience of frustration then points out an opportunity to employ better strategies and pursue more meaningful goals. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#94: If there’s an area in your life where you want to grow, it can be difficult to know how to make progress. In this episode, we discuss how to get started by formulating strategies and steps, that is, by applying prudence to the question of how to grow. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#92: We’ve often spoken about the importance of maintaining a cheerful tone around us. But sometimes people find that inwardly they are very harsh and demanding with themselves. In this episode, we’ll discuss how to aim for the ideal of cheerfulness, but interiorly: with ourselves, our thoughts, and our emotions. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#91: A lot of people have heard about the practices of sleep hygiene, and are using them, but still struggle to achieve sleep. It may seem like sleep is something that either happens effortlessly or not at all. Recent research, however, suggests that falling asleep is a skill that can be learned. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#90: Do you ever find yourself working with low intensity, without a clear purpose? If so, the solution may be the introduction of deadlines throughout your day. Deadlines will dramatically boost every aspect of your work, and they can even improve your sleep! Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#89: Are you new to OptimalWork? Have you started listening to the Golden Hour in the last year? Join us as we go back to the basics in this episode and discuss OptimalWork’s history, it’s mission, and how we help people get started on a path to self-mastery. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#88: Have you ever wondered whether you would be able to sustain a new habit over a long period of time? Have you ever felt an initial peak of optimism give way to a valley of despair? Join us as we discuss why this happens to some people, how this relates to a concept called psychological flexibility, and how to stay grounded during challenging times. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#87: The goal of OptimalWork is to help people challenge themselves according to their highest ideals in each task. In this episode, we dive deeper into this core concept, showing how challenge is the surest path to growth. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#86: Whether we’re aware of it or not, we’re always broadcasting our own inner experience. By shaping our actions according to our ideals, we forget about ourselves and create a positive tone around us. In this episode, we’ll show you psychological strategies for how to do this. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#85: One of the least-discussed emotions may be the most powerful in bringing about well-being. When was the last time you were filled with awe? People may think of awe as a nice-to-have emotion, but not needed for living a good life. Recent research, however, suggests that awe may be essential to true thriving.

#84: We live in a society where, more and more, people are managing themselves: making decisions about what projects they’ll take on and how they will prioritize and spend their time. Essentialism is a book and a philosophy about how to thrive in this challenge — and it’s the topic of today’s episode. Find more at https://www. OptimalWork.com .

#83: Is it true that there are some jobs that are incompatible with being mindful? Is it possible that a person can practice mindfulness, only to discover it does not work for them? In this episode, we’ll show how mindfulness can be profitably practiced anywhere, by any one.

#82: What, if anything, does OptimalWork have to say about reflecting on the past? How can we use gratitude to help us make sense of our lives and deepen our bonds with others? Join us as we discuss these and other questions.