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3 Documentary Picks to be Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Jun 18, 2018

Show notes

We discuss 3 documentaries that inspired and influenced us. We talk about the science behind a healthy diet, the true meaning of wealth, and how the universal appeal of a good meal draws us together.

Show Notes

1:44— Darren suggests that we ask the community to write to us to suggest their favorite documentaries.
1:56— Ian teases an extra documentary recommendation that he will reveal at the end of the show and Darren asks whether it is “Solo”.
2:38— March kicks off the recommendations with an overview of “The Magic Pill” directed by Rob Tate — a documentary that explores the role of diet in treating illness.
4:29 —March shares how he got introduced to a low-carb diet and the changes he experienced when he cut carbohydrates from his diet.
10:30— We discuss the role of sugar in ones’ diet and how the trend is to consider sugar as a toxin for humans.
15:02— March discusses historical research that contributed to a low fat diet craze and the affect that trend had on overall health.
20:59 Darren shares his recommendation for the documentary titled Alone in the Wilderness— a fascinating story about a 52 year old man who retired in solitude to the wilderness of Alaska and lived there alone away from modern conveniences for 30 years.
23:32— Darren reflects on the different ways we measure wealth aside from just accumulation of money — wealth can come in the form of time, or experiences, or simply peacefulness.
26:39— Ian notes that Dick Proenneke’s log cabin at Twin Lakes, Alaska was added to the US National Register of Historic Places in 2007 and is now a protected site.
27:54— Darren shares that one of his key takeaways was that we, as humans, are capable of more than we think we are and that the more technology we employ to “save time” the less time we seem to have.
31:54— Ian compares the life of Dick Proenneke to a stoic lifestyle that focuses on appreciating the basics of life.
33:24— Ian shares his documentary pick, Cooked, directed by Michael Pollen — an exploration of the history of cooking and the story of cooking and food across cultures across the world.
39:34— Ian discusses the historical origins of bread and how bread was not possible prior to the introduction of a functioning civilization.
41:49— Ian and Darren joke about the pioneers who somehow decide to eat all these new concoctions to discover which ones are nutritious and which ones will kill you.
43:16— Ian discusses the sacred role of bread in many cultures and Darren reflects on the role of bread in his church community growing up in the Catholic church.
47:37— Ian gives Darren and March a quick quiz to see if they can identify various fermented foods.
49:41— March offers a suggestion for a tea that is fermented: Pu’er tea.
53:09— March shares a historical fact about the origin of canning.
54:30— Ian quizzes March and Darren on the number of minutes people spend today preparing food versus how much time they spent 50 years ago.
59:45— Ian drops his bonus recommendation on us with “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” — a documentary about the life of Fred Rogers.

Mentions

March's documentary pick: The Magic Pill
Darren's documentary pick: Alone in the Wilderness
Ian's documentary pick: Cooked
Ian's bonus pick: Won't You Be My Neighbor

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3 Book Picks to be Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Jun 11, 2018

Show notes

We discuss 3 books that inspired and influenced us. We talk about how to have a healthy relationship with money, the mysterious & powerful role of sleep in our lives, and how the world is improving, even though we might not think it is.

Show Notes

4:06— March recommends a book titled Factfulness by Han Rosling, Anna Rosling Ronnlund, and Ola Rosling.
6:40— March describes how the world has moved away from “us” vs “them” to simply “us”.
7:15— March shares stats about the average quality of life for people around the world.
11:58— Ian notes that Factfulness sounds similar to another book he’s read titled Better Angels of our Nature by Steven Pinker
13:29— Darren recommends a book that he reads and re-reads about every three years titled Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
16:07— Ian notes that his grandfather gave his this book with a request that he read it each year.
23:29— Ian recommends a book titled Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker and shares a few insights into the science behind sleep.
29:05— Darren decides that he now needs a nap. 😴😴
33:08— Ian is going to report back on The Chilly Pad.
37:14— Ian notes the difference in school start times today versus early 20th century and notes the affect the earlier start times have on childrens’ sleep health.
41:46— Ian is curious about what March and Darren are drinking while we record the show.

Mentions

Book 📖: Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World --- and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund, Ola Rosling
Video 🎞️: TED Talk by Hans Rosling from 2015
Book 📖: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Book 📖: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep & dreams by Matthew Walker, PhD
Book 📖: Better Angels of our Nature by Steven Pinker
The Chilly Pad bed air conditioner
In March's glass this week: Castello di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva 🍷
In Darren's glass this week: Tequila Burrueco 🥃
In Ian's glass this week: H2O 💧💧💧

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Become a Better Leader Jun 04, 2018

Show notes

We discuss techniques & skills to become a better leader. We explore transformational leadership, leading for introverts & the importance of mentoring.

Show Notes

3:25— We start out by defining what we mean by the term “leader” and “leadership”.
5:40— We talk about the popular concept of nurturing a “growth mindset” and what that means.
11:02— Ian mentions the book Outliers by Malcom Gladwell.
13:48— Darren discusses two big leadership influences in his life — his first boss and his dad.
15:44— March talks about his experience as a leader today and reflects on an early experience he had organizing a 300-person conference in Ireland that grew into a 5000 person organization.
20:23— Ian mentions a great book by Ramit Sethi called I Will Teach You To Be Rich 📖
23:44— March shares some insight on leadership from a friend of the show, Chad Fowler.
26:29— Darren recommends a book called The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan 📖
28:45— March describes the concept of transformational leadership.
33:55— We discuss the different perceptions around the value of a leader caring about what others think of them.
35:07— March shares some tips for how to lead effectively when you are an introvert.
39:15— Ian mentions the TV show Undercover Boss and lands the quote of the week with “as a leader, the dirtier you get your hands…the more likely people will buy into what you are trying to do.”
40:13— We give a shout out to Ian’s mom ❤️ and answer a question she has about how to find mentors and how to become a mentor.
47:21— Ian describes an experiment he’s going to try with leadership — shadowing 3 different leaders for a day and identifying the common traits.
50:14— Darren mentions a local non-profit named FareStart that does great work providing training to formerly homeless individuals in the restaurant business.
52:55— We close with our Better Next Step which is to look into helping someone else out as a mentor.
55:28— We list out all the products included in our Better Bundle giveaway 🎁 and point listeners to https://betrr.io/giveaway to enter to win.

Mentions

📖 Book: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Local business recommendation: Sprinkles.io
📖 Book: Hit Refresh by Satya Nadella
📖 Book: I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
📖 Book: The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan
Book summary: The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan --- Soundview's Summary in Brief
iCouldBe.org: Mentoring for the Digital Age
iMentor.org
Score.org: Mentorship for Small Business Owners
Seattle restaurant and non-profit: FareStart
📖 Book: How to get your point across in 30 sec or less by Milo O. Frank
Article: 5 Habits Of Effective Introverted Leaders
Article: 6 Tips for Leading Like a Badass

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Better Bite - Secrets of Sleep Jun 01, 2018

Show notes

On this episode, we share our favorite sleep secrets we've discovered and tested that will improve your rest & entire quality of life.

Show Notes

0:01— Ian announces our first Better Show Bundle— a contest where we give away a package of some of the best products we’ve found since starting the show. Enter to win at https://betrr.io/giveaway.
2:50— March kicks off the list of our good finds for helping sleep by introducing the Rohm Sleep Machine by Marpac.
8:57— Darren discusses the Dodow device that he got as a birthday gift that helps guide your breathing at night to help you drift asleep.
12:39— Ian mentions that the Dodow is very similar to a device he has used called the Night Wave Sleep Assistant.
14:59— March shares his recommendation on a brand of eye mask that has been effective helping him drift off to sleep and help alleviate dry eyes at night.
19:54— Ian shares his first recommendation for helping with sleep: the BluBlocker sunglasses that block out brain stimulating blue light.
22:45— Ian mentions a lavender linen spray that has been an effective sleep aid for him as well.
23:47— Ian raves about his SleepPhones — a soft headband with built-in ergonomic Bluetooth headphones.
24:45— We discuss binaural beats as another method for inducing sleep and we learn about the results of Ian’s experiment using binaural beats to get more deep sleep.
29:23— Darren squeezes in a quick recommendations for an herbal mouth spray called Back Rescue Night Spray
31:02— Ian reminds Darren about the Som Sleep drink they both tried and had some success with.

Mentions

Yiview Sleep Mask
The Better Show Bundle --- our first listener giveaway
The Rohm Sleep Machine
Qualia by Neurohacker Collective --- nootropic stack
Lavender linen spray
iOS App: Binaural
Android App: Atmosphere: Binaural Therapy
SleepPhones
Bose QC35 Quiet Comfort headphones
Bach Rescue Night Spray
Som Sleep drink
ChilliPad mattress air conditioner
Dodow Sleep Aid Device

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Better Look Back Vol. 6 - Media diet, screen time, life extension May 28, 2018

Show notes

We look back on how our experiments in having a healthy media diet, limiting screen time and life extension have gone. We'll discuss what worked, what didn't, and what new tips & strategies we learned.

Show Notes

2:50— Darren talks about his experiment with trying out the Note to Self Bored & Brilliant challenge.
4:54— Ian gives a shout out the Android product team at Google for adding the “face down, do not disturb” feature to the latest version of Android.
7:06— Darren, Ian, and March discuss the difference in one’s ability to fully experience an event when trying to view it through a camera lens.
10:25— Darren shares his philosophy about only taking photos that he is sure do not already exists elsewhere online.
13:33— Ian talks about how having Bluetooth in his car has helped him consume more long-form media.
16:30— March shares his habits that enable him to read a lot of long-form content.
21:03— March notes that the first book you read on a given topic will usually be the hardest since you are absorbing the material for the first time.
22:32— March shares a recommendation for a podcast from The New York Times called Caliphate.
27:16— Ian notes that podcasts are a unique style of medium in that they enable deeper dives into individual topics and give listeners an opportunity to understand issues in greater depth.
28:43— March introduces Ian and Darren to “instant regret” playlists on YouTube.
34:00— We talk about how technology has allowed the explosion of content and also an explosion of choice for all kinds of physical products as well.
35:50— Ian suggests the WTF Just Happened Twitter account.
37:20— Ian gives us the quote of the day with “The news is important, but so is the context.” And “reactions on Reddit and Twitter are often higher quality than the news itself.”
40:30— March shares one of his failed experiments about trying no screen time for a period of time.
49:42— Ian talks about his experience with the Kindle Oasis and his attempt to read in the shower.
53:55— Darren shares the results of the audit of his screen time.
56:57— Darren talks about his experience in deleting the Facebook app off his phone.
59:51— We discuss our experiments with life extension and review the different philosophies of health-spanners versus immortalists.
1:01:55— Ian shares the results of his lithium micro-dosing tests.
1:06:37— We come back to a familiar topic on the show: the importance of sleep.
1:09:23— March explains the results from his 16–8 intermittent fasting experiment.
1:11:33— March shares a YouTube video called “The Fable of The Dragon Tyrant.”
1:15:15— We discuss NAD+ and the research into its affect on health and life extension.

Mentions

Bored & Brilliant challenge
Book: The Looming Tower
NYT podcast: Caliphate
Music video: Friday by Rebecca Black
The Razzies --- awards show for the worst movies
WTF Just Happened
YouTube channel: PolyMatter
App: Pocket
Kindle Oasis
Gerolsteiner Sparkling mineral water with naturally occurring micro-doses of lithium
YouTube video called "The Fable of The Dragon Tyrant"
NAD+ supplement
Basis --- a brand name NAD+ supplement by Elysium
PBS SpaceTime
You can shower with the new Kindle, you just can't read when it gets wet. (Seattle Times)

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Get Great at Groceries May 21, 2018

Show notes

We discuss valuable grocery shopping hacks. We explore how to make healthy choices, save money and make this weekly chore work for you.

Show Notes

2:35— We learn that the top 4 or 5 leading causes of death in the US are all about what you eat or how you eat.
6:53— March shares a statistic that, as a percentage of total income, US households spend less on food than any other country in the world.
10:31— “The foundation of cooking well is shopping well.”
11:05— Darren drops some deep wisdom on the group with the observation that “you can’t eat the Oreos if the Oreos art in the house.”
11:11— Ian shares his journey towards a deeper appreciation of fresh broccoli and the team gets off on a tangent about their distaste for microwaves.
13:32— Darren asks the question, “microwaves, what are they good for?” and asks The Better Show community for help educating him on the value of that appliance.
14:37— Ian gives a shout out to his mom and we break the myth about whether microwaves are safe to use.
16:45— We hear about Ian and March’s personal experience with grocery shopping ranging from when they first started living on their own to grocery shopping today.
22:17— Darren confesses his romanticism for the grocery store and shares a story about taking his wife, Mardee, to his favorite grocery store on their first date.
24:59— March shares his first tip of the show: make sure that the fruits and vegetables you buy are the one’s currently in season for your geography.
29:44— Ian shares his old recipe for microwaving broccoli. (And you DON’T want to try this one at home.)
31:00— Ian shares a tip about bringing a list with you to the grocery store and shares a resource from Zen Habits with 50 tips for grocery shopping.
36:16— “If a product has to write the word “healthy” on the label, it’s probably not healthy” — March
38:12— Pro tip from March: “Make your meal plan when you are hungry, and go grocery shopping when you are full and have your list.”
46:32— We share our love for Trader Joe’s (aka T.J.’s) ❤️
48:37— Future episode idea: Tips for using Alexa more effectively.
51:02— March describes how he and his wife use Alexa to make grocery shopping easier and more efficient.
52:18— Darren shares some tips on grocery shopping from his wife, Mardee.
56:23— Ian shares a flowchart to help shoppers identify actual food when browsing the grocery store aisles.
58:56— Ian mentions a tip from a previous episode: The Dirty Dozen and The Clean 15 foods.
1:00:51— March gives tips for grocery shopping with kids — give each of the kids a list and set expectations for when they can shop for treats.
1:02:34— Ian shares a personal story about a learning experience he had at the grocery store when he was young.
1:04:18— Ian shares something that he’s going to experiment with and report back on: his 3P plan.
1:07:11— Darren and March offer some tips to help Ian with his meal planning and prep.
1:12:36— We announce the release of The Better Show on YouTube. Find us at http://betrr.io/youtube

Mentions

What is a Faraday cage? (Hint: your microwave is one.)
SeasonalFoodGuide.org
SeafoodWatch.org
Food, Inc
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Sun Basket
Harris Teeter grocery store where Darren took his wife on their 1st date
Trader Joe's (the best grocery store EVER!) ❤️❤️❤️
Private Selection brand ice cream (with the great packaging design)
Zen Habits: 50 Tips for Grocery Shopping --- amazing list
How to find Real Food at the supermarket --- Darya Rose from her book, Foodist
Favado
Amazon Fresh or ClickList by Kroger
Summer Tomato blog by Darya Rose
Fine Cooking Magazine

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Better Learning with Ryan Carson May 14, 2018

Show notes

We discuss ways to strengthen your memory - everything from remembering names to learning more effectively.

Show Notes

1:59— We welcome our first guest on The Better Show, Ryan Carson, CEO of Treehouse.
3:12— “I think learning is the largest single determining factor of your success in life.” — Ryan Carson
4:50— We learn a little bit about Treehouse, what it does and why Ryan started it.
7:39— Ryan discusses the huge gap between the number of new jobs requiring coding skills and the number of traditional Computer Science graduates.
10:36— Ryan compares how learning a skill like coding is similar to learning a skill like carpentry or other trades.
12:36— We talk about the changing environment for learning and how today it is possible to get a degree from Harvard for free online.
15:06— Ryan describes the changes that are happening in the workforce that are motivating companies to invest in trade skill-style training.
19:50— Ryan shares how he has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs to introduce Treehouse’s learning opportunities to under-served communities.
24:30— We discuss the importance of mentorship in the learning process.
27:41— We discuss how to initiate a request for mentorship and how to be a good mentee.
30:35— March asks Ryan what he looks for when deciding whether or not a mentorship request will be a good fit.
31:28— Ryan shares a tip about the value of sharing experiences versus trying to give advice.
35:17— Darren shares a tactic that his mom used to keep him constantly creating with Lego.
36:35— We discuss the role of artificial intelligence and how it will affect the types of things we need learn in the future.
42:07— We do some rapid-fire Q&A with Ryan on topics ranging from the craziest experiment Ryan ever tried on himself to areas he’s currently working to improve.
47:01— Darren, March, and Ian each adopt one thing from the conversation that they will experiment with going forward.
51:11— We wrap up the show with a reflection on our conversation with Ryan, what we learned from the discussion, and give a quick shout to our moms for all that they do to help us learn throughout our lives.

Mentions

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Get Super Fit in 30 Days May 07, 2018

Show notes

We discuss ways to strengthen your memory - everything from remembering names to learning more effectively.

Show Notes

3:00— Ian kicks off the show with a quote from Chris Rock on fitness.
5:35— March shares some research on how quickly exercise can affect your body.
7:46— March shares a tip on setting a reasonable near-term goal for what kind of fitness results you want to achieve.
8:31— March shares his fitness routine for when he was training to climb Mt. St. Helens and Darren shares his routine for training to climb Mt Rainier.
13:51— Ian shares his experience with getting in shape for multiple sports in high school and contrasts his experience with experience from other athletes who focused their training on a single sport.
19:15— arch shares a 2nd tip about ways to assessing your current level of fitness and describes a method from a Brazilian researcher about how to quickly predict a person’s risk of early death.
20:46— Darren, March, and Ian report their results from trying the Stand up Challenge test.
23:46— We introduce The Better Show “Stand up Challenge” and issue a challenge to the audience to post a video of themselves standing up with the hashtag #standupchallenge.
24:42— Darren and March both commit to posting a video of themselves attempting to stand up using only one leg.
27:31— Ian shares a resource from World Fitness Level where you can quickly get an assessment of your current fitness level by answering a few basic questions.
32:01— March, Ian, and Darren each share their results from the World Fitness Level test in the form of their current fitness age.
39:09— March shares a fitness routine that promises in 30 days to bring you to up the fitness level required to run a marathon.
39:44— We take a test to assess our readiness to start the 30-days to marathon training routine.
47:36— March picks a personal fitness goal of being fit enough to hold his breath for a long period of time in preparation for an upcoming scuba diving trip to the Azores.
47:57— Ian decides to get in shape for golf season so he can crush Darren on the links (even worse than he already does. #saltinthewound)
48:52— Darren sets a goal to be able to bike to work comfortably overcoming the hills on his route.
54:41— Ian discusses some elements of a training regimen for better golf fitness.
58:21— We discuss HIT (High Intensity Interval Training) as one of the methods for getting fit in less time.
59:18— Ian shares that time was a key driver behind his decision to purchase a Peloton indoor bike.
1:02:18— March describes the “big four” body weight exercises that you can do anywhere to maintain your overall fitness.
1:03:46— Ian goes into the sauna with his Apple Watch.
1:14:38— We come back to a favorite topic of ours on The Better Show: sleep and how it factors into an effective fitness regimen.
1:16:00— Ian talks about how to manage hitting the plateau.
1:24:37— We talk about how to avoid training injuries.
1:29:49— March and Darren discuss the RICE method for recovery and Darren gives a glowing endorsement for the Ice Man Cold Therapy machine.
1:37:24— Ian commits to working on his golf game fitness and Darren is tempted to get an Oura ring.

Mentions

DonJoy Ice Man cold therapy unit for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries
Book: Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance by Kelly Starrett
World Fitness Level
National Institute of Health info on Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance
Book: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, PhD
App: MyFitnessPal
App: RunKeeper
App: Samsung Health

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Maximize Your Memory Apr 30, 2018

Show notes

We discuss ways to strengthen your memory - everything from remembering names to learning more effectively.

Show Notes

0:59— Ian starts off with a stat from a survey about which types of people have memory challenges and we learn that it is a challenge for people of all ages.
2:48— March tests Ian and Darren’s memory with a series of words to remember.
4:53— March talks a bit about why memory is important and what are the different ways you use memory in your daily life — thinking, social interaction, mental exercise.
7:27— Ian shares a trick that Bill Clinton used during law school to remember people’s names and personal stories.
12:45— Ian wonders whether muscle memory is a thing, and if so, where is muscle memory rooted in the brain.
13:33— We learn about the difference between implicit and explicit memory.
18:32— Darren notes how it challenging it is to try to not read words on signs.
21:04— Ian describes how, for him, the smell of plastic or styrofoam has a strong correlation with the Super Nintendo product from when he was a kid.
21:40— March explains the structural, anatomical reason for why the sense of smell is our strongest, most memorable sense.
24:09— Darren shares a counter intuitive fact about how our ability to forget things actually helps us remember the most important things.
27:12— Ian describes the difference between the way kids learn in school today versus how lessons were taught 30 years ago.
28:44— We learn that Plato was fearful of writing eroding humans’ capacity to think and so he memorized all his lessons and stories to avoid having to write.
32:50— Ian is curious whether the brain uses the same areas for memory as it does for creativity. He is hopeful that our reduced
36:11— Darren shares that he is terrible at remembering names but is incredibly good at recalling song lyrics and movie dialog.
37:55— Darren recalls a phone number from a Sports Illustrated television commercial he saw when he was a kid.
38:17— Darren makes a phone call to a phone number he remembers from a television commercial 35 years ago.
41:58— We learn about March’s personal experience with memory and how he is challenged with remembering biographical information but that he excels at understanding “tree of knowledge” type of information.
46:57— Ian asks Darren and March if they recall where they were when the learned about the attacks on 9/11.
48:23— Darren recommends the Lumosity app as a fun way to exercise different functions of your brain.
48:40— Ian shares news on the first FDA-approved video game aimed at improving memory.
53:42— We learn about another classic movie that Ian hasn’t seen yet.
55:26— March shares a tip about the positive affects of exercise on memory and we give a shout out to dodge ball as a great game for school children.
58:01— March reveals a clever tactic he uses that instead of a “1 on 1” meeting, he has a “run on 1” meeting once per week.
1:00:26— Ian is curious about whether Ginko Biloba is an effective supplement for memory improvement and we do some impromptu research to find out
1:05:06— Ian reveals his mental trick for remembering people’s names and faces. To Ian, March is a banana and Darren is a chocolate chip cookie.
1:09:53— March shares an ancient trick called the “memory palace” for remembering complex ideas or stories.
1:19:55— March shares that research has found that caffeine helps trigger the memory consolidation process actually helping memory recall.
1:20:48— We get the payoff on March’s memory test when Ian and Darren attempt to repeat back the sequence of words March listed at the beginning of the show.

Mentions

What does it take to be a Grand Master of Memory?
Black Mirror Season 1 Episode 3 --- The Entire History of You
March's pro tip 😉 for memory: Eclipse Winterfrost gum (and 10 jumping jacks)
Tim Ferris blog w/ techniques for improving memory
📖 Book: Moonwalking with Einstein
📖 Book: Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
📱 App: Lumosity app
--- insights from Dr. Michael Merzenich, PhD (co-creator of the cochlear implant)
--- insights from Dr. Adam Gazzaley & Dr. Larry Rosen

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Crafting a Better Commute Apr 23, 2018

Show notes

Ways to rethink your daily commute by transforming it into exercise, a time to learn, a time to socialize or removing it entirely!

Show Notes

0:50— Ian starts off with a stat that the average commute in the US is 25 minutes and Darren and March share their current commute times.
2:00— March shares some additional stats about commute times and how people commute to / from work.
3:19— Research shows that commuting tends to be more stressful for women than for men possibly because of the larger responsibilities women tend have around managing day to day household and family tasks.
4:05— Ian notes the difference between basic commuting and being stuck in traffic and shares his disdain for being stuck in traffic.
5:53— Because time is Ian’s most valuable resource, many of the key decisions in his life (including where to live and how to spend his commute) are optimized to minimize the amount of wasted time in his day.
8:59— March shares what commuting is like growing up and working in Ireland.
9:52— March shares his experience originally living far away from work with a very long car commute and then moving close to work where he had a short walk to work.
11:47— March’s optimizes his 22 minute commute time today listening to audiobooks and podcasts.
12:00— Whenever March has the opportunity to pay a toll to use the express lanes and reduce his commute time, he takes it — no matter the price — because it’s ultimately the price for additional productive minutes of his life.
12:46— Ian uses the same logic when making all health-related decisions.
14:06— “Driving through the twisty roads of the Italian Alps is fun. Driving the highway from my home to my office blows.” — March
14:21— Darren inadvertently improved the quality of his commute by buying a convertible several years ago.
20:31 —As a member of the Millennial generation, Ian shares that he doesn’t really remember flying commercially prior to 9/11 and recounts his fascination over how stress-free it is to board a train.
21:47— We talk about train experiences and some of the more scenic and peaceful train routes in North America.
24:29— We talk about car commuting and ways to improve the experience starting with audio books and podcasts.
25:41— Darren shares his tip for allocating his driving commute time to catching up with friends and family.
27:30— March advises against meditating while driving but suggests some alternative tactics to relax and recharge while commuting.
27:58— Tip for commuting: good, comfy driving shoes.
28:35— March and Darren empathize with women who have to wear high heels and Darren confesses that he lacks the grace to be able to drive or walk in heels.
29:30— Ian shares a tip for those with back pain: crank up the heated seats.
30:41— Ian completely punks March and Darren.
31:10— March discusses the importance of adjusting your car seat so that extended commutes are comfortable and back-friendly.
33:11— Tip for long commutes: avoid the drive-thru and pack some healthy snacks.
34:34— How to start a carpool and leverage the commuting programs from employers and local municipalities.
37:21— Darren shares some tips for cycling to work or walking to work.
39:56— Pro tip for cycling to work: stop by your local bike shop and ask them for a trail map or tips for cycling locally.
40:25— Darren gives a shout out to his friends Ken and Dana who have a walking commute after moving into the city.
42:03— Darren shares his experience in trying to telecommute one day per week.
43:16— March decides to experiment with Uber Pool for his commute.
43:51— Darren is going to try to bike to work several times this summer and gives a shout out to his cycling buddy Chris (who, incidentally, is in much better shape than Darren).
45:25— Darren recommends the CityMapper app for planning trips and commutes in a major city.
47:04— Ian commits to learning how to change a bike flat and start cycling a bit.
47:56— Ian introduces us to a very cool sounding personal driver service called Dryver.com and Darren gets a great idea for a Christmas gift for Ian.
48:50— Ian shares a little about the very positive experience he’s had owning a nice car like the Tesla Model 3.

Mentions

CityMapper app for planning urban commutes
OverDrive app for audiobooks. Use with your local library website to download free audiobooks.
Uber Pool and Lyft Line
eRideShare.com
Dryver personal chauffeur service
UK study suggesting that commutes have a disproportionately negative effect on women

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