You Are Heroic with Brian Johnson

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+1: #225 How to Avoid Burnout Jan 01, 2018

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Continuing our theme of sharpening our saw and resting before we get tired, let's figure out how to avoid burnout. Tal Ben-Shahar wrote a great book on how to quit being a perfectionist. He tells us that the root cause of fatigue, anxiety, depression and burnout in the corporate world "is not hard work; the problem is insufficient recovery." Think about that for a moment. The problem isn't that we WORK too hard per se. It's that we don't RECOVER enough. That's a really powerful distinction. Which, of course, begs the question: Are YOU recovering enough? Tal recommends we think about recovery on three levels: Micro + Mid + Macro. Micro-level recoveries include things like taking a 15-minute break every 60 to 90 minutes. Mid-level recoveries include things like making sure you have a shut-down complete that helps you get 7-9 hours of sleep every night and that you take at least a day off every week. Macro-level breaks include taking 2-4 weeks off every year. Let's do a quick inventory. How are we doing? Micro? Mid? Macro? Personally, I'm pretty good at the Micro- and Mid-level breaks. And, I'm pretty terrible at the Macro-level. (Hah. Needs work!) How about you? Where are you rocking it? Celebrate that. And, where can you Optimize just a little more? Get on that. Remember: It's not that we work too hard. It's that we don't recover enough! Here's to having fun going hard and an equal amount of fun recovering deeply.

+1: #220 Put First Things First Jan 01, 2018

Show notes

We're officially on a roll with the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. We've covered Habit #1: Be Proactive and Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind. Today? Habit #3: Put First Things First. Here's the short story: Covey tells us that some things matter and other things don't. Highly Effective People know the difference and they "Put First Things First." As Goethe said: "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least." Covey shares a handy-dandy four-quadrant model to help us get clarity on what's really important. He organizes activities by Urgency and Importance. So, something can be Important or not and Urgent or not. In Quadrant I we have things that are both "Urgent and Important." These are fire drill-like activities. Unfortunately, way too many activities fall into this category. We need to do a better job of reducing the amount of stuff that shows up here or we'll be constantly stressed and burned out. In Quadrant II we have things that are NOT Urgent but ARE Important. This is our magic bucket. It's where our real impact occurs. Unfortunately, most people are spending all their time reacting to stuff all day every day. They don't spend enough proactive time doing what really matters. In Quadrant III we have Urgent but Not Important stuff. These are really just interruptions. We want to identify and reduce. In Quadrant IV we have Not Urgent and Not Important stuff. This is pure time-wasting stuff. Surfing the Internet, checking your phone for notifications every 5 seconds. Spend enough time here and you'll get fired. So… If we want to "Put First Things First" what do we need to do? Very simple (but not easy): We need to prioritize the Quadrant II activities. How? Well, here's one easy way: Go back to Habit #1 of being proactive and go back to +1 #201 of being Creative BEFORE you're Reactive. You simply CAN'T check your email (or news feeds or social media notifications) first thing in the morning and expect to be as Effective as you'd like. P E R I O D. Do you? Today's question: What little thing can you do to put first things first today? Get on that, +1 style!

+1: #215 Proving Yourself Right Jan 01, 2018

Show notes

When Peyton Manning was released from the Indianapolis Colts after fourteen seasons, a number of teams recruited him. He picked the Denver Broncos. Now, when he decided to go with the Broncos, he didn't say to himself, "I hope this works out alright." He decided to PROVE HIMSELF RIGHT. There's an epically huge difference between those two perspectives. In one, you kinda-sorta hedge and never really go all in. It's a good way to protect yourself from the risk of being wrong but it's also a really good way to be mediocre. When you make a real decision, you, by definition, cut off all the other options and go ALL IN. Then you're not interested in hedging. You're interested in winning. So, you go to work, HUSTLING to make sure you prove yourself right. Today's +1. Quick check in: What's important to you right now? Like super important. If you could wave a wand and make THIS wildly important thing happen, what would it be? Got it? You willing to really dream? Fantastic. Now, are you hedging or are you going all in antifragile style? Go prove yourself right.

+1: #210 You + Michelangelo + Your Potential Jan 01, 2018

Show notes

Legend has it that when Michelangelo stepped up to a block of marble, he could see the finished statue in his mind's eye.

His job was simple: Get rid of what was in the way.

That's a pretty powerful image. Let's apply it to our lives.

Step back from your current life for a moment. Fast-forward 5-10 years. Look within the block of marble that is you and your potential.

SEE the best version of you sitting within that block of marble.

Can you see it? You at your best.

Now…

What's in the way of you expressing that heroic version of you more and more consistently?

What little habits do we need to chip away at to reveal the most beautiful version of you hidden within that marble?

And, what's the one little habit we're going to let go of today to reveal just a little more of the awesome?

Fantastic. Here's a chisel. Let's do this!

How? +1. +1. +1.

+1: #205 To Thine Own Self Be True Jan 01, 2018

Show notes

William Shakespeare once told us (via Polonius in Hamlet): "This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."

For some reason, as a 15-year old in high school, I decided THAT would be the very first quote I ever wrote down and committed to memory.

I can still vaguely see my handwriting on a little index card in my mind's eye. I laugh with joy as I think of that awesome younger version of me thinking that was a quote worthy of my attention.

"This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."

To thine own self be true…

Are you?

Emerson echoed this wisdom centuries later when he said: "Trust thyself. Every heart vibrates to that iron string!"

Trust thyself…

Do you?

Today's +1. Let's live the wise words of our dear friends Will and Ralph just a little more today.

+1 #200: The 5 (Greek) Keys to Optimizing Jan 01, 2018

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PNTV: The Plant Paradox by Steven R. Gundry (#361) Dec 31, 2017

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The Plant Paradox. In a nutshell: The plants that nourish us can also hurt us. Dr. Steven Gundry is a renowned cardiologist and heart surgeon. He's a former professor at Loma Linda University and has authored 300+ peer-reviewed articles on using diet and supplements to eliminate a bunch of diseases. And, to put it in perspective: He's Tony Robbins's doctor. Big Ideas we explore include Rule #1 of nutrition (and life) (hint: STOP eating/doing stuff that doesn't work for you), the little edible enemies that are taking you down, the vagus nerve and it's communication from your gut to your brain, how fruit might as well be candy and 90% new you in 90 days.

Greatest Year Ever 101 2018 (Intro) Dec 31, 2017

Show notes

Want this year to be the greatest year of your life? Here's how to go about making that happen. We'll start with a quick inventory of what's awesome. And, what needs work. Then we'll move on to imagine THE (!) best version of you in 10 years and 25+ years (eulogy you!) while reflecting on how to make the prior best version of you your new baseline. Then… It's all about being that version of you NOW. We'll revisit the fundies and your Big 3 while creating Masterpiece Days, avoiding the pickles and kryptonite dust, WOOPing everything and playing the game that is our lives as well as we can.

+1 #195: Microscopes + Telescopes Dec 30, 2017

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PNTV: The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot Dec 29, 2017

Show notes

Pierre Hadot was one of the most influential historians of ancient philosophy. In this book, he gives us an incredible look at Marcus Aurelius and his classic Meditations. You can feel Hadot's incredible intellectual rigor and equally incredible passion for engaged philosophy. It's inspiring. Big Ideas we explore include spiritual exercises, your inner citadel, your daimōn, amor fate, turning obstacles upside down and carpe areté.

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