The main causes for so-called laziness include fear of judgment and negative emotion, fixed mindsets that make action feel useless, organizational issues that keep you confused and spiraling, and physical or mental deficiencies such as sleep, rest, nutrition, illness, and lack of alignment. Its not so much that we need to cure these issues, because that is a tall task without dedicated introspection, but if we are more aware of what drives us to act (or not), then we stand a chance of addressing...
Jan 10, 2022•17 min
Make sure you are scheduling in ample time to rest and recuperate, as well as time to acknowledge your progress and reward yourself. This is crucial for your ongoing success! Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will...
Jan 07, 2022•5 min
When you think of Buddhism, the world discipline is usually not far away. In fact, discipline is right at the core of Buddhist teachings. Its tenets emphasize maintaining a sense of control over one’s mind and body as a means to fulfillment. In fact, it preaches that we are naturally endowed with the ability to do what we want, and feel contentment at all times. However, we give up those feelings of control to someone or something outside of ourselves; we relinquish our own power to an external ...
Jan 05, 2022•10 min
When we label ourselves or others as lazy, are we really doing ourselves justice, or is there more to that simple and overused term? What can we learn about simple laziness to defeat it and perhaps set ourselves up for success? Laziness is not so much of a cause as it is a symptom of emotional or organizational issues that are present within our mindsets. It’s helpful to view these shortcomings as a series of cause-and-effect actions, because the reasons that we are not acting and not exercising...
Jan 03, 2022•15 min
The question becomes: how can you strengthen your vagal tone? The most prominent way is to work on deep, diaphragmatic breathing, as breath is one of the vagus nerve’s key regulators. The more slowly and deeply you can breathe, the more you can summon this rest-and-digest mode and relax. In fact, making noises such as humming, chanting, or praying also invokes the same effect, as the vagus nerve is connected to the voice box and larynx. You can also practice splashing yourself (start with the fa...
Dec 31, 2021•9 min
Working with the limitations of your own brain requires an honest appraisal of where you are and how you’re functioning. Make it a habit to routinely assess yourself on the following aspects, on a scale of one to ten: Sense of purpose, the presence of positive mentors, sensory rich vision, self-belief, planning and organization, education and skills, patient perseverance, and the ability to see work as play. This kind of self-reflection allows you to see exactly what areas you need to work on an...
Dec 29, 2021•12 min
If you don’t have one already, establish a rock-solid morning routine that gets you started on the right foot. Each person has their own unique biorhythms, but most of us benefit from having regular sleep and wake times and healthy sleep habits. Get the audiobook on Audible at http://bit.ly/41Habits Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human conditi...
Dec 27, 2021•10 min
The vagus nerve is the embodiment of the phrase “mind-body connection.” Why is that? Because thats what it literally does. Its a cranial nerve that runs through the entire body, and through some smart manipulation, we can use this nerve to actually change what is happening in the brain. The vagus nerve demonstrates that sometimes the brain follows what the body experiences, and this is another angle through which we can boost our brain. Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at http...
Dec 24, 2021•10 min
* Mental Model #28: Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap, so be selective with your time and energy. Start with the 10% absolute non-crap and slowly work your way out. This is a more restrictive version of the Pareto Principle in some ways. * Mental Model #29-30: Parkinson's Laws: First, triviality can easily set in because it feels good to feel productive (even in minute ways) and voice your opinion. Know your real priorities and ask if progress is actually being made toward them. Second, ...
Dec 22, 2021•14 min
It sounds basic, but you cannot cultivate self-discipline without the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. You can fuel your willpower by considering how to fuel your body first. There are many different diet philosophies, and they all work, but one thing consistently shown to improve self-control is to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a ...
Dec 20, 2021•11 min
Speaking of more neural connections, learning how to play an instrument or speak a new language literally activates dormant or underused parts of your brain. These skills provide different types of adaptations, and teach you patterns and processes and how to apply them to other areas of your life. They are both truly whole-brain activities that require integrating multitudes of new information and even muscle memory. Best of all, this type of neural growth can transfer to other disciplines and p...
Dec 17, 2021•14 min
Mental Model #26: Hanlon's Razor: Malicious acts are far more likely to be explained by incompetence, stupidity, or neglect; assumptions about one's intentions are likely to be wrong. Improve your relationships by giving the benefit of the doubt and assuming, at worst, absent-mindedness. Mental Model #27: Pareto Principle: There is a natural distribution that tends to occur, where 20% of the actions we take are responsible for 80% of the results; thus, we should focus on the 20% for maximum inpu...
Dec 15, 2021•10 min
To become more disciplined, focus on your bad habits and work not to eliminate them but replace them with better ones. Observe your current habits, understand the purpose they serve, their triggers and their results, and take action to rework them in your favor. With good habits in place, you need less self-discipline, not more. Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicate...
Dec 13, 2021•5 min
The first piece of true brain training is to embrace novelty, challenge, and everything that makes you struggle a bit mentally. Thats when actual neural growth is occurring—just like the gym and physical fitness, if its not a little painful, then its probably not doing much for your goals. This is the real foundation of improving your mental performance through neuroplasticity. A simple way to think about this is: more exposure and more experience equals more brain cells and neural connections. ...
Dec 10, 2021•9 min
Mental Model #24: Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, so make sure it doesn't have the opportunity. Don't rely on just getting by; make sure that you are as fail-safe as possible. Mental Model #25: Occam's Razor: The simplest explanation with the fewest variables is most likely to be the correct one. Our instinct is to go for the most mentally available explanation, which says more about what we want to see or avoid. Hear it Here - https://bit.ly/mentalmodelshollins Show note...
Dec 08, 2021•13 min
Choose a goal, set a timeframe, and then choose some appropriate metrics to track and monitor your progression. Keep this visible and concrete, to inspire you, give you a sense of focus and accomplishment, and help you troubleshoot and pre-empt problems. Get the audiobook on Audible at http://bit.ly/41Habits Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the huma...
Dec 06, 2021•10 min
The efficacy of brain training programs has been dispelled multiple times. This is because we can’t necessarily train ourselves to be more intelligent, strictly speaking. We can, however, engage our brains in multiple and novel ways, and somewhat indirectly, become smarter as a result of that neural strengthening. We can improve our fluid intelligence, but not our crystal intelligence. This means that when we want to boost our brains, we’re not really focusing on “improving” the brain itself, bu...
Dec 03, 2021•9 min
Mental Model #23: Avoid the Path of Least Resistance. Does something appear too easy? It's too good to be true. Avoid it. Seek resistance, because that's a sign that you are on the right path. On a daily basis, we are faced with two choices: the easy thing and the right thing. We usually don't even realize we have a choice, but when you start to honestly categorize your choices, you might discover that your instinct to avoid resistance is self-sabotage. Hear it Here - https://bit.ly/mentalmodels...
Nov 30, 2021•9 min
Make a promise to yourself that even though you may occasionally have setbacks, you will never skip your task for two days in a row. One day is understandable, but two days makes a habit. If you slip up, go into learning mode and ask why so you can ensure you don’t do the same the following day. Get the audiobook on Audible at http://bit.ly/41Habits Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology resea...
Nov 29, 2021•10 min
When it comes to relaxing, there are a few methods that run counter to what you might assume is most helpful. Some people just want to turn into a vegetable on the couch, and that works, to a certain degree. But video games, television, and reading are all excellent ways of combining rest, relaxation, and beneficial mental engagement. They all emphasize different modes of thought— video games force you to adapt to quicker reaction speeds and problem- solving; reading and television allow you to ...
Nov 26, 2021•11 min
Mental Model #22: Avoid To-Do Lists. In fact, construct don't-do lists. Narrowing down what you should be avoiding, and what really doesn't matter, will drastically free up your time. This means you will have less stress and anxiety and know exactly what your priorities are. Hear it Here - https://bit.ly/mentalmodelshollins Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated stu...
Nov 24, 2021•7 min
Impulses are the polar opposite of self-discipline, and they are things we must consciously train against indulging in. Oh, but its hard. Impulses are behind every subconscious thought that we struggle to rein in. How can we ever hope to combat this? Generally, we must try to interject space and time between a thought and an action. We can do this by simply counting slowly to 10, labeling your thoughts and feelings, writing down the facts of a situation, and asking yourself why five times and ma...
Nov 22, 2021•10 min
Practicing meditation and mindfulness is the most predictable tip for relaxation. Stop ruminating on the past or the future. Try to not even focus on the present. Attempt to clear your mind and think only about one thing, such as your breathing. It sounds like the easiest thing in the world, and yet, you’ll struggle to do it. But pursuing this seemingly tiny goal will result in massive neurological changes that will improve your resistance to stress and anxiety, and wire your system for more res...
Nov 19, 2021•14 min
It's easy to start and maintain a mini habit. Remember, this is how you start to address the person you are training yourself to be. First, you think about a regular goal you'd like to pursue. It can be vague, like "fitness," or it can be more specific, like "Work out 45 minutes or more every day." Once you establish the end goal, you can then minify it into the smallest behavior that gets the process started. Questions or comments regarding the podcast? Email the show at HollinsPodcast@NewtonMG...
Nov 17, 2021•12 min
All of us have natural advantages in some things, and despite how hard we work, we will never be more than mediocre in other areas. Recognize your strengths, and while you shouldn't stop trying to improve upon your weaknesses, understand where you will have the most impact. Hear it Here - https://bit.ly/mentalmodelshollins Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated stud...
Nov 15, 2021•6 min
Impulses are the polar opposite of self-discipline, and they are things we must consciously train against indulging in. Oh, but it’s hard. Impulses are behind every subconscious thought that we struggle to rein in. How can we ever hope to combat this? Generally, we must try to interject space and time between a thought and an action. We can do this by simply counting slowly to 10, labeling your thoughts and feelings, writing down the facts of a situation, and asking yourself why five times and m...
Nov 12, 2021•6 min
Stoicism is about finding your power within—your self-control and discipline to live a good life. Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor who championed Stoic philosophy, advanced the idea that the quality of your life would depend on your ability to use reason as the ruling element in the way you conduct yourself, deal with others, and handle situations. He advocated mental toughness amidst adversity and fortitude of character amidst miseries. Stoicism recognizes the hardships inherent in life as well...
Nov 10, 2021•10 min
Rene Descartes invented modern geometry, was a leading physicist, and was one of the most prominent Western philosophers in history. He is most famous for his investigations on the essence of knowledge and what could and could not be proven. This was eventually reduced down to the statement that if one thinks, they exist. I think, therefore I am. Imhotep is a name long lost to history, despite his influence in ancient Egypt. He was the physician to the pharaohs that he served, and he was the arc...
Nov 08, 2021•11 min
Sometimes a mental sabbatical is just what you need. Actually, this should be an essential part of your daily, weekly, and monthly routine. We all need to disconnect and recharge; our brains are incapable of functioning at a high level without that rest. Consider this chapter in combination with the chapter on neurofitness and once again the holistic mind-body connection cannot be ignored, and must be cultivated. Questions or comments regarding the podcast? Email the show at Podcast@NewtonMG.com...
Nov 05, 2021•11 min
Mental Model #20: Avoiding Thinking Like an Expert. Experts think about the big picture and sometimes can't be bothered with small details. Small details, counterintuitively, are mostly paid attention to by novices, because they are absorbing new information and going slowly through a process. Thinking like an expert in a given field will probably mean that you make small mistakes because you engage in assumptive thinking and focus on overall effects and conception. Hear it Here - https://bit.ly...
Nov 03, 2021•8 min
