The World's Best Book Summaries
Why is multitasking bad for productivity? How does multitasking diminish your capacity to be productive? While multitasking may make you feel busy, it actually eats away at your productivity. This is because multitasking requires frequent switching between different tasks, and switching is costly in terms of cognitive resources. Here’s how multitasking hurts your productivity, according to productivity expert Chris Bailey.
Are you pushing yourself too hard? How can pursuing a flow state lead to burnout? While Steven Kotler encourages setting ambitious goals, he also warns against pushing yourself too hard. Mastering a flow state allows people to achieve superhuman feats—climbers scaling harder routes or runners running faster races—but this can also lead to burnout and unmet expectations. Read on to learn about the risks of pushing yourself too hard when pursuing flow, according to Kotler.
What exactly is productivity? What are some things you can do to become more meaningfully productive? According to productivity expert Chris Bailey, productivity isn’t just about trying to do more for the sake of doing more. Rather, productivity is the ability to identify and prioritize what matters most. In this article, we’ll explain Bailey’s definition of productivity and how it challenges a common misunderstanding about what it means to be productive.
How are typical Western diets and lifestyles influencing people’s health? What is microbial diversity and what happens when it’s compromised? Science journalist Ed Yong writes about the health implications of living a Western lifestyle in his book I Contain Multitudes, which debunks common myths about microbes and how they impact our lives. Yong argues that a typical Western diet is just one factor that leads to decreased microbial diversity. Read on to learn about the health risks of following a typical Western diet and lifestyle, according to Yong.
What is regret? What is Daniel Pink’s three-step process of regret? In The Power of Regret by Daniel Pink, regret is described as an outcome of reflecting on past choices people wish had gone differently. Pink further claims that regret is a process that everyone goes through. Keep reading for a breakdown of Pink’s process of regret and why we regret in the first place.
Are you dependent on others? How can you be more independent and live freely? It’s great to have other people in your life who can help you, but there’s nothing more liberating than being able to do things by yourself. No matter if it’s at work, at home, or in a romantic relationship, having independence is a confidence booster. Here’s how to be more independent and take life into your own hands.
Has someone ever told you to live without regrets? Did you know this philosophy actually prevents you from living your best life? The philosophy of “no regrets” may sound liberating, but in reality, it ignores the benefits of regret. In his book The Power of Regret, Daniel Pink counteracts the “no regrets” philosophy with four arguments that defend regret. Here’s why you shouldn’t try to live without regrets.
Why is it so hard to break bad habits? How can you break the tendency to engage in habitual behaviors that sabotage your success? Bad habits tend to be the behaviors that make us feel good in the short term. Because we seek instant gratification over long-term results, bad habits often seem more appealing than many good habits that require us to put in more work. Here are two strategies for breaking bad habits and forming beneficial habits in their stead.
What are the things you regret most in life? Does everyone have the same regrets? While everyone has regrets unique to their life, they tend fall into the same categories. According to Daniel Pink, the author of The Power of Regret, people tend to regret things done and things not done. Here’s a look at the most common regrets people have in life.
Why are we afraid of the unknown? How does your fear of uncertainty prevent you from growing and seizing opportunities that life presents? Changing your life sometimes requires a leap of faith. Maybe parts of your life are no longer fulfilling, or your current circumstances are no longer meeting your needs. To start down a different path, you have to overcome the fear of uncertainty and trust that everything will work out. Here’s why we’re so terrified of uncertainty and how you can empower yourself to step confidently into the unknown despite your fears.