The World's Best Book Summaries
How do you make better decisions in life? Is there a way to make wiser choices? To learn how to make better decisions, you need to question the biases that are influencing your decisions. There are four concrete strategies that you can use to develop better decision-making skills. Learn what these four steps are and how you can make wiser choices.
Can you learn how to set goals for yourself better? What does it look like to set achievable goals? To set goals for yourself, try to be as specific as possible in what you hope to achieve. And, make sure that you take into account your strengths and resources accurately. Learn what it takes to set goals within reach.
Is talent overrated? What does it take to become good at something? In Talent Is Overrated, Geoff Colvin explains why practice has a much bigger impact on performance than talent. Evidence suggests that time spent practicing is the number one indicator of excellence. Learn what it takes to get better at something and meet your goals.
Where are you headed in life? What are you striving toward? Do you believe that your life has value and meaning? In The How of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky unpacks the factors that fuel happiness and provides practical strategies to nurture and sustain it. One way is to find and create purpose in your life. Keep reading to see how having a purpose in life can bring you lasting happiness.
What are the benefits of intrinsic motivation? How do intrinsic rewards keep you motivated? The benefits of intrinsic motivation include being able to develop virtuous cycles of improvement and practice. This means that if you enjoy practicing, you’ll get better, which means you’ll continue to enjoy practicing and stick to it. Read on to learn how to develop better patterns of improvement.
How long does it take to become good at something? How much practice does it take? It takes about ten years of intentional practice to become excellent at something, but you can become better at something right away. In fact, any amount of practice is beneficial. Read for more on why practice can have such an immediate impact and how long you need to stick with something to become great.
How can you develop your weaknesses into strengths? What does it take to strengthen your skills? Improving weaknesses and developing strengths requires not only seeing where you’re doing well but also being able to self-criticize and find weak points that you can develop into strengths. You can do this with a simple four-step process. Learn how to walk through this process and get better at anything.
What is the hedonic treadmill? How can you get out of the cycle of constantly chasing after more? The hedonic treadmill is a behavioral pattern where people chase after happiness but never feel content or satisfied once they get what they want. To get off the treadmill, you have to slow down and practice gratitude and appreciation for the simple things in life. Take a look at how to approach your own negative patterns.
What’s the best way to deal with fear of taking action? How can you overcome your anxieties? Dealing with the fear of taking action starts with acknowledging the problem and deciding to address it directly. The best way to do this is to set a goal of facing your fear in a small, insignificant way to build confidence. Here’s more on developing courage and confidence.
Do you find it easy to start a new habit but nearly impossible to stick with it? What do you need to change about your approach to instill real change in your life? It’s one thing to adopt a new habit. It’s another to make that habit stick and become part of your life. The key is to get your subconscious mind—not just your conscious mind—to want to adopt the new habit. Keep reading to learn how to create habits that stick by aligning your subconscious with your new behaviors.