The Mind Illuminated: Book Overview and Takeaways

The Mind Illuminated: Book Overview and Takeaways

How can you become an enlightened meditator? How can The Mind Illuminated book help you achieve mindfulness? The Mind Illuminated is a guide on achieving mindfulness so you can reduce stress in your life. Whether you’re an expert in meditation or want to get started, you can use The Mind Illuminated‘s practices to achieve serenity. Read below for a brief overview of The Mind Illuminated.

First Impressions: How to Use the Halo Effect to Your Advantage

First Impressions: How to Use the Halo Effect to Your Advantage

What’s a great way to make a good first impression? How might you connect with people better if you knew what they care about? Peter D. Andrei says the key to rhetoric is understanding how people think. He discusses several cognitive biases in the context of persuasive communication. One of these is the halo effect, and he explains how to use the halo effect to your advantage. Continue reading to learn Andrei’s strategies and see how they might help you communicate more persuasively.

How to Build Up Confidence by Proving Yourself Wrong

How to Build Up Confidence by Proving Yourself Wrong

Are you lazy, unskilled, or hard to get along with? How can you prove yourself wrong about any of these beliefs? Behavioral science expert Grace Lordan urges you to make and implement a plan to transform yourself into the person you want to be. She discusses how to recognize and address internal obstacles by getting confident about your abilities and potential. Read on to learn how to build up confidence in yourself and your dreams.

How to Manage Tasks With Effective Lists and Schedules

How to Manage Tasks With Effective Lists and Schedules

Do you have trouble keeping track of your to-do items? How do you manage tasks to stay organized? Throughout The Procrastination Cure, Damon Zahariades mentions a few tools that he suggests you include in your system for managing your time and tasks. We’ve collected his tips and tricks for using lists and schedules to support your success. Learn how to manage tasks and stay on top of things below.

How to Mentally Rehearse: Practice Through Imagination

How to Mentally Rehearse: Practice Through Imagination

What if you could practice doing something by just using your imagination? What makes mental rehearsal so effective? What’s the right way to do it? If you want to get better at something, it makes sense that you need to practice. But Ron Friedman argues that it’s easy to practice incorrectly or inefficiently. So, to avoid wasting your time and effort, he offers several guidelines for effective practice. One of these is to mentally rehearse. Continue reading to learn how to use mental rehearsal to improve any performance.

How to Use the Contrast Effect Bias to Be More Persuasive

How to Use the Contrast Effect Bias to Be More Persuasive

What made John F. Kennedy such an effective communicator? How might you use the same techniques? If you want to influence people, you must understand what makes them tick. In How Highly Effective People Speak, Peter D. Andrei shows how to take advantage of cognitive biases to persuade people. One of these is the contrast effect bias. Continue reading to see how using the contrast effect in your communication is one of the most effective ways to improve your rhetorical skills.

How to Practice Effectively: 3 Ways to Make the Most of Practice

How to Practice Effectively: 3 Ways to Make the Most of Practice

Do you keep a practice journal? Is your practice too easy or repetitive, or does it stretch you? In Decoding Greatness, Ron Friedman shares his advice for doing great work—whether that means getting a show at an art gallery, winning a marathon, or nailing a big product pitch. One strategy for improving your performance is effective practice. Read on to learn how to practice effectively by implementing Friedman’s three recommendations.

How to Manage Your Time at Work: The 90-Minute Flow

How to Manage Your Time at Work: The 90-Minute Flow

Do you always take more time on tasks than you expect to? What’s the key to realistic planning and higher productivity? If you’re like most people, there’s a gap between who you are and who you want to be. You wish you could get more done in less time. Grace Lordan says that, first, you must get real when it comes to planning. Then, she recommends a work schedule that helps you take advantage of flow. Continue reading to learn how to manage your time at work and ultimately get more done.

What Causes Procrastination? The 3 Psychological Culprits

What Causes Procrastination? The 3 Psychological Culprits

What causes procrastination? Why is it so hard to take the first step to get to work? In The Procrastination Cure, Damon Zahariades offers several reasons why people procrastinate. We’ve compiled these reasons into three categories: your brain prefers immediate rewards, fear and negative self-esteem get in the way, and you’re scared to take the first step. Let’s look at these causes of procrastination to get a better idea.

How to Track Your Progress—and Why You Should

How to Track Your Progress—and Why You Should

How does setting goals help you do great work? Why is it important to track your progress toward your goals? Ron Friedman believes you can do and make great things by reverse engineering work you admire. Part of the process is improving your own work performance. This invariably entails setting goals and tracking your progress. Read on to learn how to improve your performance with metrics.