Self-Improvement Archives

The Focus Question: How to Identify the Real Problem

What is the focus question that all coaches, managers, and leaders should ask? How can they help their team get to the heart of the issue? When you’re coaching, you want to start by asking fairly open-ended questions to get the conversation flowing. However, there comes a time when you need to hone in and identify the heart of the matter. That’s when it’s time to ask the focus question. Continue reading to learn the focus question that all coaches should ask.

Design Your Life Dashboard: Take Stock of Your Life

When is the last time you took stock of your life? How could designing your life dashboard help? You want to take a certain direction in life. But, before you can know which direction to go, you must clarify where you are right now. Designing your life dashboard can help you take stock of your life and figure out what’s working and what isn’t. Read more to learn how to design your life dashboard and use it to find direction.

How to Overcome Bias When It Gets in Your Way

Is bias holding you back from achieving your goals? How can you overcome bias? Everyone has biases of one kind or another. Those who strive to achieve great things have to find a way to overcome bias so that it doesn’t get in the way of clear thinking and action. Author and former rocket scientist Ozan Varol suggests two ways you can get these blind spots out of your way. Read more to learn how to overcome bias.

Happiness in Positive Psychology: What We Can Learn

What is said about happiness in positive psychology? What can we learn from studying the science of happiness? The field of psychology has historically been uninterested in studying happiness. Instead, it’s focused on unhappiness and mental health challenges. The relatively new field of positive psychology inverts the lens: Instead of focusing on why unhappy people are suffering, positive psychology asks why happy people are thriving. Keep reading for more about happiness in positive psychology.

Attributes of a Great Leader: Would You Make the Cut?

What makes a great leader? What qualities would you ascribe to a leader you’d be willing to follow? Since the mid-1980s, Barry Posner and James Kouzes, the authors of The Leadership Challenge, have been conducting studies asking people in both business and government what qualities they value in a leader. They’ve found that consistently people want the same qualities in a leader whose leadership they would be willing to follow. Here are the four attributes of a great leader, according to Posner and Kouzes.

How to Stop Being a Nice Guy: The Ultimate Guide

Do you want to know how to stop being a Nice Guy? What effective tips can help you overcome Nice Guy Syndrome? In the face of struggle, dissatisfied men use the tactic they know best: Be nice. However, according to Dr. Robert Glover, “being nice” rarely yields the desired outcome, and Nice Guys’ insecurities frequently emerge as passive-aggressive or dishonest behavior. In No More Mr. Nice Guy, he offers a step-by-step plan that tells you how to stop being a Nice Guy in your personal life, career, and relationships. Find out how to stop being a Nice Guy below.

Key Takeaways From the Book Designing Your Life

How can the book Designing Your Life move you forward in life? What insights can you apply? In the book Designing Your Life, Stanford professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans share the content of their popular courses and workshops on life design. Using concrete principles and examples, they teach readers how to design a meaningful life in which they can truly thrive. Keep reading to learn the basics of the book Designing Your Life.

How to Play With Philosophical Thought Experiments

Have you ever conducted philosophical thought experiments? How can they help you reach your goals? Philosophers aren’t the only ones who use thought experiments. Anyone who has a big task to undertake or a huge goal to reach can play with thought experiments. Think of them as a form of unstructured play that can unleash your curiosity and creativity, pushing you toward new ways of thinking and doing things. Keep reading to learn how to use philosophical thought experiments.

6 Effective Study Techniques (Plus 3 Note-Taking Tips)

What are some effective study techniques you can implement to learn anything? How can you take better notes? Limitless author Jim Kwik shares six effective study techniques to help you accomplish limitless learning in any area of life. He also provides three tips for taking good notes. Keep reading to learn effective study techniques and note-taking methods.

Living a Designed Life: How to Apply Design Thinking

What difference would it make if you applied design thinking to your life? How do you build a designed life? A core principle of design thinking is that you make progress by building, not just by thinking. Design thinking requires five mental attitudes: curiosity, experimentation, reframing, embracing process, and deep teamwork. When you apply these to your life, you get back more than you put in. Read more to learn how to build a designed life.