OPTIMIZE with Brian Johnson | More Wisdom in Less Time

Geoff Colvin’s Talent Is Overrated is a great book. It falls into the “Effort Counts Twice” / Deliberate Practice bucket of how to reach our Peak via Grit, etc. It’s packed with great stories about, as per the sub-title of the book: “What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else.”

The Alter Ego Effect. This is one of the most fun and compelling and inspiring books I’ve read in awhile. I REALLY (!!!) enjoyed reading it, had a ton of fun constructing and playing with some potential Alter Egos and highly recommend it.

In our last +1, we explored the (brilliant) five-word philosophy of Georges Hébert: “Be fit to be useful.” Today we’re going to revisit the same theme from another angle. So…

A couple +1s ago, we hung out with Christopher McDougall and his Natural Born Heroes. For those who may not know, McDougall is also the author of Born to Run. He’s a brilliant story teller.

In our last +1, we reminded ourselves of the fact that the ancient Greek word for hero didn’t mean “tough guy” or “killer of bad guys.” It meant “protector.”

The other day I found myself re-reading our Notes on Christopher McDougall’s great book Natural Born Heroes. Although we’ve talked (many times) about the fact that the ancient word for hero literally meant “protector,” I realized that (somehow!) I’ve never shared McDougall’s brilliant wisdom that catalyzed my emphasis on the whole idea of all of us becoming modern heroes.

Not too long ago, we talked about the etymology of the word prosper. As you may recall (and I hope you do!), prosper literally means “to go forward with hope.” As such, prosperity isn’t so much the current status of your bank balance (or cash flow statements) as it is your attitude toward life.

Brad Stulberg writes, coaches, and speaks on health and human performance. Steve Magness coaches some of the world’s top distance runners and has propelled numerous athletes to Olympic trials, world championship teams, and the Olympics.

As we’ve discussed, a mantra is literally “a tool of the mind.” By repeating a mantra over and over and over again (spiritual teachers say!), it takes hold in our subconscious and subtly shapes our mind.

In our last +1, we hung out with an obscure 20th century philosopher and spiritual teacher named Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov. He wisely reminded us that: “The past is past but it has given birth to the present, and the present contains the roots of the future. This means that you must build your future in advance by improving the present.”

In our last +1, we talked about our Past, Present and Future and briefly explored the idea that if we want to create a better future AND enjoy life RIGHT NOW, we’d be wise to bring our best to THIS MOMENT. (And the one after that and…)

In our last +1, we meditated with Emerson and chatted about the 5 D’s of Meditation: Do it with Dignity and a Defined anchor with strong Determination then Do it again.

Yesterday I led a session with our Coaches on our fifth Fundamental: Be Present. (Preceded by Eat + Move + Sleep + Breathe and to be followed by Prosper.)

Not too long ago, we talked about Sleep Curfews. Five of them, to be precise. One for Caffeine. Another for Exercise. Plus Eating. Plus Screens. Plus Work. As you may recall, Caffeine has a half-life of 5 to 6 hours so try to cut back on that by around noon or 2 or whatever you find works best for you. 

Paul Napper and Anthony Rao are leading consultants and clinicians (who have both held academic positions at Harvard Medical School). In their great book, they define agency as “the ability to act as an effective agent for yourself—reflecting, making creative choices, and constructing a meaningful life.”