May 5, 2025 • 31 mins
Ever wonder where your day goes? That feeling of being busy yet accomplishing little isn't just your imagination – it's a widespread productivity crisis. A shocking 82% of people have no system to manage their time, resulting in over half the workday lost to low-value tasks and constant interruptions.
This deep dive explores cutting-edge research on reclaiming your time and building habits that stick. We've synthesized insights from leading experts like BJ Fogg, James Clear, and Andrew Huberman to extract the most powerful, science-backed strategies for lasting productivity.
At the core is the transformative "No Zero Days" philosophy – making consistent small efforts that compound over time. Rather than pursuing perfection, this approach focuses on momentum, eliminating the paralysis that prevents progress. We explore how tiny habits paired with positive emotions create neural pathways for lasting change, and how implementation intentions remove decision fatigue by clarifying exactly when, where, and how you'll follow through.
Perhaps most fascinating is how understanding your brain's dopamine system provides powerful tools for overcoming procrastination. We reveal counterintuitive techniques like "sparring with discomfort" to reset your motivational state when you're stuck in avoidance patterns.
The most profound insight? Productivity isn't about superhuman willpower or working longer hours – it's about aligning daily actions with your true priorities and identity. As James Clear notes, "Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become." What kind of votes are you casting with your time today?
Try just one tiny habit after listening. Your future self will thank you.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know that feeling where the day just well it
vanishes.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Oh man.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
You're busy, you know , constantly putting out fires,
but then at the end of it allyou look back and wonder what
did I actually get done?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It's incredibly common.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Well, if that sounds familiar to you, listening, you
are definitely in good company.
It turns out a whopping 82% ofpeople.
They don't even have a systemlike any system to manage their
time effectively.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Eighty two percent.
That's staggering really.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
It really is, and that's exactly why we're doing
this deep dive today.
We've spent a lot of timewading through all the noise.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
There's so much out there.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Exactly Expert YouTube channels.
You know folks like DonGeorgievich, bj Fogg, james
Clear.
Then there's the Science PactHuberman Lab podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Great stuff there.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Plus a bunch of articles digging into well time
management stats and also thisreally intriguing idea called
the no Zero Days philosophy.
Right, we'll get into that.
So our mission here?
It's pretty simple really.
We want to extract the coreprinciples, you know, the
science-backed strategies thatwill help you take control of
your time.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
And build habits that actually stick.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Yes, and boost your productivity, all without
feeling like you're well,totally drowning.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
And we're going deep.
This isn't just scratching thesurface.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Not at all.
We want you to walk away withstuff you can start using, like
today.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Okay, so where do we start?
The problem itself it'sgenuinely eye-opening when you
actually look at the hardnumbers.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
It really is.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
We're not just talking about, you know, a minor
inconvenience here.
It's a massive drain on ourpotential, really.
The average worker is losingover half their workday 51%, on
tasks that, frankly, don't addmuch value.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Over half, wow.
And then you add in value Overhalf, wow.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
And then you add in the constant interruptions.
Think about this Around 60interruptions a day 60?
Speaker 1 (01:51):
How do you get anything done?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Exactly, it's almost well, it's almost comical, but
in a really frustrating way.
The end result our averageproductive time is less than
three hours a day.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Less than three hours .
So you start wondering, likeyou said, what happened to the
other five plus hours.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Right, where does it all go?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
And the breakdown you see in the stats is kind of
illuminating, isn't it?
13% lost to commuting for many.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Still a factor, yeah 16% just in meetings.
Often unproductive ones.
Let's be honest.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
And a huge chunk 23% just on email.
It feels like these thingsbecome the default work, even if
they aren't the real work.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Precisely, they fill the space, and it's not just a
personal frustration foremployees, is it?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
No, not at all.
The impact on businesses ismassive.
Estimates are around $588billion lost annually just due
to distracted employees.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Billion with a B, that's a mind-boggling figure.
It really just highlights theeconomic cost of us not being in
control of our own attention.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
And the digital world , I mean.
It offers incredible tools,obviously, but it's a major,
major part of this distractionproblem.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Oh huge.
Think about it.
On average, people check theirphones 30 times during work
hours 30.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
30 times, and each one isn't just a quick glance,
is it?
There's a cost.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
There's a definite cognitive cost.
Studies show it can take whatupwards of 20 minutes sometimes
to fully refocus after just onedistraction 20 minutes.
Yeah.
So those quick checks, theyreally really chip away at our
concentration and ultimately ourproductivity all day long.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
OK, so it paints a pretty clear picture.
We're basically fighting thisconstant uphill battle against
distractions and often justinefficient systems or ways of
working.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
It's no wonder, then, that 56 percent of employees
report feeling like they're justnot in control on a daily basis
.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, that makes sense.
And this one statistic reallysurprised me.
Apparently, 20 percent ofpeople waste up to two hours a
day on unimportant tasks, simplybecause they're bored.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Boredom.
It's almost this cycle, isn'tit?
Disengagement leading to timewasting, which probably leads to
more disengagement.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Exactly Okay.
So we've established a problem.
It's significant, it'swidespread.
What's a way to start shiftinghow we even think about tackling
this, a sort of foundationalshift?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Well, one really powerful idea that kept popping
up across the different sourceswe looked at is this no zero
days philosophy.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Ah yes, Tell us more about that.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
The core of it is deceptively simple really.
It's just do at least one smallthing every single day that
moves you even slightly closerto your goals.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Okay, one small thing .
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, it's not about these huge, monumental tasks
every day.
It's about maintaining momentumconsistency over intensity,
almost.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Think of it like pushing a big, heavy flywheel.
You know that initial pushtakes the most effort, right,
sure, but once it's turning,even small, consistent pushes
are enough to keep it going.
So dedicating, just say, 10minutes to one meaningful task
each day can have a surprisinglysignificant impact on your
long-term path.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
I really love that, because it just reframes the
whole idea of progress, doesn'tit?
It gets rid of thatall-or-nothing thinking that can
be so paralyzing for people.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Exactly that paralysis is real.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
So like if you're trying to learn a new language,
a no zero day might literallyjust be learning one new word,
or maybe reviewing flashcardsfor five minutes.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Precisely.
It feels so much moreachievable than staring at the
mountain of, say, meeting athree hour study session, which
you then just put off.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Right, and the sources we looked at.
They really highlight thepsychological benefits of this
kind of consistent, small stepapproach, too right.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah, absolutely that daily engagement, even when
it's really small, it buildsthis sense of forward movement.
It fosters a feeling ofaccomplishment.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
you know, yeah, a little win.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
A little win and that , in turn, boosts your
self-belief, makes it easier tostay consistent over the long
haul.
It's basically a positivefeedback loop.
Okay, and this connects reallybeautifully, actually, with
another concept that came up,the idea of cultivating
gratitude towards what somepeople call the three U's.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
The three U's.
Okay, that sounds interesting.
Let's dig into that a bit.
How does that work?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Think about it like this First, you take a moment to
genuinely appreciate your pastself.
You know for the positiveactions they took that are
benefiting you right now, today.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, like what?
Give me an example.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Well, maybe your past self put in the effort to learn
a skill that's useful now, ormaybe they set up a small
savings plan, or even just keptthe kitchen tidy last night so
you woke up to a clean space.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Ah okay, Little things or big things.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Right Acknowledging those past efforts, saying
thanks past me.
It can create this nice senseof gratitude and connection to
your own journey.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
I like that.
Okay, so that's past self.
What are the other two?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Then you think about your present self as actively
doing favors for your futureself.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Ah, paying it forward to yourself.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Exactly so when you're faced with a choice you
know, between maybe a short-termindulgence and something that
benefits you long-term, likechoosing to exercise when you're
feeling tired.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Which is often.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Right, Remind yourself in that moment.
I'm doing this for future me.
You're making that choice outof kindness for the future you.
Who's's gonna feel healthier ormore energized or less stressed
because of it?
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So it's this continuous cycle.
Appreciate the past, act forthe future.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Exactly A cycle of gratitude and intentional action
.
It builds this really powerfulsense of self-care,
self-compassion, and itreinforces those positive
behaviors over time.
It's less about willpower andmore about well being good to
yourself across time.
That's less about willpower andmore about well being good to
yourself across time.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
That's a really insightful way to frame
motivation actually Less like achore, more like an act of
kindness to yourself.
Okay, so we have thisfoundation consistent small
steps with no zero days, andthis mindset of appreciating our
past efforts and acting for ourfuture self.
Now let's get into the realnitty gritty.
(07:46):
What are some concretepractical techniques we can
start using, like right now, tomanage our time better day to
day?
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Okay, yeah, let's get practical.
Several really key strategiesemerged, particularly from Don
Georgievich's insights.
One fundamental thing isbecoming much more aware of your
own natural energy rhythms.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Okay, like morning lark versus night owl.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Exactly that.
Are you someone who feels mostalert, most focused, in the
morning, or do you hit yourstride later in the day?
The key is to schedule yourmost demanding tasks, the ones
that need real brain power forthose peak energy periods.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Right, don't fight your biology.
Don't fight it.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Trying to force yourself to do deep, focused
work when you're naturallyfeeling low energy is well.
It's often just a recipe forfrustration and, ultimately,
wasted time.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Makes sense, what else?
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Another crucial element, and one I think many of
us overlook, is giving yourselfpermission explicit permission
to take regular recharge breaks.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Ah, the guilt-free break.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yes, djordjevic specifically recommends taking
short mental breaks, maybe everyone to two hours.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay, how long are we talking?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
It doesn't have to be a long thing.
Even just a few minutesstepping away from your work,
maybe closing your eyes for abit, doing some light stretching
, that can significantly improveyour focus and, really
importantly, prevent mentalfatigue.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
So it's proactive energy management.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Exactly, not just pushing through until you hit a
wall and you're completely burntout Okay.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
That resonates, I definitely feel that pressure
sometimes to just be constantlyon.
So those breaks aren't a luxury, they're actually essential for
sustained productivity.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
They really are.
What other tools did Georgevichsuggest?
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Well, the Pareto principle came up, the 80-20
rule.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Ah yes, classic but powerful.
The core idea there, for anyoneunfamiliar, is that roughly 80%
of your results your outcomeswill typically come from just
20% of your efforts oractivities.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
So the trick is figuring out which 20%.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
That's the key Identify those high-impact 20%
activities and then prioritizethem ruthlessly.
Focus your best energy whereit's going to yield the greatest
return.
Makes sense, right.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Totally, and he also mentioned using a digital
calendar, which seemsstraightforward but maybe
underutilized.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Definitely.
He strongly advocates for usinga digital calendar to organize
your entire schedule.
It gives you that central,easily accessible overview of
all your commitments and helpsyou block out time, allocate
time intentionally for thoseimportant tasks.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Right, actually schedule the important stuff,
not just the meetings.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yes, and here's another point that I think can
be really liberating for a lotof people Actively combating
perfectionism.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Oh, the perfectionism trap.
It's so easy to fall into.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
It really is.
The advice is to aim for goodenough much more often that
relentless pursuit ofunattainable perfection.
It often just leads toprocrastination, delays and
prevents you from actuallyfinishing things and moving on.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
So recognizing when good enough is actually good
enough can dramatically increasewhat you actually accomplish
overall.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Absolutely.
Sometimes done really is betterthan perfect.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Okay, and what about all those little things, those
time-stealing requests or lessimportant tasks that just
constantly seem to pop up andderail our focus?
How do we handle those?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Learning to strategically and politely say
no is vital, absolutely vitalfor effective time management.
Easier said than done sometimes.
Absolutely vital for effectivetime management.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Easier said than done sometimes, though.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Oh for sure, but you need to be really clear on your
own priorities and be willing todecline requests or tasks that
don't align with your mostimportant goals, unless, as
George Bilovich kind ofhumorously points out, it's your
direct boss, maybe.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah, ok, fair point, but generally setting
boundaries around your time iscrucial.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Crucial and related to prioritizing building
keystone habits is anotherreally transformative strategy
you mentioned.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Keystone habits.
Explain those a bit more.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
These are sort of foundational habits, things like
regular exercise or maybeconsistent daily planning or
getting enough sleep.
They tend to have this positiveripple effect across many other
areas of your life.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
So one good habit makes other good things happen
more.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Exactly Like committing to regular exercise
doesn't just make you fitter.
It can boost your energy levels, improve your sleep quality,
sharpen your focus.
It cascades.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Okay, I see.
So identifying and building,those can be really high
leverage.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Very high leverage.
And finally, let's not forgetthe simple, sometimes overlooked
power of just getting started.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Right, overcoming that initial inertia.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yes, as ASAP Science highlighted, drawing on
something called the Zeigarnikeffect, our brains have this
natural tendency, this kind ofitch, to want to complete tasks
once we've actually begun them.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Like an open loop.
It wants to close.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Precisely so often, the biggest barrier to
productivity isn't the taskitself, it's just overcoming
that initial resistance andtaking that very first step.
Once you do, that inherentdrive for completion often kicks
in and helps carry you forward.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Okay, these are all incredibly actionable insights.
It really boils down tounderstanding our energy
prioritizing like crazy usingtools like calendars, letting go
of perfectionism settingboundaries, building those
keystone habits and just makingthat initial push to get started
on things.
Great stuff.
Now a lot of these practicaltips.
They touch on the idea ofhabits, right?
So let's really dive deep intothe science now.
(13:01):
How do we actually form and,crucially, maintain these
productive behaviors?
Let's bring in the expertise ofpeople like BJ Fogg and James
Clear here.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, this is where the work of BJ Fogg and James
Clear provides a really robustand, frankly, quite practical
framework.
Fogg, for instance, reallyemphasizes what he calls the
information action fallacy.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
The information action fallacy.
What's that?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
It's the mistaken belief that simply giving people
information about what theyshould do will somehow magically
lead to lasting behavior change.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Ah, like reading a diet book doesn't make you lose
weight.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Exactly Knowing isn't doing.
His behavior model offers amuch more useful way to think
about it.
He says behavior that's the Bhappens when three things come
together at the same momentMotivation M, ability A and a
prompt P.
So B equals M-A-P.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Okay, b-m-a-p Motivation ability prompt.
Let's break each of those downa bit more.
Motivation is obviously ourdesire, our drive to do the
behavior.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yep your level of want to.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Ability is how easy or hard the behavior is to
actually do in that specificmoment.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Correct, Crucially at that moment, not just generally
easy.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
And the prompt is the cue, the trigger, the reminder
that tells us do the thing now.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Precisely.
It could be an alarm, anotification, seeing something
or even just finishing anotherroutine task.
And if Fong's research this isthe key insight really shows
that the most reliable way tobuild lasting habits isn't
necessarily trying to constantlyboost your motivation, because
we all know motivation comes andgoes right.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Oh yeah, it's totally unreliable.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
So instead he emphasizes making the desired
habits incredibly easy to do,lowering the A in the equation,
Focus on what he calls tinyhabits.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Tiny habits, like really small.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Almost ridiculously small actions.
So, for example, instead ofthis big, daunting goal like
meditate for 30 minutes everysingle day, the tiny habit might
be, after I pour my morningcoffee, I will take one deep
breath.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
One deep breath, that's it.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
That's it.
The easier the behavior, thelower the barrier to entry, the
less motivation you need and thehigher the chance you'll
actually do it consistently, dayafter day.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Okay, that makes intuitive sense.
Start so small, it's almostimpossible not to do it.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Exactly and then critically.
He highlights the role ofemotion Positive emotion,
specifically in locking in thathabit.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Emotion how does that work?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
When you perform your tiny habit, you need to
immediately feel a sense ofsuccess, however small that
success is, that positivereinforcement, that little yes
feeling is what actually helpswire the habit into your brain.
Fogg calls this celebration.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Celebration like literally celebrate, taking one
deep breath.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
It doesn't have to be a party.
It's about consciouslyacknowledging it and feeling
good about it, maybe a littleinternal nice or pumping your
fist mentally.
It's that positive feeling,that dopamine hit, associated
with success, that creates theneural pathways for the habit.
It's not just mindlessrepetition that builds habits.
It's repetition paired withpositive feeling.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Okay.
So it's not just drudgery, it'stiny action, immediate positive
feeling, repeat.
That makes so much sense.
If doing something feels good,even in a tiny way, you're way
more likely to want to do itagain.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Exactly right.
Specificity is also crucialhere, as Fogg emphasizes.
Our brains respond much betterto clear, concrete prompts and
behaviors than vague intentions.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
So instead of a fuzzy goal like eat healthier.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Right, which is hard to act on.
A tiny habit could be superspecific.
After I brush my teeth in themorning, I will put one piece of
fruit on the kitchen counter.
Very clear, prompt, very clear,tiny action.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Got it.
And James Clear builds on thisidea of specificity too, doesn't
he?
With implementation intentions?
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Yes, absolutely.
Implementation intentions areall about being incredibly
explicit about when, where andhow you will perform a new habit
.
You state it clearly beforehand.
Okay, give me an example ofthat.
So instead of just sayingvaguely I want to exercise more,
a strong implementationintention would be something
like every Monday, wednesday andFriday at 6.30 am in my living
(17:01):
room, I will do the 15-minutebody weight workout video I
saved.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Wow, okay, that level of detail really removes all
the decision-making in themoment, doesn't?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
it really removes all the decision making in the
moment, doesn't it, when yourwillpower might be low anyway.
That's exactly the point.
It removes the friction,automates the decision.
Clear.
Also introduces another reallypowerful technique he calls the
failure premortem.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Failure premortem Sounds a bit grim Huh.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Maybe a little, but it's super useful.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
You basically imagine it's say six months from now
and you've completely failed tostick with your new habit.
You totally dropped the ball.
Okay, then you take some timeto brainstorm.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Why did you fail?
What went wrong?
What obstacles popped up?
What challenges derailed you?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Ah, so you anticipate the problems before they happen
.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Exactly Identifying those potential roadblocks in
advance allows you to createbetter if-then plans to navigate
them more effectively when theyinevitably arise.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
So like if I feel too tired to do my workout in the
morning, then I will go for a20-minute walk during my lunch
break instead.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Precisely that kind of proactive planning.
It's like giving yourselfoptions and troubleshooting in
advance.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
That's like proactive problem-solving for your future
self's potential failures.
I can totally see how thatwould significantly increase
your chances of actually stayingon track.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
It really does.
And Clear also talksextensively about the influence,
the massive influence of ourenvironment on our habits.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Right, yes, the environment, that seems crucial.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
It's huge and often really underestimated.
It's incredibly challenging tomaintain positive habits if
you're constantly swimming in anenvironment that cues negative
behaviors.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Like trying to eat healthy when the pantry is full
of junk food.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Exactly Clear.
Emphasizes designing yourenvironment, consciously shaping
it to make good habits the easy, obvious choice and bad habits
harder or less visible.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
So make the good path the path of least resistance.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
You got it.
And he also highlights thisprinciple of optimizing for the
starting line, not just thefinish line.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Optimizing for the start.
What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
It means making it as easy as humanly possible to
begin the desired behavior.
Reduce every bit of frictionyou can at the very start.
So if you want to read morebefore bed, maybe leave the book
open on your pillow.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Or lay out your gym clothes the night before.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Perfect example.
Make starting effortless andclear also underscores the
importance of immediate rewards.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Immediate rewards, but aren't the benefits of good
habits usually long term?
Speaker 2 (19:28):
They often are yes, yeah, but our brains are wired
to value immediate gratificationmuch more highly.
So finding ways to giveyourself small, immediate
rewards or acknowledgments rightafter taking positive action
can significantly reinforcethose behaviors.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Like what kind of rewards?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
It doesn't have to be big.
Even just tracking yourprogress, putting a checkmark on
a calendar using a habittracker app, can provide that
little dopamine hit, thatimmediate sense of
accomplishment that keeps yougoing.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Okay, so track the wins, however small.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Exactly and ultimately Clear argues
something really profound.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Our habits become powerful evidence for our
identity.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Evidence for our identity.
How so?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Every single action we take, every habit we perform
is like casting a vote for thetype of person we want to become
.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
A vote.
I like that metaphor.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
So, instead of just focusing solely on the outcome
like I want to run a marathonfocus on becoming the type of
person who runs.
Focus on being a runner.
Embrace the identity associatedwith the habit.
Each workout is a vote, for Iam a runner.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Wow, that shifts the focus entirely, doesn't it?
It's not just about achieving agoal, it's about embodying a
certain type of person throughyour consistent daily actions.
That's powerful.
It really is it connectsbehavior change to a deeper
sense of self.
Okay, so we've talked aboutmaking habits easy, specific
rewarding, designing ourenvironment and connecting them
(20:50):
to identity.
Now we touched on motivationearlier with Fogg's model, and
dopamine came up with rewards.
Let's delve deeper into theneurobiology of motivation.
How can we strategicallyleverage our brain chemistry,
particularly dopamine, toovercome procrastination?
Speaker 2 (21:05):
This brings us to Andrew Huberman's research right
yes, huberman's work ondopamine is absolutely
fascinating and offers somereally practical takeaways.
He explains the critical roleof what is called the
mesocortical dopamine pathway.
This is basically the braincircuit involved in motivation,
goal setting and, crucially, thepursuit of rewards.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
The pursuit, so not just getting the reward.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Exactly.
What's really interesting isthat the system isn't
necessarily fixated on thespecific goal itself, like
getting food or finishing aproject.
It's more about driving thegeneral state of pursuing
something.
It energizes, seeking behavior.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
OK, and how does dopamine work in this system
like peaks and troughs?
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Precisely, dopamine is released in these relatively
short bursts, these phasic peaks, which are triggered by both
the anticipation of rewards andthe actions we take towards
achieving them.
But we also have a sort ofbaseline level of dopamine
circulating.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Your baseline, like our general background level of
motivation or well-being.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Kind of yeah, you can think of it as your reservoir,
your general capacity formotivation and feeling good.
Now, after a dopamine peak, sayfrom finally finishing that
report or eating a piece of cake, your levels will typically
return to baseline, butsometimes, especially after
really big peaks, they canactually dip below baseline into
what's often called a trough.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
Ah, the trough.
And that's where we feel thatlack of motivation, that slump,
that inertia right.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
That's exactly it.
That post-reward dip can feellike lethargy or just not
wanting to do anything.
Huberman also explains howaddictive behaviors often hijack
this system.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
How so.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Things like drugs of abuse cause these massive,
unnaturally rapid spikes indopamine, way beyond what
natural rewards provide.
Over time this can lead toreally significant drops below
baseline and a desensitizationof the whole dopamine system.
It makes it harder and harderto experience pleasure or
motivation from normal everydaythings.
A narrowing of what bringspleasure.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
OK, so we want to avoid those huge artificial
spikes and crashes.
What's the key, then, tosustained motivation, according
to Huberman?
How do we keep that baselinehealthy?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
The key really seems to be focusing on maintaining a
healthy and relatively stablebaseline level of dopamine and
the foundations for this.
They're probably not going tosurprise you.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Let me guess Sleep Exercise.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
You got it.
Getting sufficient high qualitysleep is absolutely crucial.
Engaging in regular exerciseand, importantly, both
cardiovascular and resistancetraining, seem beneficial here,
and getting consistent exposureto natural sunlight, especially
morning sunlight, plays asignificant role in setting our
circadian rhythm and regulatingdopamine.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
So it's back to those foundational healthy habits
again.
They really underpin everything.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
They really do.
Practices like non-sleep deeprest, sometimes called NSDR, or
things like yoga nidra can alsobe very beneficial for recovery
and helping maintain thathealthy baseline.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Okay, so manage the baseline.
What about those quick hits ofdopamine we get from things that
maybe aren't so healthy, likemindlessly scrolling social
media or eating super sugarysnacks?
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Yeah, it's really important to be aware of those.
Those activities often lead tothose sharp high-dopamine peaks
we talked about, but they'revery often followed by those
significant drops, those troughs.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Leaving you feeling worse afterwards.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Exactly, and that cycle seeking the peak, crashing
, then craving another peak canleave us feeling depleted and
actually make us less motivatedfor productive effort,
potentially driving less helpfulor even addictive behaviors.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
So what's the alternative?
How do we get motivated for thehard stuff, for productive
effort, potentially?
Speaker 2 (24:34):
driving less helpful or even addictive behaviors.
So what's the alternative?
How do we get motivated for thehard stuff?
Huberman suggests a reallyinteresting shift in perspective
Focus on making the effortitself feel rewarding.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Make the effort, the reward, how Effort feels like
effort.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
It connects strongly to Carol Dweck's work on growth
mindset.
You know, viewing challengesnot as threats but as
opportunities for learning andgrowth.
Understanding that I can't dothis yet is just a temporary
state.
When we learn to focus on theprocess, the struggle, the
learning, the getting better,rather than solely on the final
outcome, the effort itself canactually start to trigger
(25:06):
dopamine release.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Ah, so you're rewarding the striving, not just
the arriving.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Beautifully put.
Yes, Rewarding the striving,Find satisfaction in the
friction in the process ofovercoming.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
I like that reframe.
Okay, so that's one way.
But what about when we'rereally stuck like deep in
procrastination, feeling totallyunmotivated?
Maybe in one of those dopaminetroughs Can we actually leverage
the trough itself?
Speaker 2 (25:33):
This is where it gets really fascinating and maybe a
bit counterintuitive.
Huberman proposes a strategyfor when you're feeling really
apathetic or activelyprocrastinating on something you
know you need to do.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Okay, I'm listening.
What is it?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Try engaging intentionally in something that
requires more effort than whatyou're currently doing or
avoiding, but something that isalso safe and within your
control.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
More effort, like make things harder.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Kind of Think about taking a deliberately cold
shower or doing a short intenseburst of exercise like push-ups
or jumping jacks for 60 seconds,or even engaging in a brief
period of focused meditation,especially if you find
meditation difficult orunpleasant.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Wait, so do something harder or more uncomfortable
than the thing I'm avoiding.
Why would that help?
Speaker 2 (26:14):
The idea is that by voluntarily subjecting yourself
to something more effortful oruncomfortable than your current
state of avoidance, you canactually deepen the dopamine
trough.
Temporarily, you make the dipsteeper Okay.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
And why is a steeper dip good?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Because, paradoxically, that steeper dip
can then trigger a more rapidreturn, a faster rebound back up
to your baseline level ofdopamine, and that rebound often
comes with a renewed sense ofenergy and motivation to
actually tackle the task youwere initially avoiding.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Wow.
So you kind of shock the systemback into gear by embracing
discomfort.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
That's a great way to put it.
Huberman calls it sparring withdiscomfort to essentially reset
your motivational state.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Okay, that's a really interesting, almost paradoxical
idea.
So, instead of always trying tofind the easiest way out of
procrastination sometimesintentionally choosing something
more difficult for a shortperiod can actually be the key
to getting unstuck,recalibrating the system for a
short period can actually be thekey to getting unstuck,
recalibrating the systemPrecisely.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
It's about understanding that dopamine is
dynamic, it fluctuates and wecan learn to strategically
leverage those naturalfluctuations, even the
uncomfortable ones, to ourbenefit.
Embracing a little bit ofdiscomfort sometimes might be
the most direct path back tomotivation and focused action.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
OK, wow, we have covered an incredible amount of
ground in this deep diveSeriously, from really getting a
handle on the scale of the timemanagement challenge.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Those stats were pretty sobering.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Totally To exploring all those practical techniques,
getting into the real science ofhabit formation at almost a
microscopic level, with fog andclear.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Yeah, the tiny habits and identity stuff.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
And then capping it off with this powerful
neurobiology of motivation anddopamine from Huberman.
Okay, so to try and bring thisall together, what are the
absolute key takeaways, the corethings you really want our
listeners to internalize fromall this?
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Okay, if I had to boil it down, I'd say first,
effective time management,lasting productivity.
These aren't some innatetalents you're born with or
without.
They are absolutely learnableskills.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
That's hopeful.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Very hopeful.
They can be developed throughconscious effort and applying
these kinds of science-backedstrategies we've discussed.
Second, habits are the absolute, fundamental building blocks of
any sustained change.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
The foundation.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
The foundation the foundation.
And they are best cultivated bystarting small, tiny, even
making them super easy to do andcritically associating them
with immediate positive emotions.
Feel good doing it.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Right, the BMAP and the celebration.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Exactly.
And finally, understanding evena little bit about the role of
dopamine in our brains gives usreally powerful insights into
how our own motivation works andgives us actual tools,
strategies to strategicallyovercome procrastination and
pursue our goals moreeffectively.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Okay, Skills, tiny habits with positive feelings
and leveraging dopamine.
Great summary, and bringing itright back around to the
beginning that no zero daysprinciple still feels like such
a wonderfully accessible,non-intimidating starting point
for anyone listening right now.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
It really is.
Just commit to that one smallthing Keep the flywheel spinning
.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
So, thinking very practically, then, what's one
very specific actionable stepyou would encourage everyone
listening to take today, likeright after hearing this deep
dive?
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Okay, one step.
I would suggest that you, thelistener, identify just one tiny
habit.
You want to start buildingsomething related to time
management, productivity or anygoal.
Really Make it so small itfeels almost effortless to do.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Like the one deep breath.
Example.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Exactly.
Maybe it's setting out yourworkout clothes the night before
or deciding to read just onesingle page of a book before bed
.
Then and this is key activelyplan when and where you will do
it, using that implementationintention format.
After I do my current routinehabit, I will do my new tiny
habit.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Okay, define the tiny habit.
Define the prompt.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Yes, and as you do it , remember that concept we
talked about Be kind to yourpast self for getting you here
and intentionally do this smallthing as a consideration for our
future well-being.
Love it.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
And, as James Clear so eloquently put it, every
action we take really is a votefor the type of person we
ultimately become.
It's not just about ticking offtasks on a list, is it?
It's about actively shaping ouridentity, who we are, through
what we consistently do.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
That's the deeper layer, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
So what's your final, maybe most impactful, thought
for our listener to carry withthem as they go about their day
after hearing all this?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I'd say this true Lasting change rarely comes from
massive overnighttransformations.
It almost always comes from thequiet compounding effect of
consistent daily effort.
It comes from consciouslyaligning your small everyday
actions with the person yougenuinely aspire to be.
So maybe take a moment latertoday to reflect what kind of
votes are you casting with yourtime and energy right now?
(31:09):
Are they moving you closer toor further away from the person
you truly want to become?
Speaker 1 (31:13):
That's a wonderfully powerful and thought-provoking
way to conclude.
We really hope and encourageyou, our listener, to maybe
delve deeper into some of theseconcepts if they resonated.
Explore the work of the expertswe've mentioned Don Georgievich
for practical tips, bj Fogg fortiny habits, james Clear for
atomic habits, andrew Hubermanfor the neuroscience of
(31:34):
motivation.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Yeah, lots of great resources there.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Consider what keystone habits might create
those positive ripples in yourown life.
The main thing is you now have,hopefully, a much deeper
understanding and a set ofreally practical tools to start
taking greater control of yourtime, building habits that will
actually serve you in the longrun.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
One intentional step at a time.
You know that feeling where the day just well it
vanishes.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Oh man.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
You're busy, you know , constantly putting out fires,
but then at the end of it allyou look back and wonder what
did I actually get done?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It's incredibly common.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Well, if that sounds familiar to you, listening, you
are definitely in good company.
It turns out a whopping 82% ofpeople.
They don't even have a systemlike any system to manage their
time effectively.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Eighty two percent.
That's staggering really.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
It really is, and that's exactly why we're doing
this deep dive today.
We've spent a lot of timewading through all the noise.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
There's so much out there.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Exactly Expert YouTube channels.
You know folks like DonGeorgievich, bj Fogg, james
Clear.
Then there's the Science PactHuberman Lab podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Great stuff there.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Plus a bunch of articles digging into well time
management stats and also thisreally intriguing idea called
the no Zero Days philosophy.
Right, we'll get into that.
So our mission here?
It's pretty simple really.
We want to extract the coreprinciples, you know, the
science-backed strategies thatwill help you take control of
your time.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
And build habits that actually stick.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Yes, and boost your productivity, all without
feeling like you're well,totally drowning.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
And we're going deep.
This isn't just scratching thesurface.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Not at all.
We want you to walk away withstuff you can start using, like
today.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Okay, so where do we start?
The problem itself it'sgenuinely eye-opening when you
actually look at the hardnumbers.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
It really is.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
We're not just talking about, you know, a minor
inconvenience here.
It's a massive drain on ourpotential, really.
The average worker is losingover half their workday 51%, on
tasks that, frankly, don't addmuch value.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Over half, wow.
And then you add in value Overhalf, wow.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
And then you add in the constant interruptions.
Think about this Around 60interruptions a day 60?
Speaker 1 (01:51):
How do you get anything done?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Exactly, it's almost well, it's almost comical, but
in a really frustrating way.
The end result our averageproductive time is less than
three hours a day.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Less than three hours .
So you start wondering, likeyou said, what happened to the
other five plus hours.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Right, where does it all go?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
And the breakdown you see in the stats is kind of
illuminating, isn't it?
13% lost to commuting for many.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Still a factor, yeah 16% just in meetings.
Often unproductive ones.
Let's be honest.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
And a huge chunk 23% just on email.
It feels like these thingsbecome the default work, even if
they aren't the real work.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Precisely, they fill the space, and it's not just a
personal frustration foremployees, is it?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
No, not at all.
The impact on businesses ismassive.
Estimates are around $588billion lost annually just due
to distracted employees.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Billion with a B, that's a mind-boggling figure.
It really just highlights theeconomic cost of us not being in
control of our own attention.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
And the digital world , I mean.
It offers incredible tools,obviously, but it's a major,
major part of this distractionproblem.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Oh huge.
Think about it.
On average, people check theirphones 30 times during work
hours 30.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
30 times, and each one isn't just a quick glance,
is it?
There's a cost.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
There's a definite cognitive cost.
Studies show it can take whatupwards of 20 minutes sometimes
to fully refocus after just onedistraction 20 minutes.
Yeah.
So those quick checks, theyreally really chip away at our
concentration and ultimately ourproductivity all day long.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
OK, so it paints a pretty clear picture.
We're basically fighting thisconstant uphill battle against
distractions and often justinefficient systems or ways of
working.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
It's no wonder, then, that 56 percent of employees
report feeling like they're justnot in control on a daily basis
.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, that makes sense.
And this one statistic reallysurprised me.
Apparently, 20 percent ofpeople waste up to two hours a
day on unimportant tasks, simplybecause they're bored.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Boredom.
It's almost this cycle, isn'tit?
Disengagement leading to timewasting, which probably leads to
more disengagement.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Exactly Okay.
So we've established a problem.
It's significant, it'swidespread.
What's a way to start shiftinghow we even think about tackling
this, a sort of foundationalshift?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Well, one really powerful idea that kept popping
up across the different sourceswe looked at is this no zero
days philosophy.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Ah yes, Tell us more about that.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
The core of it is deceptively simple really.
It's just do at least one smallthing every single day that
moves you even slightly closerto your goals.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Okay, one small thing .
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, it's not about these huge, monumental tasks
every day.
It's about maintaining momentumconsistency over intensity,
almost.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Think of it like pushing a big, heavy flywheel.
You know that initial pushtakes the most effort, right,
sure, but once it's turning,even small, consistent pushes
are enough to keep it going.
So dedicating, just say, 10minutes to one meaningful task
each day can have a surprisinglysignificant impact on your
long-term path.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
I really love that, because it just reframes the
whole idea of progress, doesn'tit?
It gets rid of thatall-or-nothing thinking that can
be so paralyzing for people.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Exactly that paralysis is real.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
So like if you're trying to learn a new language,
a no zero day might literallyjust be learning one new word,
or maybe reviewing flashcardsfor five minutes.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Precisely.
It feels so much moreachievable than staring at the
mountain of, say, meeting athree hour study session, which
you then just put off.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Right, and the sources we looked at.
They really highlight thepsychological benefits of this
kind of consistent, small stepapproach, too right.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah, absolutely that daily engagement, even when
it's really small, it buildsthis sense of forward movement.
It fosters a feeling ofaccomplishment.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
you know, yeah, a little win.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
A little win and that , in turn, boosts your
self-belief, makes it easier tostay consistent over the long
haul.
It's basically a positivefeedback loop.
Okay, and this connects reallybeautifully, actually, with
another concept that came up,the idea of cultivating
gratitude towards what somepeople call the three U's.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
The three U's.
Okay, that sounds interesting.
Let's dig into that a bit.
How does that work?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Think about it like this First, you take a moment to
genuinely appreciate your pastself.
You know for the positiveactions they took that are
benefiting you right now, today.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, like what?
Give me an example.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Well, maybe your past self put in the effort to learn
a skill that's useful now, ormaybe they set up a small
savings plan, or even just keptthe kitchen tidy last night so
you woke up to a clean space.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Ah okay, Little things or big things.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Right Acknowledging those past efforts, saying
thanks past me.
It can create this nice senseof gratitude and connection to
your own journey.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
I like that.
Okay, so that's past self.
What are the other two?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Then you think about your present self as actively
doing favors for your futureself.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Ah, paying it forward to yourself.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Exactly so when you're faced with a choice you
know, between maybe a short-termindulgence and something that
benefits you long-term, likechoosing to exercise when you're
feeling tired.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Which is often.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Right, Remind yourself in that moment.
I'm doing this for future me.
You're making that choice outof kindness for the future you.
Who's's gonna feel healthier ormore energized or less stressed
because of it?
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So it's this continuous cycle.
Appreciate the past, act forthe future.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Exactly A cycle of gratitude and intentional action
.
It builds this really powerfulsense of self-care,
self-compassion, and itreinforces those positive
behaviors over time.
It's less about willpower andmore about well being good to
yourself across time.
That's less about willpower andmore about well being good to
yourself across time.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
That's a really insightful way to frame
motivation actually Less like achore, more like an act of
kindness to yourself.
Okay, so we have thisfoundation consistent small
steps with no zero days, andthis mindset of appreciating our
past efforts and acting for ourfuture self.
Now let's get into the realnitty gritty.
(07:46):
What are some concretepractical techniques we can
start using, like right now, tomanage our time better day to
day?
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Okay, yeah, let's get practical.
Several really key strategiesemerged, particularly from Don
Georgievich's insights.
One fundamental thing isbecoming much more aware of your
own natural energy rhythms.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Okay, like morning lark versus night owl.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Exactly that.
Are you someone who feels mostalert, most focused, in the
morning, or do you hit yourstride later in the day?
The key is to schedule yourmost demanding tasks, the ones
that need real brain power forthose peak energy periods.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Right, don't fight your biology.
Don't fight it.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Trying to force yourself to do deep, focused
work when you're naturallyfeeling low energy is well.
It's often just a recipe forfrustration and, ultimately,
wasted time.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Makes sense, what else?
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Another crucial element, and one I think many of
us overlook, is giving yourselfpermission explicit permission
to take regular recharge breaks.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Ah, the guilt-free break.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yes, djordjevic specifically recommends taking
short mental breaks, maybe everyone to two hours.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay, how long are we talking?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
It doesn't have to be a long thing.
Even just a few minutesstepping away from your work,
maybe closing your eyes for abit, doing some light stretching
, that can significantly improveyour focus and, really
importantly, prevent mentalfatigue.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
So it's proactive energy management.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Exactly, not just pushing through until you hit a
wall and you're completely burntout Okay.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
That resonates, I definitely feel that pressure
sometimes to just be constantlyon.
So those breaks aren't a luxury, they're actually essential for
sustained productivity.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
They really are.
What other tools did Georgevichsuggest?
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Well, the Pareto principle came up, the 80-20
rule.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Ah yes, classic but powerful.
The core idea there, for anyoneunfamiliar, is that roughly 80%
of your results your outcomeswill typically come from just
20% of your efforts oractivities.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
So the trick is figuring out which 20%.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
That's the key Identify those high-impact 20%
activities and then prioritizethem ruthlessly.
Focus your best energy whereit's going to yield the greatest
return.
Makes sense, right.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Totally, and he also mentioned using a digital
calendar, which seemsstraightforward but maybe
underutilized.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Definitely.
He strongly advocates for usinga digital calendar to organize
your entire schedule.
It gives you that central,easily accessible overview of
all your commitments and helpsyou block out time, allocate
time intentionally for thoseimportant tasks.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Right, actually schedule the important stuff,
not just the meetings.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yes, and here's another point that I think can
be really liberating for a lotof people Actively combating
perfectionism.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Oh, the perfectionism trap.
It's so easy to fall into.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
It really is.
The advice is to aim for goodenough much more often that
relentless pursuit ofunattainable perfection.
It often just leads toprocrastination, delays and
prevents you from actuallyfinishing things and moving on.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
So recognizing when good enough is actually good
enough can dramatically increasewhat you actually accomplish
overall.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Absolutely.
Sometimes done really is betterthan perfect.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Okay, and what about all those little things, those
time-stealing requests or lessimportant tasks that just
constantly seem to pop up andderail our focus?
How do we handle those?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Learning to strategically and politely say
no is vital, absolutely vitalfor effective time management.
Easier said than done sometimes.
Absolutely vital for effectivetime management.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Easier said than done sometimes, though.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Oh for sure, but you need to be really clear on your
own priorities and be willing todecline requests or tasks that
don't align with your mostimportant goals, unless, as
George Bilovich kind ofhumorously points out, it's your
direct boss, maybe.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah, ok, fair point, but generally setting
boundaries around your time iscrucial.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Crucial and related to prioritizing building
keystone habits is anotherreally transformative strategy
you mentioned.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Keystone habits.
Explain those a bit more.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
These are sort of foundational habits, things like
regular exercise or maybeconsistent daily planning or
getting enough sleep.
They tend to have this positiveripple effect across many other
areas of your life.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
So one good habit makes other good things happen
more.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Exactly Like committing to regular exercise
doesn't just make you fitter.
It can boost your energy levels, improve your sleep quality,
sharpen your focus.
It cascades.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Okay, I see.
So identifying and building,those can be really high
leverage.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Very high leverage.
And finally, let's not forgetthe simple, sometimes overlooked
power of just getting started.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Right, overcoming that initial inertia.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yes, as ASAP Science highlighted, drawing on
something called the Zeigarnikeffect, our brains have this
natural tendency, this kind ofitch, to want to complete tasks
once we've actually begun them.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Like an open loop.
It wants to close.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Precisely so often, the biggest barrier to
productivity isn't the taskitself, it's just overcoming
that initial resistance andtaking that very first step.
Once you do, that inherentdrive for completion often kicks
in and helps carry you forward.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Okay, these are all incredibly actionable insights.
It really boils down tounderstanding our energy
prioritizing like crazy usingtools like calendars, letting go
of perfectionism settingboundaries, building those
keystone habits and just makingthat initial push to get started
on things.
Great stuff.
Now a lot of these practicaltips.
They touch on the idea ofhabits, right?
So let's really dive deep intothe science now.
(13:01):
How do we actually form and,crucially, maintain these
productive behaviors?
Let's bring in the expertise ofpeople like BJ Fogg and James
Clear here.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, this is where the work of BJ Fogg and James
Clear provides a really robustand, frankly, quite practical
framework.
Fogg, for instance, reallyemphasizes what he calls the
information action fallacy.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
The information action fallacy.
What's that?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
It's the mistaken belief that simply giving people
information about what theyshould do will somehow magically
lead to lasting behavior change.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Ah, like reading a diet book doesn't make you lose
weight.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Exactly Knowing isn't doing.
His behavior model offers amuch more useful way to think
about it.
He says behavior that's the Bhappens when three things come
together at the same momentMotivation M, ability A and a
prompt P.
So B equals M-A-P.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Okay, b-m-a-p Motivation ability prompt.
Let's break each of those downa bit more.
Motivation is obviously ourdesire, our drive to do the
behavior.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yep your level of want to.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Ability is how easy or hard the behavior is to
actually do in that specificmoment.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Correct, Crucially at that moment, not just generally
easy.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
And the prompt is the cue, the trigger, the reminder
that tells us do the thing now.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Precisely.
It could be an alarm, anotification, seeing something
or even just finishing anotherroutine task.
And if Fong's research this isthe key insight really shows
that the most reliable way tobuild lasting habits isn't
necessarily trying to constantlyboost your motivation, because
we all know motivation comes andgoes right.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Oh yeah, it's totally unreliable.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
So instead he emphasizes making the desired
habits incredibly easy to do,lowering the A in the equation,
Focus on what he calls tinyhabits.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Tiny habits, like really small.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Almost ridiculously small actions.
So, for example, instead ofthis big, daunting goal like
meditate for 30 minutes everysingle day, the tiny habit might
be, after I pour my morningcoffee, I will take one deep
breath.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
One deep breath, that's it.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
That's it.
The easier the behavior, thelower the barrier to entry, the
less motivation you need and thehigher the chance you'll
actually do it consistently, dayafter day.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Okay, that makes intuitive sense.
Start so small, it's almostimpossible not to do it.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Exactly and then critically.
He highlights the role ofemotion Positive emotion,
specifically in locking in thathabit.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Emotion how does that work?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
When you perform your tiny habit, you need to
immediately feel a sense ofsuccess, however small that
success is, that positivereinforcement, that little yes
feeling is what actually helpswire the habit into your brain.
Fogg calls this celebration.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Celebration like literally celebrate, taking one
deep breath.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
It doesn't have to be a party.
It's about consciouslyacknowledging it and feeling
good about it, maybe a littleinternal nice or pumping your
fist mentally.
It's that positive feeling,that dopamine hit, associated
with success, that creates theneural pathways for the habit.
It's not just mindlessrepetition that builds habits.
It's repetition paired withpositive feeling.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Okay.
So it's not just drudgery, it'stiny action, immediate positive
feeling, repeat.
That makes so much sense.
If doing something feels good,even in a tiny way, you're way
more likely to want to do itagain.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Exactly right.
Specificity is also crucialhere, as Fogg emphasizes.
Our brains respond much betterto clear, concrete prompts and
behaviors than vague intentions.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
So instead of a fuzzy goal like eat healthier.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Right, which is hard to act on.
A tiny habit could be superspecific.
After I brush my teeth in themorning, I will put one piece of
fruit on the kitchen counter.
Very clear, prompt, very clear,tiny action.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Got it.
And James Clear builds on thisidea of specificity too, doesn't
he?
With implementation intentions?
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Yes, absolutely.
Implementation intentions areall about being incredibly
explicit about when, where andhow you will perform a new habit
.
You state it clearly beforehand.
Okay, give me an example ofthat.
So instead of just sayingvaguely I want to exercise more,
a strong implementationintention would be something
like every Monday, wednesday andFriday at 6.30 am in my living
(17:01):
room, I will do the 15-minutebody weight workout video I
saved.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Wow, okay, that level of detail really removes all
the decision-making in themoment, doesn't?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
it really removes all the decision making in the
moment, doesn't it, when yourwillpower might be low anyway.
That's exactly the point.
It removes the friction,automates the decision.
Clear.
Also introduces another reallypowerful technique he calls the
failure premortem.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Failure premortem Sounds a bit grim Huh.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Maybe a little, but it's super useful.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
You basically imagine it's say six months from now
and you've completely failed tostick with your new habit.
You totally dropped the ball.
Okay, then you take some timeto brainstorm.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Why did you fail?
What went wrong?
What obstacles popped up?
What challenges derailed you?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Ah, so you anticipate the problems before they happen
.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Exactly Identifying those potential roadblocks in
advance allows you to createbetter if-then plans to navigate
them more effectively when theyinevitably arise.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
So like if I feel too tired to do my workout in the
morning, then I will go for a20-minute walk during my lunch
break instead.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Precisely that kind of proactive planning.
It's like giving yourselfoptions and troubleshooting in
advance.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
That's like proactive problem-solving for your future
self's potential failures.
I can totally see how thatwould significantly increase
your chances of actually stayingon track.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
It really does.
And Clear also talksextensively about the influence,
the massive influence of ourenvironment on our habits.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Right, yes, the environment, that seems crucial.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
It's huge and often really underestimated.
It's incredibly challenging tomaintain positive habits if
you're constantly swimming in anenvironment that cues negative
behaviors.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Like trying to eat healthy when the pantry is full
of junk food.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Exactly Clear.
Emphasizes designing yourenvironment, consciously shaping
it to make good habits the easy, obvious choice and bad habits
harder or less visible.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
So make the good path the path of least resistance.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
You got it.
And he also highlights thisprinciple of optimizing for the
starting line, not just thefinish line.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Optimizing for the start.
What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
It means making it as easy as humanly possible to
begin the desired behavior.
Reduce every bit of frictionyou can at the very start.
So if you want to read morebefore bed, maybe leave the book
open on your pillow.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Or lay out your gym clothes the night before.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Perfect example.
Make starting effortless andclear also underscores the
importance of immediate rewards.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Immediate rewards, but aren't the benefits of good
habits usually long term?
Speaker 2 (19:28):
They often are yes, yeah, but our brains are wired
to value immediate gratificationmuch more highly.
So finding ways to giveyourself small, immediate
rewards or acknowledgments rightafter taking positive action
can significantly reinforcethose behaviors.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Like what kind of rewards?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
It doesn't have to be big.
Even just tracking yourprogress, putting a checkmark on
a calendar using a habittracker app, can provide that
little dopamine hit, thatimmediate sense of
accomplishment that keeps yougoing.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Okay, so track the wins, however small.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Exactly and ultimately Clear argues
something really profound.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Our habits become powerful evidence for our
identity.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Evidence for our identity.
How so?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Every single action we take, every habit we perform
is like casting a vote for thetype of person we want to become
.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
A vote.
I like that metaphor.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
So, instead of just focusing solely on the outcome
like I want to run a marathonfocus on becoming the type of
person who runs.
Focus on being a runner.
Embrace the identity associatedwith the habit.
Each workout is a vote, for Iam a runner.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Wow, that shifts the focus entirely, doesn't it?
It's not just about achieving agoal, it's about embodying a
certain type of person throughyour consistent daily actions.
That's powerful.
It really is it connectsbehavior change to a deeper
sense of self.
Okay, so we've talked aboutmaking habits easy, specific
rewarding, designing ourenvironment and connecting them
(20:50):
to identity.
Now we touched on motivationearlier with Fogg's model, and
dopamine came up with rewards.
Let's delve deeper into theneurobiology of motivation.
How can we strategicallyleverage our brain chemistry,
particularly dopamine, toovercome procrastination?
Speaker 2 (21:05):
This brings us to Andrew Huberman's research right
yes, huberman's work ondopamine is absolutely
fascinating and offers somereally practical takeaways.
He explains the critical roleof what is called the
mesocortical dopamine pathway.
This is basically the braincircuit involved in motivation,
goal setting and, crucially, thepursuit of rewards.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
The pursuit, so not just getting the reward.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Exactly.
What's really interesting isthat the system isn't
necessarily fixated on thespecific goal itself, like
getting food or finishing aproject.
It's more about driving thegeneral state of pursuing
something.
It energizes, seeking behavior.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
OK, and how does dopamine work in this system
like peaks and troughs?
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Precisely, dopamine is released in these relatively
short bursts, these phasic peaks, which are triggered by both
the anticipation of rewards andthe actions we take towards
achieving them.
But we also have a sort ofbaseline level of dopamine
circulating.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Your baseline, like our general background level of
motivation or well-being.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Kind of yeah, you can think of it as your reservoir,
your general capacity formotivation and feeling good.
Now, after a dopamine peak, sayfrom finally finishing that
report or eating a piece of cake, your levels will typically
return to baseline, butsometimes, especially after
really big peaks, they canactually dip below baseline into
what's often called a trough.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
Ah, the trough.
And that's where we feel thatlack of motivation, that slump,
that inertia right.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
That's exactly it.
That post-reward dip can feellike lethargy or just not
wanting to do anything.
Huberman also explains howaddictive behaviors often hijack
this system.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
How so.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Things like drugs of abuse cause these massive,
unnaturally rapid spikes indopamine, way beyond what
natural rewards provide.
Over time this can lead toreally significant drops below
baseline and a desensitizationof the whole dopamine system.
It makes it harder and harderto experience pleasure or
motivation from normal everydaythings.
A narrowing of what bringspleasure.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
OK, so we want to avoid those huge artificial
spikes and crashes.
What's the key, then, tosustained motivation, according
to Huberman?
How do we keep that baselinehealthy?
Speaker 2 (23:08):
The key really seems to be focusing on maintaining a
healthy and relatively stablebaseline level of dopamine and
the foundations for this.
They're probably not going tosurprise you.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Let me guess Sleep Exercise.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
You got it.
Getting sufficient high qualitysleep is absolutely crucial.
Engaging in regular exerciseand, importantly, both
cardiovascular and resistancetraining, seem beneficial here,
and getting consistent exposureto natural sunlight, especially
morning sunlight, plays asignificant role in setting our
circadian rhythm and regulatingdopamine.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
So it's back to those foundational healthy habits
again.
They really underpin everything.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
They really do.
Practices like non-sleep deeprest, sometimes called NSDR, or
things like yoga nidra can alsobe very beneficial for recovery
and helping maintain thathealthy baseline.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Okay, so manage the baseline.
What about those quick hits ofdopamine we get from things that
maybe aren't so healthy, likemindlessly scrolling social
media or eating super sugarysnacks?
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Yeah, it's really important to be aware of those.
Those activities often lead tothose sharp high-dopamine peaks
we talked about, but they'revery often followed by those
significant drops, those troughs.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Leaving you feeling worse afterwards.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Exactly, and that cycle seeking the peak, crashing
, then craving another peak canleave us feeling depleted and
actually make us less motivatedfor productive effort,
potentially driving less helpfulor even addictive behaviors.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
So what's the alternative?
How do we get motivated for thehard stuff, for productive
effort, potentially?
Speaker 2 (24:34):
driving less helpful or even addictive behaviors.
So what's the alternative?
How do we get motivated for thehard stuff?
Huberman suggests a reallyinteresting shift in perspective
Focus on making the effortitself feel rewarding.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Make the effort, the reward, how Effort feels like
effort.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
It connects strongly to Carol Dweck's work on growth
mindset.
You know, viewing challengesnot as threats but as
opportunities for learning andgrowth.
Understanding that I can't dothis yet is just a temporary
state.
When we learn to focus on theprocess, the struggle, the
learning, the getting better,rather than solely on the final
outcome, the effort itself canactually start to trigger
(25:06):
dopamine release.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Ah, so you're rewarding the striving, not just
the arriving.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Beautifully put.
Yes, Rewarding the striving,Find satisfaction in the
friction in the process ofovercoming.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
I like that reframe.
Okay, so that's one way.
But what about when we'rereally stuck like deep in
procrastination, feeling totallyunmotivated?
Maybe in one of those dopaminetroughs Can we actually leverage
the trough itself?
Speaker 2 (25:33):
This is where it gets really fascinating and maybe a
bit counterintuitive.
Huberman proposes a strategyfor when you're feeling really
apathetic or activelyprocrastinating on something you
know you need to do.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Okay, I'm listening.
What is it?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Try engaging intentionally in something that
requires more effort than whatyou're currently doing or
avoiding, but something that isalso safe and within your
control.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
More effort, like make things harder.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Kind of Think about taking a deliberately cold
shower or doing a short intenseburst of exercise like push-ups
or jumping jacks for 60 seconds,or even engaging in a brief
period of focused meditation,especially if you find
meditation difficult orunpleasant.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Wait, so do something harder or more uncomfortable
than the thing I'm avoiding.
Why would that help?
Speaker 2 (26:14):
The idea is that by voluntarily subjecting yourself
to something more effortful oruncomfortable than your current
state of avoidance, you canactually deepen the dopamine
trough.
Temporarily, you make the dipsteeper Okay.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
And why is a steeper dip good?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Because, paradoxically, that steeper dip
can then trigger a more rapidreturn, a faster rebound back up
to your baseline level ofdopamine, and that rebound often
comes with a renewed sense ofenergy and motivation to
actually tackle the task youwere initially avoiding.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Wow.
So you kind of shock the systemback into gear by embracing
discomfort.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
That's a great way to put it.
Huberman calls it sparring withdiscomfort to essentially reset
your motivational state.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Okay, that's a really interesting, almost paradoxical
idea.
So, instead of always trying tofind the easiest way out of
procrastination sometimesintentionally choosing something
more difficult for a shortperiod can actually be the key
to getting unstuck,recalibrating the system for a
short period can actually be thekey to getting unstuck,
recalibrating the systemPrecisely.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
It's about understanding that dopamine is
dynamic, it fluctuates and wecan learn to strategically
leverage those naturalfluctuations, even the
uncomfortable ones, to ourbenefit.
Embracing a little bit ofdiscomfort sometimes might be
the most direct path back tomotivation and focused action.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
OK, wow, we have covered an incredible amount of
ground in this deep diveSeriously, from really getting a
handle on the scale of the timemanagement challenge.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Those stats were pretty sobering.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Totally To exploring all those practical techniques,
getting into the real science ofhabit formation at almost a
microscopic level, with fog andclear.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Yeah, the tiny habits and identity stuff.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
And then capping it off with this powerful
neurobiology of motivation anddopamine from Huberman.
Okay, so to try and bring thisall together, what are the
absolute key takeaways, the corethings you really want our
listeners to internalize fromall this?
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Okay, if I had to boil it down, I'd say first,
effective time management,lasting productivity.
These aren't some innatetalents you're born with or
without.
They are absolutely learnableskills.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
That's hopeful.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Very hopeful.
They can be developed throughconscious effort and applying
these kinds of science-backedstrategies we've discussed.
Second, habits are the absolute, fundamental building blocks of
any sustained change.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
The foundation.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
The foundation the foundation.
And they are best cultivated bystarting small, tiny, even
making them super easy to do andcritically associating them
with immediate positive emotions.
Feel good doing it.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Right, the BMAP and the celebration.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Exactly.
And finally, understanding evena little bit about the role of
dopamine in our brains gives usreally powerful insights into
how our own motivation works andgives us actual tools,
strategies to strategicallyovercome procrastination and
pursue our goals moreeffectively.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Okay, Skills, tiny habits with positive feelings
and leveraging dopamine.
Great summary, and bringing itright back around to the
beginning that no zero daysprinciple still feels like such
a wonderfully accessible,non-intimidating starting point
for anyone listening right now.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
It really is.
Just commit to that one smallthing Keep the flywheel spinning
.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
So, thinking very practically, then, what's one
very specific actionable stepyou would encourage everyone
listening to take today, likeright after hearing this deep
dive?
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Okay, one step.
I would suggest that you, thelistener, identify just one tiny
habit.
You want to start buildingsomething related to time
management, productivity or anygoal.
Really Make it so small itfeels almost effortless to do.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Like the one deep breath.
Example.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Exactly.
Maybe it's setting out yourworkout clothes the night before
or deciding to read just onesingle page of a book before bed
.
Then and this is key activelyplan when and where you will do
it, using that implementationintention format.
After I do my current routinehabit, I will do my new tiny
habit.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Okay, define the tiny habit.
Define the prompt.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Yes, and as you do it , remember that concept we
talked about Be kind to yourpast self for getting you here
and intentionally do this smallthing as a consideration for our
future well-being.
Love it.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
And, as James Clear so eloquently put it, every
action we take really is a votefor the type of person we
ultimately become.
It's not just about ticking offtasks on a list, is it?
It's about actively shaping ouridentity, who we are, through
what we consistently do.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
That's the deeper layer, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
So what's your final, maybe most impactful, thought
for our listener to carry withthem as they go about their day
after hearing all this?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I'd say this true Lasting change rarely comes from
massive overnighttransformations.
It almost always comes from thequiet compounding effect of
consistent daily effort.
It comes from consciouslyaligning your small everyday
actions with the person yougenuinely aspire to be.
So maybe take a moment latertoday to reflect what kind of
votes are you casting with yourtime and energy right now?
(31:09):
Are they moving you closer toor further away from the person
you truly want to become?
Speaker 1 (31:13):
That's a wonderfully powerful and thought-provoking
way to conclude.
We really hope and encourageyou, our listener, to maybe
delve deeper into some of theseconcepts if they resonated.
Explore the work of the expertswe've mentioned Don Georgievich
for practical tips, bj Fogg fortiny habits, james Clear for
atomic habits, andrew Hubermanfor the neuroscience of
(31:34):
motivation.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Yeah, lots of great resources there.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Consider what keystone habits might create
those positive ripples in yourown life.
The main thing is you now have,hopefully, a much deeper
understanding and a set ofreally practical tools to start
taking greater control of yourtime, building habits that will
actually serve you in the longrun.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
One intentional step at a time.
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