Category Archives: Performance Optimization

Question Your Brain: Attentional Bias

Here’s another Brain Bias that affects you, me, everyone we know, and every other person on earth: Attentional Bias. We are all affected by what we most pay attention to and think about. Our very perception of what is real … Continue reading

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Make More Time: Shut Down Social Media

Here’s another easy strategy to magically manufacture more hours in your day: Shut down social media. I’m not saying to close all your social media accounts. I am saying to log off of social media, close your apps, and take … Continue reading

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8 Lessons on Building a Company People Enjoy Working For

Here’s a terrific TED talk by Patty McCord, former chief talent officer of Netflix. She outlines a set of policies that humanize the experience of work and can be helpful in all settings where teams need to perform effectively. The … Continue reading

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Ten Minute Virtuoso Tip: Use ANY Available Time

Another Ten Minute Virtuoso tip for learning and mastering skills: Instead of thinking you must set aside 30 minutes, an hour, or two hours to work on skill mastery (which, let’s face it, means there are many days where you … Continue reading

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SMARTER Goals: A Recap

My SMARTER Goals system moves beyond the SMART Goals system in a crucial way: While SMART goals are great for planning, SMARTER goals give you two extra steps that actually get you started doing the needed work to achieve your … Continue reading

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SMARTER Goals: R is for Rewarded

The final letter in my SMARTER Goals system is a second R. This one stands for “Reward.” Rewards Motivate You Carrots and Sticks. This is the central metaphor we use when talking about extrinsic motivation – that is, something outside … Continue reading

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SMARTER Goals: E is for Enabled

In my SMARTER Goals system, “E” stands for “Enabled.” Enabling a Goal Has Two Components 1) You will probably need to change something in your life to enable yourself to achieve this goal. Carve out specific time to work on … Continue reading

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SMARTER Goals: T is for Timed

Dreams vs. Goals There are a lot of great quotes about the difference between dreams and goals. Here are some of my favorites: A goal is a dream with a deadline.Napoleon Hill A goal without a deadline is just a … Continue reading

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SMARTER Goals: R is for Risky

In the traditional SMART Goals system, the “R” stands for “realistic.” That meant: set up goals that you actually have a shot at achieving. Be realistic and don’t dream of things that are actually physically impossible, like thinking you’ll teach … Continue reading

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SMARTER Goals: A is for Attainable

No matter how specific and measurable your goals are, it’s equally important that you feel your goals are Attainable. When you feel you have a way to attain your goal, you’ll feel more positive and motivated in your pursuit of … Continue reading

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