OPTIMIZE with Brian Johnson | More Wisdom in Less Time

James Clear wrote a great book called Atomic Habits. One of the things I most love about it is the fact that he quantified our +1 game for us. Get this. If you get just 1% better each day for a year, do you know how much better you’ll be at the end of the year?

In our last +1, we talked about setting your “work-down” alarm so you don’t need to set a “wake-up” alarm. (For what time did you set YOUR alarm? :) Today I’d like to have a quick chat about another great idea from Arianna’s great book The Sleep Revolution.

Not too long ago, we chatted about Roger Federer, LeBron James and Tom Brady and how much those all-time greats prioritized sleep. As you may recall, Brady goes to bed at 8:30 p.m. while Federer and James aim for 12 hours (!!!) of sleep per day so they can show up at their absolute best. (Wow.)

In our last +1, we talked about the importance of creating boundaries lest we slip into burnout and we hammered home the whole optimal work-to-rest ratio a little more.

In our last +1, we talked about how the Peak Performance guys recommend we craft our optimal work-to-rest ratio. Pop quiz: You recall the ratio? Pop answer: 50 to 90 minutes ON. 7 to 20 minutes OFF. Making nice rhythmic waves… (More importantly: You practice it yesterday?)

In Energy 101, we talked about a lot of ways to give our souls the energy they need to help us live our greatest lives. Eating. Moving. Sleeping. Breathing. Meditating. Stuff like that.

In our last +1, we talked about the importance of goals as they relate to having high hope. In short, we can’t be hopeful without goals. We’ve gotta see a better future and take the time to aim our attention arrows by setting some clear, challenging, and doable goals.

As you know, I’m a huge fan of the science of Optimizing. (Ancient wisdom + modern science + practical tools, baby!) Today I’d like to chat about one of my favorite topics: The Science of Hope and Goals.

In our last +1, we talked about Steve Chandler’s (human spirit) campfires and Phil Stutz’s (spiritual-plane) chairs and the fact that we need to rebuild both every day. (Note: Whether we like that idea or not. Hah.) Today I want to bring another one of my friends and favorite teachers into the conversation: Alan Cohen.