#99: We often put off big challenges — a large project, a different career path, a new hobby, etc. — because we don’t know how precisely to get started. Well, there’s a virtue for that! Study: the keen application of your mind to its proper object. In this episode, we discuss how to fruitfully engage challenges — new and old — with study.

Find more at https://www.OptimalWork.com.

#98: Is competition a good motivating force? Why are some people more competitive than others? Is being competitive a virtue or a vice, and can it be compatible with living a life of high ideals? These questions and more in today’s episode.

Find more at https://www.OptimalWork.com.

#97: When facing a conflict with someone close to us, our instinctive reaction can be one of rigidity, a desire to achieve a particular outcome, or even to fight. When this happens, our approach will harm the bond. In this episode, we show how to approach conflict with creativity, flexibility, and understanding, so that the source of the conflict can be an occasion for deepening the bond.

Find more at https://www.OptimalWork.com.

#96: More and more people report experiencing “imposter syndrome,” often in new and challenging social or professional situations. They are unable to internalize their own success, attributing it instead to external factors like chance or luck; as a result, they often see themselves as “frauds.” In this episode, we introduce a solution to imposter syndrome that gives us independence from the validation and judgements of others.

Find more at https://www.OptimalWork.com.

#95: If you’re often frustrated, you may think you need more of the opposite: more satisfaction. In this episode, we discuss how frustration is actually related to failed strategies. Each experience of frustration then points out an opportunity to employ better strategies and pursue more meaningful goals.

Find more at https://www.OptimalWork.com.

#94: If there’s an area in your life where you want to grow, it can be difficult to know how to make progress. In this episode, we discuss how to get started by formulating strategies and steps, that is, by applying prudence to the question of how to grow.

Find more at https://www.OptimalWork.com.

#93: Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, recently released a video called, “A Micro Lesson on Reframing Stress and Anxiety” (https://youtu.be/L77bItYsT0c). In this episode, we’ll discuss some of his proposed methods of reframing, comparing his common-sense approach to reframing to ours.

Find more at https://www.OptimalWork.com.

#92: We’ve often spoken about the importance of maintaining a cheerful tone around us. But sometimes people find that inwardly they are very harsh and demanding with themselves. In this episode, we’ll discuss how to aim for the ideal of cheerfulness, but interiorly: with ourselves, our thoughts, and our emotions.

Find more at https://www.OptimalWork.com.

#91: A lot of people have heard about the practices of sleep hygiene, and are using them, but still struggle to achieve sleep. It may seem like sleep is something that either happens effortlessly or not at all. Recent research, however, suggests that falling asleep is a skill that can be learned.

Find more at https://www.OptimalWork.com.

#90: Do you ever find yourself working with low intensity, without a clear purpose? If so, the solution may be the introduction of deadlines throughout your day. Deadlines will dramatically boost every aspect of your work, and they can even improve your sleep!

Find more at https://www.OptimalWork.com.