#79: One of the consequences of living in threat mode is that you often feel overwhelmed. Your view of yourself and your situation becomes fixed, and you can lose your optimism. In this episode, we’ll show you how to regain a sense of possibility and freedom whenever you’re overwhelmed.

#78: Atomic Habits by James Clear is a recent best-seller that covers a lot of the same topics as OptimalWork. In this episode, we summarize its approach and theory and identify areas of common ground, as well as some shortcomings of the Atomic Habits approach. This helps to clarify how transformative OptimalWork’s approach really is.

#77: If you’re struggling to form better habits, we have two simple practices that will help you shape your own behavior. To understand these, we first dive into some new developments in the neuroscience of self-control.

#76: Having routines can help us make desirable behaviors second nature. But routine is a double-edged sword. By making behaviors automatic, routine can deplete them of meaning. Routine — the good, the bad, and the ugly — is the topic of today’s episode.

#75: Have you ever struggled with negative self-talk? Visualization can be a powerful tool in approaching your inner critic. Join us as we discuss how the use of imagery can turn OptimalWork’s theory of growth into a practical strategy for achieving psychological balance.

#74: Conversations can be a source of frustration, but they can also be the source of our deepest and most fulfilling joys. The bonds that we form with others are forged in large part through conversations. In this episode, we’ll talk about the key skill needed to have good conversations.

#73: If we want to focus more intensely on something, it could be easy to think we just have to try harder. But recent advances in neuroscience give us two alternate approaches, which we’ll be discussing in today’s episode.

#72: One of the most frequent reasons for people to see their doctor is to treat fatigue or brain fog. In this episode, we look into the causes of brain fog and the potential solutions.

#71: Maslow proposed his famous Hierarchy of Needs in 1943, and it remains a foundational idea in psychology. In this episode, we explore the deep consistency between Maslow’s understanding and OptimalWork’s approach, discussing reframing, mindfulness, challenge, and Maslow’s paradoxically selfless understanding of self-actualization.

#70: Cultivating a spirit of service lies at the heart of OptimalWork’s approach to work. Striving for a spirit of service ultimately means changing not just what we do and how we do things, but also why we do them. But how do we really assess and change something as intangible as the why behind what we do? This is the starting point for today’s discussion.