Jim Kwik - How to Master Your Memory

Full transcript: Jim Kwik on London Real

3:13 This is London Real. I am Brian Rose. My guest today is Jim Quick, the world expert in speed reading, memory improvement, brain performance and accelerated learning after a childhood head injury left. You learning, challenged you, overcame it by creating strategies to dramatically enhance your mental performance. Since then, you’ve dedicated your life to helping others unleash their own brain power and serve as a coach. To many of the world’s leading CEOs and celebrities, including Elon Musk, Will Smith and the cast of X-men.

3:39 Your message is that knowledge is power, but learning is a superpower. Jim, Welcome back to London. Real Brian. Thank you so much for having me. I love. I love this show so much. Thank you so much, man. Everybody loved last time and it’s been watched and clipped, and everything just like millions of times, I know it’s amazing, it’s a nice. It’s great statement out there in terms of work, be where people are in terms of transformation, of the nature of this work.

4:08 And I know that’s your mission, global transformation and impact, and everyone who’s watching, I feel like they’re watching for a reason. And this is a. There’s a conversation that more and more people are having about transcending about ending the trance that we’re not enough and that, you know, we don’t. We have these preconceived limits. And yeah, and that’s what I love about your stuff, because you have a lot of practical stuff for learning and memory.

4:33 But then a lot of your stuff is a lot about mindset and a lot of other ways that we use this thing. You know, in our head right now and love it. Like you said, when you’re doing that, it’s like when you’re doing that, it’s like being mindful of your brain and kind of loving your brain, right? It is. People see me always kind of pose with this touching, because this matters, you know, our gray matter, we just don’t see it.

4:55 We could see our external features and we have all we could have. A personal trainer that makes you stronger and more flexible and more agile, more energized. But what about mentally? You want to be mentally agile, mentally more flexible, mentally energized and strong? And so I’m big advocate for not only mental intelligence but also mental fitness.

5:15 Yeah, I feel like we, really, we’re in the age of part of the parties, were in age of the mind. Yeah, and I want to talk about some of this stuff because you’ve had some amazing people on your podcast. And you’re always pushing the limits and trying to get new ways of thinking out there to people, so I’m really curious to dive into that. But first, you’re here in London, I know you spent some time in Greece recently, why Greece, what’s going on there, what’s it like being there? Yeah, well, it’s good to be back in London.

5:40 I flew in last night from Greece, I’m doing a lot of writing. And the reason why I chose Greece last couple of weeks is because a lot of people don’t know. It’s where, like some people say, it’s the birthplace of ancient Mnemonic training memory training. The goddess Namas.the a mean she. She connected with Zeus, and they had nine muses and nine goddesses of literature, of science, of art.

6:07 And isn’t it interesting that the mother of the arts and sciences literature is the goddess of memory? It’s the same derivative of the Massa Nina’s Mnemonic, which is remembrance. And I think if your life is worth living, it’s worth remembering, but this is a time. Let’s say a few thousand years ago where they didn’t have printing presses, like, How did people remember? I mean, how did they pass on information?

6:34 If there were no, there are no printing presses, there were no smartphones and they did it through oral, and they would use these ancient memory techniques. If you will, mind palaces and memory palaces, location methods and such to be able to store huge amounts of knowledge. Right because Homer had, did the Iliad and Odysseus right? But he used to recite those things from memory, right? I thought I remember that when I was a kid, I don’t know, it’s astonishing it was it.

7:07 The classic example is The Poets. I’m oddities. He’s a Greek order about 2500 years ago, and he was giving a poetry reading, and when he left the building, something really tragic happened. The building collapsed and it killed everyone that was there. And because he was the lone survivor, he had the responsibility to help their family members identify their loved ones.

7:27 And back then, this is, you know, this building wasn’t made of sheet, rock and wood, it was made out of stone and it was unidentifiable. But he was able to remember because he remembered where each of them were sitting. Because as human beings, who you remember where things are, you know? As a Hunter-gatherer, we didn’t need to necessarily memorize numbers, and in technical words, we needed to remember where the clean water is, where the enemy tribe is, whereas the food, because that was our survival. So he.

7:58 They created techniques, very simple techniques of taking places that are very familiar with you, like maybe your home, and storing relevant, valuable information in each of those places. So it could be like a little mental filing system and you know who? There’s a show, and I love London. We talked about this last time. That amazing genius has come out of, You know this, this area, Mary Shelley and Shakespeare, and even fictional works Sherlock.

8:27 We talked about, Yeah, Sherlock used these mind palaces also as well. He was obviously Loki. Is that what you call? Yeah, okay, method of the Loki writing Okay? And last time you walked me through a whole thing where we went to the parking lot, right, right, right? I remember food in the parking lot.

8:44 That was a year ago, but I bet I could still remember a lot of those amazing. So that’s the way of kind of understanding why the brain originally was created and to learn things kind of spatially for survival. And then using that to allow yourself to kind of control, memory, and I think it’s important to remember. And we talk about content is King, we hear that a lot, and I think if content is king and context is the kingdom. And even when you forget someone’s name, which, you know, I know we’ve talked about in the past and how important a skill it is to show someone you care by remembering them.

9:16 One of the questions you ask yourself is, Where do I know this person from? Because what the where creates the context? And then you often the memory is there also as well. Yeah, it’s interesting now. I want to talk a bit more about that.

9:30 Because, you know, as our devices get smarter and they become more of who we are. That whole thing of why do we need memory? is something I really like to revisit today. Because, you know, five years, ten years from now, we’ll still have, you know, we’ll be partially cyborgs. Maybe I mean, I spent deal on Musk, but yet the memory is still really important. Yeah, and I’d love to talk about that level I’ve done and I’m looking forward to going deep and not.

9:56 I do trainings for Google, and it’s, you know, they’re the organs are organizing the world’s information. And my, my mission really is helping people to remember the important parts of it. Because memory is a force multiplier. It’s one of those things I challenge anyone to think of. Anything that they do or want to accomplish.

10:15 That doesn’t require memory, anything, whether it’s its kinesthetic body memory or remembering like we lost. Look at the other end. If we forgot half of what we know or knew half the words, half the people. After the our expertise, we won’t be very functional. And so imagine if we could double our capacity to learn in a fraction the time.

10:37 Then we become extremely productive and powerful. And I’m not talking about frantic fast when I teach people how to read two or three times faster. I mean, in efficiency and effectiveness. You know you can imagine when you were great documentary, by the way I hear mine. When you’re training for something, your body.

10:54 If you had some kind of physical challenge, – or movements, they were walking up a hill. You could do it a level of efficiency and effectiveness than somebody who didn’t wasn’t in as physically in shape. Because you are your sewer strong and you want to use as much energy. The same thing when I, when I read whether it’s reading a book a day or people see me on stage. A hundred people stand up and introduce themselves, and every, you know, recite everyone’s name or large numbers and remember numbers.

11:25 They say everybody, everyone can do that, and it’s not something. There’s no such thing as a good or bad memory. There’s a trained memory and an untrained and untrained memory. And this works whether no matter your age, your background, your career or your education, your financial situation, your gender, your history, your I.Q. and then that matters. What matters is just like with anything is focus and putting in the work.

11:51 And so it might not always be easy, but it’s so it’s so worth it. It’s like describing to somebody what a rainbow looks like that has never seen a rainbow or describing what a rose smells like. There’s never really supposed ever smelt of Rose, and that’s I. I believe people my mission is, I believe people have genius inside of them and I’m not talking about an IQ or number. I mean, they have strengths and talents, and I want to be able to create an environment where they could make it.

12:19 Let it out because the world needs more of that. And they’re just not using their brain in the right way or exercising it or using it to their full capacity. And then on top of that, they put all the other negative self-talk on there. Oh my goodness, they just marginalize themselves. It is, and it’s not necessarily if people feel overwhelmed in this digital age, like there’s too much information too little time where they feel distracted, like you can’t maintain their focus or concentration to get things done or they have a little bit of memory loss.

12:46 Senior moments are coming too early. They’ll read a page in a book, gets it in, and just forget what they just read. It’s not really their fault, it’s they were never taught. You know, you’re you were gifted this incredible device in the whole known universe. But it doesn’t come with an owner’s manual.

13:03 And certainly we didn’t learn how to use it in school is a great place learned. They teach you what to learn and what to think and what to remember. But not necessarily how to learn, how to think and how to remember those things. And I want to close that gap. Yeah, and one thing I’m realizing with London Real is that we learn by stories.

13:24 You know, just like Homer knew with the D.C. as an illiad, and just like our Hunter-gatherer, ancestors probably knew it was a story base. So, you know, someone can read a book about memory. But when Jim Quick comes on and tells them your story and these ideas and techniques, people might never forget it. And again, that’s why the personality sometimes can bring lessons. And I think we’re seeing this whole new way of people learning around the world with long,-form content, whether it’s nod casts or our YouTube videos.

13:52 And it’s just amazing to see, you know, people connect. You know, I had Jordan Peterson in here, and the night before he came in, he was at the O2 Arena with 7000 people. You know, in a concert venue that I had seen Beyonce for format, and he was having the debate with Sam Harris about religion. And he said, Brian, we’re learning that people aren’t as stupid as we thought they were. What he’s trying to say is that everybody wants a nuanced conversation and wants to learn things, whereas we never gave him a really good way.

14:22 In the past, it was like, Go to school and memorize this. But now you can give them these long,-form, nuanced stories and conversations, and people are kind of craving it. And so it’s kind of an exciting time, and it’s amazing how you’re able to with London, Real with your audience with your academy. It’s classrooms now they don’t have four walls, they’re not limited. I mean, you have access is amazing, the information and to be able to eavesdrop and partake and participate in a conversation in this arena.

14:51 I mean, how often do people have a genius and greatness whispered or shared with them? And I love this because these conversations are so important because if I give you a dollar, you give me a dollar a pound. We had the same amount. But if you know, I share a new idea with you and you share a brand new idea with me. All of a sudden, we have those two brand new ideas, and that’s a good starting point for creating positive change.

15:16 Yeah, it’s like wealth creation, you know, right? Something that wasn’t there before, yeah, and I just, I think I was telling you, like, two hours ago, I was walking down the street to go train at the gym and two guys in a which? truck shout it out. And we’re like, London, Real, what’s going on? Brian and I got him on video and I’m like, What are you watching? And they’re like, Satguru, this Indian mystic, you know, tamping a high-performance guy.

15:37 They watched my iron, my movie. So you’re guys that are riding around in this truck all day and they’re learning. Listening to these new ideas probably watch you to chew. I’m sure they have and they’re developing their minds, so it’s just everybody craves the stuff, it’s just I do. I think it’s part of our DNA that in order to feel completely fulfilled, that we need to be able to feel like we’re making progress.

15:57 That we grow and because we grow, we have more to be able to give to the people around us. Yeah, you know, you mentioned Google, and I think you might have gone to see those guys right after you left. Because I think I was watching your Instagram and like, I, you know, you know, I’m not gonna rattle these off, but I guess I will. But like, it’s with you, it’s Google and Virgin and Nike and Zappos and SpaceX, and places like My, You and Harvard and Caltech. When my dad went.

16:20 And Singularity University that you work with, and again, you’ve got Google, which is a search engine known for having all the information in the world. And they still want Jim Quick to come and teach them about their own brains, and I’m always curious. What do these people want you to teach them? Why do they call you because they have other things to do with their time and using to have you there? And I’m always kind of curious.

16:44 What do you actually teach them? Yes, so behind closed doors it ranges, obviously, but I can give you a few examples. I think everybody watching this. There are these digital challenges that other generations didn’t have to deal with, so one of them is overload. You could have a lot of information in your job because a lot of us we’re not, we’re not paying necessary for our muscle power.

17:07 It’s more of mind power, it’s not our brute strength, but it’s really this age, it’s our brain. Strength and knowledge is not only power, it’s profit, and I don’t mean financial profit that’s obvious, right? The faster you can learn, the faster you can earn in today’s economy. But I mean all the treasures of your life. Because when you can learn how to learn, you could apply that towards torture relationships towards your wellness, towards your career.

17:30 And I would say that in the inside of these companies, whether they’re individuals, organizations, the greatest advantage. Competitive, sustainable advantage in a world full of fast change as our ability to be able to absorb, to be able to assimilate, to be able to apply new information. And that really comes down to really understanding how our mind works. And so I am obsessed with solving this riddle of How does my brain work so I can work my brain. And not just a recite ivory tower.

18:02 And, you know, research, but really, how does that affect us on a day? -to-day, you know, application and where it’s holding us back from. Getting art to do is done for us finding more of the things that light us up. Because I feel like a lot of people, I see us on social media a lot. They’ll complain about being burnt out or they’ll complain about being tired.

18:23 And I don’t think necessarily in every case that were burnt out or tired. Because we’re doing too much, but maybe we’re doing too little of the things that really matter that make us feel alive. And I always talk about. The most important thing is to keep the most important thing the most important thing. Because just like Dr. Stephen Covey, he talks about putting, you know, first things first and beginning with the end in mind.

18:48 And if you’re climbing the ladder of success and you get all the way to the top and you realize it’s leaning on the wrong wall. Better to know earlier than later. And so beginning with the end of mine is kind of like this idea where you go. Fast forward all the way to when we’re taking our last breaths, and at that time, nobody’s opinions or our fears. No, that’s gonna matter.

19:14 What’s gonna matter is how we lived, how we loved, how we left, how he learned. And I think people have to come from that place and nobody has this perfect and everyone has to find you. You and I and our last conversation talked about balance, and I’ve been reflecting on this thing called Balance. Because we use a lot, and the words we choose effects are how we process and perceive the world. And I was thinking about balance when I’m thinking about balance, I was thinking, like, Wow, it’s sometimes it’s, you know, balance beam.

19:43 And it’s a little bit stressful trying to get everything equal weight, because that’s what balance ultimately means, like a balance. I’ve been using the word harmony a lot more because I feel maybe my goal is not to make everything absolutely equal. The amount of time in my relationship to amount of time I spend in the gym to amount of time that I’m working on my career. But maybe the goal is like, like an orchestra, you know? The each instrument they don’t necessary have equal time, but they come together in a way that creates art.

20:11 You know, a symphony and Tom looking at life. So I feel like going behind the scenes at these companies, whether an individual or organization. I think the ultimate quest that we’re all on is to be able to realize to reveal our fullest potential. And these companies want to do that, too. And you’ll find that the majority of a day is either trying to process information or create something right.

20:40 Something’s coming in and then and then creativity or innovation coming out, but that the medium that all that’s happening is this supercomputer. And so I go into companies to help them to be able to learn faster, to be able to keep up with the data overwhelmed that everyone’s struggling with, that’s leading to a lot of health challenges. They call it information fatigue syndrome, higher levels of higher blood pressure compression, please your time, more sleeplessness. I mean all that, all the factors that are really hindering our, our state of mind of mine and body, and so that’s a big health concern. I help them with.

21:15 Also focus, because a lot of companies we see that our capacity to concentrate is just reducing because of all these digital devices. Right? Every time we get us a like a share, a comment, watch a cat video, whatever. We get this dopamine flood and that’s going along. Our, our motivation, our learning systems, tracks of our nervous system, and it’s keeping us like we can’t maintain attention.

21:39 So I’m very concerned a little bit with what children that are growing up with swipes. Yeah, you know, everything swipe here or there, and they’re getting. And how does the education system be able to? How do you reconcile? My mother became a schoolteacher, you mentioned that I had learning challenges and I had very a lot of the decade.

21:57 And a half of daily 24 hours struggle with studies and put in special classes. But my mother, a special education teacher, to try to help me because she didn’t know how. You know how to be able to support me in that arena and my thing. One of the challenges is just where we’re not, we’re not taught. And how does teachers?

22:17 I feel so bad because that it’s not a teachers, are some of the most caring, compassionate individuals committed individuals. They might not be compensated, maybe as they as they should, depending on. You know where people live in the world, but it’s a system issue, you know, the world has changed so much, but our education system hasn’t kept up. Necessarily. A lot of people are feel not prepared, so we’ve been at these companies.

22:41 People feel like they’re falling behind. And the biggest line item for? I know you have a lot of entrepreneurs who watch this. And if they have a team of employees, the biggest line item you know for any business is human capital. And if half a day is being spent, just processing information four or five hours a day, think about all the emails and Texas and business pledges all the content.

23:05 If you could just cut that in half, like if I could show you how to learn that in half the time. And you can save a couple hours a day that’s transform. What would you use if you had two extra hours a day? Well, what would you apply that to? And the great thing is, you know, time is money, you know, this is money, if you will, it’s wealth.

23:25 And so one thing we can’t get back. Which is why I’m so enthralled and so appreciative to be able to have this conversation with everyone watching. Because I respect everyone watching this, because whether or not they paid for it or not, it’s their time and their attention. And we live in this economy of that’s the attention economy that we’re in. And so I want to make this, you know, as valuable as anything else.

23:48 And I really do believe, though, that once we then there’s a big lie out there, that knowledge is power. We hear it a lot and we’ve been saying a lot, but anything about it’s not really power. It has the potential to be power. It only becomes power when we use it. And that really comes down to the questions that we ask on a regular basis.

24:09 And so I also, when I’m in with these companies, you’ll notice that certain cultures, if you think about a company culture as a as a set. Or of shared beliefs and behaviors. That some of them, the most innovative ones, are asking different questions than others in terms of. We talked about the book. I mentioned before the Structure of Scientific Revolution, where a lot of evolution in any industry.

24:36 Fashion on a motive Any kind of technology usually comes from people outside because it takes them an outsider. Look into ask a different question like an Elan must look at the automotive saying, Why with today’s technology, are you not doing it this way, right, right? So you’re kind of encouraging companies to have those questions to be able to find. I feel like we have these questions that are DarD dormant, that are unconscious, and so if you could direct that. So, for example, everyone I’m obsessed with three questions and we talked about Dom, any questions or a lost conversation about Will Smith and his dominant question.

25:15 And you’re a dominant question about bringing more joy to every single moment and bringing more magic, and that directs your focus. You know your reticular activating system because at any moment there’s probably two billion stimuli we could be paying attention to. So primarily, our brain is a deletion device. Trying to keep all this information out because we would go, we will go insane. If all that with all that, how novelty and what do we decide to pay attention to is, well, we ask Questions about that dictates our focus, and we know our focus is determines where our energy goes, how we feel and what we actually do.

25:50 And you’ve had past guests talk about the science of epigenetics and how our thoughts in the present and affect our physiology and gene expression and proteins. And so I believe thoughts are things. And if people truly knew how powerful their mind was, they wouldn’t say, think or feel something. They didn’t want to be true. And I’ll say that again for people who are just dialed into this.

26:16 If you knew how truly powerful your mind was, you wouldn’t say, think or feel something. You didn’t want to be true. And that’s not to say you have one negative thought, and it ruins your life any more than eating that doughnut every while does. But it’s the consistency, right? I’m doing that, I don’t know that.

26:35 How come that’s something that we gloss over so easily, is it because we can’t see our gray matter, is it, because we don’t see the immediate correlation, you know? But we talked about this so often. But why is that such a hard thing for people to understand? You’re thinking, I think I have, and I’ve reflected on this a lot that when you’re when, when you’re first born, we don’t. We’re blank slate, right?

26:59 There’s nothing there until we have an experience and we try to avoid the pain. And so we’d pride. We come up with these global general beliefs about things that protect us. And so what I would say for this is that’s why I think practices of mindfulness is. They’re so important because it brings us in the moment, know that our thoughts are who we are, necessarily.

27:21 But you’ve heard me say this when people come to me all the time, at any event, I just. I just came and talked recently. And people say things like, Jim, I have a horrible memory, or I’m getting too old, or I’m not smart enough. And I always tell people, if you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them right. And you have to be careful and mindful of these thoughts.

27:40 And that’s why I think journaling is an important tool. Meditation is important tool because it senses sizes you to this inner talk. this critic, if you will, which, incidentally, on a totally on a tangent. That inner talk is why we read so slow and I know I’m going very tan, gentle. But one of the things I teach companies individuals is to read two or three times faster.

28:03 Imagine if you could go online and pick up, you know, 30 books and read them in 30 or 60 days. What kind of advantage you would have, right? If a lot of your authors, you have a lot of your guests, our authors and they have decades of experience. And if they can, put it into a book and you could sit down and read that book in a few days, then you can download decades in the days. And that’s the biggest advantage that there is because it saves you time and mistakes and errors, and it gives you also.

28:34 This level of expertise where experts are some of the most valued people you know, in our society. In terms of knowledge, there’s not even it. Yes, I mean, there’s there gap in wealth, but it’s also a gap in those who know and those who don’t know. And I feel like learning and like, I’m not a great golf, I don’t play golf very well, so I don’t play it very well. So it’s this confidence.

28:58 Confidence loop in psychology. Where if I, if I play golf better, I’d probably play it more and I get better at it. And same thing with any kind of skill, and but things with, like, when it comes to reading, we aren’t. A lot of most people say they’re not a really great reader, and it’s not their fault because you’re not born. Going back to that plain, that blank slate with the ability to read you were it you were taught in school.

29:22 But when’s the last time you took a class called Reading? I mean, Brian, how old were you last time you took? Not a college lit class, but a class called Reading six years old, right? And that’s the thing most of us are still reading, like were 6 or 7 years old, and the difficulty and the demand has increased exponentially. But our skills haven’t.

29:44 Had they been updated to that level, you know, so that growing gap creates that stress. Yeah, I struggle with reading, I just, and is it because you think there’s an inner voice going along? yeah, so that their voice is called subvocalization. Meaning that if you have to say you ever notice when you’re reading something, you hear that inner voice inside your head reading along with you. Hopefully, Trone, it’s not like somebody else’s voice in there.

30:08 The reason why it’s an obstacle to your reading is because if you have to say the words inside your mind. In order to understand them, then you can only read as fast as you could speak. That’s why most people are slow readers because they’re saying the words. So the reading speed is limited to their talking speed, but not their thinking speed. That’s why you can listen to a book on tape or a podcast.

30:31 The higher speed because you can understand that at that pace, but you can’t speak at that pace. And here’s the thing when you’re reading and you see all these words now. 85- of those words, our words. You’ve seen many times, thousands of times, countless times, so you don’t have to pronounce a word or a series of words like New York City. In order to understand what New York City is.

30:55 And the best readers, the trained readers they mitigate and reduce that subvocalization read by sight. And that’s a huge advantage. But we weren’t taught that because that’s of vocalisations been there ever since. We’re a child. When they pass around that book and teachers, you’d have to read it out loud.

31:11 Yeah, you know, and then, later on, teachers had read silently to yourself, required Ly to yourself, and we internalized that voice. But going back, that voice also is that critic, that critic, or that doubter, the one that’s culture that we don’t want to make mistakes, and we know in terms of accelerated learning, the fastest learners are children. How fast can a child learn a musical instrument, how fast can they learn another language, right? They have a sense, a wandering part of it is their neuroplasticity. But science is showing, even now, that no matter what your age, that you could grow old her.

31:48 But you create new brain cells to the day you die. You could create new connections using the power of novelty and nutrition. And it’s very-.it’s or as amazing. But I think also children they play, they’re very playful, they don’t, they’re not afraid of making mistakes or a child. Learning how to walk could fall four or five, six times or four or five, six hundred times.

32:08 But they never, after twelve times, say, Okay, this is not, not gonna, I’m quitting, I’m not gonna do this good. I don’t want to look bad. But adults, we do that, yeah, if we’re honest, most adults, they’ll try something once or twice, and then they’ll just. They know there’s that fear of looking bad, and I feel like that’s what keeps us from living. The perp the person were supposed to be is that inner critic of fear, of looking bad to others.

32:32 And if we in you and I have talked about this, you could go broke. Buying into the opinions and expectations of those around us and for those people are trying to find their passion and their purpose. And I know a lot of her, your viewers ask about that. I feel like sometimes we know it, but it’s buried underneath all that other stuff, and we’re always scared about what other people are gonna think about it. But I’m going back to begin with the end in mind, when we’re in that coffin, there’s not a lot of room in there for possessions.

33:02 And I’m all for people. We could have it all the toys, everything, but there’s also not a lot of room. They’re for regret. And so we want to, we want to, we want to live, eat each day coming from that place. I had a guess on recently a William von Hippel, and he said, There’s two types of errors, he said.

33:19 One is omission and one is commission, and, you know, Jeff Bezos has something called his regret minimization hypothesis. MMM-hmm No. On his deathbed, he doesn’t want to regret doing things, and that’s, I guess, the regret of omission. And then the commission is usually when we do something, we feel stupid about it. That’s not something that, on your deathbed, you regret, you don’t usually regret the things you did do, it’s the things you didn’t do, so it’s something definitely worth thinking about.

33:45 Did you go out there and try that and take that risk? And in the short term, it might feel painful when you miss it in the long term and maybe becomes a good story to tell people. And then, hopefully in your deathbed, you’ve looked back and said, Okay, I gave everything a shot. Yeah, that’s a hard place to get to. I think for a lot of people it is.

34:01 But I think I think a through line of people that the kind of impact that they want to have is they. They’re not a thermometer, but they identify more with that thermostat that we, you and I have talked about that. A thermometer just reacts the environment, and we react to the weather and everything else, the politics and how people treat us. But ultimately, you know, a thermostat sets a standard, it sets a goal, it sets a vision and then the environment. It rises to be able to meet that.

34:32 And I was doing this training for I do a lot with actors, as you mentioned to speed read scripts to remember their lines. There’s me difficult cars to do that. It is because if you’re looked at remembering things verbatim, it’s kind of it’s a memory, obviously, is something that’s very useful, especially people you many people think that you’ve toast at a wedding. Or you need to give any kind of public speech, or you need to make videos or be able to have a one. -on-one meeting with a client in order to do a sales call, and it helps to have information.

35:04 A Tremendous it’s just we haven’t, we haven’t been taught how to be able to memorize those kind of things. And that’s what you know. Every single episode that you’ve listened to our podcast is just like, This is how you do it. Because it’s taking a noun like memory, turning it into a verb. And just like we talked about focused, you don’t have focus, you do focus, you don’t have creativity and hope you don’t wake up hoping that you could have creativity.

35:30 So you can make, you know, videos and right and paint, but you, there’s a process for creativity. And so what if we could take that magic and deconstruct it into methods for people? So this is how you can do these certain things. And then it becomes a verb. And then what it gives you, it gives you your sovereignty back, it gives you your personal power back.

35:53 Because, you know, the locus we’re talking about location before of control is on the inside. Because I imagine with a lot of your guests that talk about the science of happiness, that they know that ultimately, it’s within them. And not on circumstance, because anybody who’s you could always find a counterexample for somebody who didn’t have. They didn’t have the money, they didn’t have the education, they didn’t have the connections, and they still succeeded at huge levels. And you look at those outliers and maybe study the outliers instead of just marginalizing them and not keeping them part of that.

36:26 That studies turn those nouns into verbs. Yeah, that’s what people should really think about, because then they’re nouns. Make them limitations. And the verbs means that you can take an active part in changing right because part of the things that you’re saying about. Why don’t we understand these beliefs?

36:43 And there are talks and we hear it, but we’re not really applying it. We sensitize ourselves to it, but we’re also putting ourselves and hypnosis all the time by using certain words. And it automatically doesn’t give us the power. So our mind is always eavesdropping on our self. -TALK So it to be conscious and cognizant of it.

37:02 I think self-awareness is it’s a super power that your brain is like this super computer and your self-Talk is the program. It’s gonna run. So if you tell yourself you’re not good at remembering names or remembering anything, then it’s not going to remember. You’re not gonna remember the name of next person you meet because you program your supercomputer not to. So the nature of my work is using the metaphor of a supercomputer, and that’s not completely accurate, like any metaphor, but part of it is the hardware.

37:31 The other part is like the software it’s running, so the hardware is like a good brain diet, right? It’s getting good, proper sleep. It’s avoiding head injuries, like wearing, wearing a helmet and avoiding environmental toxins. These invisible super villains that are affecting our minds that people don’t talk about. But it’s like we were talking about it before.

37:51 When we’re talking about sleep before on camera and talk about hotel rooms. And you know, what if there was the super villain? What if you had clean air because air that obviously oxygen? Your brain is only 2- of your body mass? But it requires 20- of the oxygen and the nutrients, and so it has different demands.

38:10 And so, you know, it’s challenging when there’s some kind of pollution going through your system, so there’s air, there’s also light. Certain light is not really great for your mind and your focus. And sometimes in offices or schools. They use the most inexpensive lights, and when they do studies with, like mice, they look it has adverse effects. So there’s air, there’s light, there’s water, because we know your brain is what?

38:37 70- of water. And a lot of times when people are tired, they go to food, but they should really hydrate and we can lose a lot of water. Even when we sleep through respiration and perspiration so hydration it’s just a small dip in hydration can reduce your reaction time. You’re thinking somewhere neighborhood have 30-, so drinking waters is one of most important things we do, but that’s the quality of water I’ve had. You should have it tested in your home because you some.

39:05 I’ve had friends that have high levels of heavy metals just because the water supply, and they had no idea. And then, finally, I would say, EMFS invisible. So you have a area of light eeeh of water, which is not really visible. But it’s, you know, kind of see-through and also EMFs, these electromagnetic fields that are everywhere and we just. We don’t know how the we didn’t.

39:30 Humans didn’t have that, you know, years, and it certainly not hundred years ago. And so what’s that effect happening having on our brains because their brains are sorry, they’re sensitive? And Dave I, I read recently that 90- of kids that have cellphones, they sleep with it underneath their pillows. And we can we do, we just don’t know, so be able to have, and they have, like, paint now that actually blocks out all. Have you seen this?

39:57 It was black paint that you could paint your bedroom because some people say this certain sleep does. Disorders that they’re having is just because there’s so many Wi-fi running through their home or their building or cell towers. And I, this is done my expertise, but it’s it makes a little some sense we’ve got 5G coming. There’s a lot of people talking about that right, because that’s pretty powerful stuff as well, so it is, and the technology that’s out there. I love this common conversation because while we’re talking about where the world’s going and you mention Elon Musk and going out, he’s going out to space.

40:32 And, you know, but this is this is the space I’m interested in right here. We talk about technology, about very interested in this, this technology right, and a lot of what you teach is discipline. Is that right as far as what not to do, sometimes with your brain? As far as what not to do first thing in the morning and how not to interact with your technology and how to give yourself that space. Am I right?

40:56 You have, you know, chuckers? It has a discipline, equals, you know, freedom. I know that was that was a powerful episode. I would say that you could have your to-do list and the most successful achievers. They also have a not to do list because they know that their time and their attention.

41:16 It’s a finite resource and too many people say yes, as we’ve heard to good, you know, Jim Collins could do great, say no, too good, so you could say yes to great things. And so having a not to do list your near non-negotiables of things that you just won’t entertain will help you. To put first things first. And a lot of times the things on there are really. They lead to distraction, they lead to, you know, productivity holes that we have and one of them.

41:48 We’ve talked about you and I is our phone that so many. We’re not using our phone as much as our phone is using us. And technology is meant to be a tool to magnify our experience. Not good or bad, like fire could heat your food or it burns down your home. It’s this how it’s applied, but some of us go to our phones out of boredom.

42:09 All right, we open up and then it’s great again. Because it helps us to be able to democratize this information and bring inspiration and instruction. The people that get crave it and that kid that could use it. But it also. Sometimes when we pick it out of boredom, then the technology is really using us, but it’s meant to be a tool.

42:25 But if that technology is using us, then who becomes the tool in that equation, right? And that’s not the goal, and so it. But it’s hard, though, because it’s for some people, it’s like an addiction. Yeah, and we’ve talked about addictions, you and I in conversation, but it is acting like a like a drug for people. When you have to pick it out of out of that, that boards you work with companies when that is their business.

42:50 Techni Right, did they admit that they also have to be disciplined about their own tech? Yes, and so it’s all about. And people have to find their own harmony, whatever that happens to be for them. So some people, they have to check their email because of their career or their vocation. First thing in the morning, you know, I always recommend people not do it.

43:08 Ideally the first hour of the day, because we’re just in the first hour of the day, it’s just worse when we’re relaxed and we’re very we’re highly suggestible. Our brains are being rewired by our smart devices to be distracted, number one, but also to be reactive like we talked about. It’s just, You’re we here, fighting fires. You get one voicemail or text message or email with some bad news that just hijacks your whole day. And so it’s hard to have that discipline, but there’s huge rewards that come from it and it’s an exercise.

43:41 And just like with our focus, our focus is very much like a muscle. It grows stronger with use. But if we’re a lot of us are, we’re not feeding or focused, we’re feeding our distractions and that muscle is getting stronger. But the good news is we have control and we have responsibility. And the goal is just not to be running old scripts to be conscious.

44:04 I think the meta message of this conversation is that we are not our thoughts. You know, we do these thoughts and that we could always or these, and also these feelings and these behaviors. So when we’re talking about habits, research is suggesting about 40. – of our day is unconscious, habitual and I would even argue, probably more than that. It’s Geez, these unconscious scripts.

44:27 Because we don’t want to employ the nervous system, energy, the mental energy to be able to. That’s why it’s so important to design our routines that we’ve talked about, you know, the first hour, the day that we’ve heard. If you want to win the day, you got to win that first hour to create positive momentum in your day. But the reason why you turn into two routines is so you don’t have to deplete mental energy in terms of, What are you gonna wear? What do you need, what are you gonna do all these things?

44:52 When you get, apply that towards the areas of your life that really need it to make the kind of progress. What are some of your non-negotiables and your style of the day? So for me, the phone is top of the list and I’m not saying it’s easy, but I have an analog clock. I don’t. They rely on it too much.

45:10 It’s funny when you set the intention to wake up. Have you ever done that saying, I need to give you up at this time and you actually wake up like a minute or two, yeah, yeah, I done it, I don’t do it regularly, but I’ve done that. It’s interesting when you put your, your, if your, if your complete faith and trust and belief that it’s. It’s like when we teach people a process of lucid dreaming, like how to be aware of their dreams and also start controlling their dreams. So he could turn them into, like little learning opportunities.

45:37 We did a whole episode on Six Steps on How to Remember your dreams because people don’t realize this. And I’ll go to the morning nonnegotiable. I want to talk about dreams, for sure. Yeah, it’s one of those things where it’s. People don’t realize that when you’re learning all day as a student or you’re an entrepreneur, you’re trying to solve problems.

45:57 Your brain doesn’t shut off at night. If anything, it’s more active at night, and it’s consolidating short to long-term memory. It’s cleaning up plaque that leads to brain aging challenges. But also you’re having your dreams, three, four, five dreams and you know when your tongue about sleep and you’ve had Matthew on the on the show and you’ve talked about, you know why we sleep? The other thing is we could spend probably a third about 20 years of our life dreaming like sleeping, which means about three to five years.

46:29 Pure dreaming, which it was just, which is a which is incredible, and those dreams are actually can be a big resource for us in terms of creativity. Mentioned Mary Shelley came up with Frankenstein in her dream. Paul McCartney came over the song yesterday in his dream A Jack Nicholas. I mean, what was it, 1964? He was going through a little bit of a slump where he was shooting high 70s and he had a dream of shifting in his dream.

46:57 It was so vivid. During turn, he changed his grip just slightly in his dream, and the next morning he was back on track. Doing like mid-60s, you know, in terms of his score, so we have. The periodic table came to a chemist, and his in his dream, Elias Howe, created the sewing machine in his dream. So what are we dreaming about?

47:19 But we forget them when we wake or ignore them right or ignore them. 99- of people have no process of remembering, acknowledging, recording their dreams, right, and I feel like that’s it. That’s another untapped resource for people. So one of the things, the reason why I went and people pick up way, wake up in the morning, am I not to do? is not pick up the phone because I spent a few minutes just recording my dream well, while it’s fresh or reflecting on my dreams. Instead of hijacked, being hijacked by external technology because you have to really well now saying your brain is this deletion device.

47:53 We always have to have to control the input and where it’s coming from. And most people. Sometimes we get mentally lazy and I can understand that we suffer from decision fatigue because we don’t want. We’ve all had the experience where we had a really tough day. And we might be at a restaurant or looking at a takeout menu.

48:10 And we don’t know what we want to eat. Because we’ve used up all our decisions throughout that day and my goal have a finite number of decisions. We did, or at least intelligent decisions. This is true, okay, and I’ve had this conversation. Or with doctors.

48:26 We just had Dr. Oz on the show and we were talking about how, you know, traveling from country to country, how you maintain your mental alertness. And we’re talking about how, even off-camera, how doctors. If you’re gonna get surgery, you want to make sure you’re one of those first few page couple patients. Because there’s an immense amount of resources, mental and, you know, physical resources going in to that procedure and you don’t want somebody you know, yeah, it’s depleted. I had a hernia surgery a few years ago and I really wanted to tell the guy look, have a quiet night and get some sleep.

48:59 Exactly. I thought, that, wouldn’t, you know, maybe insult him, but I heard, I don’t know if this is true, but when. When Clinton went, when Obama asks Clinton, about which? Which? Some of you a gold piece of advice he was like, Do not make, Quinn said.

49:14 Don’t make a decision when you’re when you’re sleep. -deprived. Important decision, because that’s how important sleep is, and so sleep is a real it’s one of the most important life advice is to prioritize sleep. And we, even if you and I were talking about this again before camera, is we know what to do, and then we all. Some people have challenges with sleep apnea with insomnia, but just being sensitized to it just as similar to remembering names.

49:40 We teach many different methods on how to walk into a room, meet 20 strangers and leave saying goodbye, using their name, every single one of them. But just being sensitized to, Hey, just reminder, it’s important to remember someone’s name, because how are you gonna show somebody you’re in to care for their business, their future, their finances, their family, their health. Whatever it is, you’re selling them or offering them if you don’t care just to remember who they are, right? We’ve all heard the name is a sweetest sound toe to a person’s ears. We’ve all read how to win friends and influence people.

50:10 Dale Carnegie Yeah, but it’s this timeless advice, but we’re not doing it. Same thing with getting a good night’s sleep. It’s just if you prioritize it, even if you’re not using any techniques which their techniques are plentiful. We’ve done four episodes on how to optimize your sleep, everything from the temperature of the room to the blackout curtains. To all these.

50:29 You know all this great tips, but if you make it important, then you’re it’s gonna naturally do it, and that’s why I think it’s important to go back to. When you are stressed, we usually think, What do I need to do? You could even go back one level above that and saying, instead of asking yourself, what need to do? At this moment, something happened. Some kind of you’re, you’re some kind of fired in your life.

50:54 Maybe instead of asking, What do I need to do right now? Maybe first take a step back and ask, Who do I need to be right now, who do I need to be right? The formula is B do have share, that’s a syntax of success, right? But a lot of people want to go right to the half part. But maybe it’s not having like, and we’ve.

51:16 We’ve seen multiple studies on someone who wins the lottery. They go right to the hat part, they have millions of pounds. And then what happens? After a certain amount of years? They go back to where they were, or most people go less and because they have millions of pounds or dollars.

51:35 But they were never being like a multimillionaire, a millionaire, right? So you don’t want to put the cart before the horse, so b do have, and then a Jerez share is. I think that’s the formula I think you learn so you can earn so you can return, you learn, earn and the return and you don’t return because you don’t give to get. I think you give because it’s who you, it’s who you are, because ultimately that’s what’s gonna make us feel more fulfilled when we’re making progress. And then we’re also, you know, making some kind of contribution to the people, to the people around us.

52:12 Yeah, it’s interesting to see, like the gates in their foundation and how they’re so intent on giving it back and making a big difference. And so it’s not just about making a dollar, but also making a difference. There’s nothing wrong with making money, but you could also make meaning also, like, I don’t get as excited about 1 billion brain, I’m out 1 billion dollars, but 1 billion brains really motivates me. And to have them light up, because who knows someone listening to my show or yours? And they’re watching on their phone and they’re from a third-world country, and they maybe they learn something, some kind of insider inspiration.

52:50 And they become the next Malala, right, the next Oprah, the next. You know, they in a cure cancer. I mean, who knows the untapped resource of the collective, the minds of this planet, you know, that’s why we know the work I do in with individuals but also organizations. Because if you could upgrade to a mass upgrade because we upgrade our technically, upgrade our phones more than we upgraded our minds. And that’s why I love everyone is watching this even at this point, especially at this point, because they’ve self-selected saying, Hey, I’m gonna invest in the most important thing in the world, which is which is myself, my own personal growth.

53:25 And I think the mother or grandfather of all personal development performance is I still. I think it’s learning, because if you can learn how to learn, you could apply that towards anything. I mean, the world, the world is yours. And for people that don’t know, I wonder if you could share a little bit about your backstory. You know, it doesn’t have to Google long into it.

53:46 It’s really who you are, and I see the way your face lit up. When you said if we could change a billion brains like I can tell you, it really gets you excited. And that’s because this isn’t just like a P.H.D. topic for you or something you bumped into the fascinated you. I mean, this is something that was at the core of your own, being in existence and self-esteem. And that’s why you kind of live it, I think, and I think a lot of people feel that with you.

54:11 Yeah, this has been my full-time obsession for 27 years, more than a quarter of a century, and the reason why is because I, I not only know what’s in these techniques, but I know it’s inside people in terms of what they’re capable of. Because I’d have to be not too smart to be doing this for so long. With students on our online courses, we have students in over 180 countries, so we got a lot of feedback. But the reason I’m so passionate about it is because of my brain injury. When I was five, you know, I had all those labels and learning challenges, and it’s at the age of nine.

54:50 A teacher pointed to me and said, That’s the boy with the broken brain and from the whole class. And that became talking about your identity and being a blank slate that became who I was. So every single time I well, I did badly on a test or I wasn’t picked for sports. I would always say, Oh, it’s because I’m the broken one. I had the broken brain, and that made me very my superpower.

55:12 I talked about superheroes a lot because I couldn’t read for three or four years, and I taught myself how to read by reading comic books late at night. But my size, I talk about superheroes and supervillains and something about the, you know, when you read a good verse, evil or superheroes. For me they are, they’re all flawed, they all have that. Some of the biggest challenge men most, though the biggest super most. Well,-known superheroes were orphaned.

55:36 When you think about Wonder Woman, Superman, Spider-man, Batman, Iron Man, they all. They lost their parents, and so they grew up with a lot, a lot of challenges, and they’re very relatable. But they discovered their superpowers and they developed them. But just having superpowers doesn’t make you a superhero, right? You have to use those powers for some kind of purpose.

55:59 And that’s what really lights me up is helping people to discover and develop their mental superpowers. And maybe a it not traditional superpowers of leaping tall buildings and shooting lasers out of your eyes, but maybe you have laser focus. Maybe you have this incredible, like unstoppable memory, our creativity or your ability to think and solve problems and learn faster. And those are practical. Every single day, there’s not a day that goes by that you can’t benefit from that and consistency compounds.

56:32 So I was the boy with the broken brain. I’ve been overcome that’s what blows me away, as most people wouldn’t never get over that label. I mean, to have someone say it. And then in front of a bunch of kids, and then you say it to yourself, I mean, how do you go through that? I am, so I would like to say that it’s so, it’s not easy.

56:53 Anyone who’s watching this. We, like most people, have had some kind of difficulty or adversity, especially when they’re their child, when they’re most impressionable. What I tell people is difficult times they could, they can define you, they could diminish you or they can develop you. We decide, and some point along that I decided that I can’t stop okay, so we’re gonna know the real reason. The real reason is I didn’t want to disappoint my family.

57:25 So if we’re getting real raw here, I’m here with my in London, with my parents and my motivation. When I was 18, I was lucky enough to get into a state university, and I chose the university that I know. I didn’t know anybody there that was going there because I knew that I would put myself. I would mold myself around. The expectations of people who knew my personal history now is not a good student, right?

57:52 And I was ready to make a fresh start and I want to make my parents proud. They immigrated to the United States, didn’t speak the language. My father, who’s here. He came because his father’s father died in his 40s, and they could afford to feed him and keep him. So he came to the United States to live with my, his aunt and uncle.

58:19 Wow, from where and now from Indonesia, Okay, Chinese born in Jakarta, in Very Popper’s state. It is interesting because we took a trip there last year and it’s a dream come true for me. Because we were in these stadiums, that they do, these big games, right? Sports arena. And the last time he was in that stadium was with his.

58:41 That he remembers best memory was with his father. I had was just it was the to us there. And the reason why I so meaningful is because he sacrificed a lot like a lot of immigrants do that story. We lived in the back of laundry. Mat didn’t have those resources.

58:56 I could identify with people that you know, that goes through struggles, and I also feel like with struggles come strengths. And I didn’t want to. When I was a freshman in school, I didn’t want to disappoint them because I have a younger brother, a younger sister. I’m the oldest of three and I wanted to be a good role model, and I just. I wasn’t, and it’s not because I was lazy because my, my father, you know, he taught me we didn’t.

59:21 My parents. They’re not, they certainly aren’t the wealthiest, they’re not the healthiest, they’re not the most spiritual or any of that. You know, that people we make, they’re, they’re just really good people. Hard,-working, kind do no harm. And the things that I that I learned is like how important family is because he gave up his family, you know, sure, Charlie, after is, you know, he lost, you know, this brother and his sister and then and so family is important, and also the discipline of, like, I would have to.

59:58 I was mowing lawns at a very early age before I could even push like a lawn mower. But he would always make me mow behind like certain areas, and I didn’t understand I was like, nobody could see those areas. But it was. She was like, He taught me that quality it mattered because I knew that it was, it was like that. And so when I was ready to my mom, my mother is taught me about kindness and because she sees.

1:00:26 I got emotional thinking about this because I would do anything for them. And so I was under this pressure when I was 18 because I didn’t know how I was gonna tell them. I was gonna quit school because I was doing worse in college and I read II didn’t have the money for me to even be there. And when a friend said, Hey, don’t quit yet, I’m going home for the weekend, why don’t you come with me and get some perspective? And I feel like that’s a magic word.

1:00:52 Perspective that if someone’s struggling right now in any area of life, then it helps to just get a little distance and a different point of view. And what sometimes helps is a change of place or change people, because it’s not just your neurological networks, it’s our social networks. We’ve all heard this phrase who you spend time with is who you become. And as part of it is, we have these mirror neurons that are constantly imitating what’s around us and what’s really dangerous is if we spend time with people who have disempowering beliefs and habits, those are the things we’re picking up unconsciously. And so I, I always tell people that our families are, some tends the people care about us.

1:01:36 Most are sometimes the one that hold us back. As we give them the power. They’re not holding us up, we give them the power to hold us back because of they can be. Because some people are like who are watching this or their family friends like, Why? Watching another video while you subscribed Academy, why are you going to another, a conference or something like?

1:01:55 And they don’t, because they could come from a good place. Maybe they don’t want you to get hurt, or maybe they don’t want. You’d be disappointed, or maybe they don’t want to lose you because you’re growing, and they feel like there’s a separation so they could have good. They can be sincere, but they can be sincerely wrong. Also as well.

1:02:12 So I go, I agree to not tell my parents I’m gonna quit school yet, and I go to see my friend when I’m at this family and the father is walking me around his property. You know, this is pretty well off and asked me this question, and I believe questions are the answer for anyone watching this. You won’t really want to be conscious of those questions. And there’s that thought pattern. And the question he asked me is the worst question, he says.

1:02:37 Jim, How school and I’m like and I.e. and I’m pretty conservative, reserved, especially to a stranger. And I just break down, and Brian and I just I, all these emotions come out. I tell my whole story about head injury, broken brain, gonna quit school, it’s not for me, I’m not smart enough. And he was like, Jim, another question Why you in school, what do you want to be? do? have share great, that’s right, that’s why I got it, and no one’s ever asked me the question before, and I would remind everyone who’s here is Ask a new question, Get a new answer. You’re right, two billion stimulus.

1:03:16 What are you gonna pay attention to the things you have questions about? And I didn’t have an answer. But then I go through this process, so like, asked myself this question. I go to answer him and he says, Stop, and he pulls out a journal and he rips out a couple sheets. And I just a reminder for people I would experiment with journaling because I think it’s important to reflect that reflection time.

1:03:36 Most people, they do not schedule their thinking time and their creativity time, and that’s our value add to society. You see this, you go, I got the airport. Everything is like automated, You disk and your passport and two checks you in, you would bring your bags. It does everything right. Some of those are jobs that aren’t available anymore because of automation and artificial intelligence outsourcing.

1:04:00 Right? And so what makes us valuable human beings things that you’re not gonna outsource? The computer? Creativity create imagination, strategy. And these are the things that we need to really double down, and because that’s what’s gonna make us valuable.

1:04:14 And so someone just start journaling and I want to get back, but like, what is a great way to start journaling? I mean, I do like a gratitude journal in the morning, but I think that’s great. I you, I think yet you had me. Yeah, I should just have them both back on togo. Good friend, good friends, yeah, and their five-minute are know is amazing.

1:04:32 And I do it every morning, but I don’t. I need to do probably more journaling. Maybe I think I do, I’m just wondering What’s up, I’m a big, I’m a big fan of journaling, and a morning and at night I don’t. I think it important going back to power questions, people need to have trained themselves to ask this question. It’s if you want to get a result, pull back and say, What is the smallest action?

1:04:56 I could take towards that goal, like the smallest simplest, like minimal action, because that momentum is important. There’s something in psychology, a memory called the Zeigarnik effect. And it was actually this psychologist in Europe would be sitting in a cafe, and she would notice that the Waitstaff would remember everyone’s order. For the most part, until they were delivered and once that order was closed, they would have no recollection. Even it was five minutes ago, and her last name was I Garnica, and they called the Zeigarnik effect that the mine doesn’t like open loops.

1:05:32 So often. When I teach tin stories, I would open up these loops, and I would know that the human mind you want that you want that closure right, so it stays with you and your attention until it’s until it’s delivered. You know if you will, and so you, you keeps people as attention and concentration until things become integrated. And so going back to the power of these questions, I would ask yourself, Was that what is the minimum amount? So it’s not like, Okay, I want to run ten miles like not, I don’t know, maybe I don’t.

1:06:04 I don’t see myself in my mind doing like another marathon I used yet with the name like Quick, I had to be a runner. You know, it’s cold, it’s very a lot of pressure when it says Quick right on right on your shirt. But I, I admire a half an iron Mitt like I can’t imagine out of training and dedication and focus. So I’m not saying people, but they want to get a goal of being more fit and now don’t set up this big goal set up. What’s the minimum thing I could do like putting up?

1:06:31 Maybe it’s putting on your sport shoes that day, or maybe it’s just getting to the gym. Because once you get to gym, you know you’re gonna, you’re gonna work out, right? And the other question I would ask is not only what’s the what’s the minimum thing I need to do just to get started? Because you start this iconic effect and basically means it’s overcome procrastination. You break things down into small pieces.

1:06:51 Because I know a lot of people struggle with putting things off and a lot of times it’s because you have this big. You set this big goal and you, if you don’t, break it down to little pieces and then start somewhere anywhere right. Because then you’re more likely to close. Close that loop and be able to follow through. So you ask yourself, What action do I need to take?

1:07:10 Ideally, the smallest one, and these micro commitments leave the bigger commitments because consistency compounds. Like you read one sentence in that book, you want to read 30 minutes a day, don’t try reading 30 minutes a day. Actually, if you do the math, it takes about 45 minutes. Or reading the average reader to read one book a week. So I’ll just put that out there.

1:07:29 The average book has about 60000 64000 words, a book, the average person reads, about 200 words per minute. Because that’s the average talking speed going back to civilization. If you divide those numbers, that means you could get through a book in about 320 minutes, divided 320 by 7 days in a week, 45 minutes a day. But if you could triple your reading speed, that’s why the speed reading is important. Then you can read in 15 minutes a day, you had a book a week, that’s 52 books a year.

1:07:55 And so going back to that, the 200 words per minute, if you will, I would come ask everyone to commit to 15 minutes a day. But maybe he’s just reading one sentence, because then if you read one sentence, you’re probably read a second, one, another third, one moment. But the other question you want to do, if you know what to do, you’re not doing it. Another great question is asking yourself like, Who’s counting on me to be at my best today? Who’s counting on me to like, show up and play my A game and going back to my, my mentor?

1:08:29 He asked me, What do you want to be? Do half share. And he takes out a piece of paper of the journal, and he makes me write down my answers. He wants me to write town because he’s. That’s the first part taking something visible in your mind and making it visible.

1:08:41 So maybe you don’t read that right in that moment, because there’s a There’s a time delay right, because we live in this reality. But writing it down all of a sudden there you’ve changed and altered physical reality, right? So I’m writing, Ma’am, I be, do have basically a bucket list, and when I’m done with it, I was like, These are all the things I like to accomplish. And then he I start folding up the sheets to put in my pocket and he crabs it and I’m now freaked out. Because I didn’t know he was gonna look at my dream list, my bucket list, because all my dreams, my fantasy things, I’ve never shared with anyone, even consciously, with myself.

1:09:15 And he, and now a stranger is looking at it, and I’m thinking, You know, all the things people have, Oh, what is he gonna think about me? I’m gonna be judged and then how? He and he looks at it, he says. Instead of judging me, he says, Jim, you are this close to everything on that list. Any spreads is in the index.

1:09:32 Fingers like ten inches, how hurt me, maybe? And he goes like this to the side of my head, meaning what’s in between? My brain is like the key, and he takes me into a room of his home and he shows me about this size. And you love it rhymes. It’s wall to wall ceiling the floor covered in books and keep in mind I’ve never read a book cover to cover.

1:09:49 I’m a slow reader, and it’s like walking into a room full of snakes because I’m like, really scared of, like, I’m very intimidated, and he starts handing me these snakes. And there are these biographies of some incredible men and women in history, and some very early personal growth books, he says. Jemma, you need to read one of these books a week, and I’m fighting for my limitations. I’m like telling my story, and I’m like, Are you kidding me? I’m a little school work, I’m not smart enough.

1:10:11 My set score Cuz. I don’t let school get in the way every education right, the famous Mark Twain quote. And I was like, Still, that’s very insightful, but I can’t do this. And then, Smart man, he reaches out his pocket, takes out my bucket list, and he starts reading every single one of my dreams outloud and messed with my mind, my spirit, my heart. Something fierce, because to hear your dreams and another person’s voice encamped it out into the world.

1:10:39 And honestly, a lot of the things on that list, where things I wanted to do, my parents things that they things they can never afford. Or we never, even if they have the money would never do for themselves. And with that leverage, it’s so important for people to dial in to why they do something and going back to who’s counting on you on. You know, being your best version of yourself to contribute the best way, the most unique way possible to the fullest means possible. Because I feel like we’re here to fully express ourselves, you know, on this venture, and so you tap into when you think about that.

1:11:16 We’ve got a big day coming up like, Yeah, whoo, you time. So right? Even now, like here, my, my parents, like I’m here in London to be here with you, and we’re going to win Bolton tomorrow. Because my dad, he had no opportunity to be able to afford to go to school like the college. And but he was able to go because he was, he learned from his uncle, who was in like the tennis than the U.S. Nationals.

1:11:44 For Cena, he’d learned how to play tennis and he got a scholarship to go to go to college where he met my mom. And, you know, I’m really happy about that, play myself. But that tennis is very, you know, we grew up, as you know, our my brother and sister playing tennis, so it’s I. I think it’s got some good metaphor to life that those who serve well tend to win in. You know, in life, you know, just like serving in a tennis ball, he got cheesy, but it’s getting cliche, but I feel like it’s true.

1:12:15 But the things on that list were things I’m going to do for my family, so I would ask everyone who’s watching. If that knowledge is not power, they’re going back to questions are the answer to ask yourself three questions obsessively I, I. I ask these questions we relentlessly because just knowing something or having a book on something doesn’t make you a better person unless you use it. And so I asked three these three questions. I’m listening to the show, I’m watching the show, I’m asking, How can I use this, how can I use this? and I’m taking notes.

1:12:46 I’m journaling this, right? Know, I draw a line down the page. On the left side, I’m taking notes on the right side, I’m making notes meaning on the left side. I’m capturing information, how to remember names, how to read faster mindset, and here I’m creating. So if my imagination is gonna go somewhere, my right brain, metaphorically, is gonna go somewhere.

1:13:04 I wanted to go on this page instead of going out, you know, I’m distracted and I’m writing on this side. Basically, my impressions of what I’m capturing and the three things I’m really focused on. Or these three questions so number one, how can I use this? So I’m listening this conversation and I’m writing down a left side, capturing notes, quotes and everything. But on the right side, I’m like, How can I use this?

1:13:26 I list all those ways. Second question You want to ask is why? Why must I use this? Why must I use this? Because that gets it from your head, into your heart because people aren’t gonna do something unless they feel something. And we know this in business, people don’t buy logically, they buy emotionally because we’re not logical we’re biological dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin endorphins.

1:13:48 So I really obsess about why, why must I use this because I catch me in my heart? And then, finally, the third question I ask is I go to win, When will I use this? So it goes, How can I use this? Why must I use this? When specifically, will I use this? And it’s always going back to use or application, because I feel like one of the most powerful productivity performance tools we have is our calendars.

1:14:14 But we always prioritize like the things we need to do for other people, and we want to read and journal and work out. But we never put them really in our calendars, and when they’re in our calendars, they tend to happen more than just talking about something, because it’s, well, it’s better, well done than it is. Well, Well said right. And so I make sure that I schedule those things that I want to be able to do. But that’s how you get it from your head to your heart, to your hands.

1:14:40 That if you think you have everyone, you have a goal. But you furman in your head, you visualize in your head, but if you’re not acting with your hands, it’s not just a lot of attractions, a lot of action, right? So you need to act. But usually what’s missing is a second age, which is your heart. So another way of saying it is you have information in some way.

1:14:58 There’s another reason why I love watching your show is because you give people the instruction, but a lot of people know what to do. But they don’t do what they know, because common sense is just not common practice. We ultimately know what you know, some we can do every single day to make our lives better and the laps around people around us. But this is the instruction. But if the show was just computer instructional, we know what to do, we won’t do it.

1:15:22 And then the second eye, which is inspiration, right? Because you could have a show that’s completely inspiring. You hear these amazing stories, which is which is valuable. And it also helps to not only be inspired but also know what to do. Because you can be completely inspired and motivated, but not know you have one thing that to apply that to.

1:15:42 So I would say in instruction here idea inspirations. I like iteration, right? So I’ll give you four eyes and head heart hands. Here’s the eyes, information, inspiration. And then when you have those two, you have the third eye, which is implementation, right?

1:15:58 And then I think the ultimate goal of transformation is when you have is the fourth eye, which is integration. So it’s your identity, it’s who you are, so it’s not like. So this is the challenge with behaviors. People are trying to force discipline on a certain behavior. Like, I want to read 15 minutes, I’m so motivated after watching this video, I’m gonna read 45 minutes a day.

1:16:24 And they’re forcing this behavior. But if they don’t do it and they procrastinate, they’re not looking at through those other levels, they’re not looking at the level of capability. Like, Yes, you want to read 45 minutes a day, but how ones last time you upgraded your reading skills right because you’re not gonna do it if it’s a chore and you’re not good at it. We don’t do things that we’re not wearin rarely that we’re not proficient at. And then maybe you’re too You got You listened to a podcast episode that we did on speed reading, but you’re still not doing it.

1:16:49 The level above that behave like beliefs and values, believe some values because it’s invisible, right? Because all behaviors, beliefs driven, all behaviors, belief driven. And so if you think you can think you can other ways, right, I am a reader is right, exactly so the Biloxi, so a belief could be a poor. I died, I’m not, I’m not a good reader. Reading is not or value like maybe the behavior is, Oh wow.

1:17:17 I learned this really cool tip from Jim on how to remember names. I want to remember names, that’s the behavior. Next time I go to a conference networking event I want remember names. Maybe they even know how because they have the capability, but maybe they have a belief saying I’m not smart enough or a value saying, Oh, my name’s not that important, that’s gonna affect the behavior. And people wonder why they self-sabotage, or they have a goal, or they procrastinate, or, let’s say, their behaviors.

1:17:41 They want to stop procrastinating the level above B beliefs and values. The highest levels is level you and I have talked about before. The power of identity, the two most powerful words in the English language and the two smallest right. I am because whatever you put after that determines your life, your destiny, right? So somebody, the behavior is, I want to stop procrastinating.

1:18:03 Finally, stop, but their identity is I’m a procrastinator, or I want to stop smoking, but their identities, I am a smoker. That’s a big challenge. And then, finally, if you look below, the level of behavior is this level of environment, which is which is important. Because, let’s say, once wants to stop smoking. But there, an environment with all their friends smoke as an example, right?

1:18:28 And so that would make it very difficult. Or they want to. They want to start reading, but they’re an environment where it’s not well lit or they don’t have books or whatever it is. And so you want to set up your environment because people think that habits are hard and in some ways they are because. But if you set up that environment to really thrive and you set up your triggers, we’ve done multiple episodes on habits.

1:18:54 And one of them was with Dr. B.J. Fogg on a Stanford University Behavioral Science. And he’s just like B equals M A p. So behavior equals motivation, ability and that P stands for prompt or trigger and in memory. I use triggers all the time because I went a reminder to do something. Or a reminder of that person’s name.

1:19:19 Or a reminder of the next point in my In my TED talk or whatever it happens to be. And so these levels are important, but going back to the power of questions, which is real theme of this, of our conversation. There are five W’S and an H right in school. So the identity answers the question of who the beliefs and values answer the question of why the capabilities answers the question of how the behavior is what? And finally, the environment is the when and the where.

1:19:46 So it gives you all six answers, all six questions, and when you take line all that, you have integration, right informations, great inspiration and implementation. But it’s integrated because it’s not something of the force yourself to do B, it’s because it’s just who you are. And we all have life examples of this, where we’ve integrated something, and it’s just, you know, it’s just who they are. Yeah, whether dancer, I’m a student done exactly, I’m a vegan, I’m a what or whatever it happens to be. They’re aligned, and it doesn’t have to be forced to do something and pump themselves up to follow through.

1:20:18 But when I was this with my mentor because there was so much leverage and he was asking me the question. You know, like about what’s most important to me, and I had a list of things I want to do for my family. Then I agreed to read one book a week with that leverage, and I would again ask yourself who’s counting on me? And if it’s because I think everybody, you know, everyone needs somebody that believes in them, that encourages them, that challenges them. And if you haven’t found that person yet, and then be that person for somebody else, right?

1:20:48 And especially be that person for yourself. And I think that’s important. That we’ve heard of self love and self care is not selfish. That what we need to do as a society is to fall in love with that person in the mirror. That has been through so much, but it’s still standing and I feel like it, and it’s easy to say.

1:21:08 And in terms of practicality, what do you do? You would do the things that you would do for somebody that you love. And part of that is doing these things, like learning something and part of showing yourself love. It is just not learning something for the sake of just learning it. For it to be rode is to say, How can I use this in my life?

1:21:26 You know, why, why must I use this, who’s counting on me and why? I’m like, What’s the difference I can make for showing up today? And then, finally, when? Because scheduling self care is very important, like, When are you gonna do your reading when you’re in, do your meditation, when are you gonna do your journaling? And if you’re not doing it, go back either break it down into smaller micro commitments.

1:21:45 Tiny habits as Dr. B.J. Fogg talks about. Or and ask yourself a Simon Sinek, you know, start with why? Why must I do this? And also, here’s the thing A lot of people have their fears about things I was doing training years ago. For Jim Carrey, who’s preparing for Dumb and Dumber to.

1:22:03 And he was like, Jim, I have to get really smart before I, you know, play this dumb, you know, this dumb character. And we were in his kitchen, making all the brain foods during your break. And I was like, I want to know why, like, I was like, Jim, why do you act like, Why do you do this? And he was like, Jim, I act like a complete fool on camera, so extreme, so, so, so crazy. But I do it because I want to give people at home watching permission just to be themselves.

1:22:30 And he’s like, My religion is to free people from the concerns of other people and just going back. And you know his story about writing, you know himself a check, you know, putting into his father’s great, like all that stuff. And it comes from, you know, a lot of this, the common thread between people who have this change, and I also think all of us have that million change. You study science, you study the butterfly effect that a butterfly flapping its wings here in London can create a hurricane across the world because of how systems work, so little things make a difference. So I would also remind everyone who’s watching this, that you matter, that you are enough, that you might not see it all the time.

1:23:11 But you inspire people with your grit, with your grace, and people might not. Again, they might not how to admit it, but that ripple effects makes a difference. Because literally our world would not. And you and you know, this would just. I don’t even have to talk about the collective intelligence our world because of how we interact with everybody.

1:23:29 Nobody is insignificant because especially the world we live in now, where that’s all that’s all we’re all connected and people watch how you behave. They really do. They don’t necessarily listen to what you say they do if they see you change your behavior, maybe you can. And that’s the thing you inspire people with your grit and grace, because the life you live are the lessons you teach, the life we live, our lessons we teach other people, and I would encourage. I know you have again a lot of entrepreneurs watching that.

1:23:57 It’s not about, and you’re really great about this, you and your team. It’s not just about, it’s not just about promising, it’s about proving right. It’s not just about saying it’s showing people because it just saying things, it’s just ideas are worth nothing in today’s economy. And you know this, like it’s like every. There are millions of ideas that are just not, not acted on.

1:24:20 So executions were 10000 times more than a single idea, so we tend to, as we’ve heard, you know, you can’t build your reputation on things that you say you’re gonna do. And so I would encourage people. Let the literally make your life, your lesson, you know, and your and your legacy. So those are those five kind of things from school, right? Kind of the Who, what, yeah, or how and when all those questions.

1:24:47 And then those four eyes, which are really interesting because kind of Information Foundation, and then you need the inspiration to do it and implementation. But I’m just saying the goal is integration, you want to learn something because it’s not like reaching the goal, right? We always, we hear this, we should we watch all the movie listen all the same. Okay, I was gonna say, Cassettes, Cuz, I’m gonna date myself a little bit. But it’s not the goal, its who we have to become to achieve that goal, because that’s where you feel most fulfilled.

1:25:16 How do you feel about kind of hacking the integration process with something like an affirmation where you can just, you know, be that person by saying, you’re that person, you know, start here the hacking, the integration and this Mo’s behaviors. Father Yeah, I would say, okay, so I would say that our words matter, certainly, and it’s also our feelings, you know, I know our mutual friend Dr. Joe talks about how our thoughts are, the language of our mind, our feelings, our language of our body. And so that has to be congruent. So, but it’s not just saying something, it’s actually it’s that full integration, and but your mind is always listening to your self. -TALK It’s always eavesdropping, and we have to stand guard to our mind, both of external stimulus.

1:26:04 That’s why I always say, You have to. You have to be mindful of the input and where it’s coming from and then also the output in terms what you’re generating on the inside. And it’s not always easy, but it’s maybe as simple. It’s as simple as being conscious of the those taught those thoughts and then maybe adding a little word. So I don’t have a great memory, maybe adding a little word like.

1:26:26 Yet at the end you, you tweak it a little bit and it starts to look at doubt. Because then, if you say to yourself, a lot of people are scared, right? They don’t act because they’re scared. But I would ask you ask yourself another question, because it’s usually people. It’s like, Oh, I’m scared.

1:26:45 If I do this, this is what’s gonna happen. But then reframe that question and you’re still using the power of questions, ask yourself, Maybe what? What will happen if you don’t do this? Because then you use that, that fear and something that can be help you to move positively forward. So if fear is a big motivator for you, utilize that instead of being at the effect of it and be fearful of what will happen if you don’t do what is its most important.

1:27:11 Yeah, I was just thinking about what we have an academy and we teach all sorts of different things in business and podcasting and public speaking. But ultimately, what I do is get people to confront their own fears. MM-Hm And it’s funny, because in the courses I ask people it’s an eight week course, and every week they have to ask themselves questions. And it’s interesting how you mention questions. Because some of the questions.

1:27:32 I asked them to ask themselves every week and they have to post a video. And one is, What, What was I put on this Earth to do, what was, what am I scared of and what is kind of? What would a high performance person do as in like? What would your ideal version of yourself do in this situation? Maybe let’s worry what would the superhero do?

1:27:50 And it’s fascinating because people do. They ask themselves these questions every week for eight weeks and they get different answers as they kind of evolve and start thinking about that stuff. And a lot of those connect back to kind of the why and yeah, who you doing this for. And then fear is such a It’s such a strange thing. I’m curious what your thoughts are on fear.

1:28:13 You know, these days, most of my students are so concerned about what other people think of them. Even though they don’t even like most of these other people and sometimes haven’t even met them because they’re unsocial, right? And yet there are these. They kind of paralyze them a lot of times, but for doing things because they’re just kind of worried. And I find that when they take action, they realized that’s almost all nonsense.

1:28:36 And there were these weird phantoms that kept them living this really small life, but I mean, I was curious. We think your thoughts are, Yeah, I feel like when we’re talking about regret, I spent a lot of time in them. Senior centers I lost my grandmother to Taos High Mers Oh wow. And to watch that deterioration at that young age when I was going through my own challenges was very difficult. I spent time in senior centers because I want to not only help them polish off their memories.

1:29:10 Because I feel like, first of all, there’s a rich amount of experience there, and I’ve reverence for that. Because, you know, when you think about generations what they had to go through, you know before, because it’s just it’s amazing in terms of adversity and how a lot we could go through. I talk up a lot about mental health and post-traumatic stress. There’s also this post-traumatic growth many people I’m sure I can identify with. They’ve went through such a horrible time in their life.

1:29:39 They wouldn’t wish it upon anybody they wouldn’t even, but they wouldn’t change it coming through it. That experience, because somehow throughout the process, they found a deeper meaning, they found a strength that was inside of them. They found a mission or some kind of purpose through it, like your life and brush story, right? Might alien brain turned into? And my two biggest challenges, like my superpower, going back was being invisible because I was constantly because I thought I was broken.

1:30:08 I was doing exactly what you’re saying out of fear. I would shrink, shrink, shrink, so I would and literally my physiology would collapse like that. And because our physiology affects obviously our psychology, so in class, I would always be shrinking because I don’t want to be called on. I don’t want to be called on this answer than a question I don’t have an answer for, I don’t want to look bad idea. I would do a book report and work really hard on it because I would have that discipline.

1:30:34 And. But the teacher said, Give a book report you talk about in front of class. I would lie and say, I didn’t do it. I remember this one time I’d literally said I didn’t do it from the class when I was called on and I threw it out on the way out. You know, I mean, I felt like I was throwing out.

1:30:54 This was an English class, was my only chance to pass it and I threw it out. I felt like, metaphorically I was throwing out like my potential back in back in school. But when it comes to this, we could have these fears that reduce us. But then they also could help us figure out what’s most important to us. And I feel like a huge, irrational fear is this thought about what people are gonna think and when you spend time in the senior centers, and with men and women who’ve had a long, personal history.

1:31:27 They have this common regret that somehow they didn’t live their life, that they live somebody else’s life, or they didn’t want to. They cared so much about what somebody would think and didn’t they weren’t with that person or didn’t take on that career. And we’ve heard this phrase, you know, in personal development that regret, you know, it weighs tons, discipline, ways. You know, you know how announces, but regret is something hard and so asking yourself. And this question going back to these fears is utilizing fear for something potentially positive.

1:32:06 And also we know that most a lot of fear is false, right? You know, we react to something like a fear of public speaking, like some kind of same burgers you to Tigers. Gonna attack us and our, that part of our brain, our migdal us, and fight or flight or freeze and it’s not. There’s not actual physical threat. Then in our mind, it doesn’t mean it’s not real.

1:32:27 And so part of what we’re talking about is if you want to get an outcome. Two of the tools we talked about in this conversation or the power of questions, so ask a new question, get a new answer. And so how can I use this, why must I use this? when, when will I use and apply this? Who’s counting on me? What am I most grateful for it? These are, you know, like when you’re journaling, these are questions that did you know help you to focus your reticular activating system? You know, in terms of that part of the brain, they RS that will, in your focus, is going to lead to your reality and how you feel even a good thought.

1:33:02 And but the other thing is, besides you power questions. Another tool we all are gifted with besides the power of questions is a second me, another success. Second, another second tool, a success tool, if you will, is the power of our imagination. And I think that’s like the ultimate like super powers, our ability to see. Take the invisible and make it visible.

1:33:21 I mean, if you take any, it doesn’t matter if you take. You know whether it’s Oprah. She saw herself, you know, independent she wasn’t When she was making, She wanted to have the talk, she saw it in her mind, right? Walt Disney went out to in Orange Counties and went into Zord. All these orange orchards.

1:33:39 And now actually would take a team and say, That’s where the Magic Castle is gonna be. And that’s what tomorrow lands gonna be. And for those who didn’t see it, he wouldn’t like work with them and then hire them because he saw it here in order for it to happen out there. So the other thing I would say, besides the power of questions is his thought experiments like when I’m like, for example, you take anything in turn, taught experiment gratitude, right? Like, what if the only things you had in your life tomorrow, what are the things you fully express gratitude for today?

1:34:07 If you run through the experiments like you won’t have anything tomorrow. Your clothes, your car, your fear, your family, your health, your sense of sight. You would have any of it. Unless you express gratitude, how much would you be, you know, expressing gratitude? And so it gets a little thought experiment.

1:34:23 But imagination, as Einstein said, is more powerful than knowledge. While I’d had a very strong, logical mathematical brain, he came up with all his formulas through these thought experiments. Like, What would it be like? If I was sitting on a beam of light, heading out into space or heading towards a clock? What would time look like?

1:34:40 And he would ask the questions. But then we’re on these thought experiments and using the power of imagination, and you’ve seen the power of imagination. We talked about it in your, in your in our last conversation, and Ellen Langer at Harvard, he where he was at us. She was at a senior center and saying, This is not the most vibrant. Place a live place to live your final days and took 8.

1:35:04 Men put him into an environment where, instead of 1979, which was the current time, decorated it as it was. 1959 and took all the mayors out so they couldn’t see themselves and put Time magazine from 1959 in television program Black and White. And then after just 7 days, those men, they had, they tested before and after they were stronger, they had their sense of sight was better than sense. A hearing was better, they had a better memory after just seven days of imaginative immersion and they looked younger. They took before-and-after photos.

1:35:35 And a lot of them actually walked in with like canes and such. And they were walking out and, like without it, they had this vibrancy. That’s the power of our human imagination, right? Because the mind doesn’t know the difference between something vividly imagined. Something that’s real, that if you were hooked up to brain tracking device and a dog walked in different parts, your brain would fire raw.

1:35:57 And then they would take the dog out. And then, if you just imagine that dog walking in the same part of your brains would light up. And that’s why it’s so important when we’re talking about fears. So many people rehearse their scariest things that they’re fearful are gonna happen, that they’re gonna fail, that test, that they’re gonna be rejected, or they’re gonna whatever’s gonna happen. And they rehearse it over and over again.

1:36:18 And when those thought experiments actually using are actually disempowering you because you’re practicing the failure, as opposed to what we want to go. And where the focus goes is where your energy flows. So I would say another experiment they did at University of Chicago, they took a group of people, they broke them into three groups and they did free throws. I don’t know if you read about this and but they just a basketball right and they took Group A and the B and C. They see how well they did the free throws.

1:36:47 And then they said, Okay, next 30 days, they gave a specific assignments Group A, B and C. I want you to practice one hour a day on the courts with the basketball number eight Group B, they said. We don’t want you to practice physically, but I went to practice in your mind just for an hour. Visualize, see and feel yourself positive, you know, hitting these shots just for one hour a day and then Group C, they said, Don’t practice mentally or physically, they come back up to 30 days. Group A improved 24 percent right practice makes progress right instead of permanent, it makes progress.

1:37:23 Group C no practice, no progress. But what just blew their mind was Group B. Those didn’t touch basketball for 30 days, they just ended it in their mind. They grew 23-, just 1- less than the group that actually went out there and physically do that. And you know, this, Cuz athletes, because we’re talking about tennis and different sports or golf.

1:37:43 They see it here, right? They don’t just do physical training, they do, they do mental training. Yeah, the good ones do right, right? Of course. I mean, I mean, how is it for you when you’re waiting, when you work, when you’re competing and you’re doing the Iron Band?

1:37:57 I mean, it was physical. Yeah, I just kept seeing myself crossing the line, you know, and kept thinking how I was gonna feel, and I just kept visualizing. Kind of that. Peace, you know, was it was a big part of it. Did you say thanks to yourself along the play?

1:38:11 I mean, because part of your time must have been thinking like, I don’t know, did you ever put want to like, give up like, or just feel like? I had some really good advice from people like Rich Roll and some other people out there? And well, one of the guys that advised me had worked with the Royal Marines here, and he said that. One thing the Royal Marines say is that when you go to do something, just tell yourself, I’m gonna finish. It’s just a matter of when.

1:38:35 So that’s when I went to Chattanooga, I saw the finish line and I said, I’m finishing this and it could take me. Six months or six weeks to six days or six hours by, I’m going to finish it, so it’s just a matter of time. So really quitting wasn’t an option, and once I came that can cross that in my brain. I was like, Okay, then it’s just a matter of time. So, Michael, get it done as soon as possible.

1:38:57 So I wouldn’t allow that question to think, Am I gonna stop? because then I? So that helped a lot just having that. It’s somebody listening that you know it’s so part of. It could be you, you, you have it in the mind, you visualize it, and some people say, That’s you kind of like, fake it to make it. But then you’re also simultaneous, you’re not just doing that, you’re facing it to make it.

1:39:17 Also, because what challenge comes that development and that change? Also, yeah, that was super helpful. The other thing was really helpful is not assuming that how you feel right now is the way you’re gonna feel. And even 30 or 60 seconds from now. So at some point, like everything’s hurting and it really sucks.

1:39:33 And then you’re thinking, I got three hours left. But you know you, if you go through a lot of training, you realize it five minutes later, you might actually experience this crazy high, you might start looking at the water and thinking, Wow, that was really cool. You might have an old memory of this and all the sudden 10 minutes are gone and you were running and you forgot. So it’s just like remembering that your current state is not the rest of the state. It’s hard to remember that sometimes when it comes with practice, but it didn’t.

1:40:00 The commonality of what we’re talking about is like, we have this sovereignty and we have actually more power than we. A lot of times we feel like certain things are set, you know, that are they’re fixed, like our potentials coming up, smile fixed, like our shoe size, and I don’t think that’s true. We have these resources, and part of it is your self. -Talk Click the question Try asking yourself is your focus and even your imagination. Some runners.

1:40:23 What they’ll do is they’ll visualize themselves, like if they need a little bit support up that hill or whatever they’ll imagine themselves. You know somebody pushing them from behind and that visualization will actually help them and they’ll have an ease to it also as well. And you’ve seen studies where people, even movies, whether the blindfold, the person, then they, they don’t know how far they’ve actually gone. And because you could always go further with here in my, my events, I’ll have people do these like exercises well, they’ll turn and stuff and then visualize themselves turning, and they’ll go like 25, 50 percent further with no extra effort. And I always ask people like, Were you physically capable of doing that the first time?

1:41:00 Like nobody took a yoga class, even when we’re doing this exercise? But they were, but there was a limit here. And all behavior is belief driven that if you want to create a new behavior, right? We do have share. If you want to be able to share something you need, we’ll have it.

1:41:13 In order to have it. You need to do something or do it, you need to believe you could do it, and so, but it’s hard sometimes. But getting your power back and saying, I, I have influence over this. I. I am in control and being responsible for response for how we feel and that, what we think and how we act and respond and what things mean.

1:41:35 Because even if right, one of my favorite books, man search for meaning, yeah, we always. People could always go through some things, but they had to attach a different meaning to it, like, Maybe it’s not. It’s kind of like people who are, they’re struggling right now and they’re trying like a stonecutter. They’re hitting, you know, with the they’re hitting the spike with the their hammer over and over again. 100 times, 200 times 300, I’m nothing’s happening on the outside.

1:42:01 But then maybe the 500 first time they hit it and it just like splits wide open. And was it that last hit that did it? No, it was a cumulative effect of, like all the other ones, but you didn’t see it from the outside. But something was going on in the inside. And I would say, For anyone watching this right now, is that, like you, people have heard me say this before?

1:42:22 Your life is like an egg that Venegas broken by an outside force, life ends, but if it’s broken by an inside force, life begins. And great things tend to be birthed from the inside out and you and people have greatness inside. They have, they have genius inside of them, even going for a walk outside before this interview. I like watching birds, I’ve bird watching right? And because I have this little bit slight fear of heights, you know, I’ve done the zero-g and I’ve done the skydiving everything’s I like the face we’re like, but what gives me that?

1:42:52 I remember when I first chose the name of it? When I was a kid, I was climbing up into the attic and because I wanted to see like somebody, whatever. If there was a Christmas gift up there or something like that, and my family wasn’t home and it was, it wasn’t stairs. It was like this pulldown ladder on the ceiling and I was climbing up there and I couldn’t. I couldn’t have been seven, eight years old at the time and I go up there and I slip and I fall down.

1:43:18 I scraped my whole back and stuff, but when I came and when I landed, something intuitive was like, I have to go back up there. Because I knew at that age that if I didn’t do it at that moment, I would be scared of that for the rest of my life. And I feel like that we have the people that it, that get a result, that they’re looking for. Optimists tend to order the first just shirt for my friend that says optimist. But pessimists and optimist pessimist tend to be right more often, but optimist tend to achieve more because they’re taking more risks.

1:43:54 And if failure is not an option that neither is success, right? If failure is not an option, then success is definitely not an option. And so what I would say is like to be able to that. Those people, they practice and they play at the edge of their comfort zone because human beings are the ultimate adaptation. Machines out there and our bodies will always respond to novelty like workouts.

1:44:21 Just like how you train your endurance or you, someone trains their flexibility or speed. But same thing with your mental agility here. Your brain even more so than your body, and obviously your brain is part of your body. But your rear brain with neurogenesis plasticity like Einsteins, talk about his thought experiments. His brain wasn’t larger than anybody else’s.

1:44:40 He would think he’s got this genius. I.Q. is actually smaller, but he had certain parts of his brain when they analyzed it. Had where had very dense connections, neural connections, neuroplasticity and that came from all the thought experiments that he would be running. And so you know, what happens in here is usually rehearsal for what happens out there. So I would say when it comes to facing.

1:45:03 Our fears would be to rehearse the outcome that you want. Because our, our thoughts, matter, especially for our gray matter. Yeah, I’ve always been a visualizer and my mom, I encouraged it, but I always see things how I want them to happen. And now I know it consciously and I notice it, but I always like to visualize it before I hand and I see everything going amazing and exactly. And it does help, though it does.

1:45:31 That being said, the caveat would be You could lunch as long as you’re doing that. I would also rehearse like backups, you know, and so people think the Richard. I was recently with Richard again at her neck. Ryland Key people think that he takes a lot of risks and he does with his kite surfing everything and with the business. But he’s also he manages risk, you know, so he rehearses what could go wrong here.

1:45:55 And the best investors founders, you know, even people like athletes, you know, because I, they want to prevent injury, they always be able to do. And part of doing that. As we’re saying backups here, Sophie. If somebody forgets a line here or where they go here, like Oren Martial Arts anything, it’s what’s poet’s Plan B. Yeah, I just have one of the thought that my trainer told me during the era, and she said, Samantha Murphy.

1:46:22 She said the brain quits before the body. And that’s why we were saying She just said that over and over again, and we had David Goggins in here. Last week, that said, most people quit at 40. – Yeah, so it’s just, and they’re just I. Her saying that the brain quits for the body so you got your body is screaming.

1:46:38 Ouch, ouch, ouch. And yet the body hasn’t actually stopped. It’s the brain, right? And then you adopt these beliefs that you’ve heard, whether it’s in the military or somewhere else, that something like, you know, pain is weakness leaving the body. I mean, these are the beliefs that you could adopt, and I do believe that genius leaves clues.

1:46:55 Meaning that if somebody that iq again. But just any area of genius, that there was something, there was a method behind what looks like again, Magic and these. And part of genius is not just their behaviors, but also their set of beliefs. Their values, their identity, their capabilities, their environment that they’re that they’re developing. Tell me about you, I know you’re doing, you’re going big on this podcast.

1:47:22 You know, you said you were in Africa speaking with a bunch of people there, you travel in the world constantly. You know what it, what is, what, what is kind of your mission these days because they’re busy. You’re a busy guy and I’m just wondering how at all, how it all looks to you in the future. And I appreciate that. All right, I think we’re all we all have a lot to do.

1:47:45 And I, it’s tough because I, my first reaction is like, Yeah, I’m busy and I always had to be conscious of it. Because sometimes I, you know, will use it. It’ll get like, like many people, you know, it’s like, like, a badge of honor. you know, this idea where we say we’re busy, and then because makes us we get the secondary gain of like, we’re important, right? And I am when I went, always just because step out of myself.

1:48:11 Because I’m concerned that if I value like that importance or the busyness, then I’ll design my life to be busy, but I am. I am excited things I play. A few years ago I had I was in an accident, almost died a car, a car situation, and made me think about question right here. Questions are the answer, like, what am I like? It was actually regret that I was and doing enough and I felt it.

1:48:40 It wasn’t just logical thing. It felt like, shame on me. If there was somebody, I could help and I was struggling and suffering like I did, and I don’t help that person. And so I really even more, even though it’s been more than 25 years. It’s really a lit, an even bigger fire for me.

1:48:58 Because, like one, life like I’m talking, everybody who’s watching this one life like, Why aren’t we running towards our dreams and everything who we want to be? Like, we’re on fire and also telling you about people that we love that also, because, you know, while today is here, tomorrow’s not guaranteed, and we all know this. And coaches sometimes tell you what you need to hear, or maybe say in a different way that we’ve heard it before. But a just reminder that tomorrow is not promised and to make sure you share everything you can with the people that matter to you. But when I had this situation happen, it made me think about I feel this moral obligation as deep moral obligation to be able to share.

1:49:42 Simple, easy, maybe even fun things people could do to really impress themselves, to be able to unlock that part of their brain. That might be dormant because of rote and learning in school. Or, you know, we do, you reconcile that? We have this incredible gift, but we struggle with somebody’s name, or we forget what we just read or forget a conversation we just had. Or we go to the store to pick up one thing we come back with two bags full of things, except for that one thing we went to the store for.

1:50:09 Or, you know, we feel overloaded or brain fog, or we fall asleep. When we’re reading all these situations, that happens all the time with this amazing gift, and I’m gonna show people really what they’re. What below that? We are faster and smarter than we think, and if you’re struggling, is just because technology and how we’re prepared. So my mission really is growing up as the boy with the broken brain is no brain left behind that.

1:50:37 That’s really my mission right now, so I’ll do whatever I can. And while I’m here to be able to show people have their have their best and brightest brains. Because I think this is the source of everything. And if you people want to prove their confidence and self esteem overnight, just listen to our podcast and study how your brain works because it’s remarkable. And I want to be able to help people on that quest.

1:51:03 And then so these all the writing in Greece can turn into a book, or what’s happening with that, it is, it is, it’s my first book. Yeah, that’s not to say I was like, I know it’s like, and that’s the other part of it, because part of my identity going back to have full circle. As my identity was, you know, this point with the broken brain and my power was being visible when I had this experience and made, you know, fundamentally, I’m a teacher, right? And I want to. AmeriCorps.

1:51:31 I teach you how to read and it wouldn’t be right not having a book. So many books have changed my life like, you know, a lot of people, there’s this Game of Thrones. Quote that says that a reader lives a thousand lives, a person who doesn’t read lives only one. And I feel like that’s a force multiplier, then, you know, that’s probably why, when many are, guess you know, they have these books and they’ve consolidated, you know, they’re understanding a life experience, you know, or their message to the world here, and I think all of us have that. That message whether comes in a book, a podcast, a conversation you know you have with somebody.

1:52:10 But because of that accident, it made me think about a book. And so it’s also a lot of pressure. Cuz You think of all the great books you read, I know, I know. But then it also has to get published because the fear is of all the judgment. And it’s never going to be perfect, and that’s a thing, so I don’t know how you deal with it.

1:52:28 Like having this constraint of the book is actually doing the next. Okay, good, so that’s why that’s why I was on this on this rainy and in Greece trip. But I think having a constraint also helps with creativity, too. Because when you have a constraint of money or you have a constraint of time, like, it was a straw as a short runway. And it forces your commitment, it forces your concentration and it forces your creativity.

1:52:52 It’s just like that, Peter, like teal, question right, you know, one of the world’s top investors, you know, what if you had to remember zero to one? Write his book What if you had to reach your 10-year goal? But, Joanie, I’d like six months to do it right, like mode, and that’s coming. The power question So I still think and that take care that quote, this questions lead to these thought experiments. And it makes you think of, How can I apply this?

1:53:17 And you know, in, like the different ways you could apply it. And why must I apply once you have this idea, and then when will I? and I think this conversation is about knowledge. Times action equals power, and when you do it consistently, it becomes integrated, and it’s who you are. And the left, like we live every single day, are the lessons we teach, and that’s why I love even running our podcast.

1:53:42 And I imagine your experience is the same. It’s really so neat to meet people on and off camera. You know what I mean, our shared meal with him, our conversation, because it. I liked me up when, because so many people that I talked to are my heroes, because I’ve read their books and it’s very intimate for me. Or you listen to him at night.

1:53:58 It’s very personal, right? But people are listening to your voice when they’re in the shower, or they’re like working out. I never take that for granted and going back to this, walking outside and prep walking. By the way, remember, I have a schedule. You’re thinking time because most people do it in between like meetings or whatever.

1:54:17 But schedule time for yourself to just be creative and to thinking what the best ways of doing that is to going for a walk outside. Because you create brain-derived neurotropic factors make connections you wouldn’t normally make besides the physical benefits as your body moves your brain grooves. But I look at birds, I don’t look at the bird, I’m like, I’m scared of heights. Remember, I know, even though I do the zero gravity thing and the skydiving, and I’m thinking, like, Why is that bird not scared? And I realized it’s not.

1:54:43 Because it puts its confidence or trust in the tree or the tree branch, it’s because it puts its trust in its own wings. I think everybody here watching this, you know in your audience, in your in your academy, that they have greatness inside of them. And sometimes as entrepreneurs, we have to take the leap, or, you know, as a parent you have to take the leap. But trust that our that our, our wings will show up. And it’s going back to that butterfly effect that a butterfly flapping its wings.

1:55:13 I love metaphors because I teach in parables and stories just because we start. It’s conversation with, like how powerful stories are. While the beauty lies in, the by, the beauty lies in like the butterfly, hear more, says Butterfly. But the growth happens in the cocoon that the Caterpillar, you know, as its transforming and you talk about transformation a lot. It builds its wings strength through breaking through that cocoon, and then it gates sore, but it had to do the work.

1:55:45 And while the comfort zone is a nice place to visit, nothing crows in there, nothing at all. So when, when I see, you know, friends who are pushing themselves, and you know whether it’s physically in a race or in their level of impact. That inspires me to know. And so thank you for that, because, you know, they’re transforming on the inside, right? And it’s something else.

1:56:07 There’s a butterfly that’s exactly, and they’re example for everyone around them about what’s really possible. Because every story you watch on film, because I grew up because I couldn’t read out of just comic books and movies and everything. But it’s always this, you know, Hero’s journey of going from, like, some kind of restriction or prison, emotional, physical, whatever. It is really to some kind of freedom and sovereignty. And, you know, that person’s life is never gonna be the same, and it’s these lessons that we that we live.

1:56:40 What else is the podcast taught you? Yeah, and you’re broadcasting a lot, you do a lot. Jim I mean, I just want to say, I’m thank you for all the work. But I can tell there’s something burning inside you or possessing you to do this stuff. Because when I look at what you produce and I see your schedule, I’m just like, Okay, this isn’t just a job for this guy.

1:56:59 This is a her mission, and maybe even a mission that you are like, I got to do this now, you know it. There is an urgency. I feel like the way things are just getting more and more challenging for people, and I feel like that. I’m lucky in that. Not lucky, because it’s because I, because I work, work every day to be able to hopefully serve.

1:57:22 But how my mess, Cuz, I thought I was messed my whole life and I learn, is messy. Life is messy in general, right? So no one ever gets to a point where it’s just and, you know, anywhere near perfect. But I would say my mess has become my message. My messes become my mission and it keeps me up at night, literally thinking about different ways because I’m always thinking about, like, How can I?

1:57:46 My other questions, I ask, besides, how can I use this, and why must I do this now, and when will I? So I schedule it in terms of my travel schedule and my podcast and everything is, You know, who am I gonna let down if I know if I don’t do it now and it may be, it’s their right or wrong? I don’t know if it’s right or wrong question for, but for me it sensitizes me to that. They’re only have now to be able to do this. You know, that’s why I’m grateful to be like, and the other thing is my filter system is it really is.

1:58:19 Heck, yes or heck, no, like I went. I don’t wanna be anywhere else in the world with anyone else, but you at this moment, because when you fully commit to something, I feel like most people. They don’t have their focus or their attention or their presence because they’re split, and they’re trying to multitask and multi-event all the time. And they’re never present. And I feel like if we want to, if we want to live and give at the highest level, we just have to be here and then now and do what we can and also becoming to ourselves if we feel like we fell short.

1:58:49 Because studies done in self compassion have shown that. When you beat yourself up because you didn’t work out or you ate that bad food, that junk food or whatever it is. And I don’t think there’s junk food, I think there’s junk and there’s food, there’s food. So I’m just going to go there. Because what you eat matters, especially your grain batter, and I about neuro nutrition a lot.

1:59:09 Yes, your brain actually has different trig nutrient requirements in the rest of your body, but I think everything matters. But when you fall short and the studies and self-compassion say, don’t beat yourself up that you didn’t do it. Just be kind to yourself and say, Hey, I’m human, can I do the best I can? Tomorrow could be better and then me, but then also not just hope it’ll be better. Cuz Hope is not a strategy, right?

1:59:32 But make them make a plan for it and also learn because when you make a mistake, just make them old. I’m all for making mistakes, but I just ask those people make them all hold afterwards, and, oh, I love. Acronyms always own that mistake. He make a mistake, own it. Have you heard somebody apologize, right?

1:59:50 Most people blame or something else try to fix it, that’s owning it, but the L and Old has learned from it because that’s what mistakes are. There’s stepping stones for higher learning, right? That there’s no failure, there’s just failure to learn or there’s no failure, just feedback. So make sure you learn from it and the D and old if you after you own it and you learn from it. The D is don’t repeat them, don’t repeat those mistakes because people, they say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.

2:00:18 Maybe it’s not insanity, maybe it’s just a bad memory. Remember, because people you know this people will make the same business mistakes. Doesn T the same hires. They’ll date the same person right because they haven’t learned from it and the other thing they learn it, could they? They say, Don’t repeat it, because if you make miss, if something happens, Ms. E mistake happens.

2:00:38 It can be a mistake, but if you do it repeatedly, it’s a decision. It’s a It’s a choice, so you really want to be able to manage like that. Olt Yeah, good stuff, make it old, and I love that, like, What who am I doing this for? who am I gonna let down if I don’t do it? You know, yeah, the reason this show is here, like I kind of promised in my first week that I would publish an episode every Sunday. And there was this.

2:01:01 This group of people out there, I think, was probably nobody in the beginning that I felt like I had to do this too. And now it kept me going and it keeps me doing what I do every week. Cuz I feel like I have to get up and do this stuff for these people. And I don’t want to let them down. Because it’s who you are and it’s great.

2:01:19 Also, a lesson in consistency and everyone who’s watching, watching this that every pro once started out as an amateur right? Everybody you know, once started with, like one fought, one follower, or there’s on social media or one. And that’s a thing. Is that little by little, a little becomes a lot right because can’t consistency compounds and it just grows. And what I would say to people is like, Yes, stretch, but then stabilized, you know, stretch stabilize, just like if you’re climbing a mountain or doing anything, the mountain is success.

2:01:51 Just make sure it’s the right peak, you know over. There were glad for what’s your biggest challenge right now? Biggest challenge? Yeah, I mean, I think it’s the Universal, is this time a big part of it? And I don’t think I don’t believe in time management as much as I believe in priority management.

2:02:11 Managing your priorities. Because as we know we can do anything, but we can’t do everything. And so I feel an urgency and I really want to maximize the time. That’s why routine as much my life as possible. But within frameworks, I look for freedom, too, because I don’t want to dull life.

2:02:28 My value is another question I would encourage because this is really talking about the power of questions. Because questions are, the answer is asking you what’s most important to you? You know, how do you want to be remembered? You know what’s most important to you in life? And for me, I’ve asked that question over the years, and I’ve refined it for me.

2:02:46 What’s most important? Love like my family, my friends and my, my, my community, love. Growth is next and I grow, so have more. The third values contribution because I want to grow, so have more to give. I call them grow, givers, right, people who grow because some people just give, give, give.

2:03:04 But they have nothing else to give because they’ve given out all their reserves and they become martyrs. And then my last value, which I’ve added the past couple years, is adventure, you know, so I want to. I want to, you know, love growth, contribution and adventure, and those values are very empowering, not the order of them. It just me knowing it, because it’s different for every single person, some people. Their value is like certainty or security or whatever it is, and there’s there, no right or wrong.

2:03:33 But we make our decisions. Remember that hierarchy, behavior capabilities, values and beliefs. But I think in order to be really happy, I want to remind everybody it’s part of it. Is that quest to know yourself? That’s why we meditate Amir.

2:03:48 Eat your normal and we have, you know, new sessions and conversations. Do you really get to know who we are? Well, what’s most important to us? But then the other half of it is not only having the curiosity to know yourself, but having the courage to really be yourself. And that’s a big theme of what we talked about other people’s expectations that if we fuel our life, you know, by the expectations and the opinions of other people, then we’ll.

2:04:10 We’ll run out of gas, for sure, and free yourself from that from that concern and make mistakes and indulge in some. But just make them old. Or at least like if you feel an inkling like or a passion to try something, at least try it three times. Try it. Once you know to see how it is, try it again to get decently good at it and tried again to see.

2:04:30 If you, if you like it or love it, and then you can move on, but at least at least give yourself three tries. You know, like, I’d like a someone, you know, a child learning how to walk, don’t know, no, don’t quit out there first or a second time. I like that. What scares you, what scares me? Wow, these are great questions, right? I wonder.

2:04:52 I want to know your, I want to know what your answers to. They say that organically human beings like as children, we only up to two real fears that were scared of heights and loud noises. Everything else they say is learned. I’m not sure if that’s that completely accurate, but, you know, like it sounds, gives you an idea of how we were programmed. You know, to feel certain things, you know, and no one wants to lose their, their, their loved ones.

2:05:19 And so we, you know, we all this shared humanity where we all gone through heartache and heartbreak, and, you know, challenges, health challenges and everything some people know. You know about my sleep apnea from our last episode. I don’t talk about that conversations. But for years I slept only a couple hours a night because I stopped breathing and I use a CPAP breathing device and everything. I almost drowned when I was a massage when I was a kid, so maybe part of his really to that.

2:05:49 But I mean, yes. I’m scared of a little bit of heights and everything else like that, but I’m scaring. I’m most scared that, you know, at the end of my life that I just that I held back because I’m not so much scared of failure. I mean, certainly I will have that inside of us at some level, but I’m more afraid of achieving something that doesn’t matter. You know what I mean, like getting really good at something that doesn’t really matter.

2:06:18 So climbing up the wrong ladder. Yeah, just so I’m one. The most important thing is to keep the most important thing, the most important thing and something I’m scared of not really showing up and so on that keeps me, yeah, keeps me going. Yeah, it’s good. It’s a healthy thing about a fear, right?

2:06:35 Yeah, and I think fears all our emotions are just these signals and messages to us that he feels scared of giving a presentation or performing, you know, on center court or whatever it just means. It’s just assigned your nervous system saying, Hey, I just need to prepare, you know, I need to rehearse this. I mean, I need to get better because that’s useful. Some fears are extremely useful. Right?

2:06:57 I want to be, you know, afraid of heights like I watched that documentary, you see, like the Free soul. Oh yeah, we had Jimmy Chin and I did you know that Alex at the premiere as well. Yes, so like that, that’s the useful, like, if you have some people who don’t feel like that, that’s a little bit. I want to be fear followed doing that because I don’t want to. You know, yeah, but Alex can’t be too fearful or he’ll get lost in the moment, right, exactly?

2:07:21 And that’s why no one else can do what he does. There are better climbers than him, but nobody that can keep it together. At 2000 feet, I would never rope on and smile. And part of it is nature. You know, I know that put their parts of brain to turn development and such, but also it’s just trained.

2:07:37 I mean, he was like him living in that van and doing the practice every single day. You know, hear that phrase and personal development, and he was Jim Rohn. What you practice in private, your reward for in public. But you know, what are people practicing when people aren’t looking? Because that’s the rehearsal acid?

2:07:53 That’s the deep work. That’s the place that many people go to know that idea that we don’t rise to a level of expectations we love. We fall to a level of our training and the skills and the abilities. What are we doing that? You know, it’s like, Don’t shrink your life down to don’t shrink your dreams down to your present reality expand like your capabilities, your commitment, your discipline, your skills to the level of your, your destiny.

2:08:23 It’s strong stuff here. Jim, It’s funny. Cuz. I introduce you as this guy about learning and memory. But like, you’re a lot more than that, like, you really are like a philosopher.

2:08:33 And it’s really about this human existence. And I think it’s because you continue to grow as a person. So, you know, I think we need to rewrite your because, you know, the techniques are so people could listen to our podcast and just listen. How to remember names and how to read faster and how to change your habits and how to learn languages and do all that. You know, I feel like we know it, but we don’t.

2:08:55 We and we need we need that, that we need to be able to toughen who, you know, really, who we are. And then, ultimately, I feel like people need to remind themselves when I was talking about looking in the mirror and loving that person. That’s been through so much, but it’s still standing. We have to reconnect with really who we really are, you know? And I feel like a lot of people are suffering and struggling at all times in their life and where we feel like we’re not enough.

2:09:21 And I feel like that’s the biggest challenge. Humanity is really facing. And I’m not saying, Love yourself like, not narcissism, right? You know, Cuz, that’s not, and I’m talking about loving yourself. It’s like, Hey, I’m doing new, I’m doing the best I can.

2:09:35 And you know at this moment. And if you just, if you work hard, you work smart, you’re kind to others, you feed your mind. You’re always learning good. Things are just gonna happen, yeah, for sure. Looking on those billion brains, I love it, Jim, I’m gonna finish with my questions.

2:09:52 I asked at the end it if you could call up the 20 year old Jim Quick and go with a special phone and give that young man a bit of advice. I guess you’ve already had the talk with your mentor, you know, and maybe you’re trying to apply some of those things that he taught you. But if you could give him some advice based on everything you know now, what would tell? Twenty-year-old Jim. Besides investing in Facebook and Apple beside that, I think it would be that it was like, You know, it’s interesting, because that was the time when I started to really just develop these superpowers.

2:10:32 And I don’t say, Discover, I mean, I yes, I think it’s like finding it’s like finding true love. It’s like it’s this romantic version that you’re gonna find true love. But it’s not just it’s not just discovering it’s developing it, it’s the work that you do every single day. And so I would say to myself, my younger version myself, is that you matter? and I would say this to everybody watching this, regardless of your age, chronological age and otherwise. Is that you matter and what you do matters and just do a little bit each day, you know, progress?

2:11:04 How I would say that, have faith in yourself, believe in yourself. Here’s my advice, summed up. Know yourself, trust yourself, love yourself, be yourself, strong words, very strong. On that same note, best advice you’ve ever received could have done from your dad, your mom or mentor or someone else. Along the way, Branson will smooth very anybody else, but best advice you ever received, best advice or some good advice, some good advice. I mean, certainly from my early mentors and the parents about just working hard and being kind.

2:11:53 Haley I would say. The following success. Secrets are only available inside the London Real tribe, where you get exclusive access and insights from our high-performance. Guests on wealth, creation, productivity, leadership, morning routines, health and, well-being but I would really encourage people.

2:12:20 A great piece of advice is to read fiction. You know, when I bonded with Oprah and with Elon, it was there were over. Books, fiction books now obviously is very famous for her book club, so that’s kind of given. But Elon came from a conversation that we had about his favorite sci-fi books and mine also as well. So we kind of geeked out over that.

2:12:41 But I noticed that a lot of high performers read fiction, and you know what it does. People don’t realize this because I read a lot of nonfiction, and people in art and high performance tend to obsess about leadership and trammel. All for that, right? And it spent some time reading some fiction books, because most time people don’t read it unless they’re like on vacation or somewhere. It increases, it increases creativity, it increases imagination, and the big thing is that it improves emotional intelligence where everyone talks about, you know, mental intelligence.

2:13:12 And I’m obviously a big advocate for mental health and mental fitness and brain performance. And I would say emotional intelligence is as if not more important, and when. Reading helps you to do that, because when you’re identifying with the character and you’re trying to problem-solve from their point of view. And it’s a little bit more active than watching a TV show that does the work for you. You know, Cuz, Nobody, Spielberg, they can’t do what you can do inside your own mind.

2:13:37 And so it develops empathy to a very high degree. And so if you want high performance, I would encourage people to read 15 minutes of just fiction, reading. And just, you know, remember, in storytelling, goodness, like storytellers, are they? They like real the world, they do rule the world. I mean, I, I’ve had a lot of people in that chair, and it’s the best storytellers that they did infect the most people.

2:14:03 And you could have, you could be the smartest person in the world that have the greatest IP. But if you can’t tell it in an engaging way or it doesn’t matter, it’s almost like the tree falling in the woods. You know, it has a lot to do that. The same elements that make for a good story car would accelerate learning, memory, focus, everything, those same principles. I used to never allow myself to read fiction because I was like, hardcore.

2:14:27 I got to read nonfiction and biographies, and then I read a few pieces of fiction. I was just like, Wow, this is wonderful, and I’m like, really engaging with the story and my brains thinking really creatively. And I was like, Okay, now you get permission, but I don’t read much of it. But now at least I know that it is a healthy thing and I agree with everything you said there. And to know that it’s not true sometimes can just to be even better.

2:14:49 Because then you can all just allow it to not be factual and then go with it. And then, like you said, you go with your own creativity and dreaming and emotion. So it’s powerful. Last part of that question to that 20 year old that’s watching and listening to us advice to them. You know, it’s a brand-new world than when you and I were 20 there.

2:15:08 What do they need to keep their eye on, or focus on in order to live the next 100 years of their life? In a In a way that you can contribute toward humanity. Yeah, I mean, I’m jealous and envious of 20 year olds. Because that’s the time where you could take risks and make mistakes. When you don’t have certain responsibilities and you could iterate, I think you need that.

2:15:31 So what I would say is find out what’s most important to you in terms of your values because everyone’s different. Your passions, your projects, the things that light you up. As I mentioned before that, we’re not burnt out because we’re doing too much, we’re doing too little, the things, the light us up. We need to get that venn diagram of like taking your passion and overlaying your power, which is your abilities to make it profitable. You know that sweet spot, you know your element if you will.

2:15:58 Yep, do you have time? But I want to take that time for granted the world we live in right now, the world is changing at breakneck speeds, right? And so, as I mentioned, everything’s going to artificial intelligence and automation reinvest in creative imagination, problem-solving, meta,-learning. Learning how to learn is like, lean into that because of making everything in your life easier from there. And they the average person right now, they say they’re gonna have anywhere from eight to fourteen different careers.

2:16:32 Because we don’t know where the world’s gonna be. We have an idea, but we really don’t know where the real it’s gonna be 20 years from now. And so, I would say, is in the world of rapid change, you know where knowledge is power learning is your superpower and to really learn how to how to learn. And that’s the one thing if you want to get ahead. If you want that competitive advantage, whether you’re an individual or your organization, it’s your ability to out, learn out, think, perform everything.

2:17:00 So I would say it’s always rapid learning and rapid application that’s gonna make the difference. And what makes that easier and more effective our systems to do those things, we don’t have to just work hard and push through it. But you focus on that focal point that lead domino if you will, that makes everything else down the road easier. But invest in that. And I would say, Feed your dreams, feed your business.

2:17:27 If you’re an entrepreneur, you have to do that every single day until it feeds you back and in the beginning, you’re gonna be grossly underpaid. You’re right because you’re hitting that rock, you’re hitting that rock, nothing’s happening. But eventually there’ll be a split and you do this right, you’ll be over paid, you know, for what you do in terms of in minutes, it’ll look like an overnight success, but you and I know it’ll take a good 10, 20, 30 years. They had that overnight. It’s like, Yeah, I had a bunch of overnight successes in that chair.

2:17:53 They’re definitely not. There’s really good advice. I love the metal learning aspect, especially in today’s age where you can do that, but also knowing exactly what to do. Yes, the NCQ mentors. It’s a good community that supports that also, so you can academy if you will, because that’s the fastest way to be able to fast-track this.

2:18:12 In order to be able to achieve your goals, you need a number of C’s, you need consistency, you need challenge, unique capabilities, right? You need to be able to concentrate, to be able to do that, any commitment. And what a If you want those five C’s or Sixties, get that next one, which is a coach. Because coach will keep you consistent, a coach will constantly challenge you. Which coach will transfer skills and capabilities to you, you know, and then help to refine your concentration so you can be committed.

2:18:41 But the two things that you can coach or mentor and you know this from experience, you can’t. They can’t give you two things, they can’t give you motivation. You guys together do the work right and they could tell you what you need to do, but you got to do the work. Because learning like life is not a spectator sport, and besides motivation, they can’t give you an open mind. It’s cheesy, but we’ve heard it.

2:19:05 That in mind is like a parachute, it only works when it’s open. But somebody could be very motivated. But they’re closed minded and they’re not open to new things and they’re stuck. And that’s when you have, like, even on an industry level, you have the blockbusters right? Because they don’t change the of the Kodak’s because they don’t change with who it, the way the world is going.

2:19:23 Or they’re stuck on a certain level of beliefs and you don’t want it, you want to do that right, you want to live in that. Remember, you don’t have creativity, you do creativity. And part of it is, Is us finding novelty every single day? Finding that curiosity, finding that wonder, Rumi has a great quote that said, Sell your cleverness for Bill, We’ll Germans. When’s the last time you know you felt the wildered about something?

2:19:52 Sell your cleverness for bewilderment? Yeah, what does that mean? It’s like so many people, they’re so clever. Like I remember when I was, I started teaching corporate when I was 21, 22 years old. Can I have people twice or three times my age?

2:20:05 And they’re like, Oh, I have, you know, 30 years of experience and that, and when you, when you deconstruct it. They might not really have 30 years of experience, but they might have is one year of experience that they repeated like, 20, 30 years. And I think that it’s not just chronological age, it’s also the age of our mind and our spirit. And one of the reasons why children learn so fast is they have the sense of wonder and fascination. They ask questions like, Wow, I mean, how often the kids ask the question, like, Why, right?

2:20:33 And they? And that all learning is state-dependent, all learning is state-dependent. So I would say a lot of people are sooo, clever for their own good right? And also that sense of perfection will keep you from progressing right, because that’s the ultimate what Rob’s you of Mastery and a life well,-lived is saying. I know that already.

2:20:53 I know that because we know that the Masters and I never say Matt, I’d only use Masters. Having just experts, people that achieve they, they are relentless around the fundamentals, they get back to the basics. So even if somebody has heard something in this conversation before any future episodes, you know what you don’t want to do is sell yourself. Should I say all you know what that ready? I know that already, because unless you’re doing it, going back to knowledge is not power, it’s only potential power.

2:21:22 I don’t feel like people understand it, yeah, and that’s just me calling people out, and I know I could be better at this. But that’s why those three questions How can I use this? why must I use this? When will I use? is so important because that’s where you turn knowledge into, like, real, real results. It’s a lot of powerful stuff in here, Jim, I really appreciate it, and I love that career. Eighteen to eight to fourteen different careers. So, you know, we think, you know, I was telling something today, I mean, I.

2:21:48 I’m a mechanical engineer from M.I.T. and a YouTuber, you know, and so, and I’m cool with that. You know, if you would have told me back then that’s what I was doing. I look, that’s insane, but, you know, the truth is, is that you’re gonna have so many different iterations. And in this crazy world now, who knows? It could be thirty or forty careers, so it’s so crazy.

2:22:08 Yeah, I love embracing the meta learning, and also, you know, it’s not always a rush when you’re 20. I know there’s seven ones in a rush when they’re twenty. I was in a rush, right, but you know this, these great things are great. Take some time you take some time for a hike, and I don’t think it’s just, I mean, use a discovery process. You know, you know yourself, and then also to be yourself and take some time in silence to, like so many people don’t, they’re scared of slowing down, but silence is not.

2:22:37 It’s not empty. It’s full of answers. Yeah, yeah, super powerful stuff, Jim. I highly encourage everyone to grab your podcast check. Greg A quick brain.

2:22:48 Yeah, hey, Wik, brain calm. And they’ll get these videos on how to remember and how to speed read. And then I would love people to close in this show. They’re about 10 15 minutes long and they’re not socials. You know, I know I, you inspire me with everything you put out there, so I would challenge everyone who’s watching this to.

2:23:07 Maybe take a screenshot of what they’re watching or listening to right now and tag both of us and then one the fastest way. If you want to know the fastest, one of the fastest ways to learn something is you. Do you teach it, learn with the intention of teaching? So like real, listen to this episode and then take a screenshot, share it, because then when you teach something, you get to learn it twice. Tag us both and share your big aha like what was like the one thing you learned or what.

2:23:32 Maybe one thing you’re gonna do differently based on this, this conversation, and put it out there. Because, again, that butterfly effect, you don’t know who’s watching and whose words like you could be. You know this, Brian, like, so you could be standing right next to somebody who’s fighting the battle of their life. You know what I mean? And that’s why kindness goes a long way and sharing encouraging, so try to be that person for somebody.

2:23:59 Yeah, I love that all right, yeah, so cry. Take screenshot Whatever you’re watching right now, tag us both and then teach someone what you maybe learned today that’s powerful and then tell us about it. That would be great. They can follow you on Instagram. You got a great Instagram account, lots of video clips from your podcast.

2:24:13 Yeah, at Jim Quick at Jim Quick with our Facebook Instagram at Jake. Yeah, I just spelled word. KWI KAY Yeah, it’s great stuff, and, yeah, I mean, I’m in the real. Brian Rose on Instagram and then at London Real Dot TV, Alright little TV. On the rest of them.

2:24:27 There’s so much IP that Jim has that we didn’t touch today. Because I like talking to you about you and your story. But they can get all that. I’m sure on your podcast, and there’s so much stuff, I mean, seems like you’d rip IP, but we got some really good stuff today. I love the four eyes and the three HS and these questions and just really powerful stuff, Jim So again, really appreciate everything you do.

2:24:49 I can tell you’re a man on a mission, and I know it’s not always comfortable being on that mission. I feel like you’re in the cocoon a lot of times, and it’s not always the funnest place to be. But it’s the place where you’re growing the most and you’re creating the most good for everyone else. I feel that with you and you’re really, and I know you got a lot of demands and you’re right in the book. And I feel that way, too sometimes.

2:25:10 And so it’s just great to see you out there doing it, so really appreciate everything you do and I really appreciate coming back here. I feel like we could have another ten of these conversations honestly, and I would get a lot out of it. And I think a lot of people would, too. So likewise, I appreciate I talk about superheroes, and I think your amazing example of a modern-day superhero. And I appreciate just a year, and this is this is the but.

2:25:32 What they do is also is they show people what’s possible, you know, they give you, they give you people hope. And we all have our own challenges that we have. And, you know, as long as we don’t let them define us, just like our mistakes. We don’t like our mistakes to find us. They’re there, opportunities that we are, not our mistakes, but who we come by.

2:25:54 Go surpassing those previous versions of herself. So to everyone who’s watching, I huge props because I feel like we’re kindred minds, kindred spirits that were on the same adventure. To be able to learn, to grow, to have more, to be able to, to give. So I wish everyone’s days before lots of life and lots of love, lots, laughter, always lots learning. So thanks for the KP.

2:26:17 Where do you my pleasure? I’ve never been called the Super here before and I’m bad at compliments. So thanks so much. And we’re looking forward to the book and all the best in your travels. HM Thanks you.