The Good Life Podcast with Sean Murray

#69 - The Deadline Effect with Christopher Cox

My guest this week is Christopher Cox, author of the book, “The Deadline Effect: How to Work Like It’s the Last Minute, Before the Last Minute.” There is something about deadlines. They can motivate and inspire us to do great work and they can create urgency – would we ever complete any significant project without a deadline? – but they can also cause anxiety and stress.In his extensive research for the book, Christopher Cox visited a ski resort before opening day, a fine-dining restaurant before the grand opening and even an Easter Lilly farm as they planned ahead for Easter. In the process, he learned how successful organizations use deadlines to effectively mobilize and align resources. In this episode we discuss techniques and strategies we can employ to use deadlines to increase our own productivity and, perhaps even achieve a state of flow.So, if you want to eliminate procrastination, get more done and feel better doing it, you won't want to miss this one. Topics Covered:How deadlines reduce anxiety and help us be more productive.Why people mistakenly associate deadlines with anxiety when they are actually remembering the unpleasant feeling of procrastination.Why it's effective to space out deadlines.What is the planning fallacy and how to avoid it.How to work "right to left" to ensure your big project comes in on time.What we can learn from how ski resorts meet their opening day deadline every year.How to use a "soft deadline with teeth."What we can learn from people who prepare for deadlines that are random.How, if we can achieve a state of being "constantly productive, constantly prepared," we will experience a state of flow.Why "as soon as possible" is the worst deadline you can setResourcesThe Deadline Effect: How to Work Like It's the Last Minute, Before the Last Minute, by Christopher Cox.Connect with Christopher CoxTwitter: https://twitter.com/cwheLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-cox-5a70467/Connect with Sean MurrayEmail: seanm@seanmrealtimeperformance.comTwitter: @seanpmurray111Website: RealTime Performance, Inc.Weekly Newsletter: RealTime Performance NewsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#68 - Journaling and the Power of Reflection with Bob Cancalosi

My guest today is Bob Cancalosi, the author of several books about journaling, most recently, Four Loops Learning: Reflection Points. Bob has been journaling for over 20 years. I talk with him about why he got started, what kept him going through the years and how it's enhanced his life. He also talks about getting diagnosed, three years ago, with a rare head and neck cancer, and how journaling has helped him through a very trying ordeal, and now it's changed his perspective on life.If you are already journal daily, you'll love this conversation and if you don't currently journal, look out, because Bob just might inspire you to start.Topics:How a fear of complacency drove Bob to start journalingWhy he writes about anything that motivates or inspired himWhy "leaders how are deliberately more reflective are profoundly more effective"Why it's important to go back and read the past 50 pages of your journal to extract the most impactful ideas.How journaling helps leaders slow down, think deeper and mitigate risks before they make decisionsWhat is "additive thinking" and how it can help usWhy it's much more effective to write in your journal by hand versus typing into a laptop.Why the adage "repeat to remember and remember to repeat" is so important for journalingWhy the key to journaling is prioritizing and acting on your biggest ideasWhy its better to share knowledge with others rather than horde it-Why it's important to define our purposeResourcesFour Loop Learning: Reflection Points, by Bob CancalosiConnect with Bob CancalosiWebsite: https://www.fourlooplearning.com/Twitter: @BobCancalosiLInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-cancalosi-03039418/Connect with Sean MurrayEmail: seanm@seanmrealtimeperformance.comTwitter: @seanpmurray111Website: RealTime Performance, Inc.Weekly Newsletter: RealTime Performance NewsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#67 – Investment Master Class with John Garrett

In today's episode I talk with John Garrett, investment manager at MA Financial and the author of the popular blog, Investment Master Class. John talks about how being a successful investor requires continuous learning, and how the practice of writing has helped him become a better investor.What You'll LearnWhy some companies "fight the fade"What Garrett learned by reading Nick Sleep's investment lettersThe importance of taking a multi-disciplinary approach to learningWhy the Santa Fe Institute is such a great resource for investorsAdvice for those just getting started in the industryResourcesInvestment Master ClassConnect with John GarrettLInkedIn: John GarrettTwitter: @mastersinvestConnect with Sean MurrayEmail: seanm@seanmrealtimeperformance.comWebsite: RealTime Performance, Inc.Weekly Newsletter: RealTime Performance NewsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#66 – Decoding Greatness with Ron Friedman

My guest today is Ron Friedman, author of Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success. In this episode Ron applies the principles of reverse engineering to creative fields like writing and investing. We talk about how to study people who are the best in the world at what they do by breaking down what it is they’re doing that is contributing to their success, and then then working backward to figure out how they did it.Ron reveals how true innovation comes from following an established formula and then making it a little more original by putting our own spin on it. Topics:Why completely novel ideas often failHow to break down a successful book, movie, speech, article, TED Talk or song and learn from itHow to start with an established formula and make it a little bit more originalWhat the “vision-ability” gap is and how to overcome itWhy it’s important to find and measure the leading indicators that predict success in your fieldWhy Friedman keeps a “Five Year Diary” and how it helps him get more out of every dayWhy studying someone and actively trying to copy their work will eventually help you find your own creativityBooks & ResourcesDecoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success by Ron FriedmanConnect with Ron FriedmanTwitter: @ronfriedmanWebsite: https://www.ignite80.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronfriedmanphd/Connect with Sean MurraySean's Twitter AccountSean's LinkedIn AccountEmail: seanm@realtimeperformance.comWebsite: RealTime Performance, Inc.Weekly Newsletter: RealTime Performance NewsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#65 - The Former President of Fidelity on Remote Work

Today's guest is Bob Pozen, the former president of Fidelity Investments. He teaches a course at MIT Sloan called "Maximizing your own Productivity" and he recently authored a book with Alexendra Samuel titled, "Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive at Work...Wherever You Are"TopicsWhy we shouldn't think of ourselves as a "remote worker," rather we should think of ourselves as "Remote, Inc."Why the mindset of becoming a "business of one" is so importantThe critical role autonomy plays in becoming an productive and happy remote workerWhy companies need to shift from measuring "hours worked" to measuring resultsWhat was unique about how Peter Lynch managed his time at FidelityWhy we should leave an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon for thinking timeHow writing helps you clarify your thinkingWhy everyone should aim for the optimal amount of remote workWhy remote work is here to stay (at least in some form) and how to prepare for the future.Books & Resources"Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive at Work Wherever You Are," by Robert Pozen and Alexandra Samuel"Extreme Productivity" by Robert PozenRemote, Inc. WebsiteConnect with Robert PozenTwitter: @PozenConnect with Sean MurraySean's Twitter AccountSean's LinkedIn AccountEmail: seanm@realtimeperformance.comWebsite: RealTime Performance, Inc.Weekly Newsletter: RealTime Performance NewsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.