Hey guys:
As always, lots of goodness to discuss today. So, let’s jump straight in.
First: Want a Lifetime Optimize membership for $250? (That’s $150 off.)
Hook yourself up here!
Second: Not too long ago, I mentioned the fact that one of our Optimize Coach – Class I graduates (Donna Hemmert!) produces a show called Positive Conversations hosted by Larry King and James Pawelski.
(James is the author of my new Top 3 all-time book: Happy Together. Check out the Note, PNTV and get it on Amazon—here’s my review!)
The first take needed to be redone as my country-living satellite internet needed some work. 🤠
In the second attempt, Larry wasn’t feeling 100% so James ran with it on his own and hosted a REALLY fun chat with leading neuroscientist Jeffrey Schwartz and me. It was AWESOME. Check it out here.
(We’ve reschedule the Larry + James chat for October. More on that soon!)
Third: I just watched the new Netflix documentary called The Social Dilemma. (Thank you, Calman for recommending it to me!)
If you haven’t watched it yet, I HIGHLY recommend you take the 90 minutes and watch it. Here’s the trailer.
Now, I KNEW that we need to get our tech consumption under control—which is why I created Conquering Digital Addiction 101 and why we have so many Notes on the subject. (See the Notes on: The Shallows, Irresistible, Bored and Brilliant, Lead Yourself First, The Distraction Addiction, The Distracted Mind, Your Brain at Work, Unsubscribe, Focus, Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, Brain Wash, Indistractable, Make Time, The Willpower Instinct, Willpower, and Positive Addiction.
It’s also why worked with Cal Newport to produce a special Master Class on his great book Digital Minimalism. (👈 Check out the Notes and Digital Minimalism 101.)
But, frankly, I didn’t realize JUST HOW BAD the situation is—not just on a personal level but on a societal level. This documentary opened my eyes to the challenges we face and gave me that much more of a fierce resolve in helping you engage with technology in a manner that helps you and your family flourish.
Why?
SO WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, ONE PERSON AT A TIME, TOGETHER, STARTING WITH YOU AND ME, TODAY.
It’s the things that don’t seem like that big of a deal that, upon further reflection, ARE.
This is, unquestionably, one of those things that demand more of our heroic attention.
On that note, one of the most poignant scenes in the movie is when positive psychologist Luminary Jonathan Haidt (see Notes on The Happiness Hypothesis) describes the statistics on self-harm and suicide rates among teenage girls and how they have SKYROCKETED since the emergence of social platforms.
As he says, it’s “horrifying.”
I actually chatted with Cal Newport on Thursday about this. Cal (via Digital Minimalism) is the one who introduced me to the horrifying stats. He told me he originally got his stats from Professor Haidt who is working on a lit review on the subject.
Practically speaking, at the end of the film, Haidt tells us there are three things he personally does with his kids.
Briefly:
1. 1/2 hour before bedtime, all devices are out of the bedroom. (Note: I’d make that 1 hour.)
2. No social media until high school. He thinks it should be 16.
3. Work out a time budget with your kids. Ask them how much time THEY think they should spend on their devices. He says they tend to give reasonable answers.
Again, check out the film for the sobering, high-level look at the challenge and check out Conquering Digital Addiction 101 and Digital Minimalism 101 for some practical steps we can take to Optimize our relationship to technology TODAY.
In other news…
Cal has a new podcast. It’s called Deep Questions with Cal Newport. It’s awesome. Check it out. We’re excited to be one of his first advertisers. Fired up about that.
In other news…
We have a new Note this week. It’s on David Rendall’s fun book The Freak Factor. I got this book after Tom Morris referenced it in Plato’s Lemonade Stand. It’s great. Hope you enjoy the Notes.
In other news…
After a post-production hiccup, we’re back on track with our daily PNTVs.
You can watch/listen to them on our podcast and YouTube.
Here’s the latest:
I pressed pause on our #1 series. Then I came back two days later. It was a very brief retirement. (lol)
Well, real quick.
I filmed a “Top 10 favorite books” ever video. People loved it. It gave me the idea to create a “Top 3 Favorite Books” series in which I share my absolute favorite books across a broad range of subjects.
We’ll be kicking that off on October 1st.
For now, I’d like to make an introduction: “Friends, meet books. Books, friends.”
THAT is all.
That and heroic love to you and your Loved ones.
Let’s do this.
Today.
As always, lots of goodness to discuss today. So, let’s jump straight in.
First: Want a Lifetime Optimize membership for $250? (That’s $150 off.)
Hook yourself up here!
Second: Not too long ago, I mentioned the fact that one of our Optimize Coach – Class I graduates (Donna Hemmert!) produces a show called Positive Conversations hosted by Larry King and James Pawelski.
(James is the author of my new Top 3 all-time book: Happy Together. Check out the Note, PNTV and get it on Amazon—here’s my review!)
The first take needed to be redone as my country-living satellite internet needed some work. 🤠
In the second attempt, Larry wasn’t feeling 100% so James ran with it on his own and hosted a REALLY fun chat with leading neuroscientist Jeffrey Schwartz and me. It was AWESOME. Check it out here.
(We’ve reschedule the Larry + James chat for October. More on that soon!)
Third: I just watched the new Netflix documentary called The Social Dilemma. (Thank you, Calman for recommending it to me!)
If you haven’t watched it yet, I HIGHLY recommend you take the 90 minutes and watch it. Here’s the trailer.
Now, I KNEW that we need to get our tech consumption under control—which is why I created Conquering Digital Addiction 101 and why we have so many Notes on the subject. (See the Notes on: The Shallows, Irresistible, Bored and Brilliant, Lead Yourself First, The Distraction Addiction, The Distracted Mind, Your Brain at Work, Unsubscribe, Focus, Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, Brain Wash, Indistractable, Make Time, The Willpower Instinct, Willpower, and Positive Addiction.
It’s also why worked with Cal Newport to produce a special Master Class on his great book Digital Minimalism. (👈 Check out the Notes and Digital Minimalism 101.)
But, frankly, I didn’t realize JUST HOW BAD the situation is—not just on a personal level but on a societal level. This documentary opened my eyes to the challenges we face and gave me that much more of a fierce resolve in helping you engage with technology in a manner that helps you and your family flourish.
Why?
SO WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, ONE PERSON AT A TIME, TOGETHER, STARTING WITH YOU AND ME, TODAY.
It’s the things that don’t seem like that big of a deal that, upon further reflection, ARE.
This is, unquestionably, one of those things that demand more of our heroic attention.
On that note, one of the most poignant scenes in the movie is when positive psychologist Luminary Jonathan Haidt (see Notes on The Happiness Hypothesis) describes the statistics on self-harm and suicide rates among teenage girls and how they have SKYROCKETED since the emergence of social platforms.
As he says, it’s “horrifying.”
I actually chatted with Cal Newport on Thursday about this. Cal (via Digital Minimalism) is the one who introduced me to the horrifying stats. He told me he originally got his stats from Professor Haidt who is working on a lit review on the subject.
Practically speaking, at the end of the film, Haidt tells us there are three things he personally does with his kids.
Briefly:
1. 1/2 hour before bedtime, all devices are out of the bedroom. (Note: I’d make that 1 hour.)
2. No social media until high school. He thinks it should be 16.
3. Work out a time budget with your kids. Ask them how much time THEY think they should spend on their devices. He says they tend to give reasonable answers.
Again, check out the film for the sobering, high-level look at the challenge and check out Conquering Digital Addiction 101 and Digital Minimalism 101 for some practical steps we can take to Optimize our relationship to technology TODAY.
In other news…
Cal has a new podcast. It’s called Deep Questions with Cal Newport. It’s awesome. Check it out. We’re excited to be one of his first advertisers. Fired up about that.
In other news…
We have a new Note this week. It’s on David Rendall’s fun book The Freak Factor. I got this book after Tom Morris referenced it in Plato’s Lemonade Stand. It’s great. Hope you enjoy the Notes.
In other news…
After a post-production hiccup, we’re back on track with our daily PNTVs.
You can watch/listen to them on our podcast and YouTube.
Here’s the latest:
- PNTV: The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. (#400)
- PNTV: Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday (#401)
- PNTV: Gratitude Works! by Robert Emmons, Ph.D. (#402)
- PNTV: Musonius Rufus, Lectures and Sayings (#403)
- PNTV: The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb (#404)
- PNTV: The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins (#405)
- PNTV: Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven (#406)
- PNTV: Sea Stories by Admiral William H. McRaven (#407)
- PNTV: The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth (#408)
I pressed pause on our #1 series. Then I came back two days later. It was a very brief retirement. (lol)
- #1: Top 3 Books Ever… The Series! (#40)
- #1: A quick look at my creative process (via Top 3 books project!) (#41)
- #1: Ice baths, my Top 3 teachers ever, bullying, and TGIM! (#42)
- #1: Friends, meet books. Books, friends! (#43)
- #1: Pause button, foolish consistency and WIN!! (#44)
- #1: “I’m back.” (Missed you + The Social Dilemma + Wonderfully bad data +) (#45)
Well, real quick.
I filmed a “Top 10 favorite books” ever video. People loved it. It gave me the idea to create a “Top 3 Favorite Books” series in which I share my absolute favorite books across a broad range of subjects.
We’ll be kicking that off on October 1st.
For now, I’d like to make an introduction: “Friends, meet books. Books, friends.”
THAT is all.
That and heroic love to you and your Loved ones.
Let’s do this.
Today.
