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2012

December

31: What is purpose? How do I create more purpose in my life?
30: What is meaning? How do I create more meaning in my life?
29: Understanding others’ value and their values
28: What is value? What are values? (short version)
27: What is value? What are values?
26: Cognitive behavioral therapy and its problems, part 2
25: Cognitive behavioral therapy and its problems
24: The irony of my last two posts
23: Vince Lombardi: What It Takes to be Number One
22: Public speaking and karaoke success
21: Burpees — the one year review
20: Nature versus Corporate (slideshow)
20: Nature versus Corporate
19: Petty pathetic censorship
18: You know, ordinary life is pretty complex stuff
17: Thoughts on mourning
16: A poem: In the sea of Iwami by Kakinomoto Hitomaro
15: One of the most insidious barriers to getting hard things done, part 5: examples
14: One of the most insidious barriers to getting hard things done, part 4: overcoming them
13: One of the most insidious barriers to getting hard things done, part 3: why empathy gaps make sense
12: One of the most insidious barriers to getting hard things done, part 2: research and experiments
11: One of the most insidious barriers to getting hard things done, part 1
10: Moving doesn’t have to suck. It can be great.
9: Talking about race is sure to lead to nonsense
8: Responsibility and consuming resources
7: Scandal about that refreshing voice on copyright from a hard-core conservative
6: You’re an animal
5: Schopenhauer on the consistency and reliability of our emotional systems
4: Overcoming Objections and Blocks overview and table of contents
3: Overcoming objections exercise
1: Common objection 11: Other people tell me not to

November

30: Common objection 10: I’m good at something else
29: Common objection 9: I’m too busy. I have other priorities.
28: Common objection 8: But it’s embarrassing or it makes me anxious
27: Common objection 7: I’ll feel fake
26: Common objection 6: That’s just the way it is
25: Common objection 5: I have to take care of “real world” issues first
24: Common objection 4: I don’t know how to do it, I’m too introverted, I’m not smart enough, etc
23: Common objection 3: I don’t have enough money/time/connections/etc
22: Common objection 2: I’m not good at X. I can’t do Y. I’m not a Z person
21: Protected: Publishing
21: Common objection 1: I want to understand the root of the problem before solving it
20: See Rufus Seder’s talk on “Magic, Art, and Motion Pictures” featuring my work in Boston November 29
20: How to view objections and blocks as advantages
20: Overcoming objections and blocks in leadership and personal development: The overarching principles
19: How to make yourself more confident
18: A refreshing voice on copyright from a hard-core conservative
17: Experimenting with ads
16: Variety, choice, the manufactured illusion of it, and creating more yourself
15: Appreciation for good customer service
14: Obesity, insults, and living by your values
13: A good video on body language, non-verbal communication, and improving yourself
12: Perceiving tragedy
11: Thriving in challenging situations
10: How do you respond to others’ suffering?
9: Amazing software to help you think and organize
8: The most important parts of any exercise or diet
7: Values change
6: Misconceptions about values
5: Another genius business idea: Iron Designer tv show
4: You’re always emotional, not only when you’re angry or excited
3: Non-attachment, caring, and motivation, part 2
2: Sensationalist reporting
1: It’s what you make of it

October

31: Always remember the media wants to sell ads
30: No power? No complaints.
29: Measuring costs of disasters, modeling your world, and accounting
28: Social challenges can be harder than technical
27: The simple pleasures of home
26: Know your self-talk, lead others
25: Know your self-talk, know yourself, part 2
24: Know your self talk, know yourself
23: Some self-talk you’ll recognize, to improve your self-awareness
22: You can connect with anyone
21: If we return to the same happiness level eventually, why do we prefer winning lotteries to becoming quadriplegic?
20: The metric system isn’t that much better
20: Protected: Starting a leadership school
19: You show me the best leader in a room and I’ll show you the one who works the hardest
18: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: Review
17: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: Shortcomings of 360-degree feedback reports
16: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: Weaknesses are often strengths misapplied
15: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: foreseeing challenges
14: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: Focus on the client
13: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: Use Feedforward
12: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: Create accountability for yourself
11: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: find a relevant exercise
10: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: figuring out what to start with
9: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: Personal development skills
8: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: Improve one thing at a time
7: INSEAD leadership seminar
6: A sample 360-degree feedback report: qualitative feedback
5: A sample 360-degree feedback report: more detail
4: Leadership lessons from 360-degree feedback charts
3: A sample 360-degree feedback: Overview charts
2: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students: 360-degree feedbacks
1: Coaching highlights from coaching Columbia Business School students

September

30: See Joshua Spodek at INSEAD Singapore next week
29: Amazing essays by amazing writers and thinkers
28: Sports and passion
27: Science is a long way from helping diet
26: How does a car flip over like this?!?
25: My beautiful eight-minute Shanghai commute
24: Your commute is too long
23: People who claim not to judge and blame often do, illustrated, part 2
22: People who claim not to judge and blame often do, illustrated
21: My Mom, the new face of fashion
20: Our polluted world
19: Where do you buy fruits and vegetables?
18: One of the best exercises I know to raise your self-awareness
17: Why food matters
16: You can still learn new things
15: North Korea and relationships
15: Motivating populations
14: Occupy Disney
13: Broccoli rabe versus sweets
12: What causes all the stress in your life?
11: Non-attachment, caring, and motivation
10: A good listening question, especially if you talk too much
9: If you want to change something you do, its opposite usually is no better. Look for its complement.
7: Examples of ignoring impediments on the way to greatness
6: A model to make hard decisions easier
5: Lessons in freedom from Charles Barkley
4: Being overweight looks depressing
3: Too much is a problem too
2: How I got to work a day or two a week
1: Union Square in Motion named Adobe Design Achievement Award Semifinalist!

August

31: So you’re good at meeting people. How do you choose whom to meet?
30: A fundamental contradiction for many women in dating
29: I flipped burgers at the Burger King on the Champs-Elysees in Paris
28: You can plan good times. The best times just happen.
27: Motivation, energy to act, and expectation of success
26: Growing up in a bad part of town
25: More on power, leadership, lawlessness, justice, and amnesty
24: Power, leadership, lawlessness, justice, and amnesty
23: Handling annoying requests from your superiors at work
22: Typical conversation in Chinese restaurant
21: The Leaders in Software and Art Conference, October 16
20: My essays for getting into an Ivy League business school in 23 days
19: My background for getting into an Ivy League business school in 23 days
18: I started at an Ivy League business school 23 days after deciding to apply. Here’s how.
17: I love the West Village
16: Soursops — my new favorite fruit!
15: Boracay!
14: How I edit these posts
12: The one person you can never see from another person’s perspective is yourself
11: Kim Il Sung Square, the day before his birthday celebration
11: More on rules
10: An old building in North Korea
10: Rules: what are they and how do you get to play by your own?
10: North Korean monuments, part 2
9: More on becoming a superstar
8: North Korean monuments, part 1
8: How to become a superstar
7: My coffee habit and rules
7: More on North Korea’s art
6: Why I don’t like watching soccer
5: Three things I learned from yoga
4: North Korean children’s nearly unbelievable performances
4: How far should I develop myself? It’s hard!
3: An olympic shock
3: An interesting character in North Korea
2: Why do you read joshuaspodek.com? What do you want to see more or less of?
2: Genuine North Korean emotion and tears
1: Facebook’s woes and what it could have done instead
1: Pyongyang’s slums

July

31: Another genius business idea: real-life fairy tales
30: Great Bruce Springsteen article in this week’s New Yorker
29: What works in X web page mind map
28: Do you overvalue originality at the expense of getting the job done?
27: Another genius business idea: the “What Works in X” web page
26: How I could be wrong about North Korea’s stability
26: Another genius business idea: the “What Works in X” book series
25: Bizarre tour of the metro museum
25: The Art of What Works
24: Natural beauty in North Korea, part 2: beaches
24: Words to help you do things daily
23: What do you think of “leaders” whose people suffered
23: Another genius business idea: the series
22: Natural beauty in North Korea, part 1: mountains
22: Leadership, personal development, choosing to care, and emotional pain
21: Random observations of Pyongyang and North Korea
21: Having acceptance, tolerance, and hope show gaping holes in your life
20: My first tilt-shift: North Korea
20: My fitness habits, part 4: Nothing special about what I did
19: My fitness habits, part 3: Exercise
19: Pyongyang city planning
18: My fitness beliefs and habits, part 2: Food and Eating
18: North Korea and deteriorated infrastructure
17: My fitness beliefs and habits, part 1: Principles
17: North Korea and industry
16: Things aren’t suddenly getting worse
16: North Korea and inequity
15: You don’t find your passion, you create it
15: In North Korea, many people just sit by the roadside with nothing to do
14: Every moment counts
13: How to generate tons of hits and posts and why I don’t do it
12: Public speaking: one way to captivate audiences
12: More North Korea posts to come
11: I like luxury when someone gives it to me just for being myself
10: My satellite in the news!
9: Would you eat the cherry tomato?
8: A leadership dream
7: The scourge of romantic comedies
6: If you crave something you don’t have, people who have it will always be able to control you
5: You don’t have to accept anyone else’s hierarchy of taste
4: Frederick Douglass on the Fourth of July
3: Ultimate in Shanghai!
2: Ten Years of Submedia’s New York City display!
1: Another awesome blog — this one on living richly

June

30: Spending less improves your life
29: The bigger problems you don’t consider big deals, the more important people consider you
28: The U.S. has a “dysfunctional patent system”
27: Sharing what you love fills your life with sharing, love, and stuff you love
26: A tip for high-status behavior
25: Burpee overview
25: Explaining China’s support for North Korea
24: Burpee six-month review
23: Impressions of China
22: The terracotta army
21: Xian!
20: Learning social skills helps your life more than almost anything
19: Durians!
18: Proof you can change even very important beliefs in an instant
17: On creating emotions
16: Persistence pays off, so does treating people like people
15: “Extremes” usually aren’t
14: Not envying others, without complacency
13: The values of different fields
12: Living by your values
11: Leadership lessons from method acting
10: Difficult lessons in leadership
9: America’s infrastructure, leadership, idealism, and getting the job done
8: What is progress?
7: My cousin — Olympics bound?
7: A Korean-American friend’s article about visiting North Korea
7: Seeing movies in theaters reminds my why I don’t like watching movies in theaters
6: How you see the world when you see it from space
5: Every word you say counts
4: My comedy sketch script
3: Great videos on understanding the economy, environment, and energy
2: Facebook versus Walden
1: Entrepreneurs saving heating costs and polluting less

May

31: Creating your emotions — my friend’s incredibly successful story
30: First cherries of spring!
29: The difference between men and women
28: Human history, on a flash drive
27: On the values of travel
26: If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy, Consider Time
25: Problems at the foundation of economics
24: Why people flip out (including yourself) and what to do about it
23: A leadership perspective on differences between economic systems
22: Robert McNamara on Vietnam and leadership (or lack thereof) that led to the war
21: Joshua Spodek mentioned in Tate Modern lecture
20: Xu Bing’s gallery show at the Shanghai Gallery of Art
19: Ho Chi Minh City’s War Remembrance Museum
18: Leadership and the environment
17: Culture shock comes when you experience something old for the first time in a while, not something new
16: Difficult life decision? Here’s how to look at it.
16: Founding myths and who created North Korea
15: The difference between “about science” and science
14: I don’t know when the United States and North Korean governments will be at peace, but we made it sooner
14: Entrepreneurs: think twice before taking advice from venture capitalists
13: Business people should understand our effect on the environment better than anyone, part 2
12: Business people should understand our effect on the environment better than anyone, part 1
11: One of the best books I’ve read on the environment, our impact on it, and what we can do about it
10: A leader and physicist’s view on morality, ethics, and judgment
9: How do you lead when you can’t stand working with someone?
8: Deciding right and wrong for others and causing them guilt and blame doesn’t help anyone
7: The New York Times had a contest about my post
6: Giant marshmallow dreams
5: On the counterproductivity of motivating people with guilt and blame — aka moralizing
4: North Korea, China, Vietnam, Cuba — a case for humility and understanding
3: Ecology, economy, population growth and Do The Math
2: Perhaps this blog’s most useful and effective advice
1: Food, joy, and values

April

30: Awesome math book and an anecdote on it
29: The height of annoying
28: See my North Korea strategy talk
27: Words of wisdom for crunch time
26: Leadership-based thoughts on economic and energy growth and limits
25: Fantastic video on economic and energy growth and limits
24: The Forbidden City
23: Back from North Korea!
22: See Joshua Spodek on understanding North Korea from a business strategy perspective in Beijing
21: Why don’t they teach emotional intelligence and self awareness in school? (part 1, K-12)
20: Giving unsolicited advice generally backfires. Here are alternatives.
19: How to identify great life lessons
18: Learning from performers to live in the moment
17: How to get the body you want
16: Conquering anxiety (or any other emotion) and getting the job done
15: The Great Wall of China!
14: More on the subjectivity of “truth”
13: Talking about “truth” or “reality” confuses things
12: Do you think truth is objective?
11: I don’t like to travel
10: Learning the incredibly helpful skill of forgetting
9: My interview by Leaders in Software and Art
8: Yet more perspective on the economy, environment, and ecology
7: Finally, more great perspective on the economy, environment, and ecology
6: How to feel good anytime
6: North Korean models
5: Two representations of problems with America
5: Podcast from my August North Korea trip
4: Finding home by traveling far
3: A story of a North Korean prison camp
3: Physical and emotional tension are similar and you can use either to help the other
2: North Korea, the environment, and trees
2: Your online tools spy on you. There is a way out.
1: Is there no comprehensive list of emotions?

March

31: Balancing challenge, learning, fun, and reward in personal development
30: Creating miracles
29: One way to accept without judging
28: Hard work, money, and American values
28: Obama’s missed North Korea opportunity
27: Working hard versus getting things done
26: The slides from my North Korea talk at Columbia Business School
26: Leaving Facebook is easy and fun
25: Eloquence
24: Make your faults and weaknesses strengths
23: A Catch-22 of minority and underprivileged leadership
22: Spring in New York 2012, part 1
21: Fun words for annoying people
20: Activating mental chatter
20: Another review of Understanding North Korea: Demystifying the World’s Most Misunderstood Country
19: The first step in strategy
18: How gyms having big mirrors helps so much
17: A question on my North Korea talk at Columbia
16: See Joshua Spodek on understanding North Korea from a business strategy perspective at Columbia Business School
15: When the greatness of great leadership emerges
14: Spring sunshine and breezes
13: What is status?
12: What is power?
11: Depressions don’t make you depressed
10: Attempting to succeed means you will fail sometimes
9: Some consolation
8: How to attract anyone, part 3
7: A way to attract anyone, part 2: how to do it
6: How to attract anyone, part 1
5: An exercise to help keep you from getting angry
4: A self-awareness exercise to help keep you calm and effective
3: Psychologists on self-awareness
2: My habits
1: A North Korean vegan food blog
1: Habits can be contagious. How to make that work for you.

February

29: Telling my awesome story on stage about inspiring my mom’s first marathon
28: Hard projects will be harder than you expect. How to prepare.
27: Using an MBA as a multi-media artist, and other uses
27: E. O. Wilson and evolutionary psychology in the New Yorker
26: An essay on money
25: A bad day skiing beats a good day of almost anything else
25: Planet Money on the North Korean economy
24: A solution to all ethics problems
23: Forget what you have. What can you create?
22: Hopeless or worth it? When should you give up on a project going nowhere?
21: How not to fail
20: Does greatness require letting go of your safety net?
19: Nobody is normal
18: What I learned from football ads
17: How to respond to insults
16: Vulnerability and opening up first
15: Josh’s growing list of differences with mainstream American culture
14: Amazing representation of the size the universe and everything in it
13: Don’t let a sour grapes attitude ruin your life
12: Some reasonable talk on the China Study
11: Getting through the challenges of personal development
10: Improve your public speaking through storytelling, part 2
9: Improve your public speaking through storytelling, part 1
8: More labels not helping: a man’s autism vanishes
7: “Introverted” / “Extroverted”: labels hold you back from improving your life
6: Willpower, part 9: an image of how to use willpower
5: Willpower, part VIII: images of temptation
4: Willpower, part 0: The value of willpower
3: Communications skills exercises, part 10a: examples of voicing your self-talk
3: Willpower, part VII: what to do with your old motivations
2: Is New York City’s warm February weather scaring you?
2: More on burpees
1: Grand Illusions and North Korea, part 2
1: Who knew a one-minute-a-day workout could do so much?

January

31: Grand Illusions and North Korea, part 1
31: How to begin a workout routine to last: start with joy
30: The Method: exercise to transform yourself
29: The Method: exercise in new beliefs
28: The Method: exercise in knowing yourself
27: The Method: long term
26: The Method: improving your life as much as you want is all based on one cycle
25: Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” reveals more than you’d think
25: The Method: long-term growth from many transformations
24: The Method: illustration of implementation stages
24: The Method from another perspective
23: The Method: implementation stage 1: a caveat
23: The Method: implementation stage 3: regular life
23: The Method: implementation stage 2: support
23: The Method: implementation stage 1: transition
23: The Method: implementation overview
22: The Method: summary of one cycle (with diagram)
20: The Method, step 4: Implement the environments, beliefs, and behaviors
20: The Method, step 3: conceive of new environments, beliefs, and behaviors
19: The Method, step 2: conceive of new emotions
18: The Method: steps 0 and 1, awareness
18: The Method, step 1: understand your current emotional cycles
17: The Method, step 0: know your emotional system
16: The Method, step by step
15: Models: an exercise in spotting the model
13: This land was made for you and me
13: Models: an exercise in evaluating models
12: Hundreds of millions of counterfeit hundred dollar bills, part 3
12: Models: examples of the active view
11: This photograph is free!
11: Hundreds of millions of counterfeit hundred dollar bills, part 2
11: Models: the active view, part 2
10: Hundreds of millions of counterfeit hundred dollar bills, part 1
10: Models: the active view, part 1
9: Models: flaws from experts
8: Models: why I stress that they all have flaws
7: Models: the passive view
7: A kink in the armor: The Wall Street Journal on luxuries entering North Korea
6: Examples of models: Mexico city, lack of awareness, and leadership
6: The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists on North Korea’s nuclear power development
5: Favorite moments in North Korea of my travel group-mates, part 3
5: Examples of models: “Everybody does their best according to their abilities and perception of their environment”
4: Examples of models: “beliefs and expectations filter your perception”
4: Favorite moments in North Korea of my travel group-mates, part 2
3: Examples of models: why he or she didn’t call
3: Favorite moments in North Korea of my travel group-mates, part 1
2: Examples of models: how a slight change in your model can create big changes in behavior
2: Understanding North Korea featured on Amazon
1: Examples of models: beliefs and mental models
1: A brief history of Understanding North Korea: Demystifying the World’s Most Misunderstood Country
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