Perception Archives - Page 8 of 8

Asking “Are leaders born or made?” doesn’t help you develop as a leader

Talk about leadership and someone will ask if leaders are born or made. If you're just idly chatting, it's a fine pointless question to pass the time with. If you want to develop as a leader, I suggest the question will waste your time. No great leader started leading in a vacuum, nor as a child. They all developed somehow. Even if they had a greater potential than you do, you can improve. What works in developing leaders I suggest more relevant questions for people trying to improve their leadership skills include What techniques work to develop leaders? How can I use those techniques? Can we improve those techniques? If so, how much? Am I using techniques that work? If not, how can I start…

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November 13, 2014

Awareness / Fitness / Perception

Now I understand meat eaters asking weird questions — they don’t know what they’re talking about

If you don't eat meat, people ask you "Where do you get your protein?" a lot. It's been so long since I ate meat, I don't think about protein. I eat what I like. No problem. After nearly a quarter-century including competing at Nationals for Ultimate, running six marathons, getting a PhD in physics, and doing about 50,000 burpees, and various other mental and physical achievements, if any problems haven't arisen from something missing from my diet, I don't think it's going to happen. So why do so many people ask such weird questions? Why the fascination with protein? The Brazilian attitude toward diet clarified it. They hardly have any vegetables or variety of plants. Every restaurant's menu is almost completely based on meat. I…

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November 11, 2014

Nature / Perception

“You can live cheaper in New York City than any place in the world”

"You can live cheaper in New York City than any place in the world" A friend once said that in college in response to someone saying New York City cost a lot to live in. He may have overstated things, but I've found the mental model useful. It's on my mind because I'm visiting Brazil for the first time for a friend's wedding and we're getting nailed at every turn for fees, taxes, and such. I've been to tourists traps and I've been swindled and cheated as a tourist so I'm not surprised. Nor am I complaining. The money isn't the issue. It's the perspective. We're on an island, Fernando de Naronha, with what some people have called the best beach in the world. When…

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November 8, 2014

Awareness / Education / Exercises / Leadership / Models / Nonjudgment / Perception

The Method: the series

[EDIT: I covered this series in more depth in Leadership Step by Step, so I recommend the book, but the core is here. I use this technique as a part of my life, basically daily.] Here is The Method on how to use The Model---my model for the human emotional system designed for use in leadership, self-awareness, and general purpose professional and personal development---in series form. I find the Model and Method the most effective and valuable foundation for understanding yourself and others and improving your life. The Model tells you how we work. The Method shows you how to use The Model to lead yourself and others and create the lifestyle you want. I recommend reading The Model Series first, then reading this series…

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December 14, 2013

Exercises / Models / Perception / Tips

A model for learning potentially painful, embarrassing, challenging skills

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Do you ever hold back from trying to learn something because you know you'll have to try several times to get it right? Are you afraid of falling, failing, getting hurt, and getting laughed at? Today's model addresses that, giving you a model for trying new things. It gives a great visualization for people who master a difficult task, as difficult, painful, publicly viewable, and challenging as any project you'll take on. You've likely done this harder challenge yourself. A model…

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June 19, 2013

Awareness / Exercises / Models / Perception

A model for what improves life the most

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] What can you do to improve your life the most? Exercise more? Eat more healthily? Save or earn more money? Improve your social skills? Buy a house? I've found success in many areas of life. I think I could safely say I've performed in the top few percent of performers (to the extent you can quantify these things) in fitness, earning, academic success, business success, relationship success, and various other important things. Today's belief is about what, of all things I've…

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June 6, 2013

Awareness / Exercises / Models / Nature / Perception

A model to make sense of complexity

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] If you believe everything that happens has a cause, when something happens you want to change you look for the cause and change it. You might have to dig deep for the "root" cause, but once you find the cause of something you can influence the thing by influencing the cause. For example, if your project is late because your boss isn't giving you the resources you need, you can try to get your boss to give you more of the…

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June 1, 2013

Awareness / Exercises / Nonjudgment / Perception

A model to tolerate when people pre-judge me

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Doesn't it bother you when someone treats you like a preconceived notion instead of the person you are? Doesn't it feel dehumanizing? Today's belief came from an experience I had riding a bike as a kid and helps me visualize what happens and resolve the problem. I was riding near some trolley tracks. When I crossed them at a slight angle my front wheel fell into the track, making it impossible to steer. The bike and I fell down. If I…

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May 30, 2013

Awareness / Evolutionary Psychology / Exercises / Models / Nature / Perception / Tips

A model that explains why your enthusiasm when planning disappears when doing

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Scene 1: You plan something big. You're excited. You know there will be challenges, but you also know you'll overcome them. You will do what it takes no matter what. Scene 2: You started the project but it petered out. You don't know what happened to that feeling of invincibility, but it's gone. What happened? How did you lose your motivation? Why didn't your willpower work? Today's model answers. A modelÂ that explains why your enthusiasm when planning disappears when doing :…

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May 20, 2013

Awareness / Exercises / Freedom / Models / Nature / Perception

A model to help you get more out of traveling and to save money traveling at the same time

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Most people I share today's belief with seem surprised or even shocked when I express it. Probably because the way I say it -- that I don't like traveling -- seems contrary to something nearly everyone values. Also, I travel a lot and talk about how much I get out of it. If I have to travel, I'll find ways to make it amazing, but if I don't travel I can make staying home just as amazing. The best way I…

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May 18, 2013

Awareness / Entrepreneurship / Exercises / Leadership / Models / Perception

A model to get more sales and to stay calm under pressure

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Do you want to get more sales? Even if you don't sell anything, you probably propose things, pitch things, apply for things, and so forth. Do you want to be more successful there and to close more? I learned today's model in sales class in business school, but it applies to many cases -- nearly any situation where you try to persuade someone of something nontrivial they have to agree to. Think of anything you bought for more than pocket change.…

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May 16, 2013

Exercises / Freedom / Models / Nonjudgment / Perception / Tips

A model to help accept things without judgment or feeling sorry for yourself

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Do you find yourself feeling sorry for yourself and not like feeling that way? Do you get depressed or feel helpless when things don't go your way? Do you wish you could take things in stride better so you could move on from or solve problems and get on to better times? A model to help accept things without judgment or feeling sorry for yourself: "Good thing bad thing, who knows?" Here's an old story that comes in many versions (here…

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May 14, 2013

Awareness / Evolutionary Psychology / Exercises / Models / Nature / Perception / Tips

A model to handle pain

[This post is part of a series on "Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours." If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Does pain make you miserable? I like the phrase "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." It says that pain doesn't have to make you feel bad emotionally. How you respond to pain is what makes you feel emotionally bad, and you can control that response. I prefer to say it more broadly. A model to handle pain: Pain isn't bad. Most people understand the value to their lives of physical pain. Our bodies can be damaged and pain motivates us to…

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May 9, 2013

Awareness / Blog / Perception

Beliefs affect your perception, illustrated with wine

An article that came out the other day illustrated how beliefs affect your perception. The result is so relevant to the Model, I couldn't help but break from the series on the Method. Apparently people in training to taste wine can't tell a white wine dyed red tastes the same as an identical except un-dyed white wine. In fact, they taste different flavors in the wine. The study may cover undergrads, but they probably know more about wine than you do. In 2001, Frederic Brochet conducted two experiments at the University of Bordeaux. In one experiment, he got 54 penology (the study of wine tasting and wine making) undergraduates together and had them taste one glass of red wine and one glass of white wine.…

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October 31, 2011