Most of us worry about our distractibility. We zone out, daydream and procrastinate, and then chastise ourselves for wasting time. But what if most of that “wasted time” was actually time well spent?As neuroscientist Dr. Srini Pillay explains, there is a neurological imperative for why we all do these things.Drawing on the latest brain research, compelling stories from his psychological practice, and colourful examples of counterintuitive success from sports, business, education and the arts, he reveals that there is a vital default mode network in the brain that only activates when we are unfocused, "doing nothing" or letting our minds rest. And that healthy default mode network is necessary for the brain to rejuvenate and function at its best.If focus is the valuable close and narrow beam that illuminates the path directly ahead, unfocus is the equally valuable beam that reaches far and wide, enabling our peripheral vision. It is the intelligent form of letting go.Challenging traditional ideas about productivity, Dr Pillay reveals how being too focused can be detrimental, and how you can harness and exploit the power of unfocus in many different areas of your life: to enhance creativity, improve your capacity for learning and even help you overcome a general malaise or an emotional or career rut.
The Danish Bestseller Now Available in English Dr Pia Callesen presents the first practical book on metacognitive therapy, a groundbreaking new treatment proven to stop depression in its tracks. Many of us struggle with overthinking. We endlessly analyse what we've said and done or the decisions we have to make. Rarely does this treat the stresses of our lives. Often we become overwhelmed; we end up feeling powerless, spiralling into sadness and even depression. Live More Think Less presents a radical strategy to take back control of our thinking processes. From training our attention to leaving our negative trigger-thoughts on the conveyor belt, the book guides us towards living better through mastering the attention we pay to our thoughts and how we act upon them. Depression and sadness are something we all have the power to overcome.
Ever wish you could stop your mind from working overtime? Thinking too much is very stressful, potentially causes physical conditions and has a massive impact upon your peace of mind and productivity. Your mind is a remarkable tool that you are meant to ‘pick up’ and use when required, and then ‘put down’ when you’re done thinking. However, if you cannot stop thinking whenever you want, then you are not thinking--instead you are being THUNK! With this fun and enlightening book, meditation teacher Sandy C. Newbigging shares advice and exercises for changing your relationship with your mind so that you can enjoy the serenity and success that comes from freeing yourself from thinking too much.
Harness your mind’s innate tendency to wander, stall, rest, and unfocus and become more productive—in the boardroom, living room, or classroom. Named one of Coastal Living’s Best Books for the Beach This Summer To finish tasks and achieve goals, most people believe that more focus is the solution. We rely on to-do lists, calendar reminders, noise-blocking headphones, and sometimes medication to help us concentrate—even though these tactics often fail to substantially improve productivity. Drawing on the latest brain research, compelling stories from his psychological practice, and colorful examples of counterintuitive success from sports, business, education, and the arts, neuroscientist Srini Pillay, M.D., challenges traditional ideas about productivity, revealing the lasting, positive benefits of adding deliberate and regular unfocus to your repertoire. A fascinating tour through brain wavelengths and rhythm, mindsets, and mental relaxation, Tinker Dabble Doodle Try demonstrates how specific kinds of planned unfocus stimulate cognitive calmness, jumpstart productivity, enhance innovation, inspire creativity, improve long-term memory, and, of course, help you stay on target. Tinkering with ideas and with things releases your mind to wander from a state of stuckness into a possibility frame of mind, triggering neural connections and new insights. Dabbling in a new endeavor—whether a hobby or fantasy—disrupts your habitual and reactive thinking, helping you find new solutions to old problems. Doodling can help you tap into another brain frequency to remove obstacles and create opportunities and inspiration. With techniques for training the brain to unfocus, concepts for scheduling busy lives, and ideas for controlling this new cognitive-toggling capability, Tinker Dabble Doodle Try will change how you think about daydreaming, relaxing, leaving work unfinished, and even multitasking. What you’ll discover is a greater freedom, a deeper intelligence, and a more profound joy in your life. Praise for Tinker Dabble Doodle Try “Pillay’s effortless writing style, combined with an excellent balance of popular psychology and self-help, makes this a helpful read for those who enjoy a light dive into psychology with practical applications.”—Library Journal “Pillay cites an intriguing range of brain studies to support his argument, and his case studies of individuals with whom he has worked provide useful insights.”—Kirkus Reviews “Dr. Srini Pillay offers a brilliant, deeply researched, and even more deeply imagined blueprint for using one’s full mental armamentarium, conscious, unconscious, and all the undiscovered rest! A fantastic book!”—Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., co-author of Delivered from Distraction “Dr. Pillay’s new book will help you create a new, fun, more playful destiny and unlock your brain’s inner potential.”—Daniel G. Amen, M.D., co-author of The Brain Warrior’s Way “This book not only gives you license to step off the hamster wheel of focus, focus, focus, but it will show you how to strategically and productively do so.”—JJ Virgin, author of JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact Diet “This brilliant book shows how to manipulate your brain to alternate between intense concentration and deliberate mind-wandering.”—Mark Robert Waldman, co-author of How God Changes Your Brain
"Have you ever felt like you didn't belong? Like everything was chaos around you, you didn't have the support you wish you had, and your motivation to keep going was slipping through your fingers? If this sounds familiar, then you know how it feels to be 'disarmed.' Jessica Cox was born without arms. Yet she exceeded her limits to become the first woman to fly a plane with her feet, earn a Taekwondo State Champ title, travel the world as a motivational speaker and advocate for people with disabilities, and achieve her greatest triumph of all: unrepentant regard and self-acceptance for herself."--Back cover.
Practical and actionable tips to overcome a lack of motivation. Get into action on command! Hey, you can't THINK and DO at the same time. I know which one I would want to do more of. What about you? Start whatever you want, and finish what you start. Think Less; Do More is your guide to actually changing your life. It's about taking action. You know it, but you just don't do it. Welcome to the guide that will get you into motion, no matter your circumstances, excuses, or distraction. This book is a psychological throwdown to your brain: shape up, or ship out! Every chapter will get you motivated, moving, or slowly sliding into the first few steps of your next task/goal. And you won't even realize it. There is no BS here, and there is no beating around the bush. This book is like rocket fuel. How to finally accomplish all the goals you've put off for years. Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience. The real science of changing your life. - The magic of lowering your standards - How action actually creates motivation and drive - How to change your relationship with risk - The focusing power of a "don't do" list - Writing a "burner list" - Use a superstructure decision model for prioritizing - Your personalized ultradian rhythms How to resist distractions and beat all of your mental objections.
Life can be a bit overwhelming sometimes, right? It can be difficult to clear your mind of a million different anxieties and focus in on the one thing you need to get done. Bestselling author of Clarity and The Little Book of Clarity goes one step further with Results by using his Clarity Coaching Model to help you de-clog your mind so you can make better decisions, prioritise and focus on achieving those important goals. Develop a deeper understanding of why you act the way you do and awaken your inner potential. Jamie's transformational coaching techniques will help you improve in all areas of your life, from developing your listening skills during meetings at work to reducing the levels of stress in your life. These techniques will see you through three important changes – your personal transformation that will see you gaining confidence and understanding your own behaviour, your interpersonal transformation to guide you in having an impact on those around you, and lastly your commercial transformation to get your professional life moving in the direction you want. Results is full of helpful examples and exercises to get you on the road to the results you need. Learn how to: Prioritise and focus on the right goals at the right time Achieve the results you want by following the Clarity Coaching Model Improve your overall performance to gain better relationships with your colleagues, close friends and family Add more purpose to your life by allowing time for creativity and innovation Encourage others to follow in your footsteps!
A road map to better decision-making and a better life! Do you want more out of your life and your job with less effort and better results? Have you ever felt that there just has to be a better way to get there? If so, you're not alone. Millions of people, just like you, are faced with many challenges in their professional and personal lives on their journey to success. Superpower! takes you on a journey where you'll discover seven principles that will help you solve problems faster, make better decisions, and improve your professional and personal life. Develop the common sense insights and critical thinking strategies to unlock your personal power and performance at work and in life. Leverage common sense insights to develop your critical thinking and decision making skills, thus improving your performance and results in the business world Discover ways to make better decisions, implement them faster, get more done with less effort, and enjoy a better quality of life at work In today's competitive, information-overloaded, and challenging economic conditions, there is no such thing as job security—only skills security. The more you learn, the more you can earn and this book gives you the ultimate roadmap for how to think, act, and perform with less effort and better results.
Five years and more than 100,000 copies after it was first published, it's hard to imagine anyone working in Web design who hasn't read Steve Krug's "instant classic" on Web usability, but people are still discovering it every day. In this second edition, Steve adds three new chapters in the same style as the original: wry and entertaining, yet loaded with insights and practical advice for novice and veteran alike. Don't be surprised if it completely changes the way you think about Web design. Three New Chapters! Usability as common courtesy -- Why people really leave Web sites Web Accessibility, CSS, and you -- Making sites usable and accessible Help! My boss wants me to ______. -- Surviving executive design whims "I thought usability was the enemy of design until I read the first edition of this book. Don't Make Me Think! showed me how to put myself in the position of the person who uses my site. After reading it over a couple of hours and putting its ideas to work for the past five years, I can say it has done more to improve my abilities as a Web designer than any other book. In this second edition, Steve Krug adds essential ammunition for those whose bosses, clients, stakeholders, and marketing managers insist on doing the wrong thing. If you design, write, program, own, or manage Web sites, you must read this book." -- Jeffrey Zeldman, author of Designing with Web Standards
Think More—React Less Think More – React Less was written to give unique insights into how our attitudes (The way in which we feel about certain things, other people, and especially ourselves) profoundly affect us in the pursuit of our goals in ways that we aren’t even aware of. More importantly, Think More – React Less explains exactly how we can get our attitude centered on our goals and working for us instead of against us to get what we want out of life.