Optimize With Brian Johnson | More Wisdom In Less Time

Of Self-Mastery: Reactive + Structural + Expansive   I’ve been thinking a lot about the three forms of discipline that make up Self-Mastery.   Here they are:   Structural Discipline.  Reactive Discipline.  Expansive Discipline.   We talk about them in Objective V of Basic Training and I’ll be writing about them in the Heroic book we’ll be launching in early 2024.   Now…   As I sat down to create this +1, I thought this would be the first time I’ve written about the three disciplines. Then, as I was going through the archives, I found that, in fact, we ALREADY chatted about the three disciplines.   We chatted about them in +1 #669 to be precise—over two and a half years ago.   Perfect.   Let’s dust that wisdom off and shine the spotlight of our attention on them again.    Why?    Because they’re SUPER important.   First…   A little more context.   As we’ve discussed many times, Phil Stutz is all about helping us cultivate what he calls “emotional stamina.”    How?    By getting to a

Personal Humility + Indomitable Will    Jim Collins is my all-time favorite business thinker.   He’s written a bunch of great books including Good to Great, Built to Last, and Great by Choice.   But…   My all-time favorite business book is Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0: Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company. (Thanks again for the rec on that, Gibson. )   I still need to do a Note on all those books and create a series of Notes for all the business books I’ve read but have yet to distill.   For now…   I want to talk about one of Jim Collins’ Big Ideas on what he calls “Level 5 leadership.”   Here’s how he puts it: “Our research showed that having charismatic leadership doesn’t explain why some companies become great and others don’t. In fact, some of the most disastrous comparison cases had very strong, charismatic leadership in the very era that the companies fell or failed. Rather, our research found that the critical ingredient is Level 5 leadership. The essence of Lev

I Read Archeologically (Like Twyla Tharp)   A couple +1s ago, I promised to tell you more about how I read a book.   Here’s the very short answer…   I read like it’s my job to find Big Ideas that can help me activate my Soul Force so I can help YOU activate YOUR Soul Force.    For one simple reason. It is.    Now…   Let’s go to one of my favorite books for a passage that best captures how I read.   In The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp tells us: “When I’m reading archeologically, I’m not reading for pleasure. I read the way I scratch for an idea, digging down deep so I can get something out of it and use it in my work. I read transactionally: How can I use this? It’s not enough for me to read a book. I have to ‘own’ it. I scribble in the margins. I circle sentences I like and connect them with arrows to other useful sentences. I draw stars and exclamation points on every good page, to the point where the book is almost unreadable. By writing all over the pages, I transform the author’s work i

Do a Gritty, Flourishing Hero Good!   In our last +1, we talked about how I read a book.   More specifically, we focused on how I choose the books I read—which, I believe, is ALWAYS the most important first step in how to read a book.   In short, I said that I follow Joseph Campbell’s wisdom to “read the right books by the right people.”   Campbell tells us: “When you find an author who really grabs you, read everything he has done. Don’t say, ‘Oh, I want to know what So-and-so did’—and don’t bother at all with the best-seller list. Just read what this one author has to give you. And then you can go read what he had read. And the world opens up in a way that is consistent with a certain point of view. But when you go from one author to another, you may be able to tell us the date when each wrote such and such a poem—but he hasn’t said anything to you.”   Scientists would agree with this approach of trusting yourself and doing what really grabs you—with books and with other things in life.   

And… How I Pick the Books I Read   I’m often asked how I read a book AND how I pick the books I read.   In fact, I was asked this question in one of our recent Heroic Coach Soul Force Forge sessions in which I have 1-on-1 coaching sessions with our Coaches in a group environment. (These sessions are among the highlights of my month!)    Today I’d like to chat about that for a moment or three.   So…   In a recent Zoom, I had an opportunity to connect with Franco—an incredibly inspiring 19-year-old Argentinian Heroic optimizer who is going through our Coach certification program.    Franco told me that he was getting an ARETÉ tattoo for his 20th birthday (!!) and then asked me how I read a book.    I kinda went off.    Here’s the video clip of our time together.    And, here’s the short story…   The most important part of how to read a book, from my perspective, is to make sure you’re reading THE RIGHT BOOK.   If you’re reading a book because you think you “have to” or because everyone els

The Place to Live to Dominate the Day   In our last +1, Dale Carnegie joined us to complement some Brian Cain wisdom about the importance of focusing on THIS moment (RIGHT NOW!) to crowd out any potential stress about the past or the future that might be eliciting some feelings of depression or anxiety.   As you may recall, and, don’t worry! I promise that I will continue to unapologetically repeat all the important themes we discuss to make sure we’re practicing one of the key tenets of Learning 101 known as “spaced repetition” …     Here’s how Cainer put it: “Remember, depression is obsession with the past, anxiety is obsession about the future, and optimal performance is obsession about the present.”   And…   Here’s how Carnegie put it: “George Bernard Shaw was right. He summed it all up when he said: ‘The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not.’ So don’t bother to think about it! Spit on your hands and get busy. Your blood will star

And Its Antidote (Found in Spit!)   In our last +1, we spent a little more time with Brian Cain and his wisdom on the fact that “depression is obsession with the past, anxiety is obsession about the future, and optimal performance is obsession about the present.”    All of which begged the question: What are YOU obsessed about these days?    And…   All of that led to my admonition to activate our Soul Force by getting our Energy to Heroic levels and Focusing it on What’s Important NOW all day every day.    Today I want to revisit the topic and bring another peak performance guru to the party to share HIS wisdom on the subject.   We’ll go old school and invite Dale Carnegie to join us.   As you almost certainly know, Carnegie wrote one of the all-time best-selling personal development books How to Win Friends and Influence People. He wrote that book in 1936. It’s sold over 30 million copies. (Check out the Notes for more.)   What you may not know is that he wrote another great book called

Past? Future? Present? = Depression, Anxiety, Optimal Performance    Not too long ago, we spent some time with my friend Brian Cain—who happens to be, in my opinion, at least tied for first as THE world’s best mental toughness coach.   One particular line from his 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery has been popping up in my brain and I want to make sure we take a moment to chat about it.   Here it is.   Brian tells us (via Coach Kenny in his fable): “Remember, depression is obsession with the past, anxiety is obsession about the future, and optimal performance is obsession about the present.”   Let’s think about that for a moment…   Depression is obsession about the PAST.    Anxiety is obsession about the FUTURE.   Optimal performance? That requires an obsession with the PRESENT.   Of course, that’s a deliberately hyperbolic oversimplification of depression and anxiety.    And…   It’s a powerful perspective.    All of which begs the question: What are YOU obsessed about these da

We Love You… Let’s GO!   In our last +1, we talked about the fact that I’m hitting 101 Heroic Targets a day so I can keep my daimon in play.   You try it yet?     Of course, as I’ve said many times, you don’t need to be quite as crazy and ALL IN as I am to get the benefits of using the Heroic app.    Early research shows that hitting as few as THREE Heroic Targets a day can boost your Energy 40%, your Productivity 20% and your Connection 15%—all in a few minutes on the app per day.   Why does the Heroic app work so powerfully?   Because there’s E X T R A O R D I N A R Y power in living our lives with a clear intention and shining the spotlight of our attention on the things that matter most. Then, of course, DOING the things that are in integrity with that vision of our best selves.    Not once in a while but EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.   Now…   One of the Heroic Energy Targets I commit to every morning these days is:    “Cold Plunge (2:43 after 30)”   That’s short-hand for: Get in the cold plunge for

It’s Hard to Have a Bad Day When I Hit These (Yours?)   Every day I hit 101 Targets in the Heroic App.   As I joke with our team and with some friends, “101 Targets a day keeps the daimon in play!”   I can assure you that it’s *really* hard to have a *really* bad day when you start your day recommitting to being your best self in your Energy, Work, and Love and then do 101 things you KNOW help you stay plugged in.   But…   Don’t take my word for it.    Test it!     Now…   I recommit to over 30 Heroic Energy Targets every morning. I’ve basically breadcrumbed my day with what I KNOW I do when I’m at my best so I can make that prior best my new baseline.    My #1 Energy Target?   “In Bed for 9-10 Hours”    I haven’t missed that ONCE since we launched the app. Sleep is a sport for me and THAT (process!) Target is the #1 reason why my (outcome Target!) average Oura Sleep Score has been 90+ every month for nearly 2 years.    For curious souls, my current Heroic Energy Top 3 includes:   I.

In Permanent Ink Somewhere I’ll Never Miss It     Today I want to chat about how I spent last Father’s Day with the kids.   Hint: We went to Blindside Tattoo in Austin, Texas to add some Heroic targets to my forearm in permanent ink.     Before we go there…   As you may recall, in our last +1, we talked about Admiral McRaven’s Hero Code and the virtue of perseverance.   He told us about the fact that it was PERSEVERANCE that helped many of our favorite Heroes weather the inevitable storms of their Heroic quests en route to the summit of fulfilling their Missions.   I think this is so good that it’s worth repeating: “George Washington was defeated on the battlefield more times than he won. Abraham Lincoln lost eight elections before he won the presidency. Thomas Edison failed ten thousand times before inventing the lightbulb. Henry Ford had two failed companies before he found success. J. K. Rowling was destitute before she got the first Harry Potter book published, and Oprah Winfrey had an extre

Did You Know That George Washington…   In our last couple +1s, we chatted about Admiral McRaven’s and Ryan Holiday’s take on Courage.   Remember: Courage is calling. All we need to do is take JUST ONE STEP.   Today I want to explore some more wisdom from McRaven’s great new book, The Hero Code.   As you may recall, The Hero Code has ten virtues: Courage. Humility. Sacrifice. Integrity. Compassion. Perseverance. Duty. Hope. Humor. Forgiveness.   Let’s shine a spotlight on the sixth virtue, Perseverance.   We’ll invite Admiral McRaven back to the party to share his wisdom on the subject.   He tells us: “I believe history will show that success is not just a function of brains or brawn, of talent or intellect, of skill or resourcefulness, but of perseverance. Genius without resolve is just another passing person with a bright idea. Athletic prowess without determination is just another talent wasted. The world is filled with men and women who amounted to nothing because they gave up on their dreams

Answer the Call, Hero!   In our last +1, we talked about virtue #1 in Admiral McRaven’s Hero Code.   COURAGE.   I reminded us of the fact that Aristotle told us that courage is the most important virtue—the one that vitalizes all the other virtues.    Why?    Because…   If we don’t have the COURAGE to take action in the presence of fear, then all of our supposed Wisdom and Self-Mastery and Love and Gratitude and Hope and Curiosity and Zest is stuck in Theory-land and is, to put it bluntly, USELESS if we don’t have the courage to put it into practice.   Churchill echoed that wisdom when he told us that: “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities, because it is the quality which guarantees the rest.”   Note: Churchill also EMBODIED that Heroic Courage in the face of overwhelming odds and looming catastrophe during World War II. We, arguably, have HIM (and his tenacious (!) courage) to thank most for leading in such turbulent times to help create the world we live in today.   And…

Take JUST ONE STEP Forward Today    In our last +1, we spent some time with one of my heroes, Admiral William H. McRaven as we soaked our souls in wisdom from his newest book: The Hero Code.   As you may recall, McRaven’s Hero Code has ten core virtues: Courage. Humility. Sacrifice. Integrity. Compassion. Perseverance. Duty. Hope. Humor. Forgiveness.   Today I want to talk about the #1 virtue: COURAGE.   Let’s talk about one of THE most powerful ways to operationalize that virtue.   Here’s how Admiral McRaven puts it: “None of us are immune from life’s pain and disappointment. But if you doubt for even a second that you have the courage necessary to confront the evil in the world or that weakness that resides deep inside all of us—you’re wrong. ...   We all have our lines in the sand, those fears that keep us from being courageous. But all you have to do to overcome those fears, those obstacles, those challenges in your life is to take one step forward. Just one. Take one step forward and get on th

McRaven’s Ten Core Virtues   Admiral William H. McRaven is one of my very few living American heroes.   We’ve created Notes on three of his great books.    We started with Make Your Bed—a short, brilliant, inspiring manual all about “Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe the World” that was inspired by the commencement address he gave at the University of Texas at Austin that went viral.   Then we featured his autobiography, Sea Stories, which is all about the wisdom he gained from his nearly four decades in special operations.   So…   When I saw the title to his newest book, I KNEW I had to read it and I KNEW I’d love it.   The book?    It’s called The Hero Code.   It’s a super-quick reading, incredibly inspiring look at “Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived” in which Admiral McRaven walks us through the lives of everyday heroes who showed up and gave us all they had. I highly recommend it. (Get a copy here.)   McRaven tells us: “I came to realize that there is a

Red Lights? GREEN LIGHTS!    We’ve been having some fun exploring Brian Cain’s wisdom on mental performance mastery.   As you know if you’ve been following along, we started by checking in to see if you’ve been punched in the face lately (), then we broke some arrows with our neck to dominate the Ability + Strategy + GOYA = Results equation, then we did some 1% math (remember: 1% is 14 minutes and 24 seconds of your day and, if you get 1% better every day, you’ll be 998,822,690,009,590 times better in a decade! ) then we questioned why we’d want to be average, then we raised the basement, and, most recently, we focused our telescopes AND our microscopes on our top goals so we can dominate the day AND the decade.   Schew. We’ve been busy!   +1% +1% +1% for the win!     Today I want to wrap up the tour through Brian’s brain with one more Big Idea from 10 Pillars.   This one’s on how to flip the switch and go from red lights to green lights.   Here’s Brian and the characters from his littl

And Heroic Apps to Dominate the Day and Decade   Not too long ago, we spent some time with Brian Cain and some of his wisdom from a couple of his little fables: One Percent Better and The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery.   I want to revisit some of his wisdom.   Let’s talk about your goals.   We’ll invite Cainer back to the party to help us check them out from a couple different perspectives.    In 10 Pillars, he tells us: “Setting big goals is great, but they have to be the right goals or they become traps. Financial goals must be secondary to family goals or you won’t have any family to set goals with. You also need to have telescope and microscope goals. Telescope goals that you can see off into the future, and then you must reverse engineer a process back to your microscope and execute on your microscopic daily goals. Telescope goals are 1, 3, 5+ years into the future and the microscope goals are what you will do in the next 24 hours to move towards your telescope goals. Remember

“True Surrender” = “The Art of Acquiescence”    In our last couple +1s, we talked about Michael Singer and his practical wisdom.   As we discussed, he has quickly become one of my favorite new teachers. He clearly practices his philosophy and his philosophy is a good one.   As I was reading his latest book, I was struck by the parallels of his wisdom and Stoicism.    Although they take different approaches to get there and describe the process in slightly different terms (as is typically the case with universal truths echoed across different cultures and times), they arrive at the same destination.   Check this out, for example.    Here’s Michael Singer from Living Untethered: “One of the most amazing things you will ever realize is that the moment in front of you is not bothering you—you are bothering yourself about the moment in front of you.”   And…   Here’s Marcus Aurelius from his Meditations: “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to

Opportunities to Practice   In our last +1, we talked about using the WEATHER as a prompt to practice our philosophy.   I shared my new favorite temperature which, as you may recall, is WHATEVER THE TEMPERATURE IS RIGHT NOW! (Hah.) (Seriously though! )   I promised we’d chat more about Michael Singer and his idea of practicing “surrendering” to reality by picking some low-hanging fruit.   Here’s some of his wisdom on the subject from his great (!) book Living Untethered.   He tells us: “The best way to let go of stored pockets of pain is to practice. Just as you practice the scales to learn the piano or practice a sport to get good at it, you practice letting go to learn how to do it. You start with simple things. We call these low-hanging fruit. There are many situations each day when you create inner disturbance for absolutely no good reason. Bothering yourself about the car in front of you does no good at all. It only makes you tense and uptight. The cost-benefit analysis is one-hundre

What’s Yours? Emerson just walked into my office zipping up his camo winter jacket to go with his camo pants.   He told me: “It’s COLD! It’s 52 degrees out this morning!”   Fall arrived in a hurry out here in Austin and we went from the 100’s to the 90’s to, for former Californians, chilly quickly!   Now…   Emerson and I have a new joke—which is why I replied by saying, “Oh!! 52 degrees—that’s my all-time favorite temperature!”   To which he laughed and said, “Dadddddddyyyyy. EVERY temperature is your favorite temperature.”   That’s true. My favorite temperature? It’s always EXACTLY what the temperature is at that moment.   Which gets us a little closer to the point of Today’s +1.   Let’s step back for a moment and set some context.   Michael Singer has become one of my absolute favorite teachers.    Although I very much enjoyed The Untethered Soul (check out those Notes), it wasn’t until my friend Joe Okleberry sent me a picture of him and Michael that I picked up this book.    Now,