Damien Riehl in this TED Talk, points out how musicians can be punished for subconsciously thinking of a melody before writing their own.
Videos
Why we do what we do – Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins from The Mobile Marketer on Vimeo.
How I Held My Breath For 17 Minutes
In this highly personal talk from TEDMED, magician and stuntman David Blaine describes what it took to hold his breath underwater for 17 minutes — a world record (only two minutes shorter than this entire talk!) — and what his often death-defying work means to him. Warning: do NOT try this at home.
Are Athletes Really Getting Faster, Better, Stronger?
When you look at sporting achievements over the last decades, it seems like humans have gotten faster, better and stronger in nearly every way. Yet as David Epstein points out in this delightfully counter-intuitive talk, we might want to lay off the self-congratulation. Many factors are at play in shattering athletic records, and the development of our natural talents is just one of them.
Smash Fear, Learn Anything
From the EG conference: Productivity guru Tim Ferriss’ fun, encouraging anecdotes show how one simple question — “What’s the worst that could happen?” — is all you need to learn to do anything.
Let’s Teach For Mastery — Not Test Scores
Would you choose to build a house on top of an unfinished foundation? Of course not. Why, then, do we rush students through education when they haven’t always grasped the basics? Yes, it’s complicated, but educator Sal Khan shares his plan to turn struggling students into scholars by helping them master concepts at their own pace.
Got a meeting? Take a walk
Got a meeting? Take a walk
Meetings work better when you’re walking.
We’ve all heard the dangers of sitting for too many hours, and yet we all do it. Author and speaker Nilofer Merchant has a solution: Take all your meetings walking instead of around a conference table. Not only will it make you healthier-she herself walks 20 to 30 miles a week this way-it will help the free flow of ideas.
Nilofer Merchant suggests a small idea that just might have a big impact on your life and health: Next time you have a one-on-one meeting, make it into a “walking meeting” — and let ideas flow while you walk and talk.
My Journey To Yo-Yo Mastery
Remember the days you struggled just to make a yo-yo spin, and if you were really fancy, to “walk the dog”? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Japanese yo-yo world champion BLACK tells the inspiring story of finding his life’s passion, and gives an awesome performance that will make you want to pull your yo-yo back out of the closet.
A Kinder, Gentler Philosophy Of Success
Alain de Botton examines our ideas of success and failure — and questions the assumptions underlying these two judgments. Is success always earned? Is failure? He makes an eloquent, witty case to move beyond snobbery to find true pleasure in our work.
Grit: The Power Of Passion And Perseverance
Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn’t the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of “grit” as a predictor of success.
The Power Of Believing That You Can Improve
Carol Dweck researches “growth mindset” — the idea that we can grow our brain’s capacity to learn and to solve problems. In this talk, she describes two ways to think about a problem that’s slightly too hard for you to solve. Are you not smart enough to solve it … or have you just not solved it yet? A great introduction to this influential field.
How To Get Better At The Things You Care About
Working hard but not improving? You’re not alone. Eduardo Briceño reveals a simple way to think about getting better at the things you do, whether that’s work, parenting or creative hobbies. And he shares some useful techniques so you can keep learning and always feel like you’re moving forward.