Posted by Self-improvement is one of the key strategies to motivate and lead us to success. We study, learn new skills, meet new people, and strive to do our best in hopes of achieving our personal goals in life. All this can be yours too! We’ve handpicked four TED Talks to boost your motivation and propel you to initiating your own self-improvement strategies.
Listen to the talks by experts namely Shawn Anchor, Judson Brewer, Laura Vanderkam, and John Mcwhorter, who unveil their tips on becoming better versions of themselves.
The Happy Secret to Better Work
This Ted Talk is hosted by Shawn Anchor, one of the world’s leading experts on the relationship between happiness and success. He also wrote ‘The Happiness Advantage’ and founded GoodThink, Inc and acts as a recognised speaker for his support for positive psychology.
In this video, he argues that happiness actually inspires people to be more productive. He believes that 90% of our long-term happiness is determined by our brain and not by the external world. He points out that if we change our formula for happiness and success, we can change the way we can affect reality. He found that only 25% of job successes are predicted by IQ whereas 75% of job successes are predicted by our optimism levels, social support, and the ability to see stress as a challenge instead of a threat.
According to Shawn, to create a lasting positive change we must first train our brain with the following methods:
- Note down 3 new things that you are grateful for in 21 days. The brain will start to pick up a pattern to see the world from a positive point of view
- Write a journal about your positive experiences encountered over the past 24 hours. It teaches your brain to re-live these moments and be more appreciative
- Exercise your brain as it will teach your brain that behaviour matters and shift towards the better
- Practise meditation to help detach yourself from multitasking. It will increase your focus on a single task one step at a time
- Carry out Random Acts of Kindness by reaching out to a handful of people (in your social circle) with a positive manner
This particular video has received over 16 million views and is now listed as one of the most popular talks of all time. Enjoy!
A Simple Way to Break Habit
Addiction psychiatrist, Judson Brewer, has more than 20 years of studying mindfulness and scientific research under his belt. In this talk, he unveils the secrets to breaking bad habits.
Judson discusses the inner workings of habit development and tactics to beat the urge to embrace bad habits. He has found that through mindfulness training, people are able to realise their behaviours before becoming disenchanted on a deeper level. It takes time to learn to and see more clearly, but overtime anyone can leave their old habits behind and develop new ones.
Be a step ahead of the thoughts that come coursing through your mind before considering getting into the habit. You might just save yourself from getting into endless and unnecessary loops of bad habits by avoiding it.
Related: 6 Bad Habits That are Killing Your Productivity at Work
How to Gain Control of Your Free Time
Time management expert Laura Vanderkam shares her perspective on how we can take control of our time. Despite living in a world where we are constantly struggling to find a perfect balance between leisure and work, it is possible.
There is one simple practice that people should apply, according to Laura. Starting with a three-category priority list consisting of career, relationships, and self. In each category, input two to three items. Prioritise and organise each category and note them down on your calendar for the next few weeks.
Lastly, she reminds us that even if we are busy, we will always have time for things that matter. When we focus on what is important, we can learn to make the most of our time and improve our lives significantly.
4 Reasons to Learn a New Language
Learning a foreign language is not an easy feat, but the multilingual ability is the key to connecting with people from all around the world, especially in this era of globalisation. According to what John McWhorter says in his 2016 TED Talk, there are 4 main factors to pick up a foreign language. One reason to learn a foreign language is that it bridges the gap between culture and the people who speak them. Secondly, it reveals that bilingual individuals are also good at multitasking.
Thirdly, learning is fun! Picking up new consonants and vowels can be an enjoyable experience. Last but not least, technology allows people to carry out self-study for any language they desire to learn. , With that in mind, anyone can acquire the trait from the comforts of their home with stable Internet connection.