Why a Sense of Humor Makes a Great Leader

Why a Sense of Humor Makes a Great Leader

It is likely that we've all heard the saying, "laughter is the best medicine" once or twice in our lifetime. But did you know that a sense of humor is thought to increase trust in a leader? This week the Personal Kaizen team shares a TedTalk by behavioral scientist, Jennifer Aaker, and corporate strategist, Naomi Bagdonas, where they discuss the power of humor. https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_aaker_and_naomi_bagdonas_why_great_leaders_take_humor_seriously Laughter and Leadership In the past, we've shared Colin Powell's 13 Rules for Leadership, where optimism is a powerful piece of being a great leader. As we learned today, humor and laughter are also major keys…
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New Lessons Learned From Another 3-Day Fast

New Lessons Learned From Another 3-Day Fast

Earlier this year I experienced my first 3-day fast and shared tips on fasting with the Personal Kaizen community. I recently needed to fast to prepare for a medical procedure so decided to turn this into my second 3-day fast. I did a few things differently and experienced different results. Here are some new lessons learned from my second 3-day fast. First, you may want to review our posts describing the concept of fasting and different ways to fast, the scientific benefits of a 3-day fast, tips on how to prepare for a fast, and my experience and video journal…
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How to Overcome a Negative Mindset

How to Overcome a Negative Mindset

As humans, we all experience negative thoughts that can easily lead to a negative mindset. The good news is, we don't have to get stuck there (as discussed during our brain hacks series.) This week the Personal Kaizen team shares a TedTalk by Alison Ledgerwood, a social psychologist at UC Davis, where she explains why our brains focus on the negatives and how to overcome a negative mindset. Please check it out below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XFLTDQ4JMk Tips to Overcome a Negative Mindset Overcoming the negative takes work and effort! Ledgerwood shares several tips to move past the negative: Spend a few minutes…
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5 Ways Stoic Philosophy Improves Your Mood and Attitude

5 Ways Stoic Philosophy Improves Your Mood and Attitude

Do you ever feel anxious and depressed? Do you sometimes struggle with the everyday challenges of life? You are not alone. We have recently identified ideas from Stoic philosophy that improves mood and will be inspiring to our followers. The Personal Kaizen community believes simple improvements in our health and mindset can significantly improve the quality of our life. Last week we shared some simple Meditations from Marcus Aurelius. Today we share 5 ways Stoic philosophy improves your mood and attitude and we share a few resources where you can learn more about Stoicism. Stoic Philosophy Zeno of CitiumPhoto Credit:…
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Why Chunking is Better than Multitasking

Why Chunking is Better than Multitasking

Elon Musk has been in the news lately for his attempt to buy Twitter for $44 Billion. Musk, who is already the CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, was leading these negotiations while dealing with two other full-time jobs already. If you are one of the people who wonders how he gets all of his work done, Musk has found that chunking is better than multitasking. As a consultant for Lean East, I also have multiple clients and responsibilities I am supporting at the same time. Like Musk, I have learned techniques that help me accomplish higher-quality work and other…
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Morality and Becoming Worthy of Happiness

Morality and Becoming Worthy of Happiness

Check out our Personal Kaizen Motivational Monday quote! Please enjoy this quote from Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher and Enlightenment Thinker. During the Age of Enlightenment, he was versatile in the value of human happiness. "Morality is not properly the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness."Immanuel Kant Our Personal Kaizen topic this week will be on the Lean East site and share the main takeaways from the book How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question. This is a book by Michael Schur, the creator of…
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Brain Hack 3: How To Calm Down and Reduce Stress

Brain Hack 3: How To Calm Down and Reduce Stress

Our previous post shared a brain hack that improves your mood instantly. Brain hack 3 will also improve your mood by helping you calm down and reduce stress. This hack can be used anytime you notice that you are feeling anxious, nervous, or overly stressed. How Stress Affects the Brain and Body Stress affects all systems of the body, especially the nervous system. The first part of our brain to form is the limbic system, responsible for our fight-or-flight response to danger. The nervous system responds to stress and danger by forcing shorter, more rapid breaths that will provide us…
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The Greatest Weapon Against Stress

The Greatest Weapon Against Stress

Check out our Personal Kaizen Motivational Monday quote! William James was an American philosopher, historian, and the first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States. Please enjoy this quote where he shares the greatest weapon against stress. "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."william james This week we will share the third and final lesson in a Personal Kaizen topic on brain hacks. First, we covered staying alert when you're feeling tired, followed by improving your mood when you're feeling down. Our final brain hack will share how to calm…
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Brain Hack 2: Easily and Instantly Improve Your Mood

Brain Hack 2: Easily and Instantly Improve Your Mood

Our last post shared a brain hack that will help you feel more alert and awake in only 15 seconds. This hack is even quicker and simpler. If you are feeling sad or down, all you have to do to feel better is force a smile and improve your mood instantly! Neural Loops in the Brain The human brain uses neural loops as shortcuts in thinking. Many of these loops are innate, meaning even babies do this without being taught how. For example, try holding your breath and tell your brain not to take a breath. Our brain circuitry is…
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All You Need Are the Resources of Your Mind

All You Need Are the Resources of Your Mind

Check out our Personal Kaizen Motivational Monday quote! This week we feature a quote from the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. He believed that all the resources we could ever need are to be found in the mind. "All the resources we need are in the mind."Theodore Roosevelt Last week, the Personal Kaizen team shared a brain hack related to maximum effectiveness and staying alert. This week we will share how to improve your mood instantly with a very simple hack. Stay tuned!
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