Have you ever traveled to a country where people were a different race than you?  Did you have any trouble distinguishing people there?

Are you a parent worried about your teenager’s ability to study and stay on task? Or perhaps you yourself find it difficult to concentrate on “deep work”?

When we hear something frequently, we are more likely to believe it’s true, because we spend less time processing the information. 

Do you ever feel frustrated by a lack of response to your email requests?

Think back to your first days at university – do you remembering wondering if you fit in?

Have you ever judged someone by their appearance, and later realized you were wrong?

When was the last time you tried to change someone’s mind?  How did it go?

Do you ever struggle to get through your daily to-do list, silently berating yourself, “If only I could stay focused!”

Regardless of whether you’re longing for a new car or home, wishing to relocate or get a promotion, or hoping to improve your health or a relationship, it turns out there’s a flaw in this logic:  in general, neither positive nor negative events actually make significant, long-term changes to our happiness.

The initial weeks in ANY job can be confusing, in part because of the curse of knowledge, a cognitive bias in which experts – and seasoned professionals – unconsciously assume others understand a topic 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰. 

As you’re developing your 2024 plans, are you also thinking about your potential holidays? Perhaps you’re scheduling family trips during the school breaks, or taking a month off over the summer?

Did you set any New Year’s resolutions? 

In the US, the 2nd Friday in January is known as “Quitters Day” because many people have already abandoned their resolutions by then.

If this sounds familiar, don’t give up!

Research has shown that how you frame your goal matters…

According to Harvard’s 85-year study, what is the #1 secret to a long and happy life?

A.      Healthy diet

B.      Exercise

C.      Exposure to nature

D.      Positive relationships

As explained by the study’s director, psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, in his Ted Talk, after researchers followed 724 youth from 1938 until now, their main learning was clear: 

Think back to the most difficult experience of your life, perhaps a severe illness, an accident, a disaster, or the death of a loved one.

How did it change you?

While many people are familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a less known, yet more common experience following suffering caused by trauma is called “post-traumatic growth.”

Have you ever been in a meeting where you are discussing a new idea, project, or problem, and once a senior leader has expressed their position, you witness other colleagues quickly voicing their support – while you quietly disagree?

Imagine you want to get a busy, high profile person to speak at an event you’re organizing, and you’re worried they’ll say no. What can you do?

While you could focus on crafting a compelling request, there’s another, less intuitive strategy you might try: ask them for a small favor first, and after they agree, follow with the request you really want…

Imagine you are given a choice: you can choose to have a new boss (one you don’t know), or you can keep the boss you have. 

Who would you choose?

I’m guessing that most of you chose to keep the one you have.  

Status quo bias is the human tendency to…

Think for a second – which groups do YOU belong to?

Are you conservative or progressive? Are you religious or not? What state or province are you from? Do you have a favorite hobby or sports team?

Human beings love to categorize things – including ourselves. Social identity theory explains that…