1: Meg was in a bad place.
“I hated my job, and I saw little hope of anything in the future,” she recalls in Jane McGonigal‘s book SuperBetter: The Power of Living Gamefully.
At twenty-six, Meg was living in Boston and working for a large company that didn’t share her values.
“I took the chance to sign up for SuperBetter,” she recalls.
A key element of the SuperBetter … continue reading
1: When it comes to setting big goals, what game designer Jane McGonigal calls “Epic Wins,” why are physical or athletic triumphs so motivating?
“If you search the SuperBetter database for all the epic wins from more than 400,000 players,” Jane writes in her book SuperBetter, four of the ten most commonly appearing verbs are walk, run, exercise, and dance. (Other top epic win verbs include finish, find, and … continue reading
“Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.” —Mahatma Gandhi… continue reading
1: After thirty-five years of research on goal-setting, it all comes down to this:
Harder goals inspire greater effort.
There is, however, a caveat, Jane McGonigal writes in her book SuperBetter. “As long as the goal is not absolutely and obviously beyond a person’s control or ability.”
That’s the rub. Harder goals are better. As long as they aren’t too hard.
Here’s another key point about goal-setting: “Go only … continue reading
1: Laura was pregnant when she learned about SuperBetter.
“I’m getting SuperBetter because my second baby is due any day now,” Laura says in Jane McGonigal‘s book SuperBetter: The Power of Living Gamefully.
“As all parents know, the first three months or so are pretty rough,” she remembers. “I figured anything that encouraged me to take care of myself would be a good thing.”
The SuperBetter framework asks … continue reading
1: “There’s nothing in the world I hate more than asking for help,” Alex Goldman said.
Alex is a public radio producer in New York City who loves cycling.
“In the summer of 2011, he suffered a terrible accident when he was knocked off his bike and run over by a car,” Jane McGonigal writes in her book SuperBetter: The Power of Living Gamefully.
“I had multiple fractures in … continue reading
“I’m a great believer in luck, and find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” —Thomas Jefferson
1: Last week, we explored how “triggers” can help us build new habits.
What is one of the best triggers to build new habits? Your existing habits.
In fact, when done right, you can create a habit chain, Tynan writes in Superhuman by Habit: A Guide to Becoming the Best Possible Version of Yourself, One Tiny Habit at a Time.
“A very good practice,” he notes, “is to … continue reading
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
1: Think about a negative habit.
Typically, something triggers it.
“Stress triggers overeating or gambling, waking up might trigger smoking, or boredom might trigger wasting time online,” Tynan writes in Superhuman by Habit.
You can use this insight to power new, positive habits as well.
“Why not use such a powerful reality of the human experience to your benefit?” Tynan asks.
For example, you wake up every day. You … continue reading
