The Year 2 Project

We talk about the idea of setting some Mike and John 2.0 goals for the next year and we're looking for others to join us to be part of the effort and keep us accountable. We discuss some solid James Clear quotes from his newsletter. "Are we missing opportunities because they are subtle ideas and not obvious ideas." Links for James Clear: Newsletter: https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/refer?rh_ref=1af54a32 - Link to the book (affiliate link; we may receive a small commission): Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

We look back on our 1st year of the podcast! We talk about what we liked in the past year, and what were the highlights. And we talk about what we didn't like.  There are 16 weeks left in the year. So, what if we lost 1 lb. per week until December 31st? We are going to try this, to lose 1 lb. per week! And there is the Final Thought.

Whew, we really start to get kind of vulnerable here. After kicking off with a little bit of a success recap for the week, Mike and John get into the concept of what direction we have taken, or actually, the lack of direction we have.  We discuss a video from Terri Trespicio about Passion in one's career. She claims, contrary to many career coaches, that people should not follow their passions. The video is titled "Stop searching for your passion"  (Terri Trespicio | TEDxKC from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MBaFL7sCb8) We also discuss a Japanese concept to improve work and life called "ikigai", which looks for the intersection of what you love, and what you're good at, and what the world needs, with what you can get paid for. It’s a term that embodies the idea of happiness in living, and, "Essentially, ikigai is the reason why you get up in the morning." We cap the episode with two Final Thoughts!

Last week, Mike and John discussed willpower and self-discipline, which are at times considered synonymous even though they really aren't. In this episode, they delve into willpower more fully. The topic involves a video by author and Stanford professor Kelly McGonigal.  The video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5BXuZL1HAg) was a presentation that the author gave to the employees at Google back in 2012. McGonigal is the author of the book "The Willpower Instinct". While Mike and John can't say that the presentation faithfully follows the book, it appears that the video distills a lot of the information from the book. Very likely though, the book provides WAY more detail than can be seen in this video. If you'd like to purchase the book, here is a link (affiliate link, we will receive a small commission): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E2ROMHE/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=kindmathgame-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00E2ROMHE&linkId=90beacfb620811da3c43cf3abd037995 At the end, as usual, we give the Final Thought. Song : Sand River - Guitar Version [Royalty Free] Music provided and produced by LonePeakMusic Video Link : https://youtu.be/QucZi66cjWo 

Mike and John jump right to discussing the concepts of "willpower" and "self-discipline", as many folks consider these synonymous. Are they? We basically feel like willpower is a resource, finite and expendable, while self-discipline is a skill or 'muscle' that you need to use and work out.  John then brings up compiling his completed To Do List, and what that means for him. It's really sort of unexpected... Then we transition to discussing how to make your To Do Lists more enjoyable with a simple addition of a word. While the title might seem a bit like clickbait, overall we think it's a valid suggestion. It stems from this Reddit column: "How to making to-do's MUCH more enjoyable by adding a single word" Finally, a twist on the Final Thought.

Check out our latest post at The Proverbial Contradiction, or, “John, you’re an idiom” (Episode 41) – Lunch Break with Mike and John. Please leave us a comment. We thank one of our guests, Jessica, for referencing our podcast in her most recent newsletter. Thanks Jessica! You can find Jessica on instagram at @thereaders.edit, or you can read her blog at thereadersedit.com. Mike and John discuss some contradictory proverbs and idioms from a recent Reddit post titled Proverbs, idioms, and clichés that contradict one another. Compiled by my friend. : r/coolguides More specifically, you can review the idioms here: jnffswr3jtd71.jpg We transition to a principle known as Hanlon's Razor. You can find some more information on this topic here. Finally, the Final Thought: "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."

The topic of the Collector's Fallacy really struck a chord with some of our listeners that we decided to speak a little more about the topic. John digs into how the fallacy has affected him and what he's going to do about this. We briefly discuss Simone Biles news and the 'pressure to be perfect". We wrap, as always, with a Final Thought.

Mike and John discuss the potential procrastinator's tool called the Collector's Fallacy. Is this really something that affects people? Then we put one final touch on the DietBet Challenge. And we wrap up with the Final Thought.

We're Done! John and Mike have completed the 6 month DietBet Transformer Challenge, and we give the results. We knew we were close, so...did we make it? There's also talk about tasks and Big Rocks, before we go into the Final Thought(s).

There really IS something to the content by David Allen, BJ Fogg, Stephen Covey and others. They are all really hitting upon something important, ad today wee dive deep into Covey's "Big Rocks" concept. John mentions how his blood pressure project is going. Then we discuss concepts of resistance and friction, in terms of trying to improve ourselves. DietBet update is next, and then, Final Thoughts!