Recommended Books
Whether you’re a believer in the Law of Attraction or not, there are many valuable lessons, tools and meditations in The Abundance Paradigm. Believers will love how it takes things to the next level. Non-believers get a long list of new ideas, mantras, meditations and visualizations to add to their toolkits. I particularly like the Whiteboard visualization, the teachings on gratitude, and the guided meditation on abundance.
Russ Harris doesn’t want us to pump ourselves up with positive mantras, positive thinking or self-talk to get over our fears. Rather, he urges us to form a new and wiser relationship with them. Based on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a cutting-edge form of cognitive-behavioral therapy, the Confidence Gap is packed full of tools, techniques and new perspectives for thinking about your fears and self-doubts. There are practical exercises and worksheets throughout the book that guide you to live more boldly and authentically in-line with your values and beliefs. Highly recommended!
Award-winning psychologist Jonathan Haidt examines 10 enduring wisdoms from the world’s great religions and philosophical traditions through the lens of cutting edge neuroscience and cognitive psychology. We learn which of these ideas are still applicable in modern times, and how we can use this knowledge to live happier, more fulfilling, purposeful lives. This is fascinating stuff. Haidt does a great job of making both the ancient wisdom and the modern science easy to understand. Excellent book!
Drawing lessons and tools from the High Tech world, Lean Startup methodologies and Gamification, Hargrave provides us with a step by step guide to take control of our errant minds, and become more focussed and creative individuals. Perfect introduction to mindfulness and meditation for your inner geek. A worthy addition to your library.
A must read for anyone curious about the neuroscience and psychology behind habit formation. Duhigg explains why habits exist and how they can be changed, with fascinating narratives and examples. The empowering message is that by creating the right habits, we can become healthier, more productive and successful.
This is one of the classics that defined the genre of self-help. Maltz, a renowned plastic surgeon became aware of the mind-body connection through studying the improvements in self-esteem he noticed with many of his clients. He went on to develop a comprehensive program, presented in this book, to replace negative habits, develop new habits, and help people achieve the success and happiness they deserve.
Research Articles
- How long does it take to form a habit? Article by University College London
- Definition of Microsleep on Wikipedia
- Prevalence of Motor Vehicle Crashes involving Drowsy Driving study by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
- Drowsy Driving: Asleep at the wheel article by the CDC
- Distracted Driving: Facts and Statistics page at distraction.gov
- Impaired Driving: Get the facts article by the CDC
- The benefits of singing in a choir article from Gresham College, London
- Performance of music elevates pain threshold and positive affect: implications for the evolutionary function of music study by University of Oxford
- Does singing promote well-being?: An empirical study of professional and amateur singers during a singing lesson by the National Institute for Psychosocial Factors and Health, Stockholm
- Effects of choir singing or listening on secretory immunoglobulin A, cortisol, and emotional state by the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt
- Music structure determines heart rate variability of singers by University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Videos
Tiny Habits | BJ Fogg: A super easy method to install new habits by starting off small, linking to an existing behavior, and rewarding immediately.
Shirts
Habit Ninja t-shirt: Buy the Habit Ninja t-shirt and other related products from the UpGiver store.
Recommended Products and Apps
Good Habits: A nice, easy to use App, with an attractive clean looking interface, Good Habits encourages you to stick to your chosen behavior using reminders and a daily counter, tracking your unbroken “streaks” of behavior.
Voice Recorder HD: A full featured Voice Recorder for the iphone and android that kicks ass. Simple to use, great looking interface, and great audio performance. I use it to capture my thoughts when I’m on the go, meetings, conference calls, impromptu karaoke sessions 🙂