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Howard Jacobson on Motivation and Transformation: PYP 156

hj-headphones-headshot-2016-croppedHey there, it's me, Howard.

My mind has been buzzing lately, full of input from some of the guests I've interviewed over the past few months. It's like they've been talking with each other, in my mind, and I have these momentary revelations and confusions as I go on runs, sit down to write, and lay awake at night when I'm not tired enough to sleep.

These guests include Bob Cafaro, the cellist who cured his MS; Jamie Gannon, who whipped brain cancer; Rich Roll, ultra-athlete, A-level podcaster, and author; Marc Schoen, the psychologist who wrote Your Survival Instinct is Killing You; Vlad Chituc, social science researcher and “almost-vegan” strategist; Glenn Murphy, my martial arts instructor and stress-proofing consultant;  Glenn Livingston, psychologist and author of Never Binge Again; and Peter Bregman, long-time friend and advisor, and author of Four Seconds: All the Time You Need to Stop Counterproductive Habits and Get the Results You Want.

The other voices in my head comprise two groups: my coaching clients and students who are still struggling to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and a small group of “ultras” who have gone beyond health and fitness to stretch their limits and explore the outer reachers of their potential: Josh LaJaunie, and many of the guests on Rich Roll's most excellent and inspiring podcast.

So for my own benefit, and hopefully for yours, I wanted to carve out an hour to put my thoughts together.

Specifically, I wanted to talk about our motivations to change, and which ones seem to lead to success as opposed to continual struggle and backsliding.

My wife Mia agreed to help me make it a conversation rather than a monologue. Our chat took me to unexpected places, and to insights that I think may be useful (and possibly even right).

Enjoy, add your voice to the conversation via the comment box below, and please share – that's how we spread our message and spread our roots.

Links

Josh LaJaunie's website

Josh LaJaunie's story on the Rich Roll Podcast: First Appearance | Second Appearance

Peter Bregman's CNN.com article

Stephen Jenkinson's work on dying consciously and wisely 

Lonely Island with Kendrick Lamar and Adam Levine: Yolo (NSFW)

Temperance Tarot Card

Never Binge Again, by Glenn Livingston, PhD

The Power of Fifty Bits, by Bob Nease

Support the Podcast

Like what you hear? You can contribute to the growth and improvement of the podcast by becoming a patron. Click the “Support on Patreon” or “Donate” buttons on the right to help out.

Gratitudes

Thanks to Josh LaJaunie for his life and running coaching, to Mia Genis for agreeing to neglect the garden for an hour on a sunny Tuesday afternoon to help me record this episode, to all the guests who have challenged my thinking, and to the following Plant Yourself Podcast patrons:

  • Kim Harrison
  • Lynn McLellan
  • Anthony Dissen
  • Brittany Porter
  • Dominic Marro
  • Elizabeth Clifton
  • Barbara Whitney
  • Tammy Black
  • Amy Good
  • Amanda Hatherly
  • Mary Jane Wheeler
  • Ellen Kennelly
  • Melissa Cobb
  • Rachel Behrens
  • Tina Scharf
  • Jen Vilkinofsky 

Announcements

Check out my online TV show, Triangle Be Well. This week I talk with Zan Ballantyne of SimplyPractice.net about cultivating peace and stillness through yoga and meditation.

I can help you navigate the medical system and adopt a healthy lifestyle

I'm available for one-on-one consulting and coaching to help you navigate the medical system, make informed decisions, take control of your health destiny, and achieve true wellness and not just medical management of disease.

Ask your questions or share your feedback

Comment on the show notes for this episode (below)
Call 919-794-3735 to leave a voicemail
Email **@pl***********.com

Connect with me

Visit Howard Jacobson's health consulting site, TriangleBeWell.com
Subscribe, rate, and review in iTunes
Join the Plant Yourself Facebook Page

Music

The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.

It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.

You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.

Disclosure

This post may contain amazon affiliate links. I may receive amazon gift certificates from your actions on such links.

Dr Howie Jacobson

This podcast is a labor of love and a way to give back to the world that has given me so much. That's why there aren't any sponsors (except me :).

My day job is helping leaders and their teams master their mindsets to remove all obstacles to heart-centered high performance.

Here are three gigs that I do:

1. Executive and Senior Leadership Mentoring and Facilitation

I work with high performing executive teams in organizations — and executive teams that need to become high  performing. My focus is mindset mastery, because it’s our mindsets that either support high performance or get in the way.

At this level, everyone’s got the skills and experience to excel and contribute at the highest level. What holds people back is mindset stuff: specifically the triggers that get them out of creative engagement and into fight-or-flight defensiveness.

My practice is all about teaching people to respond differently to those triggers by updating old maps — essentially removing the glitches that the triggers grab onto.

2. Executive Coaching: Quick Wins for High Performance

I work with individual executives and leaders, one on one. The program is called Quick Wins for High Performance, and what we do is, we work strategically on one or two areas that are holding you back and keeping you from performing at your best.

We reverse engineer the presenting problems — too much work and not enough time, underperforming employees and teams, maddening organizational inefficiencies, etc — and identify and rewire the suboptimal mindsets that are behind those problems.

The work is all about updating your mental maps so your actions and responses are always appropriate, proportionate, and strategic.

3. High Stakes Conversations for Fast Growing Small Business Teams

I help small business teams have high stakes conversations with skill, humor, and grace. When people feel safe, they can do their best, most creative, most collaborative work.

So that's what I do. If you'd like any of those results, drop me a line and tell me about yourself.

You CAN Change Other People!

Well, that's what Peter Bregman and I claim in our provocative book of that title.

What we really mean is, you can bring out the best in the people around you. If you think you're powerless to help people change, it's because you've been going about it the wrong way.

Discover our straightforward, replicable process here: You Can Change Other People.

 

Music

The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.

It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.

You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.

Gratitudes

Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons – Kim Harrison – Lynn McLellan – Brittany Porter – Dominic Marro – Barbara Whitney – Tammy Black – Amy Good – Amanda Hatherly – Mary Jane Wheeler – Ellen Kennelly – Melissa Cobb – Rachel Behrens – Tina Scharf – Tina Ahern – Jen Vilkinofsky – David Byczek – Michele X – Elspeth Feldman – Leah Stolar – Allan Kristensen – Colleen Peck – Michele Landry – Jozina – Sara Durkacs – Kelly Cameron – Janet Selby – Claire Adams – Tom Fronczak – Jeannette Benham – Gila Lacerte – David Donohue – Blair Seibert – Doron Avizov – Gio and Carolyn Argentati – Jodi Friesner – Mischa Rosen – Michael Worobiec – AvIvA Lael – Alicia Lemus – Val Linnemann – Nick Harper – Bandana Chawla – Molly Levine – The Inscrutable Harry R – Susan Laverty the Panda Vegan – Craig Covic – Adam Scharf – Karen Bury – Heather Morgan – Nigel Davies – Marian Blum – Teresa Kopel – Julian Watkins – Brid O'Connell – Shannon Herschman – Linda Ayotte – Holm Hedegaard – Isa Tousignant – Connie Haneline – Erin Greer – Alicia Davis – Heather O'Connor – Carollynne Jensen – Sheri Orlekoski of Plant Powered for Health – Karen Smith – Scott Mirani – Karen and Joe Crabtree – Kirby Burton – Theresa Carrell – Kevin Macaulay – Elizabeth Rothschild – Ann Jesse – Sheryl Dwyer – Jenny Hazelton – Peter W Evans – Dennis Bird – Darby Kelly – Lori Fanney – Linnea Lundquist – Emily Iaconelli – Levi Wallach – Rosamonde McAtee – Dan Pokorney – Stephen Leinin – Patty DeMartino – Mike and Donna Kartz – Deanne Bishop – Bilberry Elf – Marjorie Lewis – Tricia Adams – Nancy Sheldon – Lindsey Bashore – Gunn Marit Hagen – Tracey Gulledge – Lara Hedin – Meg from Mamasezz – Stacey Stokes – Ben Savage – Michael K – David Hughes -Coni Rodgers – Claire England – Sally Robertson – Parham Ganchi – Amy Dailey – Brian Tourville – Mark Jeffrey Johnson – Josie Dempsey – Caryn Schmitt – Pamela Hayden – Emily Perryman – Allison Corbett – Richard Stone – Lauren Vaught of Edible Musings – Erin Hastey – Sean Owens – Sagar Naik – Erika Piedra – Danielle Roberts – Michael Leuchten – Sarah Johnson – Katharine Floyd – Meryl Fury – for your generous support of the podcast.

Disclosure

This post may contain amazon affiliate links. I may receive compensation from your actions on such links. It don't cost you a dime, tho.

6 comments on “Howard Jacobson on Motivation and Transformation: PYP 156

  1. Dominic P. Marro says:

    Your example of running a 50-K ultra is certainly a good example of striving for a big goal that will give you a sense of achievement.

    People are coached into breaking down big goals into little steps.

    This thought popped into my head based on something you said.

    People often decide not to feel satisfied when they achieve a little step for fear that this will prevent them from keeping their eyes on the big prize.

    However, this way of thinking may backfire by making each attempt at a little step an exercise in drudgery. Maybe it would be best if people celebrate each little step as if it were a big step.

    So if you run 7.2 miles tomorrow, instead of 7.0 miles, don’t look at it as a small dent in your quest to run 30.5 miles. Treat it like a big deal. Then you are more likely to look forward to the next little step.

    1. Howard says:

      Well put. I’m now practicing viewing everything through the lens of a warrior. That 0.2 miles is a big deal if it helps me bust a prior limitation. Similarly, that chocolate in front of me is a devious foe, seeking to seduce me from the path of glory.

      It’s kind of intense, and I don’t know the long term effects, but I’m having fun, anyway…

  2. Wayne Pedersen says:

    More of this type please!

  3. Great show. Ironically, I listened to this while doing my workout at the gym where I teach fitness classes. I often tell my participants that athletes crave that “discomfort” zone. While it is painful, it is also a sign that you are pushing your limits and growing stronger. Outside of the gym, this lesson stays with me whenever I reflect on past struggles — the most uncomfortable experiences (ie painful) have often made me the strongest and taught me the most about who I am. I appreciate your reflection on the topic, especially how it seems to be a common theme. No excuses 🙂

    1. Howard says:

      Thanks for sharing your experiences. I’m just starting to appreciate the value of a discomfort zone in my real life, and not just in Facebook memes 😉

  4. Thank You says:

    Howard,

    Thank You for sharing your struggles with us, love podcasts like these. A simply way to make yourself uncomfortable every day, is to shower/bathe in cold water; no matter the weather. One will never outgrow this discomfort, as the body will never get used to the cold. Even if for one day or several days it feels easier. Eventually the body will complain again.

    Thank You for another informative podcast; keep them coming.

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