An inspirational podcast can set you up for success. Our team is constantly getting inspired by the podcasts we listen to. We have discussions on each podcast and highlight what we have learned from them.
Take a look at what HR Lab is listening to. We hope you enjoy our recommendations!
"How to Stop Feeling Inadequate" by Dr Jade, Savvy Psychologist
Everyone feels inadequate sometimes. We all have someone in our life who makes us feel invalid. Often that someone is something, like an academic institution or a cultural stereotype. We often tend to dive into it and begin to question ourselves, “Am I good enough?” In this podcast, Dr. Jade shares seven tips to lift ourselves and stop feeling inadequate. I will share my favorite 5.
The first tip is to “trust that everyone has their stuff.” We must remember that everyone’s life is not perfect. For example, have you ever felt happy to have passed a test, but then the person next to you shows off their perfect score. Well, they must feel inadequate about something. True inadequacy does not show in real life.
The second tip is to “add yet” to our incomplete goals. For example, instead of saying, “I don’t have my dream job,” “I don’t understand this subject,” try “I don’t have my dream job yet,” “I don’t understand this subject yet.” That one word changes the whole meaning of the statement. It helps motivate you to keep going!
The third tip is another wordplay “and.” When we talk about our progress, we often undermine it by applying the word “but.” For example, “I’m eating much more nutritious food now, but I have to start exercising,” try “I’m eating much more nutritious food, and I have to start exercising.” Using the word “but” instead of “and” sounds like you are scolding yourself. Saying “and” acknowledges your wins.
The fourth tip is to “give your best self a rest.” We often want people to like us. Sometimes we tell ourselves that just being us isn’t enough. The solution is that you need to realize that your best self will not always be on display. You must accept lousy hair days, lazy workdays, relationship stumbles without judging yourself.
Lastly, perfection is boring. When something is perfect, that means there is nowhere left to go. It is much more fun to be a work in progress. While listening to this podcast, I didn’t realize how many tendencies I have that cause me to doubt myself. I often think I need to be perfect to succeed, but I am already winning as long as I am working towards those goals.
"The 4 Ways Your Mind Learns and How to Strengthen Your Focus, Memory, and Attention" Jay Shetty, On Purpose
Jay Shetty is a former monk and a motivational speaker. He decided to share with the world the practices and knowledge he gained as a monk. His thought process during his journey consisted of wanting mental health, wisdom, and living with purpose as mainstream as Netflix. This particular podcast is about different learning languages. Jay started the podcast off by speaking of the importance of learning how you learn. Before, he went into depth with all the ways it is beneficial to learn. He started by giving a few facts of the disadvantages of not understanding. “Being bored can be dangerous to your health,” Jay said. He spoke of a study that was conducted with people who had heart disease. Those who reported they were bored had a higher heart disease rate than people who said they were not bored. Thus, not learning can even affect you physically.
When you are not learning and using your brain, you start to feel stuck or blocked. Another study showed that practicing a new skill increases the white matter in your brain. It enhances the electrical impulses in your brain and even helps you from having dementia in your later years. I found Jay’s finding very interesting, and learning the science behind how your body and brain function is incredible. Many of us do not realize the consequences our habits can have on our bodies.
This is where learning styles come in. Everyone’s approach to learning is different. Some people are more visual learners than others. Some need to write everything down to learn. This is why school is not built for different learning styles, Jay mentions. Learning not only our own but others' learning styles can lead to better communication and efficiency. Jay speaks of the VARK acronym: the visual learner, auditory learner, reader, and kinesthetic learner. You may learn with all four styles, but the key to finding two that you learn best with. This will help you understand your boss, co-worker, or friend better, and they can know how you know better. It can be used in any concept. Lastly, Jay breaks our perception of learning by stating that “repetition is strength, not weakness.” Many people think if they fail a test and have to retake it, we do not know enough, but that isn’t it. The more you want to learn something and want to remember it long-term, the more you have to repeat it. This podcast reminded me that we are all different, and figuring out the best way you learn is how you can help yourself and others around you.
"Extreme Productivity" Kevin Krust, The Shadow Side of Growth Mindset
In this podcast, Kevin Krust talks about the dangers of having a growth mindset. He talks about his own experience and how having a growth mindset has delayed his success and led him to spend more money than needed. Many people have a fixed mindset, and when they fail, they just give up. Those who have a growth mindset believe that they can grow and learn and eventually be successful. Kevin Krust talks about practicing the ‘yet method’ in life. For example, if you do not know how to play the piano, don’t simply say, “I don’t know how to play the piano,” say, “I don’t know how to play the piano yet.” This puts your mind in the growth mindset and allows you to grow and expand. He also mentions that psychologists have found a correlation between growth mindset and openness to experience. The shadow side of growth mindset, as Kevin Krust calls it, is that sometimes your learning process becomes procrastination. You set a goal for yourself, and you begin your road to success by learning and expanding yourself. The key is to be able to take action and put all of your gained knowledge into use. The classes you take, the seminars you attend won’t be beneficial if you do not use your acquired knowledge. Don’t just think about success; do everything you can to get to where you want to be. Do as you learn. Learn as you do.
"Everybody is Irrational" Seth Godin, Akimbo Episode
Seth Godin has become a hero of mine. I am deeply drawn into listening and reading his insights on various topics because he talks about niche marketing, and that’s what our company’s strategy is. He starts off the podcast by stating that to say that someone is rational means that they will do what makes sense – what we could predict that they are going to do.
Seth then goes on to tell how he assumed something about the general population and his ideas failed on both strikes. The failure was because Seth generalized his definition of rational onto others. Everyone is rational but everyone has their definition of what rationality means for them. We should not assume or impose our ideas on others.
Seth states as soon as we realize that everyone has a noise in their head, the way we have a noise in our head then we see that no one is willingly, willfully, intentionally making irrational, random choices. This is where we have an opportunity to develop real empathy. “The empathy to say you don't know what I know, you don't want, what I want and that's okay because you could have this instead. And so, a lesson learned the hard way, over and over again. People don't necessarily want what you think they want”, Seth concludes.
This was such as an eye opener because it makes sense. It is as if you have a whole different perspective on something that you knew before.
Follow us as we put the spotlight on some of the most inspiring podcasts that we listen to at HR Lab - leaders, visionaries, business owners, and more.
About HR Lab: Formed in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, HR Lab is here to make a difference. At HR Lab, we work to strengthen workforce quality by improving the HR system, ensuring its ongoing relevance, and preparing employers, workers, educators, and governments to use it effectively. Our vision is a labor market that relies on the relevance, quality, and value of workforce credentials for opportunities, growth, and development.
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Disclaimer: The information in these materials should not be considered legal, accounting, or investment advice, and it should not substitute for legal, accounting, investment, and other professional advice where the facts and circumstances warrant. It is provided for informational purposes only. If you require legal, accounting, or investment advice, or need other professional assistance, you should always consult your attorney, accountant, or other professional advisor to discuss your particular facts, circumstances, business, personal finance, and investment needs.