In this Short Talk episode Judith Germain speaks to Eric Recker about strategies for optimal thinking. Eric defines “Win the now” as a presence mindset, focusing on current moments instead of past/future. He explains that segmenting days into wins, like patient interactions, to fully engage the present.
Key Takeaways
- Being in nature helps reset and ground us.
- We’ve lost the ability to sit in quiet and let our brains rest. Constant stimulation affects how we think.
- Gratitude and anxiety/worry cannot coexist. Focus on gratitude to push back anxiety.
- Break life into “nows” and focus on winning each now without thinking about the past or future.
- Time blocking helps productivity by removing distractions.
- Focus on controlling what you can rather than worrying about uncontrollable change.
Topics:
Favourite Places and Nature
- Eric loves Park City, Utah for the hiking and skiing. Being in nature magically resets him.
- Studies show putting bare feet on the ground quickly recharges and grounds you.
Optimal Thinking Strategies
- We’ve lost quiet time and idle space for our brains due to constant distractions and stimulation. Introducing quiet helps thinking.
- Break life into “nows” and define what a win looks like in each now without thinking of past or future. Helps presence.
- Time blocking removes distractions and helps productivity. Know what each block is for.
- Gratitude and anxiety cannot coexist. Gratitude list can push back anxiety.
Overcoming Fear of Change
- Focus on controlling what you can rather than uncontrollable change. Preparation and gratitude help.
- Most fears don’t materialise. Focus on past unfounded fears.
Overcoming Anxiety
- Get to root causes. Realise you can’t be everything to everybody.
- Gratitude, exercise, favourite distractions can help override anxiety.
- Panicked mind can’t think – distract it with joy.
In this conversation, Eric stressed the prevalence and dangers of burnout. He offered a free email challenge to help recognise and reduce burnout signs. Judith agreed the hybrid work model risks reversing work-life balance gains.
Dr Eric Recker is a dentist, husband, father, keynote speaker, Elite Success Coach, author, pilot, mountain climber and recovering triathlete. In his second half of life, he is committed to helping people shorten the distance to becoming their best version and learning to #WintheNow.
Maverick leadership is all about thinking outside the box and challenging the status quo. It’s about having the courage to take risks and the confidence to lead in a way that is authentic and genuine.
But amplifying your influence as a leader isn’t just about having a strong vision or a big personality. It’s also about having the right leadership capability and being able to execute on your ideas and plans.
The consequences of not having the right level of influence as a leader can be significant. Without the ability to inspire and motivate others, you may struggle to achieve your goals and make a real impact.
How Influential Are you? Take the scorecard at amplifyyourinfluence.scoreapp.com and see.
Eric Recker can be found on LinkedIn here. His website can be found here.
You can listen to Episode 387 on any of the popular podcast platforms or apps (including Spotify, and Audible). If you prefer to listen to your browser you can do that below. Enjoy!