Because smart humans are extremely good at pattern recognition they are usually able to pick up on what it takes to fit in with a certain culture, group, or relationship very quickly.

It’s a very useful skill - a bit like the Matrix without the downloads.

It can also be a valuable coping mechanism when you’re growing up in an environment that may not necessarily be friendly towards outsiders.

But when you take this superpower too far it can turn into a complex - which I have dubbed the Chameleon Complex - and that’s what I look at in this podcast episode.

You'll learn how to recognise it and what to do about it - whilst still keeping the upside of this very fun and valuable skill.

Does your smart mind love to optimise?

Do you use it to find the best deals, get the most done, be insanely efficient and get the absolute most out of your trips?

Then you're probably very good at optimising for time, money, and other traditional resources.

But you may be forgetting to optimise for the most important thing in the world: YOU.

Check out this week's Episode to learn how I realised how far my over-optimisation took me away from experiencing a fun trip and what you can do to stop over-optimising, and start living.

Do you feel like you should always be better at things?

Do you avoid, postpone, or procrastinate?

Do you, in other words, display perfectionistic tendencies?

Then this podcast is for you.

You'll learn what perfectionism really is, and three approaches to combat it.

This is number three in a series on ‘Smart People Problems’ - things that are challenging especially for humans with smart minds.

This week, I'm looking at the challenge of picking and sticking to One Thing.

How do you pick a career, a subject, a niche when, basically, there are an infinite number of things you could do?

When you're a multipotentialite, multi-passionate, 'interested in almost everything' human with a smart mind?

It all starts with a flawed assumption:

That you should pick and stick to ONE thing.

David Epstein's brilliant book 'Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specalized World' which very successfully debunks the myth that you can't be successful if you don't focus on one thing - I share some of his research on the podcast.

You'll also learn why you have bought into this paradigm for so long - and what you can do to step out of it without ending under the bridge all alone.

So tune in for tips on how to design, pursue and tell a story about a life that works with your unique smart mind.

This is number two in a series on ‘Smart People Problems’ - because yes, it’s amazing to have a smart mind, but it also comes with a unique set of challenges.

In this second instalment, I look at how boreout affects smart humans.

You'll learn:

1. What boreout is

2. In what arenas it occurs

3. Why smart people are at higher risk of boreout

4. What you can do to cure or prevent it

As a smart human, you have different needs. Don't deny them - honour them.

Stop languishing and start living.

Welcome to a new series on what I have dubbed ‘Smart People Problems’ - challenges most smart humans have to deal with during their lives. 

One that tends to be a constant in smart peoples' lives: smart shaming. In this week's episode you'll learn 

what smart shaming is (and isn't);

how and where it shows up - and why;

how you can address it.

I also talk about what leadership looks like w.r.t. smart shaming: what do you need to do to create an environment in which smart people are safe to be themselves? Please join me in stopping the smart shaming in schools, institutions, the workplace, families - all the places where smart people are currently being discouraged to be themselves. 

This week, I'm looking at the 'dirtiest' word in the English language - the word that undermines both who you are and what you do. 

I'll explain 

* how and where it shows up

* the different categories 

* why you need to stop using it - stat

* how to do that

Give it a listen, and then stop using that insidious word that makes you feel miserable! 

In this second part of a series on how language can undermine your identity and self-worth, we look at negative chatter.

You'll learn about the four different types:

• catastrophising

• personalising

• polarising

• filtering

And gets lots of tips to counteract these.

At the end of the podcast, I share three powerful tools that are guaranteed to reduce negative self-talk and help you start building up self-trust instead.

This is the first of a series of three episodes on how language influences our well-being.

How we talk to ourselves, about ourselves and the world has a massive impact on how we feel, perceive and experience life.

Language matters - massively.

In this first part we’ll look at how to ask questions the right way - in a way that doesn't undermine you, but actually serves you.

You'll learn

• which two things you'll always want to avoid when asking yourself questions

• how to catch 'bad' questions

• how to rewrite them so they work for you rather than against you

Do you find it hard to get started and to keep going?

You're not alone - most smart humans have trouble navigating distractions and bumps they encounter along the way.

So how do you get started and stay on track?

You may be thinking about motivating yourself by finding your ‘why’ for example, which is absolutely wonderful, but when it comes to starting a task or project, motivation is very overrated.

In this Episode you’ll learn what generates motivation from a neurological perspective, as well as a concept called the ‘progress loop’.

You’ll get lots of tips to apply this to your work and life so you can get started on important projects you’ve been avoiding but that you really want or need to work on - whether it’s admin, writing an application letter, or creating and shipping a new product.