
17 Dec 3 Things I’ve Learned from 250 Episodes of DREAM THINK DO!
This week is a deep dive into 3 things I’ve learned from doing 250 episodes of DREAM THINK DO. These keys might seem counterintuitive. They are: 1.) Embrace Comparison, 2.) Be a Novice and 3.) March Through the Mess. We’ll dig into what each of them mean… the stories and strategies (and science too) behind them… AND how they can help us make 2020 our best year yet! Also, I want to say THANK YOU for being with my on this DREAM THINK DO journey. Whether this is your first DTD episode or your 250th… I’m so glad we’re in this together!
Listen To The Podcast:
RESOURCES:
Episodes Mitch Mentions:
- BRING YOUR AWESOME! with Neil Pasricha. – Episode 247
- Beating the Comparison Trap – Episode 183
- Overcoming Comparison with Good Morning America’s Sara Haines – Episode 32
- The Four Tenents for Yoga and for Life with James Miller – Episode 248
- PTG – Post Traumatic Growth – Episode 172
More Info on the episode:
In this episode, we talk through 3 key things I’ve learned from doing 250 episodes of DREAM THINK DO.
MAJOR THEMES:
- Embrace Comparison
- Become a Novice
- March through the Mess
EMBRACE COMPARISON:
Obviously, a comparison is something we have to be VERY careful with. Great thinkers have warned us about it since the dawn of time:
[Tweet ““Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Rosevelt”]
[Tweet ““Never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Comparison is poison.” – Jon Acuff”]
[Tweet ““Personality begins where comparison leaves off. Be unique. Be memorable. Be confident. Be proud.” – Shannon Alder”]
So you might wonder why I would ever say… “Embrace Comparison.”
But this idea was sparked when I interviewed Neil Pasricha – for DTD Episode 247 – “Bring Your awesome!”
He had 6 best selling books and two of those books have spent 100 weeks on the NYT bestseller list! Amazing.
Before I hit “record” for our interview, we got to talk for a bit. As we were chatting I congratulated him about the success of his books and I asked him what it felt like to have an NYT Best Selling book. Without skipping a beat, he said, “Do you know what happens the minute you get an NYT best selling book?” I said, “What?” He said, “You start to see all the people who have TWO NYT best selling books, and you start to feel pressure to get your second!”
We wound up talking about how he shakes that feeling off… and just keeps doing his thing. BUT he confessed that’s something he really had to watch out for. That was a powerful moment and I really appreciated his transparency.
It’s something I NEVER have to deal with… ha! Just kidding… of course. In fact, we dove into this subject in depth in episode 183.
For me, negative comparison can creep up… as I interview people who have done amazing things!!! Especially if those achievements involve things I aspire to do too! I can feel it sneaking up and it threatens to steal the job of having a great conversation with an awesome person.
So I need to look to evolutionary psychology for a little awareness… so I can keep things healthy. As you probably know… “evolutionary psychology” is the theoretical approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological structure from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify which human psychological traits might actually be evolved adaptations – that is, the functional products of natural selection or sexual selection.
In this episode, we’ll talk about “Upward” and “Downward” comparison and how to stay on the helpful side of going “tribal!” One of the best ways I can do that is by asking questions like:
- How can I be learning from this person?
- What are they doing that I want to do?
- How can I be helping this person?
These simple but powerful questions help to direct my thinking towards healthy comparison and help me to be fully present and enjoy connecting with the person. Plus, they keep me out of the “grumpy greyness” that can start to creep in when we slip into unhealthy comparison.
BE A NOVICE (once and a while):
It might be strange to talk about why it’s important to try something new when we’re also celebrating our 250th episode… but I’ve found that really is key to staying fresh!
Great thinkers have a thing or two to say here too:
[Tweet ““Do one thing every day that scares you!” – Eleanor Roosevelt”]
[Tweet ““If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good.” – Dr. Seuss”]
[Tweet ““A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein”]
[Tweet ““Be fearless in trying new things, whether they are physical, mental or emotional, since being afraid can challenge you to go to the next level.” – Rita Wilson”]
During this part of the episode, I’ll share a little of what I’ve been learning about learning something that’s VERY new to me (#yoga). Yeah… I never thought I’d say that.
But I’ve been learning a lot… and some of the things have really been surprising me! We’ll talk about THAT too!
MARCH THROUGH THE MESS:
Finally… we’ll talk through the importance of breaking through perfectionism and not wait until things are perfect. Instead… we gotta march… even when it’s messy. Cuz… life is just messy sometimes. Can I get an amen?
I’ll tell of some of the most recent “messes” that I needed to push through. I’ll also share one of my favorite stories involving a sick kid turned U.S. President (and one of my personal heroes), Theodore Rosevelt! If you’re curious about that story, you can click here to get the full scoop.
250 Episodes down… 250+ to go!
I’ve learned a lot over the 250 episodes.
I hope you have too!
If you have… leave a comment and let me know a favorite memory… interview… story or piece of wisdom that made an impact on you!
Comment below. I’d LOVE to hear from you!
Here’s to our next 250… together!
Quick Episode Summary:
- 0.02 What to expect today!
- 3:08 Embracing comparison
- 8:23 Going tribal
- 10:23 Fight or flight
- 18:35 Becoming a novice
- 23:51 2020 is going to be a big year
- 26:26 Marching through the mess
- 27:28 When DTD disappeared
- 30:21 What Mitch learned from Theodore Roosevelt
35:32 It is time - 37:21 Thank you Dream Think Do-er!
Listen to Mitch Mattews Top Podcast here
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