The Mortality Mindset

This episode covers it all. Self-doubt. Fears. Overthinking. Quitting. Rethinking. More overthinking.  Revelations. Recommitment. Oh - and Mortality. Get the free newsletter.

The Mortality Mindset is not focused on death, but rather on LIFE! The catch is... we've got to think about death in order to fully appreciate life. In this episode, I ask you to reflect on a few big questions in order to help you live like it matters! Sign up for the free, weekly email.

This short episode poses yet another in a series of deep, fundamental questions about your life.  Asking these questions and seriously reflecting on your answers can help you avoid some very real dangers down the road. JOIN THE DISCUSSION! Sign up now for the free Mortal Living newsletter and community at: MortalLiving.substack.com 

In Episode 50 I asked you to think about why you're here.  Today, I challenge you to look deeper. JOIN THE DISCUSSION! Sign up now for the free Mortal Living newsletter and community at: MortalLiving.substack.com

When you get right down to it, life really begins once we take the time to consciously decide: Who we are. Why we're here.  This episode kicks off a much larger discussion that will evolve over the coming weeks and months.   JOIN THE DISCUSSION! Sign up now for the free Mortal Living newsletter and community.

My goal has always been to build a strong and vibrant community of Mortals.  For the past 48 episodes, I've been using this podcast to help spread the word about the Mortality Mindset and now it's time to refine things. This episode introduces you to a new podcast I'm calling Mortal Living. Subscribe for free right now at http://MortalLiving.substack.com

There is no such thing as procrastination.   What we think of as procrastination is simply a symptom of a larger problem.  In this episode I explain why I think that procrastination is a myth and give you the steps you need to address the underlying issue. (Hint: it's NOT about time management.)

A discussion of the potential pitfalls of living a goal-oriented / achievement-driven life - and how to avoid them. Less goals, more vision.

Why are you here? To achieve goals or to live experiences? If you'd like help figuring out your experiences, check out the What Matters Most course. (Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eB-3gXWyQmM)

"I'm MORTAL - what's your superpower?" That's how I often introduce myself.  In this episode, I explain why and I discuss how you can learn the superpower of mortality and why you'd want to do that. I also introduce my newest online course: What Matters Most (Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NDa9kuOkN6s)

You know the uncertainty that we're all dealing with because of COVID-19?  Well, that deep level of uncertainty is fundamental to the Mortality Mindset. Which means we all have an amazing opportunity to use this pandemic to allow ourselves to get super clear about our life's priorities. In this episode, I mention my online course: What Matters Most. Sign up now to be notified as soon as it drops (in the next week or two). (Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/V_dl326akqM)  

A frank discussion about some of the ups and downs I've been experiencing over the last 5 weeks of the pandemic quarantine.

The COVID-19 global pandemic offers each of us a chance to live with the Mortality Mindset. In this video I discuss that and introduce a free one-month coaching program designed to help develop Radical Resilience during these trying times. The program runs for the month of April 2020 an you can sign up for free at: https://members.mortalitymindset.com/covid-19-radical-resilience Video version at: https://youtu.be/yyIzWCFra7M

Today (18 March, 2020) I celebrate my 50th birthday, which is 20 more birthdays that I was "supposed to" have. In this episode, I talk about how the Mortality Mindset can be used by everyone in facing the fears and panic surrounding the current global pandemic. Video version at: https://youtu.be/eCACJuAPSDQ Check out the pictures from our hotel on the side of an active volcano at: https://www.instagram.com/barcodeguy/

I recorded this episode with VIDEO as well and have released it on YouTube. You can check it out here.  Please let me know what you think. Do you want more podcasts with video versions? As promised, here is the discount link to my first online course: How to be a Better Person.  Sign up for the Mortality Mindset newsletter at: https://MortalityMindset.com/

Let me introduce you to a simple phrase that I use to help with any number of things: Ground me. Anchor me in gratitude. Begin my day. Wrap up my day. Act as a war-cry in the face of adversity.  

Do you find yourself chasing the mythical "Easy Way" to do things? Or perhaps you believe that good things only come through hard work? You know - no pain, no gain. Well, there's a third way...

Getting to the bottom of competing beliefs that might be holding us back and causing us to run in circles.

Wouldn't it be amazing if you could have a completely personalized book with foolproof recipes for success?  Why not create one?

I explain why this podcast suffers from a lack of consistent and predictable releases. I explain the changes I'm going to make in order to change that and I invite you along for the ride. 

When you live your life as a Mortal, you avoid the time traps that can be found from spending too much time in the past and/or the future.

Since 2003 I've been encouraging people to think about, face and embrace mortality - their own, and the mortality of everyone they love.  Why on earth would anyone want to do that?  In this episode, I give you two very good reasons.   The Mortality Manual can help you get started.  

In this episode, I explain why the podcast has evolved from The Choose the Life You Want Podcast into the Mortality Mindset Podcast.  I also talk about what to expect next.

In this short, raw episode I speak about a personal situation that has taught me something about the transitions of life.  I also give you a heads up about a transition taking place with the podcast (exciting things coming!)

Yes - it's been more than 15 months since the last episode.. here's why. And here's what to expect in the future.

In this episode, I talk more about passion and explain why I think it trumps happiness. ----

My goal with Choose The Life You Want is to help people live like they matter.  To help them discover their passion.  And for me, being passionate involves using strong language when necessary. In this episode, I talk about passion and strong language and offer some suggestions to help you get into that mindset and stay there. Here are the links:   Mark Manson's article - The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck The Thug Kitchen Cookbook     

When you think about 'working on your life', do you feel energized and inspired?  Or do you end up procrastinating because it feels too heavy and too much like ... well, work?    Try shifting your thinking to a place of 'playing at your life' rather than 'working on it'.      

Photo: Bluerainbowsanddrain This week there was a total lunar eclipse.  But it was a special one.  A total eclipse of a super-harvest-blood-moon!!  The last time that happened was 1982. The next time it will happen will be 2033. So what?  Big deal! There's an event that's much more unique and rare.    

As a Coach, I help my clients with their accountability. I'm not talking about guilt. I'm not talking about shame. And I'm not talking about judgement. When it comes to choosing and living the life you want, you owe it to yourself to be accountable to the things that really matter!  

In this episode, I discuss some powerful insights from the book Mindset - The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck.  

I've been a Certified Coach Practitioner since 2008. Why might you benefit from having me as your coach? 1. I'm not you. 2. I'm not your family or friends. 3. When is the last time you had someone listen to you without waiting for their turn to talk? 4. Accountablity. Accountability. Accountability. I invite you to take advantage of one of these free, personalized, one-on-one, coaching sessions: Get Off Autopilot Productivity Power Up Conquer Change Pulverizing Procrastination  

Imagine getting a letter in the mail telling you who you are and what you're supposed to do?  Wouldn't that make life so much easier? Maybe... but maybe not. In this episode, I discuss the 2002 bestselling book What Should I Do with My Life? by Po Bronson.     

What's the right way to go?  

Complete this sentence:  "I matter because..." This episode asks: Are you living like you matter? If not - what would happen if you started to live that way? If you already do - what would happen if you got even more serious about it?    

When it comes to defining the life you want - be sure to pay close attention to the payoff.  Let your feelings be your guide.    

When it comes to Choosing The Life You Want, you owe it to yourself to choose a big life.   Think big. Dream big. Have big goals. Whether or not you're able to attain the big goals, they're much more fun and rewarding to work towards than a life of simply "playing it safe".  

Recently I was feeling disappointed about something that happened and I asked the subscribers of my Destroying the BS email list for suggestions on how to handle disappointment.    Not surprisingly, GRATITUDE was the numbe one suggestion!   In this episode, I talk about three different variations of gratitude that you can use on a daily basis.    

Wouldn't life be so much easier if everyone simply agreed with you and saw things your way?  

In his book Do the Work author Stephen Pressfield speaks about using resistance as a compass. In this episode, I adapt that idea and suggest that we could be using our fear as a compass - pointing us towards where we most need to go.   

"Because fear is based on an imagined future, my focus on the present makes me fearless." - from The Mortality Manifesto In this episode, I talk about the danger of letting your fear stop you from choosing and living the life you want. I make a confession about my own fear and give you a powerful tool to help you begin to step away from the grip of fear. By the way... here's the quote from Marianne Williamson that I mention in this episode: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."  

I believe the three most important questions in life are: Who Am I?  What Do I Want?  How Am I Going to Get It? The last two episodes (EP009 & EP010) looked at the first two questions. Today we addresses the last question: How am I going to get what I want? Warning: The answer may not be what you're expecting.  

Are you consciously choosing what you want, of do you find yourself simply reacting to things you don't want? This episode is about taking a close look at what we want in our lives.  Sometimes choosing what we want can leave us feeling one of three ways: Overwhelmed at all of the choices Dejected about your current circumstances Confused about making the "right" choice. Life may not give you exactly what you want, but making the choice to live with passion and take action will make everything worthwhile!

I believe that the three most important questions in life are: Who Am I? What Do I Want? How Am I Going To Get It? In this episode, I examine the first question and talk about some of the false beliefs that can get in the way. Yes - you really do get to choose why you are!  If you don't believe me - watch this video clip of Barb, the mother I mention in the episode. https://youtu.be/77iM2fqqNSU  

For some people the idea that they only get one chance triggers tension, pressure and anxiety.  "I can't mess this up or I'll blow everything!" For other people the idea that they only get one chance creates a sense of freedom and energy. "One chance? Forget playing it safe - I'm going full-out!" And of course, most people swing back and forth between those two extremes.   In this episode, I talk about these extremes and how self-compassion is the key to finding a productive balance. 

Aristotle said: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." In his book The Power of Habit, bestselling author Charles Duhigg wrote: "If you believe you can change - if you make it a habit - the change becomes real. This is the real power of habit; the insight that your habits are what you choose them to be."  In this episode, I present an interview I did with Duhigg in December of 2013. We discuss how to diagnose your current habits and how to change them. We also answer the age-old question: How long does it take to form a new habit?

In the past few episodes, I've been focusing on ACTION.   Today, I want to make a clear distinction between being in action and being in reaction. Some thrive on reaction because it creates a sense of excitement and drama in our lives.  But if we are simply reacting to outside influences we are very far from choosing and living the lives we want for ourselves.   It's not about having goals. It's not about completing checklists. It's about having a sense of direction and purpose in our lives.  The Mortality Manifesto is a key tool that can help you develop that sense of direction and purpose and move you from reaction into action!

In EP004 I discussed the Trap of Perfectionism.  EP005 continues that discussion with a focus on taking ACTION. As my friend @Andrew_Gregory pointed out: life is like riding a bike - you need to be moving in order for it to work properly.   In this episode, I mention a few points made by Kyle Eschenroeder in an article called: 10 Overlooked Truths About Action. I discovered Kyle's article on Brett McKay's website ArtOfManliness.com. You might also want to check out Brett's podcast.  I also mention Stephen Pressfield's great book: Do the Work I simply can't recommend that book enough!  

Do you ever find yourself being stuck waiting for everything to be "perfect" before you get started?    When it comes to the idea of Choosing the Life You Want, do you get paralyzed with fear and self-judgement?   In this episode, I talk about how Jad Abumrad, from the fantastic NPR podcast Radiolab, nearly stopped me from launching this podcast.    I explain how I moved beyond that and I provide a barebones recipe for success in life. (Hint: It's all about action!)