See the World

1. Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator

The slide at the end should motivate you.

But the entire talk speaks to my heart. I’ve never been diagnosed as a procrastinator, but I act like one all the time!! Artificial deadlines are my friend.

I think this talk can help you deal with folks who may be coming down with the procrastinator bug.

2. How to Make Learning as Addictive as Social Media

Duolingo has taken the language world by storm. A simple app that helps you learn another language. But the fin part is how they’ve built the app into an additive game users keep coming back to.

Spoiler alert!! Bake “streaks” into your product in some way. You know, the Snapchat streaks you create by messaging your bestie every day? That’s what he’s talking about, making learning “addictive”. Not sure if that is practical for most businesses, but it’s a fun Ted Talk nonetheless.

3. How To Not Take Things Personally

A great lesson for all of us. I needed to hear this talk after I was given some harsh (my opinion) feedback. But you know what? I didn’t take it personally; I used the feedback to get better.

This can be VERY difficult, but it’s something you can work on no matter where your role is in the company. The higher up, the more important.

4. The Magic Art of Not Giving a F***

There’s a book with a similar title. But Sarah’s delivery, the message, oh it’s too good. Warning, explicit lyrics!! But it makes for a fun and entertaining talk. And yes, a very important lesson is learned: stop caring so much, just get on with it! 

5. The Skill of Humour

Andrew is a great public speaker. Humour is such an underrated weapon in your toolkit. More people should be using humour. I like to say, even an attempt at humour can be funny. Remember what Rosamund and Benjamin Zander would say! Stop taking yourself too seriously!

6. The Secret Science of Mental Toughness

What do you do to practice mental toughness? Do you struggle regularly? Turns out that might be a GREAT thing for our mind and body.

This is why regular workouts are powerful. This is why regular challenges get your mind and body into shape. The problem comes when we can increase the niceties around us, and over time, remove all difficult situations from our lives. This is a fool’s errand. We NEED challenges to stay human, to remind us what life is all about.

What are you doing to help your mental toughness? 

7. The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong

What a powerful story Amy has.

“Before you can change your world, you have to believe you can change it.”

I love her thoughts on our attitude. It dictates a lot in life. I can’t imagine going through what Amy has endured, but it does inspire me that life doesn’t throw us a pitch we can’t hit. The more difficult the pitch, the more life has in store for us.

So lean into that difficult moment, it’s making you better in the long run.

8. How to Succeed Without Confidence, Motivation, or Healing

My lord, does Evy speak the truth? This talk is incredible. Here are some gems of truth from her.

Convidence is overrated.

Motivation = Mediocrity.

We become what we think of ourselves. (how people walk can tell you a lot about them).

Labels are for clothing, not for people. Stop labeling yourself.

You don’t need to heal to be resilient.

Did I live? Am I okay to go?

You don’t need confidence to do anything. You can just do it.

9. The Good News You Might Have Missed

The world may seem bad, but it’s not as bad as you’ve been told. I LOVE this talk. There is a lot of GREAT news out there, you just need to read a little more.

10. Meet NEO, your robot butler in training

The future is here. Remember when Roombas were a big deal? A self-driving vacuum that would keep your floors spotless! I’ve seen robot pool cleaners too. They are taking the menial jobs away, and I think that’s a good thing.

Yup, robot butlers are a thing. It’s truly remarkable to see how far some companies have advanced with this technology.

The Big Question: When Will They Be Everywhere?

That’s the trillion-dollar question. Some say that within 10 to 20 years, we’ll see service robots as common as smartphones. Others argue that the tech, regulation, and culture will take much longer to adapt. What’s certain is that robots are no longer a question of “if”, it’s a question of “when” and “how much.”

For now, Neo and its robot cousins are in training. One day, they might be making us breakfast. Until then, they’ll keep vacuuming, delivering, and occasionally bumping into walls while they learn.

Will you one day have a robot cleaner in your house?

If you liked this article, then you’ll love this list: 30 of the Best Ted Talks