James Norris www.jamesnorris.org james@jamesnorris.org

1. 10+ Years of Personal Growth in 20 Minutes James Norris www.jamesnorris.org james@jamesnorris.org blinkBL-NK January 18, 2011 BluJaz

2. Self-actualization Transcendence Self-transcendence Secondary integration Happiness/flourishing Spiral wizard Eudaimonia Nirvana Enlightenment ?

3. Who rocks?

4. A few of my experiments • Personal development startup • Personal development non-profit (19 events/”homework” assignments) • One month sabbatical in desert • One year quasi-sabbatical • Two 7-person mastermind groups, one 4-person Personal Advisory Board • One personal advisory board • Three mentors (personal development, business, social innovation) • 137 serious self-assessments • 157 frivolous self-assessments • 1,000+ documented pieces of feedback • 987 firsts • 24 hours/day time tracking (9 months) • Daily performance self-assessment (5-20 metrics, 2.5 years) • Overload experiment (12 months, 60 academic hours, 4 part-time jobs/internships, 2 senior year capstone projects/quasi-theses, 1 girlfriend) • 20 Get Stuff Done Days • ROI days • Discipline days • Three month mobile phone free experiment • Hunger fasts • Daily training push • Frugality experiment • Caffeine fasts • Facebook fasts • Socializing fasts/hermit mode • Internet fasts/information diets • Computer fasts • Courage experiments • Artificial deadline experiments • Partial vegetarian diet (2 day per week) • Essentially giving up TV • Essentially giving up video games • Essentially giving up non-productive social life for extended periods • Moving to a completely foreign country • (Temporarily) giving up 80% of my stuff upon moving to foreign country

5. Life snapshot • Founded/established 3 social enterprises, 8 organizations, and 5 clubs • Helped build 3 other startups • Learned from 22 jobs/internships • Experimented with 7 microbusinesses • Graduated with 3 majors, 4 minors, 2 programs

6. Talk snapshot • Happiness is an engineering problem. • Happiness is a set of habits. • Rap isn’t that bad. :) • Triggers first. Then KISS change. • Timing really matters. • Babies crawl, then walk, then run. You’re a baby. • 21 days to change is rubbish. • You’re a big fat elephant. • Love (and all emotion) lasts 6 seconds. • Self-control depletes glucose. Eat. • Eat well. • Grit predicts success. • Self-compassion kicks the ass of self-criticism. • Reframing rocks. • Mindfulness…Mmmmmm good.

9. Biggest Lessons

11. Lesson: Happiness is an engineering problem.

13. Lesson: Happiness is a set of habits.

15. Lesson: Rap isn’t that bad. :)

17. Lesson: Triggers first. Then KISS change.

19. Lesson: Timing really matters.

21. Lesson: Babies crawl, then walk, then run. You’re a baby.

23. Lesson: 21 days to change is rubbish.

25. Lesson: You’re a big fat elephant.

27. Lesson: Love (and all emotion) lasts 6 seconds.

29. Lesson: Self-control depletes glucose. Eat.

31. Lesson: Eat well.

33. Lesson: Grit predicts success.

35. Lesson: Self-compassion kicks the ass of self-criticism.

37. Lesson: Reframing rocks.

39. Lesson: Mindfulness…Mmmmmm good.

40. Personal Growth Resource Kit • www.jamesnorris.org/personalgrowthkit • 150+ useful files for helping with all areas of your personal development, including career, fitness, setting/reaching goals, life planning, nutrition, productivity, self-awareness, sleep, and time and performance management. • Heavily turnkey and focused on immediately insight and progress. • No bullshit. All practical. Admittedly a little hodgepodge. • Free.

41. www.selfspark.com/beta

43. James Norris • james@jamesnorris.org • www.jamesnorris.org