Monday, 29 February 2016

Use Marketing to Help You Achieve Your Goal

Use the power of association to help you with your goals. Golden Arches mean McDonald's! Running Shoes by the door mean "go running".

http://m.fastcompany.com/3039467/how-i-get-it-done/how-to-change-your-habits-with-the-help-of-one-clever-marketing-trick

Sunday, 14 February 2016

Asking the Question "Why" Can Help You Achieve Your Goals

Most of us have had the experience of having a goal, and knowing what we're supposed to do to achieve that goal... and yet not doing it!  "I should be out at the gym... which is only 150 metres (yard) away... right now.  I'll do it right after I clean this popcorn popper and check my spam e-mail folder to be sure I haven't missed any big financial wins from Africa!"

A big reason for this is because we may be pursuing something that isn't REALLY important to us.  When we are faced with a change of habits, "...we need to activate a part of the brain called the ventromedial prefontal cortex, which is simply the part of the brain that processes risk and fear. It also plays a role in decision-making and habits."

There's a quick exercise you can follow to determine if you're really trying to change a habit that is inline with your core values... because those are the only habit changes that have a decent chance of sticking!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-12/finding-your-why/7083666

iThrive Competition to Develop Empathy Games for Teens

Empathy is a key element of Enriching Psychology™, and while some people seem to have a more natural aptitude towards empathy, it's also a skill that can be modelled and learned. 

iThrive.org is an organization that encourages creative teams to design and develop digital games that empower teens to develop their skills for empathy and other proven positive psychology principles.

http://ithrivegames.org/

Every team has at least one student, and the competition winners win prize money to help them complete their game development, and is eligible for display in iThrive’s “Psyched Up” Arcade, which will have a presence at multiple respected gaming conferences across the US.

Their website says it best: "iThrive’s work is rooted in–and seeks to advance–science at the intersection of teen development, social and emotional skills, positive psychology, gaming, and game design. We collaborate with top researchers in these fields to explore how great video games can support teen flourishing."