Stress + rest = growth. This equation holds true regardless of what it is that you are trying to grow.

Marcora believes that we constantly weigh our perceptions of effort associated with an activity (i.e., how hard something feels) against our motivation to do that activity. When perception of effort is greater than motivation, we slow down or ease up until the two are balanced.

The more one forgets himself—by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love—the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself. What is called self-actualization is not an attainable aim at all, for the simple reason that the more one would strive for it, the more he would miss it. In other words, self-actualization is

the activities we do prior to performing prime our bodies and our minds into specific states, and the environments we work in invite and influence certain behaviors.

Studies show that just 7 to 10 minutes of open-monitoring meditation aids in both physiological recovery and creativity.

SYSTEMATICALLY GROW BY ALTERNATING BETWEEN STRESS AND REST Stress Yourself Seek out “just-manageable challenges” in areas of your life in which you want grow •Just-manageable challenges are those that barely exceed your current abilities. •If you feel fully in control, make the next challenge a bit harder. •If you feel anxious or so aroused that

While there is no single way to develop grit, the trait is often accompanied by a strong sense of purpose. Especially when the going gets tough, gritty people draw upon a greater cause for inspiration and stick-to-itiveness.

“It’s only when you step outside your comfort zone that you grow. Being uncomfortable is the path to personal development and growth. It is the opposite of complacency.”

the way we think about the world has a profound effect on what we do in it. If we cultivate a growth mindset and believe that skills come from struggle, then we are more likely to expose ourselves to the good kind of growth-promoting stress. But the power of mindsets doesn’t stop there. It turns out that our mindset toward stress not only