In April 1994, Bill Gates completely cut himself off from his work, his friends, and even his family for an entire week.

This was part of an annual ritual that he called his “Think Week” where he takes the time to step back from everything and look at it from a high-level. He found that this separation gave him clarity and the ability to think outside the box.

This particular Think Week ensured Microsoft’s dominance for the next decade. [1]

He was struggling with the question of whether the Internet was a fad or here to stay. Until that point, Microsoft was completely focused on the personal computer and ignored many other opportunities like personal digital assistants.

This focus was part of what made them great. 

“All men have the will to win. But it’s the man who has the will to prepare who’s going to win.” – Bob Knight

In 1975, the legendary college basketball coach, Bob Knight, led his Indiana Hoosiers to an undefeated season and a national championship victory – something that hasn’t been done again in over 40 years now. 

Upon his retirement from the game, he wrote a book where he told the world his approach to psychology in the game of basketball – The Power of Negative Thinking.

Let me introduce to you William.

William is a smart, quiet, introvert with a dry sense of humor and a generous spirit. He’s 20 years old, a college student and has never been very good at talking to women.

One day, a girl that he has liked for months sits next to him in his chemistry class. He is nervous, but knows that he needs to summon the courage to talk to girls he likes one of these days.

Then, by a stroke of luck, the professor assigns the two of them to work on a project together. He starts building a friendship with her. He is awkward at times, but they generally get along well.

Solve this puzzle as quickly as you can: 

A man purchases a baseball bat and a ball for $1.10. The bat cost $1.00 more than the ball.  

How much does the ball cost? 

In a previous post I wrote about the real reason that positive thinking and self-belief works. Belief goes beyond consciously thinking that you will be able to do something. True belief taps into the subconscious mind and reworks the emotional sense of doubt and anxiety that come along with us achieving our goals. 

“Know Thyself.” - Scribes of Delphi

Imagine you have just been hired as CEO of a Fortune 500 company. You’re excited about all of the changes and improvements you can make for the company, and you’re eager to get started. But, there’s a catch - you have no information.

Accounting, finance, sales, marketing, you have absolutely no numbers on any of them from the time before you took over, or during your tenure as CEO. So how would you make the best decisions for the company?  If you have no quantifiable data, how can you see if any of your new ideas are working?

All of your goals would simply be measured by whether you “felt” like you were making progress with the company. This is obviously a horrible way to run an organization, so why do we apply that to our lives?  

“Mind over matter” 

I don’t believe in quick fixes. I believe in small, almost un-noticeable, wins compounded on a daily basis that eventually lead to spectacular results. However, when I began my journey into the world of Willpower Science, I came across one age-old concept that promised to enhance my willpower and discipline overnight – meditation.

It’s Tuesday at 7am. Susan, an account manager for a brokerage firm, takes a look at her calendar for the day. She sees that huge presentation for one of her firm’s top clients at 10. She’s been dreading this presentation for some time, as the client is becoming impatient with a lack of results, and there’s rumors that they’re exploring other firms to invest with. This presentation is crucial, and could be the difference between her getting a promotion, or getting a box to pack her things.   

It was February 2013. The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers were about to take the field of the Super Dome to play for the greatest prize in the game of football –The Lombardi Trophy. They weren’t the only ones taking in the experience, though. Down in the tunnel, on the field, and in the stands, Russell Wilson – quarterback of the playoff-eliminated Seattle Seahawks – was also taking it all in.