I’m not sure if you all are familiar with Ted Talks or not, but if you are not then you certainly should be! Personally, I’d take Ted Talks over reality TV drama any day, but I guess it just depends on the day! LOL. Lord knows I love a healthy amount of Tami Roman and NeNe Leakes. Nonetheless, Ted Talks are great short clips that you can watch while getting ready for work, washing dishes, doing chores, or just sipping on wine while browsing the internet. I am always looking for ways to improve myself and if you’re reading this blog, I can assume you are as well. Ted Talks is the perfect tool to use for added motivation. Using the tools, strategies, and knowledge Ted presenters give you can help you achieve better, more efficient personal growth results over time. Below are recommended Ted Talks that are very specific to self-help and self-improvement; however, there is a wide spectrum of talks that you can find on their website as it relates to your career and/or personal interests.
How To Stop Screwing Yourself Over by Mel Robbins
Mel Robbins hilariously motivates us to kill our comfort zones in order to start living a happier life. This Ted Talk is solely responsible for my decreased snooze button rate; she convinced me that we have to “will” ourselves out of bed just as we have to “will” ourselves to make change in our lives. The same amount of effort that it takes for us to stop watching TV and go to the gym is the same amount of effort that it takes us to get out of the warm bed and into the cold room. This is hands down one of my favorite motivational Ted Talks! She highlights the importance of FORCING ourselves to do things. Definitely recommend you watch this!
Why The Secret to Success Is Setting The Right Goals by John Doerr
In this TedTalk, John Doerr talks about meeting goals by focusing on “objectives and key results.” I love this TedTalk because he gives us an easy method to hold ourselves and others accountable to focus on what really matters. Often times we find companies, governments, politicians, and ourselves not meeting our outlined goals; and according to Mr. Doerr, it’s because we aren’t using the right approach to ensure we are meeting them. This is the perfect TedTalk to watch if you find yourself struggling to produce key results that align with your goals and objectives. If you really want to explore this more, I also highly recommend reading the book.
The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers by Adam Grant
Adam Grant introduces the positive side of procrastination as he explains the unpopular nuances of original thinkers. He offers a more thoughtful perspective on the characteristics that are often times looked down on such as doubt/fear, procrastination, and embracing failure. This is the type of Ted Talk you watch when you are experiencing failure, self-doubt, and a slew of other feelings that can handicap your progress. Oh! And he’s kind of funny, too! I haven’t read his book yet, but Barnes & Noble has it for less than $6.
What Is Imposter Syndrome and How Can You Avoid It? By Elizabeth Cox
I loveeee this TedEd animation video for so many reasons. I know so many people, including myself, who do not give ourselves the credit we deserve. We’ve worked hard, put in long hours, and made sacrifices that have gotten us where we are, yet we still feel undeserving. Elizabeth Cox describes this as “imposter syndrome.” Before watching this video, I thought I was alone. Turns out, there’s a good amount of people who struggle with these same feelings including Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, and many other professionals and students. Elizabeth Cox offers very simple, but effective ways to overcome these feelings. I highly recommend you watch this if you can relate!
We Don’t “Move On” from Grief. We Move Forward With It by Nora Mclnerny
This talk is necessary for so many reasons. Many of you know that I lost my father last October and with it being mid-semester I had to find ways and answers to move forward. This TedTalk is one of the resources that I came across during that time. I became more interested in understanding death and grief, especially as it relates to other people. I understand that this is a hard topic to deal with, but let’s be honest: we will all have to deal with this at some point in our lives. This Ted Talk helped me through a very troubling time and I think it’s so important for me to include it in this post. We will all need this one day. We don’t move on without them, we move forward with them.
