Monday M.A.G.I.C. Message
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(Memory, Appearance, Genius, Image, Conversation)
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from MAGIC!”
Sir Arthur C. Clarke
Dear Impossible Family,
Continuing the theme of ‘new you, new universe’ I want to share some more of my learnings in the self-help space.
I recently had lunch with a friend who’s been working on his PhD thesis for 20 years(!). Not continuously, mind you. But on and off for all those 5 presidential administrations. I shared some wisdom that I’d heard — It turns out if you write down your personal or career goals (e.g., “I will finish my dissertation by August 1st” or “I will apply for 10 jobs this week”), studies show that you’re more than twice as likely to reach that goal than if you had just fantasized about it in your head.
Goals are the cornerstone of any self-improvement plan, yet most people don’t set them. What’s worse, folks don’t even know how to set goals. If you want to be successful, you must set goals. They don’t have to be complicated. The following method will help you create simple, clear and powerful goals:
1) Write down your goal statement using present tense and not “I want…” or “I hope…”
2) Ask yourself what is the exact next action you need to take in order to make this goal happen
As goals are reported and progress is made, accountability becomes a positive social experience. As I have said before, people who are held accountable for their goals and action plans are likely to be more successful than those who do not have a support system of peers, friends and family cheering them on.
But when it comes to accountability partners, who you choose is as important as how often you choose them. Studies show that people with high levels of social support are more likely to achieve their goals. You may need a different kind of support at different stages in your life. Think about who will support you and how they can help you achieve your goal. Be open to letting others in on what’s important to you, because that’s the best way to create the positive social experience that can help keep you motivated.
I got great feedback from dozens of you about your New Year’s resolution — thanks so much! Now I share mine: I want to lose 10 lbs this year. I have been studying the problem, and next week will share with you my learnings. Wish me not luck, but commitment and accountability. I will keep you posted twice a month on my progress!
I hope you will soon note improvements from my upgraded studio [thank you Patreon patrons and Youtube Members for your financial support!].
And, as mentioned in my recent video, look for the first-ever audiobook by Galileo produced by yours truly, featuring my voice alongside my heroes Carlo Rovelli, Lucio Piccirillo, Frank Wilczek, Fabiola Gianotti, and Jim Gates.
Have a magical week!
Harry Cliff will crack you up and make you think too! CONVERSATION: Harry Cliff is a particle physicist at the University of Cambridge is my guest this week. Harry is working on the LHCb experiment, a huge particle detector buried 100 meters underground at CERN near Geneva. He is a member of an international team of around 1400 physicists, engineers, and computer scientists who are using LHCb to study the basic building blocks of our universe, in search of answers to some of the biggest questions in modern physics. He also spends a big chunk of his time sharing his love of physics with the public.
His first popular science book, How To Make An Apple Pie From Scratch, was published in August 2021. From 2012 to 2018 he held a joint post between Cambridge and the Science Museum in London, where he curated two major exhibitions: Collider (2013) and The Sun (2018). He has given a large number of public talks, including at TED and the Royal Institution, and made numerous appearances on television, radio, and podcasts.
I’m running a free giveaway, and you’re invited to participate!
It takes 5 seconds to enter for a chance to win at the link below:
Win a copy of Harry Cliff’s hit book, HOW TO MAKE AN APPLE PIE! Just click the button below. Your odds of winning increase with every person you refer. Spread the word! Good luck!
CLICK HERE TO Enter to Win HOW TO MAKE AN APPLE PIE FROM SCRATCH!
IMAGE: The ‘grand design’ spiral galaxy NGC 691. Photo: ESA/Hubble & NASA, taken by past guest Adam Riess et al.; Acknowledgment: M. Zamania This spiral galaxy, a flat disk with the stars, gas, and dust arranged to form a delightful pinwheel pattern. It may even take on the appearance of the Milky Way galaxy as seen from verrrrrrrry far away!. The core — a redder nucleus — is made up of old stars and probably a supermassive black hole or two. The arms are blue since that’s where most baby stars are born — young, massive stars are blue and bright. nGENIUS: We all need more sleep. Some of the world’s most creative geniuses, like Salvador Dalí and Thomas Edison described using this sleep technique to bolster creativity.To get the creativity boost, you essentially need to wake up just as a certain sleep stage sets in, where reality seems to blend into fantasy. To use the technique, visionaries such as Dalí and Edison would hold an object, such as a spoon or a ball, while falling asleep in a chair. As they drifted off, the object would fall, make a noise and wake them up. Having spent a few moments on the brink of unconsciousness, they would be ready to start their work.
APPEARANCE: I was delighted tCatch my life debate with Professor Lee Cronin on Curt Jaimungal’s Theories of Everything. We fought over many topics, ranging from the definition of life to the search for 👽 life.ay
MEMORY In February 2015 I spoke at the famed Very Large Array in New Mexico, the same place Jodi Foster appears at, playing my friend Jill Tarter, in the movie CONTACT co-written by past guest, Ann Druyan! What an amazing, iconic place for nerds like me!The only thing I want for Valentines Day is for you to leave a review of The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast! We are up to 335 reviews. Will you be #336? Every Review helps so much!
Get your copy of Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner!
Harry Cliff: To Make An Apple Pie You First Need to Invent the Universe!
Did you enjoy this issue?
Hi! I’m the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at UC San Diego where my team & I study the origin & evolution of space, time, & matter. I believe scientists are obligated to explain their work in simple terms to non-experts. I think scientifically and I want you to too.
I wrote INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE & LOSING THE NOBEL PRIZE which was a Best Science Book at Science Friday, Amazon, Science News, Physics Today, Forbes, & Symmetry Magazine., named one of the best cosmology books of all time. I’m on a mission to magnify curiosity, stoke imagination, & inspire minds of all ages.
Join me, because “The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them: into the impossible!”
