Time Slipping By? Make Choices That Give You the Best Stories with John K. Coyle (Episode #164)
You know how it can sometimes feel like time is relentlessly speeding by? Well it turns out, we can control that feeling, and even slow things down to the “savoring pace,” if we learn a little about how our brains work. John K. Coyle is an expert in how we perceive time, and his insights can help us live far richer lives, hour by hour. “When life gives you choices, choose the one that gives you the best stories.” That’s just one of the many uplifting ah-ha moments (based on science) from this wonderful episode.
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About Our Guest:
“When Life gives you choices, choose the one that will give you the best stories.”
– John K. Coyle
That is just one of many great pieces of advice that John K. Coyle has to share. He is an author, a well-known speaker, and one of the world’s leading experts in design thinking and innovation, and his stated mission is to “innovate the human experience.”
To that end, he is also the founder and CEO of The Art of Really Living, a philosophy and movement focusing on how we can transform the way we think about time, and live more meaningful lives in the process. The goal is to help people live strength-based, resilient lives, in service of creating intense and memorable experiences that slow time down and help us feel like we are living (almost) forever.
His book, Design For Strengths, has led him to be featured in Fast Company, Strategy+Business, and Playboy.
Join us as we explore John’s observations and science-based knowledge about how each of us experiences the passage of time, and more importantly, how we can improve that experience!
He shares with us:
- Why more memories equals more time
- Why we thrive by living at the edges of our comfort zone
- How we can design “endless summers”
- How our priorities can change the passage of time
We talk about how to find and cherish that state of “flow,” and swap ideas on some of the best books out there for living richer lives. This is a lesson you’ll likely want to revisit from time to time, as a tune-up in your efforts to live fully. (I know I will.)
The roots of John Coyle’s work come from a place deep in his lived experience. His story begins in his teenage years, with a youthful passion and a gift for athletics that lead him to be a Michigan state champion in seven sports simultaneously. By his 20s, he was an American short track speedskater on the silver medal-winning U.S. relay team at the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Coyle also has the academic credentials to back up all this knowledge. He graduated with honors in Engineering (Product Design) from Stanford University, and then he earned an MBA in Marketing, Organizational Behavior and Entrepreneurship from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
There is no doubt that all that informs the way John artfully uses the metaphor of sport to help people identify and leverage around their unique strengths, and design around their weaknesses, to reach their full potential.
References Mentioned:
- John Coyle Website: JohnKCoyle.com
- Dewitt Jones’ Episode on Conspiracy of Goodness
- Book: Behave by Robert Sapolsky
- Lynda’s TEDx Talk: The Power of Pause.
Chapters:
- 00:00 – Intro & Welcome
- 02:39 – The Power of Unique Experiences
- 07:11 – Memory, Emotion, and Time Perception
- 12:27 – Designing Life’s Memorable Moments
- 15:06 – Break
- 17:21 – The Science of Time Perception
- 21:41 – Embracing Risk and Uncertainty
- 28:24 – The Role of Crisis in Storytelling
- 32:55 – The Science of Memory and Flow State
- 39:49 – Time-Dilated Experiences
- 46:17 – Technology’s Impact on Time and Relationships
- 49:59 – Leveraging Experiences Over Material Possessions
- 53:49 – Conclusion and Key Takeaways
