Fewer Things Better
Fewer Things Better
Ep. 192 - The Brain Snacks Appetizer Sampler: 10 Fast Tracks for Real Life
Looking for simple, science-backed ways to think more clearly and move through your day with less friction? This episode brings together 10 of the most-revisited tools from the Fewer Things Better archive, offering practical strategies for focus, follow-through, energy, and decision-making. Each tool is designed to work in real life—no complicated systems required. Whether you’re new to the podcast or returning for a refresher, this episode offers a smart starting point. Links to the full conversations are included in the show notes if you’d like to explore any topic more deeply.
Show Notes:
The Brain Snacks Appetizer Sampler: 10 Fast Tracks for Real Life
Hello, good people!
We are doing something a little fun for today’s episode.
Rather than our usual deep dive into a single topic, with sprinklings of science, psychology, and habits, today is more of a highlights reel.
The intention of this podcast has always been to offer “brain snacks.” Short, practical ideas that help you think more quickly and act more confidently.
So in that spirit, today is a collection - an episode that offers a sampler platter as appetizers for the brain.
Also for fun, this podcast now has a happy new home over on YouTube too. So, as part of that expansion, we curated a getting started playlist. And found 10 of the most replayed episodes from our archives.
So whether you have been with us since the beginning in 2022, or you are finding this podcast fresh, below are insights from 10 episodes that set the nerdy foundation for doing fewer things better.
The Bottom Line on Top of this appetizer episode is that sometimes you don’t need the full menu to enjoy some cognitive calories.
Links to the full episode versions of all of these podcasts we are mentioning will be in the show notes in case you are craving 90 minutes of science and habits for your real life.
So let’s dig in…
Multitasking Is a Myth
Multitasking has long been treated like a superpower, but science tells a different story. Our brains are not wired to do multiple things at once. What happens is actually called task switching, and doing this frequently can lead to more mistakes, more time overall spent, and quite a bit more mental fatigue. Your brain does better when you give it space, sequence, and singular simplicity.
The 10 Minute Kickstart
A common theme I hear from audiences of all sizes is being overwhelmed. Most of us know what we need to do and also know how to do it, but we do not always know where to start. The 10 Minute Kickstart helps make starting feel manageable. Ten minutes is long enough to make a little progress and short enough to quiet those pesky voices of procrastination and perfectionism.
The 2 Minute Rule
I love a good to-do list, and have the colored paper and markers to prove it. The 2 minute rule is one of my personal favorite tools–I use it almost daily and it is one of the most widely adopted techniques I see in others. It’s simply this: If the item at hand takes less than two minutes, do it now. No overthinking, no writing it down, just go. Tiny completions build confidence and make it easier to keep going to the next thing.
Ridiculously Small Steps
Building on the power of quick action is the simple elegance of ridiculously small steps. This is a tool about identifying small, simple actions that inch you along without wearing you out. And the steps are customized by you and for you. There is no universal formula, this just becomes your personal practice to find what steps serve you in the moment you are in. Doing so, helps you get consistency and consistency stands up where motivation falls down, and progress comes in all sizes–including really small.
Decision Fatigue and Making Minutes Matter
Time management is deeply connected to energy management, especially when it comes to decision fatigue. This is when the mental and physical drain comes in when you have been making too many decisions throughout the day. This episode explores how to recognize when you are hitting that wall and reach for simple tools to move through indecision and get back some momentum.
Three Ways to Help an Overwhelmed Brain
An overwhelmed brain is not a broken brain. It’s usually just a tired one. This episode builds on the same cognitive toolkit and explores breaking actions into those small ridiculous steps, but also narrowing down your choices, how to borrow energy from others, and recognizing the real value of stopping to rest.
The Secret Superpower of Sleep
Sleep is one of the most overlooked and underrated productivity tools in our daily lives. It is also one of the first things we trade in our pursuit of doing more. This episode explores the real cost to the brain and body when we sacrifice sleep in an effort to extend our days. The sleep you skip shows up tomorrow as slower thinking and doing. Rest is not a reward, it is a requirement. Protecting sleep is not about you doing less. It is about making the things you do easier when you do them.
Seven Words That Can Change Your Life
Words have long been my love language, and this episode looks at the power of sharing just a few simple ones. The conversation explores how sharing a few words can have a powerful impact, not only on you, but on the people who receive them.
Unspoken words can feel awkward to share, but the reward far outweighs the effort. And it is better for words to be a little awkward than lost forever.
The Key Three Technique
Early in my dot-com career, I learned a simple but powerful lesson from a CEO. He kept a list of just three actions on a sticky note on his computer just for that day. Seeing that framing from somebody in his position taught me that intentionality goes farther than good intentions ever can. It is not possible to get everything done. But getting the right things done that’s the real win.
Brain Bookends: How to Spend the Start and End of Your Day
No matter how many tools we collect, the reality is that there will always be pivots and shifting priorities. This episode explores the importance of the beginning and the end of your day. It is not about rigid routines and cold plunges, but about having a brief focused conversation with yourself about what is ahead and what was learned. A little awareness at each end of the day and the beginning can steady everything in between.
Okay, friends, those are the sampler Brain Snacks. See which ones your brain leans toward right now and know you can always return easily for more choices. We’re always here.
Otherwise, happy snacking.