1 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to How I Work, a show about the tactics 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: used by the world's most successful people to get so 3 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:12,120 Speaker 1: much out of their day. I'm your host, Doctor Amantha Imba. 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: I'm an organizational psychologist, the founder of behavioral science consultancy Inventium, 5 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: and I'm obsessed with finding ways to optimize my workday. 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: This episode is another my favorite tip episode. The title's 7 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: probably pretty self explanatory. It's about my favorite tip from 8 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 1: each of the interviews I conduct so on today's show, 9 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: my guest is Michelle Poehler. While doing her Masters in 10 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:38,160 Speaker 1: branding Back in twenty fifteen, Michelle started a project where 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: she would conquer one hundred fears in one hundred days. 12 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: This master's project turned into a global movement that has 13 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,919 Speaker 1: impacted millions of people and receive coverage on the NBC 14 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: Today Show, Fox News, cbscnn's name a few Since that project, 15 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: Michelle now travels the world speaking to people at companies 16 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: such as Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Netflix, Microsoft, Coca Cola, and 17 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: many many more about getting out of their comfort zone. 18 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: And Michelle's just released her first book, Hello Fears, which 19 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: teaches readers about how to create their own one hundred 20 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: days of fear project. So when I spoke to Michelle, 21 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: my very favorite tip that she had was the key 22 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: question she asks herself that helps her overcome her fears. 23 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: So on that note, let's head to Michelle, how did 24 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: you prepare for those fears? Like, did you have any 25 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: kind of a you know, pre fear ritual that you 26 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: do or was it just like, you know, just jumping 27 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: in and going for it. 28 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 2: Well, so now I think I have a better system, 29 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: now that I understand a little bit better. 30 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 3: Would it means to face a fear? Back then? 31 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 2: It was just shock therapy because I didn't have much 32 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 2: time to think about it. It was every single day 33 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 2: fitting a different I couldn't say no because I was 34 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 2: already committed in this project and I had the help 35 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 2: of my husband, so he would tell me what fears 36 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 2: I was facing next according to my list. But he 37 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 2: was taking care of the planning. So he was like, Michelle, 38 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 2: I already talked with this place. You're going to learn 39 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: how to fly a plane tomorrow. Okay, so you have 40 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 2: to grab a train. 41 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 3: Go two hours away from New York to this place. 42 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 3: A man will pick you up. He will teach you 43 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 3: how to fly a plane and then you'll fly a plane. Okay, 44 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 3: I'm like, what I'm doing? 45 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 2: Well, So I had no time to think about It 46 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 2: was just every day I would wake up and say, 47 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 2: oh my god, I'm still in this project. 48 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 3: What am I doing today? So it was very very 49 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 3: scary time. 50 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 2: But now I have one tool that really helps me 51 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: before I'm about to face a fear, and it's a 52 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 2: question that I asked myself. So you know the typical 53 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 2: question that people ask you when you're about to face 54 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 2: a fear, which is what's the worst that can happen? 55 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 3: Right? 56 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, So I got that question a lot because I 57 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 2: was facing my fears a lot, like every single day, 58 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 2: and so people will tell me that, And every time 59 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 2: they would tell me that question, I was like, for 60 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:14,239 Speaker 2: some reason, that. 61 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 3: Doesn't help me. 62 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 2: Like kids, you're asking me what's the worst that could happen? 63 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 2: So I think, oh, right, I'm not going to die. Okay, 64 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: maybe I don't die, but I will embarrass myself. I 65 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 2: might fail, I might get rejected, I might hurt my 66 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 2: ego and my self esteem. 67 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 3: So there are many things. 68 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: That can go wrong whenever we take a risk, and 69 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 2: that question only brings up the worst gaate scenarios. 70 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 3: So I realized that we have. 71 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 2: To change that question around, and if we actually want 72 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 2: to face a fear and do it with the best attitude, 73 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: we have to ask ourselves what's the best that can 74 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 2: happen instead of what's the worst. When you think about 75 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 2: the best that could happen, only the best gay scenarios 76 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 2: will come to your mind and will remind you the 77 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 2: real reason why you in the first place thought that 78 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 2: this was a good idea. And it also will give 79 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 2: you the certainty no maybe certainty because you don't know 80 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 2: the future, but it will give you the idea at 81 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 2: least or the vision that good things may come out 82 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 2: of this. Because whenever we're about to take a risk, 83 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 2: all of these negative thoughts start to pop into our 84 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 2: head and we tell ourselves things like you're not good enough, 85 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 2: don't even try it, you will regret it. Who do 86 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 2: you think you are? Right? 87 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 3: Those are typical thoughts that like I don't know, pop 88 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 3: into our heads. But when we. 89 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 2: Ask ourselves what's the best that can happen, we start 90 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 2: to see the other side of the coin, and we're like, 91 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,040 Speaker 2: what if I do a good job, What if this 92 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 2: actually resonates with people? 93 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 3: What if I make money out of this What if 94 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 3: actually I don't you know, I don't know. I get 95 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 3: a yes from the person I want to ask this question. 96 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 2: So our best life is They say that that it's 97 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 2: in the other side of fear, right, But we need 98 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 2: to do it in a way that we feel confident 99 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 2: and that we can see the best that can happen 100 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 2: out of the situation. 101 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,599 Speaker 1: That is it for today's show. If you found this 102 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: episode useful, why not share it with someone else that 103 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: you think could benefit. And thank you if you have 104 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: been spreading the news about how I work. It is 105 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 1: greatly appreciated and helps the show grow. So that's awesome. Still, look, 106 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: that is it for today and I will see you 107 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: next time.