The Curiosity Chronicle

Join me as I sit down with my friend Dr. Robert Waldinger, the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which is the longest-running study on adult life, health, and happiness in the world. The study tracked the lives of 700+ original participants and 1,300+ descendants over 85 years. Dr. Waldinger's Ted Talk has been viewed nearly 50 million times and his book, The Good Life, was an instant New York Times best-seller. We dive deep into the study's most intriguing and surprising findings, discuss strategies for fighting back against loneliness in the modern era, and much more. You won't want to miss this one! P.S. I don't want to do a formal "podcast" and turn something fun into a business, but I will organically start recording and sharing my conversations with amazing experts so that everyone can benefit from them in the way that I have. If you're interested in seeing me do more of in the future, comment YES on the video! — 00:00 - Introduction 00:48 - Key Insights from the Harvard Adult Development Study 03:10 - Highlighting Major Discoveries from an 80-Year Study 04:50 - Primary Factors for Health and Longevity 07:04 - The Loneliness Epidemic 08:43 - Comparative Study: Solo vs. Social Vacations in Sweden 10:13 - Understanding and Measuring Loneliness 11:30 - The Pursuit of Wealth: Necessary or Excessive? 13:20 - Which Age Group Feels the Loneliest? 14:33 - Navigating Social Media Impacts on Youth 20:14 - The Importance of Gratitude Practices 21:18 - Essential Advice for Thriving Relationships 24:06 - How to Surround Yourself with Positive Influences 25:31 - A Stark Reality About Relationships 27:38 - How Our Minds Shape Our Realities 28:24 - The Hidden Risks of Smartphone Use 30:29 - The Impact of Technology on Young Children 32:20 - The Influence of Mobile Devices on In-Person Interactions 33:12 - Marital Challenges in the First Year of Parenthood 34:30 - Common Communication Errors in Relationships 35:25 - The Concept of 'Together Alone' Time with Your Partner 36:31 - The Value of Personal Space in Relationships 39:11 - The Effects of Toxic Relationships: A Scientific Perspective 42:43 - Constructive vs. Demeaning Feedback 45:48 - Exploring the Relationship Between Love and Sadness 47:24 - Embracing Life's Complex Tensions 49:08 - Empathy: Everyone Has Their Own Struggles 50:43 - Habits of Individuals in Exceptionally Healthy Relationships 52:41 - Social Wellness for Introverts vs. Extroverts 53:28 - Strategies for Maintaining Social Wellness 54:51 - Making Social Wellness a Priority — Join 700k+ Newsletter Subscribers! https://www.sahilbloom.com/newsletter Follow Along: https://www.instagram.com/sahilbloom/ https://twitter.com/SahilBloom https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahilbloom/

It all started with a simple journal prompt: Your entire life will change the moment you... A few years ago, I wrote that prompt on a blank sheet of paper. Each time I made any life adjustment or adaptation that had a profound impact, I added it to my running list. Tiny actions, mindset shifts, behavior changes, life hacks, and everything in between. The list is comprised of things I have (or currently am) struggling with. I'm not alone: These struggles are universal, but when we confront them head on, we're able to conquer them more effectively.

Question: Where am I avoiding a hard conversation that I need to have? Framework: 3 levels of listening.

The greatest discoveries in life come not from finding the right answers, but from asking the right questions. For the last several years, I've been adding to a list of questions that have changed the way I work, move, live, and love. This piece shares 7 questions that have had a dramatic impact on my life.

Question: What is one positive decision you can make to improve yourself today? Framework: Leaves, Branches, & Roots

I just completed 100 straight days of doing a cold plunge every morning. I pride myself on my consistency and discipline, but this 100-day streak pushed me to a new level. The journey included several frozen rivers, awkward interactions with hotel housekeeping departments, and one hotel requiring a lifeguard to monitor me during the plunge. I learned a lot of important lessons on the journey that have nothing to do with cold plunging (and everything to do with life). This piece shares 10 lessons from 100 days in the cold.

Question: Are you listening to understand or just waiting to speak? Framework: The Law of Reversed Effort

One of the great joys of my life is that I get to spend time with some of the world's foremost experts and builders and call it work. I've recently decided that I'd like to try to record and share the insights from some of these natural conversations so that everyone can benefit from them in the way that I have. Dr. Robert Waldinger is the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which is the longest-running study on adult life, health, and happiness in the world. 5 lessons from our conversation: (1) Relationship satisfaction impacts health, (2) Loneliness kills (and it's more prevalent than ever), (3) Make social fitness a priority, (4) Check your energy to improve your life, and (5) Ambivalent relationships are the most toxic.

Question: How can I bring the after into the before? Framework: The Gold Medal Fallacy

Compounding is a magical force for growth in your life—one Albert Einstein is rumored to have referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the World"—but it can also be your worst enemy. The stacking of negatives has the potential to knock you out of the game if you aren't careful. 3 steps to avoid the dark side of compounding: (1) Create space, (2) Evaluate the new situation, and (3) Execute.

Question: What would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail? Framework: The Red Team

The 2 pillars of strong relationships: High expectations and high support. High expectations are the belief that the other person is capable of excellence, that their potential is only limited by their own views. High support is the ability and willingness to provide the love, support, and engagement to help the person meet those high expectations. Both are necessary to achieve a strong relationship.

Question: What are three examples of times you've accomplished something you didn't think was possible? Framework: Circles of Success

Last week, I went on a whirlwind event tour of India. 2,000+ attendees at 6 events in 6 days across 3 different cities. I met and spent time with hundreds of people, doing my best to provide perspectives and guidance on the questions they asked. I believe that the questions are universal, so in today’s piece, I’d like to share the insights and perspectives that I offered in response to them. 6 insights from 6 days: (1) Discipline is the ultimate act of service to your future self, (2) Lifelong learners will always find a way to thrive, (3) Information is abundant, action is scarce, (4) Celebrate every win (no matter how tiny), (5) You have to fight back against the Centipede’s Dilemma, and (6) Dive through the cracks.

Question: If someone observed your actions for a week, what would they say your priorities are? Framework: The Power Down Ritual

I'm not a morning person (at least not naturally). For most of my childhood, I'd hit snooze a million times and my mom would have to drag me out of bed to make it to school on time. In my college years, the morning hours were forced upon me by pre-class baseball practices and lifts. At first, I struggled mightily with the adjustment. I knew that if I wanted to perform, I had to figure out a system: I had to become a morning person. Somewhere along the way, it clicked, and for the last 10 years, I've started most mornings with a 4am alarm. This piece shares 5 actionable strategies that I have used to turn myself from a night owl into a morning person.

Question: How can I build my recovery into my days? Framework: The Sinatra Test

Last week, I had the opportunity to meet up for a drink with Gary Vaynerchuk, the entrepreneur, creator, and investor perhaps best known as Gary V. We were chatting about what enables this longevity, when he casually dropped a single, incredibly powerful line: "You've gotta love the dirt." The dirt is where you start. It's where you're built. It's where you find your initial success. We all start in the dirt on the journey to success, but few are willing to remain there. Few fall in love with the dirt. The day you leave the dirt is the day the clock starts ticking down on your run.

Question: What is the tiny first step that will move you closer to your big, scary goal? Framework: Kintsugi is a Japanese art form that involves the repair of broken pottery with a special lacquer mixed with powdered precious metals (like gold, silver, or platinum).

I just co-hosted a retreat for a small group of very successful entrepreneurs in Cabo, Mexico. The explicit goal of the retreat was to help work through a big challenge facing each attendee. My goal is to “bring you into the room” so that you can feel the impact of the experience in your own careers and lives. With that in mind, this piece shares my 9 non-obvious learnings from the retreat.