TED Talks might not be the newest or shiniest things you’ll find online these days, but these speakers dispense some solid advice you can use for harnessing your drive in both your career and personal life.
1. Inside the mind of a master procrastinator – Tim Urban
Arguably one of the funniest Ted Talks you will ever watch; Tim Urban explains what happens in the mind of a master procrastinator. In this hilarious and insightful talk, Urban takes us on a journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes and bouts of staring out the window - and encourages us to think harder about what we're really procrastinating on, before we run out of time. 14-minutes that are well worth your time.
2. How Great Leaders Inspire Action – Simon Sinek
While almost all companies can say ‘what’ they do and ‘how’ they do it, very few people or organisations know why they do what they do. What’s your purpose? What’s your cause? What’s your belief? Why does your organisation exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care? There's a reason it's the second most-watched Ted Talk of all time.
3. The three Secrets to resilient people – Lucy Hone
In this Ted Talk, Lucy she teaches us how to find our way through difficult times and adversity – valuable lessons you can apply to your work and personal life.
4. The happy secret to better work – Shawn Achor
Most people in the world accept that to be happy you need to work hard. In this fast-moving and very funny talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive.
5. Own your behaviours, master your communication, determine your success – Louise Evans
We spend about 80% of our day 'at work', the rest is at home. If we have a bad day at work, we are likely to take that negativity home with us and vice versa. What if we could create healthy environments in the spaces that most affect our lives and truly give our best? This Ted Talk is a call to action.
6. The Puzzle of Motivation – Dan Pink
Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with highlighting the scientific experiment showing that ‘incentives’ (such as bonuses or commission for example) in tasks, can have a negative impact on creativity and thinking.
7. Why we do what we do – Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins is probably the most famous motivational speak of all time, and this talk epitomises why he’s thought of so highly. In this presentation, tony asks you to think about who you are and more importantly why you do what you do as he discusses the ‘invisible forces’ that motivation everyone’s actions.