The surprising truth about what motivates us

Author

Mario Peshev
March 09, 2025

Welcome to The Smarter Brain, a curation of thought-provoking ideas and actionable reads to help you build better habits and become more productive.

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The Smarter Brain Team

Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins

3 Ideas for Better Habits

The Fear of Loss Over Gain

Authority on compliance, Robert B. Cialdini, on loss aversion.

“People seem to be more motivated by the thought of losing something than by the thought of gaining something of equal value.”

The Power of Selective Attention

Bestselling author, Robert Greene, on mastering reactions.

“You choose to let things bother you. You can just as easily choose not to notice the irritating offender, to consider the matter trivial and unworthy of your interest. That is the powerful move. What you do not react to cannot drag you down in a futile engagement. Your pride is not involved. The best lesson you can teach an irritating gnat is to consign it to oblivion by ignoring it.”

Unlocking High Performance Through Autonomy

Authority on human motivation, Daniel H. Pink, on intrinsic motivation.

“The science shows that the secret to high performance isn’t our biological drive or our reward-and-punishment drive, but our third drive—our deep-seated desire to direct our own lives, to extend and expand our abilities, and to make a contribution.”

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Productivity Tools and Resources

Three Tips to Master Meaningful Conversations

Learn three practical ways to make tough conversations smoother and more productive. These tips help build understanding and connection by fostering curiosity, empathy, and better listening.

Four Habits to Transform Your Week

There are four simple habits that will help you take control of your week. These are: define weekly wins, track energy levels, schedule a daily management sprint, and invest 30 minutes in building your vision. These small changes can lead to extraordinary results over time.

What We're Reading

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Brain Food

Today I Learned: St Lucia is one of two sovereign states in the world named after a female and is the only one named after a woman (Ireland is named after a goddess!)

Science: A new study examined data from more than 1,000 workers over a 10-year period. Sedentary workers experience a 37% increase in insomnia-like symptoms. Employees working nontraditional schedules experience a 66% greater risk of needing 'catch-up sleep.’

Have a productive rest of your week (and don’t forget to check out the offers below),

The Smarter Brain Team

Resource Spotlight

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