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The Science of Intelligent Achievement

How smart people focus, create and grow their way to success

 

 

Isaiah Hankel

 

 

 

 

 

 

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INDEX

 

  1. 2AM Principle
  2. 3M

A

  1. A/B tests
  2. abilities
  3. academia
  4. accelerated returns
  5. acceptance of one's faults, responsibilities
  6. actions
    1. boredom driver
    2. open mental loops
    3. plans
    4. stories
  7. active sales funnels, lead magnets
  8. adaptive disengagement, definition
  9. addictions
  10. admiration needs, fake friendships
  11. adventure goals
    1. see also experience philosophy; intelligent achievement
    2. background
    3. health benefits
    4. practical guidelines
  12. AirBnB
  13. alerts
  14. alignment factors, intelligent achievement
  15. Allen, James
  16. Altucher, James
  17. American Psychological Association
  18. Amy Porterfield brand
  19. amygdala
  20. anger
  21. anxieties
  22. Apple
  23. The Art of Choosing (Iyengar)
  24. articles
  25. Asch, Solomon
  26. Atlantic codfish and catfish analogy, negative people
  27. Attachment subfolders, open mental loops
  28. attention
    1. see also focus; mental energy
  29. attitudes see beliefs
  30. audiences
  31. audio podcasts
  32. Austen, Jane
  33. authenticity
    1. see also legacies; reputations
  34. author biography
  35. automaticity
    1. see also habits; mental loops; selectivity
    2. definition
    3. email marketing
  36. autoresponder RSS campaigns/feeds
  37. average performers
  38. avoiding difficult tasks
  39. AWeber

B

  1. B2B/B2C relationships, social media
  2. Baby Boomers
  3. backup files
  4. basal ganglia
  5. Baumeister, Roy F.
  6. beliefs, cognitive dissonance
  7. biases
  8. blame cultures
  9. blind spot ignorance
  10. blogs
    1. see also content marketing; creativity; writing
    2. audiences
    3. benefits
    4. Disney Method
    5. eBooks
    6. entre-employees
    7. keyword choices
    8. rankings' analytics
    9. structures
    10. testing content
    11. video blogs
    12. writer's block
  11. bookmarking your days, non-negotiables
  12. boredom opportunities
  13. the brain
    1. see also decisions; mental loops; problem-solving
    2. herd instincts
    3. mouse cheese habits
    4. negative opinions
    5. other people's opinions
    6. peak levels of mental energy
    7. stories
    8. Zeigarnik Effect
  14. brands
  15. breakfast benefits
  16. Bristol-Myers-Squibb
  17. burn-out
  18. Bushnell, Tim
  19. busyness

C

  1. call to actions, squeeze pages
  2. caring aspects, fake friendships
  3. Celgene
  4. cell phones
  5. cerebral cortex, mouse cheese habits
  6. challenges, individuality needs
  7. chameleon effect
  8. change
  9. charities
  10. chase adventures
  11. Cheeky Scientist
  12. Chronobiology International
  13. circadian rhythms
  14. clarity
  15. ClickFunnels
  16. Coelho, Paulo
  17. cognitive dissonance
  18. Comic Sans
  19. complaining/whining effects
  20. concealment of one's goals
  21. confessions, unhealthy relationships
  22. confidence
  23. Confucius
  24. consulting calls
  25. content marketing
    1. see also audiences; blogs; entre-employees; networks; writing
    2. definition
    3. Disney Method
    4. keyword choices
    5. law of convergence
    6. lead magnets
    7. message honing
    8. niche markets
    9. testing content
  26. convergence, law of convergence
  27. Cook, Tim
  28. copying other people
    1. see also groupthink; herd instincts; other people's opinions
  29. cortisol levels
  30. creativity
    1. adventure goals
    2. attitudes
    3. background
    4. boredom
    5. critical phase
    6. Disney Method
    7. dreamer phase
    8. legacies
    9. negative opinions
    10. realistic phase
  31. Creativity Research Journal
  32. credibility and practicality needs, stories
  33. credit cards
  34. critical phase of creativity/writing
  35. crowdfunding
  36. CTA feature box
  37. Current Directions in Psychological Science
  38. customer acquisition cost, sales funnel metrics
  39. customer lifetime value, sales funnel metrics
  40. customer profitability, sales funnel metrics

D

  1. Dalai Lama
  2. dealing with negative people
  3. dealing with people who play the victim
  4. deathbed wishes
  5. decision fatigue
  6. decisions
    1. see also options; problem-solving
    2. definition
    3. emotions
    4. fatigued mind
    5. mini-habits
    6. other people's opinions
    7. priorities
    8. statistics
    9. willpower
  7. defiance benefits
  8. DeGeneres, Ellen
  9. Delegation folder, open mental loops
  10. deletions, open mental loops
  11. deliberate actions
  12. Demming, W. Edwards
  13. dependency dangers
  14. depression
  15. Developmental Psychology
  16. diabetes
  17. Discrete Mathematics with Applications
  18. dismissals, employment
  19. Disney Method, creativity
  20. Disney, Walt
  21. distancing oneself, dealing with negative people
  22. distractions
  23. diversified investments
  24. dopamine
  25. dramas
  26. dreamer phase of creativity/writing
  27. drip RSS campaigns/feeds
  28. Drucker, Peter
  29. drug analogy, busyness

E

  1. eBooks
    1. see also lead magnets; writing
    2. blogs
    3. creation methods
    4. PDF files
    5. title/cover factors
  2. effectiveness, productivity
  3. efficiency, productivity
  4. ego depletion see decision fatigue
  5. eight-hour working days
  6. Einstein, Albert
  7. elite performers
  8. email marketing
    1. campaigns
    2. definition
    3. sales funnels
    4. selling statistics
    5. value
  9. email service providers
  10. email spam
  11. email subscription lists
    1. creation methods
    2. definition
    3. leverage
    4. Real Simple Syndication (RSS) campaigns
    5. reflector addresses
    6. removals from lists
    7. requirements
    8. trust/loyalty factors
  12. emails
    1. over-delivery problems
    2. reply timescales
  13. Emerson, Ralph Waldo
  14. emotional blackmail, manipulation dangers
  15. emotions
    1. see also anger; anxieties; frustration; happiness; joy; mood
  16. employment
    1. see also entre-employees; temp-employees
    2. dismissals
    3. eight-hour working days
    4. job searches
    5. meaningless jobs
    6. medical leave
    7. passive income streams
    8. praise
    9. resignations
    10. statistics
    11. unemployment
    12. vacations
    13. work–life balance
  17. entitlement attitudes, victim illusion
  18. entre-employees
    1. see also content marketing; employment; ownership; temp-employees
    2. blogs
    3. definition
    4. establishment methods
    5. ownership benefits
    6. passive income streams
    7. popularity with employers
    8. responsibilities
    9. statistics
  19. entrepreneurs
  20. equity philosophy
  21. European Union
  22. Excel
  23. exercising
  24. experience philosophy
  25. Expert Cytometry
  26. exponential growth of returns

F

  1. Facebook
    1. see also Instagram
  2. Facebook Messenger
  3. fake friendships
    1. see also manipulation; negative people; relationships; selectivity
    2. caring aspects
    3. charities
    4. deserving expectations
    5. irrational aspects
    6. marketing schemes
    7. money requests
    8. online friendship groups
    9. reciprocation shortfalls
    10. signs
  4. fake success
  5. family commitments
  6. fatigued mind
  7. favors
  8. feasting adventures
  9. feature boxes, lead capture forms
  10. feedback
  11. feelings
  12. Ferriss, Tim
  13. finding your voice in a noisy world
  14. five-day product launch emails
  15. flagship products, minimum viable product (MVP)
  16. flexibility needs
  17. flow cytometry
  18. focus
    1. see also attention; goals; selectivity
    2. avoiding difficult tasks
    3. priorities
    4. productivity influences
  19. fog technique for dealing with negative people
  20. followers
    1. see also herd instincts
  21. FOMO (fear-of-missing-out)
  22. Ford, Tom
  23. fort-building adventure
  24. Franklin, Benjamin
  25. free handouts
  26. friendships
    1. see also fake…; relationships
  27. frustration
  28. fulfillment processes, minimum viable product (MVP)
  29. Future Workplace survey

G

  1. Gallup Organization
  2. Gandhi, Mahatma
  3. Garrison, William Lloyd
  4. Gary Vaynerchuck brand
  5. Gates, Bill
  6. gathering stage of closing open mental loops
  7. Gmail
  8. goals
    1. see also focus; happiness
    2. adventure goals
    3. assessment needs
    4. concealment
    5. ‘no’ responses
    6. other people's opinions
    7. small-minded people
  9. Godin, Seth
  10. GoFundMe
  11. goodbyes, relationship fasts
  12. Google
    1. see also YouTube
  13. Google Analytics
  14. Google Drive
  15. Google Keyword Planner
  16. Google News
  17. Google Search
  18. gossip
  19. Gould, James
  20. greatness ambitions
  21. groupthink
  22. guilty feelings
  23. gyms

H

  1. habits
  2. hacking, mini-habits
  3. happiness
    1. decisions
    2. experience philosophy
    3. family commitments
    4. negative opinions
    5. other people's happiness
    6. possessions
    7. responsibilities
    8. sources
    9. tracking benefits
  4. Harvard Business Review
  5. Hawthorne, Nathaniel
  6. health
  7. heart problems, negative opinions
  8. Hemingway, Ernest
  9. herd instincts
  10. heroes of stories
  11. hippocampus
  12. homeostasis needs, psychological immune system
  13. honesty, blind spot ignorance
  14. honoring valuable negative people
  15. Hootsuite
  16. Huffington Post
  17. hurt feelings
  18. Huxley, Aldous
  19. hyperlinks

I

  1. IBM
  2. image
  3. IndieGoGo
  4. individuality needs
    1. see also creativity; herd instincts; relationship fasts; self…
  5. infections analogy, other people's opinions
  6. information overload
  7. Infusionsoft
  8. insomnia
  9. inspiration
  10. Instagram
    1. see also Facebook
  11. Intel
  12. intelligent achievement
    1. see also ownership; pragmatism; selectivity
    2. alignment factors
    3. conclusions
    4. definition
    5. epilogue
  13. Internet
    1. see also blogs; social media; web…
    2. landing page service providers
    3. law of convergence
    4. loading speeds
    5. rankings' analytics
    6. SSL certificates
    7. statistics
  14. inventions
  15. investment
    1. see also abilities; knowledge; networks
  16. iPhone
  17. irrational aspects, fake friendships
  18. Iyengar, Sheena

J

  1. Jameson, Josh
  2. job searches
    1. see also employment
  3. Johnston, Jamie
  4. Journal of Applied Psychology
  5. Journal of Biological Rhythms
  6. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
  7. Journal of Consumer Research
  8. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
  9. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
  10. joy
    1. see also happiness

K

  1. Kauffman, Barry Neil
  2. keyword choices, stories
  3. Kickstarter
  4. kidney biopsies
  5. Kipling, Rudyard
  6. Klyachkin, Yuri
  7. knowledge
  8. Knutson, B.
  9. Kurzweil, Ray

L

  1. labels
  2. landing page service providers
  3. last gatekeepers, email marketing
  4. launch phase, minimum viable product (MVP)
  5. law of accelerated returns
  6. law of convergence
  7. law of replication
  8. lead capture forms
    1. see also splash pages; squeeze pages
  9. lead magnets
  10. leaders
  11. LeadPages
  12. learning
  13. legacies
  14. leisure activities
  15. Levy, Jon
  16. Lewis, C.S.
  17. liars
  18. lies
  19. Life Alignment program
  20. Lincoln, Abraham
  21. LinkedIn
  22. Lloyd-Jones, David
  23. loading speeds, Internet
  24. Lockheed-Martin
  25. The Longevity Project (Friedman and Martin)
  26. loss leaders, lead magnets
  27. loyalty
  28. lucky charms
  29. lying to yourself
    1. see also self…

M

  1. Mackey, John
  2. magnets, lead magnets
  3. Mail Chimp
  4. Malik, Prerna
  5. manipulation
  6. Mara, Wellington
  7. market research
  8. Marketdata Enterprises
  9. mass texting
  10. massage
  11. mastery
  12. meaningless jobs, employment
  13. media
  14. medical leave
  15. memory
  16. mental energy
    1. see also attention; selectivity
    2. daily limitations
    3. definition
    4. drains
    5. investment
    6. logs
    7. negative opinions
    8. ‘no’ responses
    9. peak levels
    10. protection needs
    11. surrounding yourself with mental energizers
    12. tracking benefits
    13. willpower
    14. Zeigarnik Effect
  17. mental loops
  18. message honing, content marketing
  19. message-driven content
  20. Meyer, Paul J.
  21. Microsoft Word
  22. Millennial generation
  23. millionaires, statistics
  24. mindset, pragmatism
  25. mini-habits
    1. see also habits
    2. definition
    3. deliberate actions
    4. hacking and stacking
    5. Jamie Johnston case study
    6. methods
    7. mouse cheese habits
    8. train metaphor
  26. minimum viable product (MVP)
    1. background
    2. creation methods
    3. definition
    4. feedback
    5. flagship products
    6. fulfillment processes
    7. launch phase
    8. prelaunch phase
    9. product launch phases
    10. salescarts
    11. types
  27. mistakes, self-inventories
  28. MIT
  29. mobile phones
  30. Modern Flow Cytometry (Bushnell)
  31. money
    1. see also charities; equity philosophy; returns; sales…
  32. moods
    1. see also emotions
  33. moonlighting, definition
  34. morning routines
  35. mortality
    1. see also health
    2. lack of ownership
    3. legacies
    4. negative opinions
  36. most popular box plugin
  37. motivation
  38. mouse cheese habits
  39. Mycoskie, Blake

N

  1. Napoleon I, Emperor of France (1769–1821)
  2. narcissists
  3. narrative therapy
  4. negative emotions
  5. negative mental loops
  6. negative opinions
    1. see also other people's opinions
    2. brain effects
    3. creativity effects
    4. depression/anxiety effects
    5. happiness effects
    6. health effects
    7. mortality effects
    8. pain effects
    9. poverty effects
    10. productivity effects
    11. self-esteem effects
    12. sleep effects
    13. summary of consequences
  7. negative people
    1. see also fake friendships; relationships
    2. Atlantic codfish and catfish analogy
    3. damaging effects
    4. dealing with and not becoming negative
    5. distancing oneself
    6. fog technique
    7. honoring valuable negative people
    8. investment technique
    9. positive actions for dealing with negative people
    10. reinforcing spiral
    11. Rome Scriva case study
    12. victim illusion
    13. void technique
  8. negativity bias
  9. networks
    1. see also content marketing; ownership; Rolodex
    2. definition
  10. ‘never again’ statements
  11. New York Times
  12. niche markets
  13. ‘no’ responses
    1. see also negative people
    2. productivity
    3. to-dos
  14. noise, finding your voice in a noisy world
  15. non-negotiables
  16. number-remembering memory exercise

O

  1. obese people
  2. obsessive-compulsive disorder
  3. one's own opinions
    1. see also defiance benefits
  4. online friendship groups, fake friendships
  5. open mental loops
    1. see also mental loops
    2. Attachment subfolders
    3. Delegation folder
    4. Someday/Source folders
    5. Yuri Klyachkin case study
  6. opinions
  7. opportunities
  8. opt-in email forms, CTA feature box
  9. options
    1. see also decisions; pragmatism
  10. other people's feelings, responsibilities
  11. other people's happiness
  12. other people's opinions
    1. see also negative opinions; selectivity
  13. outsourcing
  14. over-delivery problems, email reply timescales
  15. ownership
    1. see also abilities; content marketing; entre-employees; knowledge; networks; sales…; stories
    2. definition
    3. equity/experience philosophies

P

  1. paid-for products/services
    1. see also minimum viable product; returns; sales…
  2. pain
  3. part-time workers see temp-employees
  4. passion
  5. passive income streams
  6. passivity dangers
    1. see also defiance benefits
  7. Paul the Apostle
  8. PayPal
  9. PDF files, eBooks
  10. peak levels of mental energy
  11. personal development industry, statistics
  12. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
  13. PhDs
  14. pilgrimage adventures
  15. Planet Entrepreneur (Strauss)
  16. plans, actions
  17. plugins
  18. podcasts
  19. pop-up windows
  20. positive actions, dealing with negative people
  21. positive emotions
  22. positive people
  23. possessions, happiness
  24. Post-it notes
  25. post-traumatic stress
  26. postdocs
  27. poverty
  28. power of suggestion
  29. pragmatism
    1. see also decisions; mini-habits; ‘no’ responses; productivity; to-dos; willpower
    2. definition
    3. effectiveness/efficiency factors
    4. pain
  30. praise
  31. prelaunch phase, minimum viable product (MVP)
  32. pride
  33. priorities
  34. proactiveness/reactiveness
  35. problem-solving
    1. see also decisions
  36. Proceedings of the Royal Society (2010)
  37. product launch phases, minimum viable product (MVP)
  38. product sales pages
    1. see also salescarts
  39. productivity
    1. see also pragmatism
    2. busyness
    3. effectiveness
    4. efficiency
    5. elite performers
    6. emotions/focus/motivation influences
    7. negative opinions
    8. ‘no’ responses
    9. pain
    10. pitfalls
    11. relaxation
    12. selectivity
  40. products/services
    1. see also minimum viable product
  41. psychological immune system
  42. Psychological Review
  43. Psychological Science

R

  1. Rand, Ayn
  2. rankings' analytics
  3. Rath, Tom
  4. Real Simple Syndication (RSS) campaigns
  5. real theory of relativity
  6. realistic phase of creativity/writing
  7. recession from 2007
  8. reciprocity
  9. reckless behaviors
  10. recovery
  11. reflector addresses, email subscription lists
  12. relationship fasts
    1. see also individuality needs
  13. relationships
    1. see also friendships; negative people; networks; positive people
    2. confessions
    3. family commitments
    4. fatigued mind
    5. healthy relationships
    6. hurt feelings
    7. unhealthy relationships
  14. relativity, real theory of relativity
  15. relaxation
  16. REM sleep
  17. repackaged content, law of convergence
  18. replication, law of replication
  19. reply timescales, emails
  20. reputations
  21. research references, stories
  22. resignations
  23. resilience
  24. respect needs, fake friendships
  25. responsibilities
    1. acceptance of one's faults
    2. the brain
    3. entre-employees
    4. happiness
    5. other people's feelings
    6. relationship fasts
  26. returns
    1. see also paid-for products/services; sales…
  27. Rev.com
  28. rewards
  29. rigidity problems
  30. rivalry/competition adventures
  31. Rohn, Jim
  32. Rolodex
  33. routines
  34. Royal Society of Chemistry
  35. Rubik's Cube
  36. ruthless honesty, blind spot ignorance

S

  1. sadness
  2. sales
    1. see also paid-for products/services; returns
  3. sales funnels
    1. accelerated returns
    2. background
    3. key metrics
    4. laws
  4. salescarts
  5. scalability
  6. Science magazine
  7. Scriva, Rome
  8. search engines
  9. selectivity
    1. see also automaticity; busyness; fake friendships; focus; mental energy; mental loops; negative people; other people's opinions; relationship fasts; small-minded people
    2. definition
    3. productivity
    4. void technique for dealing with negative people
  10. self-control
  11. self-employed people
    1. see also entre-employees
    2. statistics
  12. self-esteem
  13. self-help industry
  14. self-inventories
  15. self-justification dangers
  16. self-monitoring
  17. self-perceptions
    1. see also individuality needs
    2. blind spot ignorance
    3. failings
    4. ruthless honesty
  18. self-pity
    1. see also victim illusion
  19. self-regulation
    1. see also habits; willpower
    2. avoiding difficult tasks
    3. definition
    4. emotions
  20. self-sabotage problems
  21. self-storage space, statistics
  22. selfish behaviors, victim illusion
  23. seminars
  24. Shakespeare, William
  25. Sharma, Robin
  26. shortcomings, self-inventories
  27. side hustle
  28. Skype
  29. sleep
  30. small-minded people
    1. see also negative…; selectivity
  31. smokers
  32. SMS marketing
  33. social media
    1. see also Facebook; Google…; Instagram; Internet; LinkedIn; Twitter
    2. background
    3. the Big Five
    4. brand awareness/protection uses
    5. real uses
    6. selling statistics
    7. trolls
    8. vanity analytics
  34. social perceptions
  35. Socrates
  36. Someday/Source folders, open mental loops
  37. Sorbara, Catherine
  38. ‘special snowflake syndrome’
  39. splash pages, lead capture forms
  40. spreadsheets
  41. SquareSpace
  42. squeeze pages, lead capture forms
  43. SSL certificates
  44. stacking, mini-habits
  45. Stanford University
  46. startups, entrepreneurs
  47. stories
  48. Strauss, Steve
  49. strengths
  50. Stross, Charles
  51. success
    1. see also fake success; intelligent achievement
  52. suggestions
    1. see also opinions
  53. suicidal ideation
  54. summarizing stories
  55. surrounding yourself with mental energizers
    1. see also mental energy
  56. SurveyMonkey
  57. systems
    1. see also automaticity; scalability; self-regulation

T

  1. Tel Aviv University
  2. temp-employees
    1. see also entre-employees
  3. territorial instincts
  4. Tesla, Nikola
  5. testicular cancer
  6. testing content, content marketing
  7. text message marketing
  8. TheMTDC
  9. time, fatigued mind
  10. title/cover factors, eBooks
  11. to-dos
    1. see also open mental loops
    2. problems
  12. touch points, definition
  13. Toyota
  14. traffic, website users
  15. tragedy
  16. train metaphor, mini-habits
  17. transactions
  18. trolls, social media
  19. trust
  20. Twitter

U

  1. Uber
  2. unconscious aspects of automaticity
  3. underemployment, statistics
  4. unemployment
    1. see also employment
  5. unhealthy relationships
    1. see also fake friends; relationships
  6. unique views metric
  7. University of Nottingham
  8. Upwork

V

  1. vacations
  2. Valentino, Franco
  3. value
  4. values, intelligent achievement
  5. vanity analytics, social media
  6. veils of illusion
  7. victim illusion
    1. see also blame cultures; self-pity
  8. video blogs
  9. video training programs
  10. virtual Rolodex
  11. Vital Friends (Rath)
  12. vitality, boredom
  13. voice
  14. void technique for dealing with negative people
    1. see also relationship fasts

W

  1. Walker, Jeff
  2. walking
  3. Washington, Booker T.
  4. Watterson, Bill
  5. weakness
  6. webinars
  7. Website Ecosystems
  8. Weebly
  9. welcome emails
  10. Whole Foods
  11. willpower
    1. see also pragmatism; self-regulation
    2. decision fatigue
    3. definition
    4. limits
    5. mental energy drains
    6. restoration methods
  12. word choices, stories
  13. WordPress
  14. work–life balance
  15. working-time/waking-time charts
  16. worry
  17. writer's block, definition
  18. writing
    1. see also content marketing; creativity; eBooks
    2. critical phase
    3. Disney Method
    4. dreamer phase
    5. keyword choices
    6. realistic phase
  19. ‘yes’ responses, dangers

Y

  1. YouTube
    1. see also Google…

Z

  1. Zeigarnik Effect

“The key to success is learningthe meta‐language of learning. Learning how to learn. How to achieve peak performance in a difficult arena of life that requires mastering 100 micro‐skills to become among the best in that field. Isaiah Hankel breaks down that meta‐language, and shows us how, regardless of our life's mission, to quickly achieve mastery in whatever field of life inspires us.”

—James Altucher, Journalist and Author of Choose Yourself

“The biggest advantage of reading The Science of Intelligent Achievement is the sense of personal responsibility the book provides. Most books in this category are either pure fluff in that they offer nothing but feel good nonsense about how to ‘be grateful’ and ‘be nice’, or they are written with the goal of absolving the reader or any fault in life. Here, Isaiah takes a completely different angle as he puts the responsibility of choosing your focus, creating something worthwhile in life, and continuing to grow pragmatically squarely on the reader's shoulders. Every page pushes you to take control rather than give up control, to actively choose what to spend your mental energy on rather than just ‘letting go’ and hoping for the best. It's a great read if you're up for the challenge of taking ownership over the good and bad in your life.”

—Jordan Harbinger, Co‐Founder of The Art of Charm and Sirius Radio Talk Show Host

The Science of Intelligent Achievement unapologetically slapped me in the face by telling me what common mistakes ‘average’ people do and how these ‘average’ habits and actions are keeping me in a mediocre career and life. There is something fresh and simple about Isaiah's ability to not sugar‐coat topics. This book is full of relatable stories and interesting facts that stay with you after you are done reading. I recommend this tough‐as‐nails self‐help book to anyone who wants to evaluate their direction in life.”

—Dr. Nick Ross, Senior R&D Engineer at Intel

“This is a jam‐packed book that is chock‐full of actionable and practical advice on the hard truth about what it takes to live a happy and successful life. You won't be able to make excuses for yourself after reading this book.”

—Ben Greenfield, Founder of Greenfield Fitness Systems and Advisor at EXOS Performance Nutrition

“Is there anything more boring thantraditional self‐help books? Thankfully Isaiah has written something untraditional here. The Science of Intelligent Achievement digs beneath the surface of what makes measurable growth possible – identifying the patterns, processes and science behind being successful in any field. He does all of this while infusing each chapter with real‐world examples, humor, and a much‐needed dose of personal responsibility and hard truth.”

—Anthony DiMarco, Entrepreneurs' Organization Global Trainer and CEO of the DiMarco Group

The Science of Intelligent Achievement showed me how to take ownership of my life and how to organize and prioritize myself both professionally and personally. Make no mistake, the book is hard hitting and makes you face yourself head on. Each chapter practically forces you to start implementing positive and pragmatic changes. The book shows you that it's never too late to turn things around as long as you're willing to take personal responsibility for where you are in life.”

—Dr. Klodjan Stafa, Senior Scientist at Estée Lauder Companies

“Reading this book is like a healthy punch in the gut. Many of us ‘top performers’ present externally as having it all when, really, we're miserable inside chasing after someone else's version of success. Isaiah's gripping personal story is a harbinger of what can happen if you fail to listen to the voice inside reminding you of who you really are. His framework of selectivity, ownership and pragmatism is one I wished I had when I was going through a similar time. If you're ready to reclaim your life, live it according to your own standards, and take back control, you need this book. I dare you to read it and not come out transformed.”

—Margo Aaron, Former Strategic Planner at Hunter Straker, Founder of That Seems Important

“Isaiah has created a brilliant, practical, goal‐oriented, scientifically‐backed, self‐improvement book, suitable for anyone struggling to make the next step in their life or career. His new book has already been pivotal for me in harnessing my mental energy and focus to drive my career forward.”

—Dr. Yousuf Ali, Medical Science Liaison at Novartis

“Isaiah teaches how and why yourhabits, behaviors and values are at the core of performance or lack thereof. He doesn't sugarcoat anything so there aren't any wasted words or pages in any of his publications. This book just went to the top of my must read twice list.”

—Craig Morantz, Former CEO of Kira Talent and Founder of Vegan Labs

The Science of Intelligent Achievement was a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because the book showed me how to be aware of the things that I do on a daily basis that waste my mental energy. You really don't realize how much energy you freely give away to people and situations that don't matter. Isaiah says repeatedly that busyness is not productivity and he is right. The book was a curse because it completely demolished all of my excuses and made me start taking responsibility for my decisions again.”

—Josh Birt, Video Producer for Twitter and Founder of Josh Birt Productions

The Science of Intelligent Achievement is well researched and provides an excellent blueprint to real success. Every page is loaded with sage advice and you will find yourself savoring every morsel of it. You will learn how to live the life of your dreams by eliminating negative people, thoughts, and things that drain your mental energy. Stop being busy, develop focus, get rid of distractions, and master the art of effectiveness by using the free tools Isaiah provides here.”

—Linda Mitchell, IIN Health Coach, ADP Holistic Health Practitioner and CEO The ChickFit Studio

© 2018 Isaiah Hankel

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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data is Available:

ISBN 978–0–857–08760–7 (paperback)

ISBN 978–0–857–08770–6 (ePDF)

ISBN 978–0–857–08772–0 (ePub)

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Cover Image: © Lava 4 images/Shutterstock

To my wife, Laura, and daughter, Zara

FOREWORD

Twenty years ago I left my hometown. Recently, I found myself back there. Unfortunately, I was there for my Grandpap's funeral. He was a patriarch, a war hero, and a role model for each member of our family. He had left a legacy behind by living with authenticity.

While reconnecting with siblings and greeting friends of the family, I was struck by how much I'd grown since I left town. I had been the first in our family to graduate college. I got married, I enrolled in graduate school, had a child, received a Ph.D., trained at the National Institutes of Health, and landed a dream job at Harvard Medical School (HMS). However, my path hasn't been easy.

In the beginning, I worked hard, but I didn't work smart.

I was out of focus. I wasn't living in reality. I hadn't taken full responsibility for my choices. I wasn't being strategic…and I definitely wasn't being authentic.

It wasn't until I had a frank and honest conversation about how I could leverage my experience and my interests to do something fulfilling and to start achieving intelligently. It was then that everything came into focus, I faced a harsh reality and took responsibility for my life and my career.

My journey is far from complete. And I do not go alone. In addition to my indomitable wife, I've had a few close friends and colleagues help me along the way. And of course I've returned the favor. When one of these friends asked me to write the foreword to his second book, I had to help him out and said yes immediately.

Isaiah and I first met via an email introduction. He had a novel approach to leadership and career development so I invited him to give a talk at HMS. Through several conversations and a growing friendship Isaiah was open to my advice, and criticisms. While my opinions were plentiful, he shrewdly picked up on the important points and began to craft his message and share it across the globe. I invited him back to HMS two more times, once for a Leadership Series and another for his Career Development workshops. In turn, he's twice invited me to appear on his webinar series where my aim was to empower professionals to confidently (and scientifically) take control of their career and lives.

In Isaiah's second book, The Science of Intelligent Achievement, he tackles some issues that apply to most everyone: focus, creative ownership, and pragmatic growth. When Isaiah brings up “Blind Spot Ignorance” in Chapter 29, he discusses how we can identify blind spots in others but not usually ourselves. He also states that self‐perception rarely matches social perception. To combat this Blind Spot Ignorance, Isaiah advises to keep blind your spots in full view. This requires a fearless self‐inventory where you take ownership of your shortcomings, mistakes, and biases. Once you self‐monitor for bad habits and potential pitfalls, you will no longer be “blindsided” by the truth and can begin to live with authenticity.

Selective investment of your focus, energy, and relationships; taking creative ownership of your path, success, and happiness; and a pragmatic approach to your decisions, habits, and overall growth will lead you towards your authentic self. And it's this kind of achievement that will result in increased productivity, a meaningful message, and a lasting legacy in your life.

I wish I had this book twenty years ago because to me, Intelligent Achievement starts and ends with authenticity, or as Isaiah calls it in this book “true success.”

—James Gould, Ph.D.,

Director, Office for Postdoctoral Fellows,

Harvard Medical School