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Re:Thinking with Adam GrantRe:Thinking with Adam Grant

Life is the ultimate punchcard—how will you spend it?

When leadership researcher Jim Collins was choosing a career, he used an unusual method: he studied himself like a scientist. In this episode, Adam and Jim dive into the techniques for self-study and how self-comparison can be more effective than comparison to others. Jim shares takeaways from his investigation of people who have found their callings, and highlights how he’s learned to stop being disappointed by others. They also rethink the relationship between freedom and responsibility. Join us in person at a TED conference: https://tedtalks.social/events Become a TED Member to support our mission: https://ted.com/membership Subscribe to a TED newsletter: https://ted.com/newsletters Follow our podcasts! Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts Fixable: https://www.ted.com/podcasts/fixable How to Be a Better Human: https://www.ted.com/podcasts/how-to-be-a-better-human ReThinking with Adam Grant: https://www.ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant TED Talks Daily: https://www.ted.com/podcasts/ted-talks-daily TED Business: https://www.ted.com/podcasts/ted_business TED Health: https://www.ted.com/podcasts/ted-health TED Tech: https://www.ted.com/podcasts/ted-tech The TED Audio Collective is a collection of podcasts for the curious. The TED Audio Collective videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organiz...). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com.

Adam GranthostJim Collinsguest
May 6, 20261mWatch on YouTube ↗

EVERY SPOKEN WORD

  1. 0:00 – 0:10

    A question that moves people: unlocking emotions instead of performing them

    1. AG

      Jim left people with a question that shook them to their core. And instead of putting his emotions on the stage, he helped people unlock their own emotions.

    2. JC

      Hmm.

  2. 0:10 – 0:14

    Adam’s prompt: the one question for making the most of life

    1. AG

      So what I wanna know is, what is the question that we should all be asking to make the most of a life?

  3. 0:14 – 0:24

    Life as the ultimate punchcard: scarcity and awareness of time

    1. JC

      Hmm. It would be the idea that first of all, you start with the i- the, that life is the ultimate punchcard. And you then now take the Warren Buffett idea of there's only so many punches for investments, so you have to be disciplined.

  4. 0:24 – 0:34

    Borrowing from Buffett: discipline through limited “punches”

    1. JC

      Well, think of every five-year chunk of life's like a punch, and you get one. You get one punchcard, one life, and the punches are going and you don't get 'em back. And it doesn't mean you have to go out and do the biggest things.

  5. 0:34 – 0:44

    Five-year chunks as punches: meaning without needing “big” achievements

    1. JC

      It's just an awareness of the punches. And with that, a question that I really-- what many questions I like to ask people to think about, but one of them is this question of

  6. 0:44 – 1:18

    The defining question: choosing responsibilities aligned with values—without credit

    1. JC

      what responsibilities will you choose that reflect your encodings but would not happen but for you, and for which you may never receive any credit? And that only the people who are really close to you, your spouse, the pe- your very, very best friends, they might know. But you have in the end this question of, did I spend the punches well? And do those around me have a respect and affection for that, right?

    2. AG

      I, I can't think of a more profound question to reflect on than that

Episode duration: 1:18

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