Ben Meer

Your mind is your most valuable career asset.

5 science-backed habits to boost your brain power:

1. Follow Japan’s 80% Rule

Stop eating at 80% full to prevent food coma. You’ll maintain better energy after lunch.

2. Stay Hydrated

Your brain is 73% water—even 2% dehydration impairs clear thinking and decision-making. Keep a water flask at your desk so you can stay hydrated throughout the day.

3. Take Walking Meetings

Walking increases blood flow to the brain by 15%, sparking creativity and sharper insights. Try a walking meeting after lunch to be more productive.

4. Have a Strong Rest Ethic

Sleep isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Get 7+ hours to see improvements in memory, problem-solving, and focus.

5. Avoid Energy Vampires

Nothing is more draining than negative interactions. Choose relationships that energize, not drain you.

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If you’re a knowledge worker, 
You get paid to use your brain.

Why not take care of it like an athlete takes care of their body?

♻️ Share this to help others prioritize mental health.
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9 soft skills to fast-track your career:

How to be a power couple.

Life Dinner Method:

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9 imaginary rules to unlearn (that will change your life):

1. Imaginary Rule: You’re too young or too old.
 
Stop waiting for permission. In the words of Naval Ravikant, “There are no adults. Everyone's making it up as they go along. Figure it out yourself, and do it.”

2. Imaginary Rule: You should be good at everything.

Normalize “I don’t know anything about that” as a successful answer. The most successful people are imperfect. They've doubled down on a few key strengths.

3. Imaginary Rule: Avoid risks because everyone will judge you.

Spotlight Effect (cognitive bias): We think people are paying far more attention to us than they are. Harsh truth: Your freedom begins the day you realize nobody is thinking about you.
  
4. Imaginary Rule: You owe them loyalty.

Master the “gift of goodbye.“ You don't owe loyalty to a friend, partner, or employer who belittles you. Successful & happy people simply say goodbye.

5. Imaginary Rule: Believe every thought you have.
 
Stop believing every thought or feeling unless you’re in a peak mental state. It’s like grocery shopping on an empty stomach (bad idea).

6. Imaginary Rule: Successful people take shortcuts.
 
Avoid shiny object syndrome. Instead, focus on the boring basics. Get 1% better every day, and you’ll be 37x better in one year (Source: Atomic Habits).

7. Imaginary Rule: Everyone should like you.
 
Colin Powell once said, “Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity.” Know this: It’s better to be respected than liked. Learning to say “no” graciously—to honor your priorities and values—is a surefire way to earn respect.

8. Imaginary Rule: You can’t change.

A growth mindset is believing you CAN improve your abilities through dedication and hard work. Mastery takes time (for everyone). Commit yourself to lifelong learning. 

9. Imaginary Rule: You can’t rest until you succeed.

Ambitious people often feel guilty about resting. But know this: Rest powers your success. In the words of Kevin Kelly, “The best work ethic requires a good rest ethic.”

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I think about this quote often:

“The only thing that keeps us from having what we really want is the stories we tell ourselves.” —Tony Robbins

Which of these Imaginary Rules hits the hardest for you?
 
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, please share it ♻️ with others.

10 high-EQ habits that silently drive career success:

1. Focus on Two Traits
↳ Get stuff done (without excuses).
↳ Be the easiest person to work with in the room.

2. Build Self-Worth
↳ You don't owe employers loyalty.
↳ You owe yourself a job that pays your true value.

3. Work Smart
↳ Hard work matters, but what you work on matters more.
↳ Choose projects and people that compound over time.

4. Stack Complementary Skills
↳ Specialists hit ceilings, generalists stand out.
↳ The sweet spot? Rare skill combinations others can't match.

5. Master the 4-Bullet Update
↳ What they asked for, what I did, risks, next steps.
↳ Make yourself impossible to micromanage.

6. Embrace Weirdness
↳ Your quirks are competitive advantages, not flaws.
↳ “Being weird may even find you ultimate happiness.“ —Chris Sacca

7. Zero Tolerance for Gossip
↳ Nobody trusts colleagues who complain about others.
↳ Build a reputation as someone who lifts others up.

8. Train Your Brain as an Asset
↳ Stay hydrated, take walks, eat clean, rest strategically.
↳ Your mind influences everything else downstream.

9. Remember ALL the Names
↳ A person's name is their favorite sound (Dale Carnegie).
↳ Remember their loved ones' names for bonus points.

10. Lift Others Up
↳ Your greatest asset will be people you've helped succeed.
↳ Success isn't zero-sum; create other winners.

Which of these ideas resonates most with you?

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How to learn from your mistakes.

The After-Action Review Method:

In 60 seconds, you'll know the framework to learn from your mistakes (and wins).

The method is used by the U.S. Armed Forces and Fortune 500 companies.

It's called an After-Action Review (AAR).

Imagine how evolved you would be if you learned from your mistakes.

Most people don't because it can be uncomfortable.

Good thing you don't want to be like most people.

AAR is a 4-question framework. Let's dive in...

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Step 1. What did I intend to accomplish?

Example: Wish John a happy birthday (to show him that he's important to me).

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Step 2. What happened?

Example: I forgot to wish John a happy birthday.

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Step 3. Why did it happen that way?

Seek the root cause, not the proximate.

Proximate = what immediately caused something to happen.
Root = the real reason something happened.

Example:
• Proximate: It was a crazy day at school; I forgot.
• Root: I didn't have a reminder.

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Step 4. What will I do next time for a better outcome (or to repeat my success)?

Example: Create a recurring calendar invite for John's birthday (+ other friends/family/colleagues).

Won't happen again.

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More After-Action Review tips:

• Do an AAR for any action (win or loss).
• Normalize learning from wins AND losses.
• Complete individually or as a team.
• Focus on the problem, not the person.
• Journal your reflections. I've titled my notebook, 'Learned.'

Tl;DR for After-Action Reviews:

1. What did I intend to accomplish?
2. What happened?
3. Why did it happen that way?
4. What will I do next time for a better outcome (or to repeat my success)?

Learning from mistakes separates the best from the rest.

⬳

Image Credit: Roberto Ferraro

Find this useful? Repost to help your network ♻️.

How to be more productive (without burning out).
 
The 3-3-3 Method:
 
Source: I learned of 3-3-3 from Oliver Burkeman. I highly recommend his book, Four Thousand Weeks.

7 personal growth challenges that will change your life in 2025:

Pro tip: Pick one. Start today.

Commit to it, enjoy it, develop the habit, then try another.

Adopt all 7, and you’ll be unrecognizable by year’s end.

Which one are you most excited to try?

♻️ Share this to help others level up in 2025.
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#selfcare #mentalhealth #organization #strategy

10 Google Chrome extensions that will accelerate your learning (all free):

7 rare tips to land your dream job:

Leadership is a learnable skill.\n\nHere are 20 sentences to master it:\n\nThe difference between good and great comes down to systems.\n\nNot random acts of leadership.\n\nNot management by chaos.\n\nBut proven frameworks that compound over time.\n\n1. Leadership positions are rented, not owned\n2. True leadership is growing people, not numbers\n3. Be soft on the person, hard on the problem\n4. “I may be wrong“ shows strength, not weakness\n5. Create channels for introverts to shine\n6. Praise publicly, criticize privately\n7. Customer strategy = People strategy\n8. Master storytelling with setup-tension-resolution\n9. Build an inner circle for honest feedback\n10. Make feedback your daily breakfast\n11. Know your circle of competence\n12. No jerks policy = Better culture\n13. Foster psychological safety\n14. Set OKRs and track KPIs\n15. Focus on the vital 20% of customers\n16. Use SWOT analysis strategically\n17. Cut agenda-less meetings\n18. Timeblock > To-do lists\n19. Ask 'why' 5x for root causes\n20. Pay top performers well or lose them\n\n♻ Repost so a great leader sees this.\nAnd follow Ben Meer for more.

9 imaginary rules to unlearn (that will change your life):
________

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Relationship advice I know at 32 I wish I knew at 22:

Give me 2 minutes, and I’ll show you 6 secrets to be quietly confident:

1. Learn and Grow Daily

The key to quiet confidence is competence.

Actions:
• Carve out 30 mins to read
• Listen to a podcast or audiobook during your commute
• Pretend everyone was sent to teach you something

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2. Create Your Own Momentum

Write down your wins—

Compliments, a presentation you crushed, solo travel, etc.

Then regularly review your wins.

See how far you’ve come and how seriously capable you are.

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3. Hone Your Body Language

Powerful body language makes you look more confident.

But even better? It makes you feel more confident.

Stand up straight, pull your shoulders back, make eye contact, smile, give a firm handshake...

You will be dangerous.

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4. Pause Before Speaking (30% Rule)

When speaking, we allow ourselves only 30% of the time a listener would give us to fill a pause without it feeling awkward.

You have more time to reply than you think.

Wait for 2 seconds first.

Pause in Speaking + Eye Contact = Confidence

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5. Be Interested, Not Interesting

The #1 trait of the most charismatic people I know?

In conversation, they focus on being interested, not interesting.
• Give eye contact
• Ask good questions

Make someone’s day by making them feel important.

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6. Embrace Your Flaws (Pratfall Effect)

You don’t need to hide parts of yourself.

Think about your favorite movie or TV character.

They have at least one weakness. You wouldn’t like them as much otherwise.

Imperfection is humanizing. Own your flaws, be magnetic.

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Quiet confidence is that calm, inner certainty that speaks volumes.

✍️ Which of these is your favorite?
♻️ Repost to share with your network. Thanks!

How to transform your team's communication in 30 days.

The ‘working-with-me’ guide:

Inspired by: Claire Hughes Johnson

4 must-know concepts for self-mastery

(from ancient Toltec wisdom):

Inversion thinking is a superpower.

This mental model was Charlie Munger's secret weapon.

It also changed military history forever:

I can’t stop thinking about this quote.

I spent years stuck in analysis paralysis:

I used to obsess over needing everything to be “perfect.“

This limiting belief cost me years of progress.

But get this:

Most brands you admire started as something entirely different.

They start humble and transform over time.

That's the secret of high performers:

• They start before they're ready
• They embrace imperfect action over perfect inaction
• They focus on 1% daily improvements
• They build systems that compound over time
• They view setbacks as data, not failure
• They celebrate small wins along the journey

Your turning point isn't coming from a perfect plan.

It's coming from taking that first imperfect step today.

You’ve got this.

Repost this to inspire your network ♻️
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The ultimate guide to LinkedIn networking (you’ll thank me later):