Parker Houston

Gratitude is Inseparable from a Champion’s Mindset

by Parker Houston | Nov 19, 2020 | The Science of Gratitude, The Science of Mindset

Thanksgiving is a natural time of the year to refocus on gratitude practices, so I am updating this post on the science of gratitude. We are also in a series on Mindset, and...

A Champion’s Mindset Requires Laser Focus

by Parker Houston | Nov 12, 2020 | Personal Leadership, The Science of Mindset

“If you chase two rabbits, you won’t catch either one.” –Russian Proverb The Big Idea—You cannot develop the mindset of a champion without laser focus. This...

Imagination is More Important Than Knowledge

by Parker Houston | Nov 5, 2020 | The Science of Mindset

“Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited while imagination encircles the world, stimulates progress, gives birth to evolution.” –Albert...

Don’t Use Willpower to Make Changes in Your Life, Do This Instead

by Parker Houston | Oct 15, 2020 | How People Change, The Science of Mindset

*This post contains elements of prior posts, but has been updated for the mindset series. Many people try to use sheer willpower to change their mindset, but this strategy...

Life Lessons From My German Shepherd

by Parker Houston | Aug 27, 2020 | Family Leadership, Self Leadership, The Science of Gratitude

A year ago I had to say goodbye to a close friend—my beloved German Shepherd of 10 years—Sequoia. I am updating my original post in her memory. Sequoia was fiercely loyal,...

The Price Tag of Hurry

by Parker Houston | Aug 20, 2020 | Family Leadership, Self Leadership

*Photo by Andy Beales Unsplash.com For most of my life, I’ve been in a hurry. While I was in full-time graduate school, I also worked 32 hours a week. I was so fried by the...

If You Don’t Aim For An Ideal Week, You Might Never Have One

by Parker Houston | Aug 7, 2020 | Leading During COVID19, Productivity Best Practices

The pandemic has encouraged—or even forced—many companies to allow their team members to work entirely remotely, but lots of people (myself included) are encountering all...

Your Brain Prefers Lazy Tasks—Here’s What You Can Do About It

by Parker Houston | Jul 9, 2020 | Leading During COVID19, Productivity Best Practices

“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest...

Unbroken—The Louis Zamperini Story

by Parker Houston | May 28, 2020 | Leading During COVID19

If you have haven’t heard this story, it’s nearly unbelievable. How could a poor immigrant boy from Torrance, California make it all the way to the Olympics, shake Hitler’s...

Great Leaders Have Endurance—Lessons From One of the Greatest Survival Stories of All Time

by Parker Houston | Apr 23, 2020 | Leading During COVID19

The Big Idea—After more than a month of shelter-in-place, and no clear date when life will return to something that resembles normal, we need inspiration from leaders who...

Working From Home Isn’t Always the Dream You Had Envisioned—Read These Tips to Improve Your Transition

by Parker Houston | Apr 16, 2020 | Leading During COVID19

COVID19 has thrust most organizations—and their team members—into a remote work environment almost overnight. A few weeks ago, I shared strategies for leading effective...

COVID 19 Has Thrust Most Workplaces Into Remote Work Overnight—Here is How You Can Get Up to Speed

by Parker Houston | Apr 2, 2020 | Leading During COVID19

The global pandemic has thrust many workplaces and industries into remote work situations overnight—leaving people scrambling to figure out how to operate. The Big Idea—Many...

Don’t Panic, Don’t Stick Your Head in the Sand—Leading Through the Coronavirus Pandemic

by Parker Houston | Mar 22, 2020 | Leading During COVID19

In light of recent global events, this new series will be dedicated to science-based leadership strategies for leading through the impacts of the coronavirus. This series...

Manage Your Energy—What Performance Psychologists Have Learned From Elite Athletes

by Parker Houston | Mar 12, 2020 | Optimal Performance

A few years ago, my friend Doug asked me a deceptively simple question—What good is your time if you bring no energy to it? At the time, I had become a time management...

At what point is working more hours counterproductive?

by Parker Houston | Mar 5, 2020 | Optimal Performance

“If you don’t have time, you don’t have priorities.” –Tim Ferriss Many high achievers put in well over 40 hours per week in an effort to get more results. But performance...

Perform like Lebron, make more money, and prevent Alzheimer’s—all by doing this

by Parker Houston | Feb 27, 2020 | Optimal Performance

“When I wake up, I am reborn.” –Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi said this about 100 years before the brain research could validate his claim but the science is clear—good sleep habits...

This Holiday Season: The Power of Moments

by Parker Houston | Dec 19, 2019 | Family Leadership, Self Leadership

This week I am going to take a short break from our series on how people change to do a couple short posts on the holidays and upcoming year. Today’s Big Question: If your...

Family Leadership Series Recap

by Parker Houston | Oct 24, 2019 | Family Leadership

Today’s BIG IDEA—Leadyoufirst.com is dedicated to the idea that there is a logical order to leadership—that the best way to build a lasting leadership legacy is to...

Why You Need a Strategy For a Thriving Marriage

by Parker Houston | Oct 10, 2019 | Family Leadership

“It’s not lack of love, but lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.”—Nietzsche Today’s BIG IDEA—No one arrives at a great marriage by accident. A few years ago, my...

Run Your Household Like a Great Company

by Parker Houston | Sep 26, 2019 | Family Leadership

Today’s BIG IDEA—Last week we discussed the importance of having a family vision. Today we will take that concept further by exploring how to apply principles of thriving...

Leadership At Home Starts With Family Vision

by Parker Houston | Sep 19, 2019 | Family Leadership

Today’s BIG IDEA—Last week we talked about the importance of having a family leadership strategy, and that strategy starts with creating a family vision. In the winter time,...

The Vital Importance of Having a Family Leadership Strategy

by Parker Houston | Sep 12, 2019 | Family Leadership

This week we start a new series on family leadership. Today’s BIG IDEA—If you have a family, or want to start one some day, a family leadership strategy needs to be part of...

What can we learn from places on earth where people most frequently live past age 100?

by Parker Houston | Jul 28, 2019 | The Science of Happiness

The BIG IDEA—Global research reveals 9 factors you can apply to your life to increase your odds of living a longer and more fulfilling life. Research continues to...

The Power of When

by Parker Houston | Jun 27, 2019 | Self Leadership

As an avid scuba diver, there is no shortage of places I want to visit on my bucket list. And when you spend time talking with other divers, you often keep hearing of the...

Great Leaders Don’t Rely on Willpower, They Do This Instead

by Parker Houston | Jun 6, 2019 | Self Leadership

According to US News & World Report, 80 percent of people fail at New Year’s resolutions, and most of them by mid-February! Why are the vast majority of people failing...