How Winning Streaks Work & Focused Success in a Distracted World

Who doesn’t like ketchup? It is one of the most universally loved American foods. Why? This episode begins with some interesting facts and history about ketchup that helps explain why there is a bottle of it in more than 97% of U.S. households. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/20/why-is-ketchup-so-delicious-science-answers-big-food-questions Have you ever had a winning streak? Maybe it was at work or in a game of tennis or chess – where you just could do no wrong. You often see winning streaks in professional sports. Interestingly, some people claim that winning streaks are a myth. However, my guest believes they are very real and that we can all learn how to do anything better by understanding how winning streaks work. Ben Cohen is a sports reporter for The Wall Street Journal and author of the book, The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks (https://amzn.to/32gobSl) and he joins me to offer some fascinating insight into winning and losing streaks. At some point in your education some teacher likely told you that you should never end a sentence with a preposition. However, anyone who writes knows that to follow that rule can be very awkward. So, is it really a rule? Listen as I explain where it came from and whether you should bother following it. Source: Patricia O’Connor author of “Woe Is I” (https://amzn.to/3igwWkT) We all have times when we really need to do work that requires real careful concentration. Yet in today’s world of distractions, it can be hard to find the time to do that kind of work without interruption. Cal Newport has researched this problem and come up with some great insight into how to get that important work done even when your life is pulling you in all different directions. Cal is a writer and an assistant professor of computer science at Georgetown University and host of the podcast Deep Questions. https://www.calnewport.com/podcast/. He is also author of the book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World (https://amzn.to/3heGXO9).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices