Life as an Experiment -- with A.J. Jacobs

#105: A.J. Jacobs is the Editor-at-Large of Esquire Magazine and the New York Times bestselling author of multiple books. His three TED Talks have collectively garnered more than three million views. He describes himself as "a father of three, husband of one, and cousin to millions." And he's probably your cousin. Twice removed. AJ joins me on this episode to chat about motivation, habits, and living life as an experiment. Here are some of the stories we cover: - Why AJ divulged his entire sexual history to actress Scarlett Johansson. - How AJ successfully and frequently changes his behaviors and habits. - AJ's experimental approach to life. - Why the adage "fake it 'til you make it" -- or rather, "fake it 'til you become it" -- is essential for developing habits. - How gratitude at extreme levels can become a mindset game-changer. - How healthy living nearly killed him. - AJ's quest to demonstrate the idea that we're all related -- and throw the world's largest family reunion. Resources Mentioned: A.J.'s Books: It's All Relative My Life as an Experiment A Year of Living Biblically Drop Dead Healthy The Know-It-All A.J.'s TED Talks: My Year of Living Biblically https://www.ted.com/talks/a_j_jacobs_year_of_living_biblically How Healthy Living Nearly Killed Me https://www.ted.com/talks/aj_jacobs_how_healthy_living_nearly_killed_me The World's Largest Family Reunion https://www.ted.com/talks/aj_jacobs_the_world_s_largest_family_reunion_we_re_all_invited   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices