TED Ideas Blog

Exceptional talent often looks like an act of revolution - a person doing something in a way no one has ever done it before - but many revolutionary talents are actually built on a foundation of evolutionary tweaks. These tweaks develop over time, often compensating for weaknesses and anxieties that might derail a lesser talent. For all his brilliance, though, Messi is famously anxious. For several years, he habitually vomited on the field before big matches.

Ever have your hard work - including your successes - go unnoticed by your manager? , TED's new podcast, is here to do just that - to fix the problems of everyday people who call in with their work woes. In episode four, cohosts and top leadership coaches Frances Frei and Anne Morriss got to know Nai'a, a caller who struggled with receiving recognition after a major reorganization paired her with a new and preoccupied boss.

Good news: You can be a generous person without writing a bunch of checks. In fact, many of the most awe-inspiring and effective examples of generosity are gifts of time and energy, talent and love, custom-fitted to a specific need. This type of giving is open to everyone. Many of the most awe-inspiring and effective examples of generosity are gifts of time and energy, talent and love, custom-fitted to a specific need. Not sure where to begin?

We persist in hiring and training as if we're running a bowling squad, as if easily measured skills are all that matter. What causes successful organizations to fail? What makes stocks fade, innovations slow, customers jump ship? We can agree that certain skills are essential. That hiring coders who can't code, salespeople who can't sell, or architects who can't design is a waste. But these skills - let's call them vocational skills - have become the backbone of the recruitment process.

Lucia dreaded interacting with her colleague Ray. Meetings that were scheduled for an hour would last two; once Ray started talking, he wouldn't stop. "There's no doubt he was a smart man," Lucia says, "but he did little more than talk about everything he knew. He delegated almost all of his work to others." Most of us have dealt with a Ray, the know-it-all who is convinced they're the smartest person in the room, hogs airtime in meetings and has no qualms about interrupting others.

Chances are, you're not talking about major things such as layoffs, fireable offenses or obvious wrongs; instead, it's the small stuff that wears you down. Authors Rob Cross and Karen Dillon call these "microstresses" - those countless small moments that occur in every workday and drain you of time, energy and enthusiasm. For 20 years, Cross has been researching effective collaboration at different organizations.

"Perfectionism is a symptom of something," Thomas Greenspon PhD, an expert on the topic and a recovering perfectionist himself, told me. "It's not the disease." At its core, perfectionism is about anxiety - you're afraid of failing or afraid that making a mistake means that there's something wrong with you. "Perfectionism is more than pushing yourself to do your best to achieve a goal; it's a reflection of an inner self mired in anxiety," he adds.

Ever wish you had a switch you could just turn whenever you needed to be focused and productive? While getting in the zone is something we all hope and strive for - whether it's at work, at home, at school - it's critically important for athletes. In episode three of TED's newest podcast "Good Sport," host Jody Avirgan speaks to NBA All-Star Steph Curry and sports psychologist Dr. Nicole Detling to find out about getting there. Read our excerpt below, and listen to the entire episode here.

Is living too fast turning your life into a blur? How can you slow down to see things clearly and savor them more? One way is to take inspiration from calming rituals and traditions found across the world. If you've already mastered the Spanish siesta - aka the midday nap - what other practices can you build into your life? Read my curated list below to find out. And to learn more insights and techniques to help you shift into the slow lane, consider joining my TED Course "How to slow down." 1.

Are they strong and thriving? In need of a little attention or assistance? Or a bit of both, depending on the day, month or year? Even good relationships tend to repeat the same routines over and over, so it may be a good time to try some new things. Even with your most positive relationships, some of your old habits, your old automatic ways of being and interacting that make the relationship less energizing, can sometimes resurface.