February 28, 2023

TED Talk Tuesday #244: The catastrophe of inaction

TED continues to spread ideas and help us all be better critical thinkers. Watching, listening and talking about TED Talks is a popular pastime for many in the CN&CO community. We visit TED.com regularly to clear our heads, have a laugh, learn or get inspired. TED Talks open our minds, spark new ways of thinking and can lead to some very interesting conversations and business opportunities. Each week we pick a favourite and publish it on a Tuesday, because we like how “TED Talk Tuesday” sounds. It’s also a way that the CN&CO team play their part in spreading ideas and helping to make the world a better place.

This week’s TED Talk is shared by Stella Carter.

We have all heard the phrase; “Knowledge is power”  but have you ever thought about knowledge by itself being overrated? We find ourselves in a rat race to do more, be more, learn more, read more…. But what if in all the learning, being, doing and reading, we forget to stop and use all that knowledge we are gathering, in a meaningful way!

In this TED Talk, Richard Mulholland talks about how we are spending our days consuming “cognitive calories”. If we don’t burn those cognitive calories they will become cognitive fats… and who wants to store fat, in any form! Mulholland also spoke about the importance of being intentional with what you allow in, what you spend your time consuming. He made reference to “Life hours”  and how we can only make withdrawals from these hours, no deposits. This really got me thinking. In a world that is so filled with information, knowledge, noise, with the endless to-do lists and goals  – how often do I take the time to pause and put all of those learnings to use in a meaningful and intentional way? Probably not as much as I should.

What is the point of all the knowledge, the learning, the reading, the consuming if you don’t stop, and take action…… instead of taking more notes? Could it be that simple, yet so meaningful? I think it’s time to make some changes…. How about you?

Watch the full TED Talk here, and let me know your thoughts….

Stella is a marketing all-rounder. Her strengths lie in big-picture thinking and bringing it all together. She likes to work and train hard and will not shy away from a challenge. She is also Greek, so #winning!