The Knowledge with David Elikwu

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137: How You Can Feel More Alive in Your Work (feat. Michael Ashcroft)

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Feb 20, 2025

Guest

Michael Ashcroft

Michael Ashcroft, a writer and Alexander Technique teacher, shares insights on maximizing creativity and productivity through expanded awareness. He transitions from corporate consulting to self-employment, discussing the challenges and emotional journey of seeking fulfillment beyond financial gain. The conversation highlights the importance of mindfulness and decision-making, balancing spontaneity with structure. Ashcroft also explores how awareness enhances life choices and deepens emotional experiences, ultimately enriching personal growth and creativity.

01:55:17

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ANECDOTE

Abrupt Exit Into Unstructured Freedom

Michael left KPMG in early 2021 and described the first months as unstructured and uncomfortable as he relearned how to own his time.
He deliberately deconditioned from nine-to-five habits, even downloading video games to practice being 'unemployed.'

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Burnout Then A Course That Bought Space

Michael recounts burning out after sustained 70-hour weeks and never fully recovering to his prior peak at work.
He later created an online course that provided enough passive revenue to stop grinding for money and prioritise healing.

insights

INSIGHT

Stop Pushing — Untangle Conflicting Intentions

Perceptual Control Theory says we control perceptions, not actions, and conflicts between desired perceptions cause internal «grinding».
Identify conflicting intentions (the handbrake) and remove them rather than pushing harder.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Navigating Freedom and Fulfillment

02:37 • 29min

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Navigating Life's Decisions

31:21 • 7min

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Embracing the Full Spectrum of Human Emotion

38:46 • 3min

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Navigating Life Choices: Risk vs. Stability

42:01 • 2min

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Unlocking Mindfulness through Awareness and Choice

43:41 • 5min

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Expanding Awareness to Enrich Life Choices

48:22 • 4min

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Mindfulness and the Art of Presence

52:49 • 24min

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Balancing Awareness in Creativity

01:16:34 • 14min

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Navigating the Creative Process

01:30:38 • 25min

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#2316

• Mentioned in 19 episodes

Escape from Freedom

Erich Fromm

In 'Escape from Freedom', Erich Fromm examines the human relationship with freedom, distinguishing between 'freedom from' (negative freedom) and 'freedom to' (positive freedom). The book discusses how the rise of democracy and the destruction of feudal societies led to a new kind of freedom that many individuals found overwhelming. Fromm argues that this sense of freedom can lead to feelings of alienation, anxiety, and a desire to escape these feelings through mechanisms such as authoritarianism, destructiveness, and automatic conformity. He also analyzes the psychosocial conditions that facilitated the rise of Nazism and other totalitarian regimes. The book is divided into sections that explore the historical transition from medieval to modern society, the psychological factors at play in contemporary society, and the dissection of authoritarian societies with a vision of potential alternatives.

#863

• Mentioned in 41 episodes

Waking Up

A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion

Sam Harris

In this book, Sam Harris argues that there is more to understanding reality than science and secular culture generally allow. He explores the scientific underpinnings of spirituality, suggesting that how we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the quality of our lives. The book is part memoir and part exploration, discussing the illusion of the self, the benefits of meditation, and the importance of understanding consciousness through both scientific and philosophical lenses.

#4335

• Mentioned in 11 episodes

Cooked

A Natural History of Transformation

Michael Pollan

In 'Cooked', Michael Pollan delves into the art and science of cooking, examining how the four classical elements—fire, water, air, and earth—transform raw ingredients into edible and nutritious food. The book is divided into sections that focus on different cooking techniques: grilling with fire, braising with water, baking bread with air, and fermenting with earth. Pollan apprentices himself to various culinary masters to learn these techniques and explores the social, ecological, and historical contexts of cooking. He argues that cooking is essential for human well-being and that the outsourcing of cooking to corporations has significant negative impacts on health, culture, and society. The book emphasizes the importance of reclaiming cooking as an act of self-reliance and enjoyment, highlighting its role in connecting us with nature, culture, and each other.

#2808

• Mentioned in 17 episodes

The luck factor

Richard Wiseman

In 'The Luck Factor,' Richard Wiseman presents the results of his extensive research on why some people are consistently lucky while others are not. The book is based on interviews and experiments involving over 1,000 people who self-identify as lucky or unlucky. Wiseman identifies four key principles that distinguish lucky people: they are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities, make decisions based on intuition, have positive expectations about the future, and adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good. The book provides practical tips and scientific evidence to support the idea that luck is not random but can be influenced by one's behavior and mindset.

#35216

Rules Aren't Real

David Kadavy

David speaks with Michael Ashcroft, a writer and Alexander Technique teacher who previously spent 10 years consulting on clean energy innovation.

A lot of Michael's work centres around helping people expand their awareness. He's written several essays and posts I've loved, particularly about the concept of grinding, and how paying attention to our awareness can help us maximise our creativity, productivity, posture and physical engagement.

We talked about:

🔄 Corporate to Self-Employment – Freedom, ambition & avoiding burnout

🤔 Mindset & Decisions – Priorities, big choices & challenges

🧠 Awareness & Focus – Attention, non-fixation & efficiency

🎨 Productivity & Structure – Creativity, discipline & idea management

📝 Writing & Self-Discovery – Process, organising & personal growth

🥷🏽 Missionary vs. Mercenary – Mindset & long-term fulfilment

👨🏾‍💻 About David Elikwu:

David Elikwu FRSA is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and writer. David is the founder of The Knowledge, a platform helping people think deeper and work smarter.

🐣 Twitter: @Delikwu / @itstheknowledge

🌐 Website: https://www.davidelikwu.com

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🖥️ Decision Hacker: http://www.decisionhacker.io/

Decision Hacker will help you hack your default patterns and become an intentional architect of your life. You’ll learn everything you need to transform your decisions, your habits, and your outcomes.

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The Knowledge is a weekly newsletter for people who want to get more out of life. It's full of insights from psychology, philosophy, productivity, and business, all designed to make you more productive, creative, and decisive.

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Home Top podcasts Popular guests Top books

137: How You Can Feel More Alive in Your Work (feat. Michael Ashcroft)

Abrupt Exit Into Unstructured Freedom

Burnout Then A Course That Bought Space

Stop Pushing — Untangle Conflicting Intentions

📜 Full transcript:

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🗣 Mentioned in the show:

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