5 TED Talks to Get You Through Challenging Times

Published in

Agilent Careers

3 min readMar 7, 2017

We all have those moments when we need an extra pick-me-up. During tough times, it can feel like we’re drowning in our own thoughts and it’s easy to be discouraged. No matter what aspect of your life you’re struggling with, Ted Talks can be extremely motivating and are a great opportunity to listen to someone else’s point of view. Here are some TED Talks to help motivate you:

For when you feel like giving up:

In this talk, Angela Duckworth discusses how through her own research, she determined that the key to success isn’t what many people assume… It’s not social intelligence, health, or IQ — It’s grit.

“”Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

For when you feel like you’re not moving up in your career:

Susan believes leadership manifests at every level. She discusses why there are many women stuck in middle management and so few at the top. While much of her research focuses on closing the gender gap, she speaks a lot about career advancement as well.

For when you feel like you’re stuck in a rut:

In this quick, three minute video, Matt challenges you to make small, maintainable changes to your life to build self confidence. It only takes 30 days to make or break a habit, so make a change!

For when you’re not feeling productive:

This is one of my favorite talks on this list. Jason aims to help you limit interruptions in order to create more meaningful work. Some of the things Jason touches on is voluntary vs. involuntary distractions and why many people feel it’s difficult to focus in the office. It’s true, your enviroment makes or breaks your productivity level.

The Secret to Productivity is Not a Secret

Life can feel like it’s always a race against the clock — so how do you do it all? Time is valuable, so don’t waste it…

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One of the reasons I enjoy working for Agilent is their outlook flexible schedules. Just as I pointed out in my previous post, we all do not think and work the same — Agilent recognizes that. Agilent allows me to work in a way that works for me.

For when you’re feeling stressed:

Tara has an interesting view on stress. In her talk, she discusses how she views stress as a catalyst that allows us to start thinking deeper about our feelings and grow as individuals.