Everyone knows that being productive isn’t easy. It takes a significant amount of discipline and willingness to sacrifice to become a truly productive person. Part of the reason is that our brains are hardwired to avoid things that are uncomfortable or difficult, even if they’re good for us (think: exercise). A big part of the ongoing struggle of improving ourselves centers around overcoming this programming, as well as learning to adapt to some of the obstacles life throws in our brain’s way.
Re-Wire Your Brain to Think Positively to Boost Performance
As I stated previously, your brain likes to take the comfortable route. This doesn’t just go for physical activity, either. Negative thinking can become a comfortable pattern for your brain as well, especially self-criticizing thinking. The only way to beat this comfortable pattern is to practice active redirection. This means, whenever you have a negative thought, immediately counter it with a positive one, especially when you think something negative about yourself. Why is this important? Simple: positive people are more productive, and becoming more positive starts by controlling your brain’s patterns of thinking.
Learn to Disrupt the Effects of Stress and Be More Proactive
Stress is impossible to totally avoid, but what if there were a way to prevent the negative effects that stress can have on your brain function? There is: it’s a strategy called MIR, which stands for Measure, Intercept, and Replace. This works in a similar way to the active redirection strategy we discussed in the last paragraph. First, become aware of the stressor, then intercept the brain’s natural stress response. Finally, replace the stress response with a different response, such as controlled breathing or a smile. Further, practicing active awareness of yourself will naturally extend to your surroundings, which will also allow you to be more proactive, and allow you to notice problems before they happen.
Again, all this will take practice: but I promise you, once you have mastery over your stress, there will be no stopping you.
I’m Jessica Cox and helping people live their best possible life is my passion. Achieving the impossible isn’t so impossible if you know how to make it happen! Let me share my story with the attendees at your meeting, convention, or religious gathering and I can give you real-life tips that can help you make the impossible happen. Contact me here. Or you can challenge your limits with personal life coaching.