Train your brain

Last week I presented at a Brisbane's company teaming day on how to deliver business value, use principle-based architectures, and what good software delivery practices are. Presenting at the same day was a lady called Petra Zink who spoke about managing one's careers and the future of work. One of her, many, on-point topics was that you need to train your mind. I have always been self-motivated to improve, I continually strive to develop and grow my career. Every time I look to improve myself I have had a little battle with my own mind. So taking a cue from Petra's excellent presentation, here are a few ways I use to try to master my mind.

Firstly I accept that I can change. I waste no energy trying to decide if I am able to do something. I don't prescribe to being fixed in my ways, or that I am who I am because I was born that way. I know I can continually change and improve my current self. To act or be different, all I need to do is lean in, have a crack, and rewire my mind to work differently.

While your brain is not a muscle, you do have control over it. You might need help now and then, to control it, but it is within your grasp to control and change the way it works. Like physically training your muscles to be better at a particular sport your brain needs a plan, needs a new routine, and will take repetition and commitment. Your brain is a muscle

Stop focusing on outcomes. When you are trying to change or mould yourself into something different, stop your mind from focusing on the result or the outcome. We live in a world that favours instant gratification. We have little patience and expect results as soon as Yesterday. Nothing noteworthy happens without effort. Set yourself a goal, focus your mind on the process of getting there, be present and aware of the things you are doing right now. Focus your energy on improving the process. Waste no mental effort on the goals or outcomes you seek. When you're trying to be something new, don't be like a child in the back of your car "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?". People quite often give up on something they desire because they focus too much on the result; its disappointing, negative, and sets yourself up to regularly feel like a failure. Focus on the process, improve it, use the success of process improvements as fuel to continue on your quest.  Focus on the process

Brain dump, declutter your mind and make room to focus on essential things. Minds don't have a limitless amounts of capacity. Everything you think about, everything you try to remember, the things that concern you, along with a body's basic functional needs all vie for your mind's limited capacity. The simple act of writing something down will clear your mind. Your mind doesn't have to remember items that are down on paper. The simple act of writing things down declutter your mind, so do it regularly.  Write down tomorrows items

I regularly brain dump when I want to learn something new or need to concentrate freely on something. A clear mind helps me focus. So I put everything down in a notebook, yes using pen and paper. I prioritise essential items. If I know the first step I need to take for an item, I write that down as well. Lighten your mental load

Some things I have had to learn and accept about lists are; In today's fast-paced world, you will never finish all the tasks on a list. Lists will almost always have more items added to them than items removed or struck off. You will always be creating new lists with items carried over from old ones. You need to prioritise items on a list. Finally, understand that the purpose of a list is to clear your mind and give it space to think. It's not a mechanism to ensure you complete a set of tasks. 

Take time out, exercise and destress. Give yourself a break; make yourself feel better about yourself - Exercise. Studies show that exercise improves your ability to think. You will feel awful if you don't exercise! I regularly swim and ride, and the act of swimming or riding clears my mind and resets my thinking. Solutions to problems I have sought for hours, often seem to just pop into my head after I take a break and train. Exercise will put you in a better frame of mind. You will have a positive outlook on life straight after you have done something good for yourself. So maybe don't consume protein after training, work on something that improves your mind. Exercise to boost your memory 

This list is by no means exhaustive. However, it is a list of the things I continue to do. Understand that you are not fixed in your ways. You can train yourself to be different. Focus on the process of improvement Over the outcome of the improvements. Clear your mind regularly and make room to think. Finally, take a break, recharge and refocus yourself.