Brain Hacks

If you fight for your limitations, you have to keep them.

Delta waves : sleep Theta waves : creativity (shower, transe, between sleep and consciousness) Beta waves : normal activity Alpha waves : focus, capture (meditation and activities capturing attention)

There has never been a statue erected to a great critic.

Mirror neurons : imagining an activity activates same brain areas/functions than performing it.

‘Belief without talent can get you further than talent without belief’

Feelings will ALWAYS overcome logic. They are more powerful and shortcut facts. To change things, you must change the related feelings and emotions.

Humility and modesty are social constructions/ adaptations. Children brag/ show off/ dare/ demand attention naturally, because they are not affected yet.

"If you are going through hell, keep going.”  Winston Churchill The ability to stick it out when the going gets hard matters a lot.

6 tips for more mental toughness 1. Eat the elephant, one bite at a time 2. Vizualize success, vividly and in détail 3. Emotional control, 4by4for4 4. Non reactivity, examine your reactions 5. Small victories, see smaller and focus on little nice things 6. Find your tribe, your interest, your necessity

Research estimates that the human brain produces approximately 50,000 thoughts a day.

Rewrite your models of reality. Extraordinary minds have models of reality that empower them to feel good about themselves and powerful in shifting the world to match the visions in their minds.

Question the Brules (bullshit rules) : - is it based on trust and hope in humanity ? - does it violate the golden rule ? - did I take it from culture or religion ? - is it based on rational choice or social contagion ? - does it serve my happiness ?

"The only way to win is to learn faster than anyone else". - Eric Ries

Forgetting curve. Mathematical formula that describes the rate at which information is forgotten after it is initially learned. 50 percent within an hour. 70 percent within 24 hours.

Primacy effect Tendancy to remember more the "first occurrences / parts" (Class, learning lesson, reading session, strangers you meet)

How to reprogram limiting beliefs ? 1. Name them. Pay attention every time you tell yourself that you’re incapable. Every time you use “I can’t,” “I’m not,” or “I don’t”, talk back. “Not being good in the past doesn’t mean that I can’t be great at it now."

7 lies of learning 1. Intelligence is fixed 2. We use 10% of our brains 3. Mistakes are failure 4. Knowledge is power 5. Learning new things is very difficult 6. Criticism of other people matters 7. Genius is born

Lie1 : intelligence is fixed “A belief in inborn gifts and limits is much gentler on the psyche: Thinking of talent as innate makes our world more manageable, more comfortable. It relieves a person of the burden of expectation.”

Lie2 : we use only 10% of our brains Evolutionary nonsense, long proven wrong by recent studies

Lie3 : mistakes are failure Mistakes have been deprived of their original goal by school and society. Too many mistakes, you fail the test. Yet they are essential. Anything from learning to walk to send rockets in space comes from a long trial and error process.

Lie4 : knowledge is power Thomas Hobbes, secretary of Sir Francis Bacon, said : “The end of knowledge is power; and the use of theorems is for the construction of problems; and, lastly, the scope of all speculation is the performing of some action, or thing to be done."

Lie5 : learning new things is very difficult It requires work, consistency, motivation

Lie6 : criticism of other people matter Most of us fear the opinions of other people when we simply think about trying something new. But public imagination is woefully underwhelming, and people have a hard time reconciling what they believe is possible with what is actually happening.

Lie7 : genius is born “greatness isn’t born, it’s grown.” From personal, and a confluence of external experiences.

Keep your radar up for any “conventional wisdom” putting constraints on your potential. In most cases, you’re going to find that such constraints don’t apply to anyone willing to push beyond them.

"Culture is nourished by human motivation, a limitless ressource which is sometimes underestimated" Lynne Doughtie

The 4 Gs to Genius The first key to genius is Growth. The second key to genius is Giving. The third key to genius is Gratitude. The fourth key to genius is Grit.

The first key to genius is Growth. Growth mindset, not fixed mindset. Look for constant improvement.It’s not about perfection but progress because practice makes progress. In what ways are you committed to yoir growth ?

The second key to genius is Giving. The road to excellence isn’t about “me.” It’s about “we.” Everything in nature gives or is eliminated – which means you grow so you have more to give.

The third key to genius is Gratitude. Some people create vision boards to help them achieve their goals. Why not create a gratitude board? How can you appreciate the things you’ll eventually have if you don’t appreciate what you have now?

The fourth key to genius is Grit. Grit is perseverance, persistence, and your ability to overcome difficulties. You build it with practice. Grit is a muscle, and challenge leads to change.When you have a big goal, you’re going to face challenges.

Bruce Lee once said, “If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there. You must go beyond them.”

Magic questions when learning : How can I use this? Why must I use this? When will I use this?

A goal is the point one wishes to achieve. A purpose is the reason one aims at to achieve a goal.

Setting SMART goals Specific: Your goal should be well defined. Don’t say you want to be rich; say you want to make a certain amount of money. Measurable: you can’t manage what you can't measure. Getting fit isn’t measurable—running a six-minute mile is.

"A goal is a dream with a deadline."

Goals should fit with your heart Healthy: they should contribute to your mental, physical, and emotional health. Enduring: they hould inspire and sustain you during the difficult times. Alluring: You shouldn’t always have to push yourself to work. They should be exciting, enticing, and engaging

Finding your passion is not about choosing the right path or finding the perfect professional destiny. It’s about experimenting to see what ignites your joy.

They say the two most powerful words in the English language are the shortest: “I am.” Whatever you put after those two words determines your destiny. Identify with the habit or goal you want to create or achieve, or consciously un-identify with a habit you no longer want.

Purpose, goals, habits must be in accordance with our (core) values. Otherwise they create dissonance and incomfort.

Hierarchy in values. Means values serve an end. End values usually are our core ones.

"Reasons reap rewards" : look for the WHY Consider your passion, your desired identity, and your values: How can they create the basis for your reasons? Don't wait to be in the "right mood. Feeling good is not necessary to act.

Feeling the need to say “yes” to every opportunity, invite, or request that comes our way will make you tired. Turn the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) into JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out)

You don’t have motivation. You DO motivation. Ultimately, motivation is a set of habits and routines, guided by your values and your identity, that you carry out every day.

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it, so it follows that if you don’t know why you do what you do, how will anyone else?” Simon Sinek - Start with Why

THE TOP 10 BRAIN FOODS (use body memory palace to remember) Avocados Blueberrie Broccoli Dark chocolate (darker the better) Eggs

“There is evidence that chronic (persistent) stress may actually rewire your brain"

On a regular basis, spend some time identifying your ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts). What limitations are you placing on yourself? Give yourself a few minutes with this. What are you telling yourself you can’t do? Write this down.

On a regular basis, think about how you’d like to expand your learning. Update your learning list. What have you always wanted to master that you haven’t found the time to master? Is it a different language? Computer coding? A new sales or marketing technique ?

Zeigarnik effect : uncompleted tasks created a level of tension that keeps that task at the front of our minds until it is completed.

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

Trust the process, do the work, and commit to daily learning, self-care, positive thoughts and behaviors. Results are coming.

Only three things can change a person’s behavior long term. 1. An epiphany, which very few people can summon on demand. 2. Change of environment, which is possible for nearly everyone, but not necessarily feasible at any given time. 3. Take "baby steps.” Dr BJ Fogg, Stanford

Avantages of simple small steps / baby steps 1. They present you with something achievable—a win on the way to reaching the championship of getting this job done. 2. The other is that they all put you in a situation where you’re likely to get even more accomplished.

40 to 50% of what we do is the product of habit, or automaticity. Hence the importance of making your habits, which in turn will make you.

“The habits you repeat (or don’t repeat) every day largely determine your health, wealth, and happiness. Knowing how to change your habits means knowing how to confidently own and manage your days, focus on the behaviors that have the highest impact, and reverse-engineer the life you want.” James Clear, Atomic Habits

All habits serve you in some ways. “It’s the solution to a recurring problem that you face throughout life, one that you’ve employed so many times that you can do it without thinking. If the solution doesn’t work anymore, then your brain will update it.”

3 elements to build a habit 1. Desire : since it is exceedingly difficult to make habitual anything you really don’t want to do. 2. Skills : since it’s nearly impossible to make a habit out of anything you don’t have the capacity to accomplish. 3. The cue : something to get the habit loop started.

“the science of momentum”: the notion that once you set accomplishment in motion, you can keep it in motion with much less effort than if you were trying to accomplish something from a standing start.

Tips to help remember dreams : DREAMS Decide: conscious decision to recall your dreams, before bed. Priming improves chances Record: pen+paper, recording app on bedside, record every remembrance. Eyes: Keep eyes closed, reflect

Process for assessing your habits (periodically) 1. Bolster your understanding of the habit loop by thinking about the four components of some of your most common habits, like making your breakfast or taking the dog for a walk. What’s the cue, the craving, the response, and the reward for each of these?

5 tips to help enter flow 1. Eliminate distractions : recovering from interruption can take AMA 20 min 2. Give yourself time : enter flow take 15 min, peak perf 45 min. Plan 90/120min 3. Do something you love : put aside the annoying for a while

Ennemies of flow 1. Multitasking (you're bad at it, really) 2. Stress (AMAP, sort out any emergency before it sneaks up into your flow) 3. Fear of failure (challenge implies imperfections at 1st shot) 4. Lack of conviction (don't doubt your ability to succeed.

“Concentration is at the crux of all human success and endeavor. If you can’t concentrate, you can’t manifest.” Dandapani

“Multiple stimuli present in the visual field at the same time compete for neural representation by mutually suppressing their evoked activity throughout the visual cortex, providing a neural correlate for the limited processing capacity of the visual system.” Princeton University study

Studies compared the brains of heavy media multitaskers with those of light media multitaskers and found that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is involved in focus, was smaller among the former group. University College London

“We found about 82 percent of all interrupted work is resumed on the same day. But here’s the bad news—it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task.” Gloria Mark, University of California

"Instant Tools" to help with distraction / restore focus 1. Breathe 4-7-8 2. Do now something causing you stress 3. Schedule time for distraction (I'll do that later --> I'll do that at 11:15)

4 levels of competence/learning Inconscious incompetence (complete ignorance, of the existence of the topic itself) Conscious incompetence (topic exists but you know nothing) Conscious competence (consciously use of skills) Inconscious competence (inconscious use of skills, second nature)

7 tips to improve memory 1. Active recall : view material, recall, measure level of recalling, review...4x 2. Employ spaced repetition : more and more distant 3. Manage your state : and your posture, get in a mood 4. Music for the mind : alpha waves, 50 to 80 beats/min, and put your material in music

HEAR method to listen with whole brain Halt: consciously do everything you can to tune every distraction out and to be completely present with whomever you’re listening to: vocal inflection, body language, facial expressions. Empathy: imagine how the speaker BG and situation adds substance to the discourse

While you’re taking notes, use a method “capture and create.” On the left side of the paper, you’re capturing, you’re taking notes. On the right side, you’re creating, you’re making notes. You’re writing your impression of what you’re capturing. How can I use this? Why must I use this? When will I use this?

1. Memorization is discipline for the mind, trains focus and industriousness. 2. You can’t always “Google it.” You must be able to think, speak, write spontaneously. And know what to look for/remember.

"The secret of a good memory is attention, and attention to a subject depends on our interest to it. We rarely forget that which has made a deep impression on our minds." Tyron Edwards

Help active memory in focus and retention Make images : we think in images, not words. So consciously translate. Associate : this is how our brain works, and you can force the trait by making conscious links.

Loci method 1. Identify pegs in a familiar location : street Points, items in a room (clockwise), rooms in a house... it must be systemic and procedural 2. Attach what you want to remember to the pegs. 3. Travel (again, in a procedural/systemic way) through the location, unravelling each item you want to eecall

Use substition to learn new words/ languages (seems bizarre but works) Nitrogen can be a knight Monroe can be a man rowing Washington can be a washing machine Armstrong can be a man with a single strong arm

"The man who does not read good books has no avantage over the man who cannot read them." Mark Twain

Leaders are readers.

Speed reading workout 1. Read comfortably (using your finger or a visual pacer) for 4 minutes. Mark the "finish line" when time. 2. Set your alarm for 3 minutes. The goal here is to reach the finish line. 3. Do the same in 2 minutes. Line by line, use finger, don't skip ANY. Don't worry about comprehension.

Tips to help speed reading 1. Exercice your speed reading using the speed increase workout (normal speed for 4 minutes, then 3,2,1 minute to reach finish line) 2. Increase peripheral vision to catch words and sentences as batches 3. Count aloud/in head (1,2,3...) to prevent subvocalization

De Bono's multiangles thinking method 6 hats 1. White = gathering data, details, facts on the issue considered 2. Yellow = optimism, positives, highlighting values 3. Black = difficulties, pitfalls, consequences of failure

8 types of intelligence 1. Spatial : perspectives of space, how things fit into it (pilots, chess players...) 2. Bodily-kinetic : use body as expression or problem solving (drummers, athletes) 3. Musical : strong relativity to tempo, rythm, timbre, melody (musicians, poets)

Decision making : 40/70 rule (Colin Powell) Base decision on no less than 40% of the information likely to get (less is guessing) But no more than 70% of data available (more and you stall over)

Productivity : not-to-do-list 1. Tasks important but can’t be done (dependance on someone else, timing...) 2. "Busywork" not moving your goals or life forward, or that no one will notice except you. Can you delegate them ? 3. Ongoing tasks don't need additional attention, systems already set up or part of routine

Problem-Solving: Study Your Errors 1. Get clear on what did or didn’t happen, focus on understanding. Careful about confusing cause with correlation, so be sure you understand what happened 2. Look for deeper layers, ask “why” until you’ve run out of layers to question.

Strategy : second-order thinking 1. Always ask yourself, “And then what?” 2. Think in increments of time. What do the consequences look like in five days? Five months? Five years? 3. Draw out the possible courses of action you might take using columns to organize consequences.

Moving forward incrementally is a significant sign of progress. But what if you could move forward exponentially? - Adressing root causes - Going several steps or scale orders beyond - Taking a bolder, more ambitious approach

"Creating a billion-dollar company is simply a matter of solving a $10-billion problem." Naveen Jains

"Problem is not retention, it's attention".

Emotion is memory People will remember how you make them FEEL, not who you are, what you look like...

Reactions to critics and rejection are learned by social contagion. Alternative reactions / no reaction can be learned instead.

Many emotional triggers are pure muscle memory : acquired and made automatic by repetition. Consciously train yourself to overcome them and build new reactions.

“Men are disturbed not by things, but the view they take of them.” — Epictetus

“Humans don’t mind hardship, in fact they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary. It’s time for that to end.”

Your thoughts control your feelings. Your feelings control your actions. Your actions control your behaviour. Whatever we focus on we move towards. Whatever we focus on we experience and feel. Whatever we focus on we get more of. It becomes more real to us.

"First you make your beliefs and then your beliefs make you." We notice more what we are wired to see. If you think positively of yourself and life, you will find plenty of proof.

Beginning and end every day with the words: • I am me and I am enough. • I am always enough • I will always be enough. • I am more than enough. Make it a daily ritual, when showering or brushing teeth

Condition your mind for action and decision Use "I choose to, I decide to, I love doing this, I want to do it..." Don't say "I have to, I must, I have no choice, I can't, it hurts, I hate..."

Technique #1 for mental strenght : Eat the Elephant How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Break down a difficult task into smaller ones which fit into 24-hour. Complete 1 by 1, don't consider the whole.

Technique #2 for mental strenght : vizualise success Make a vivid image of success. As real as possible, engage all senses. Run the play-by-play over and over in your head. Picture effortless success and flow. Imagine consequences if you fail or wane.

Technique #3 for mental strenght : 4x4x4 breathing technique (Navy SEALs) - Breathe in for 4 seconds - Breathe out for 4 seconds - Repeat for 4 minutes

Technique #4 for mental strenght : Non-reactivity and emotional review When emotional bursts come on, stop and breath. Examine your thoughts and mental state. Discard them, Reframe/replace them.

Technique #5 for mental strenght : Small Victories What to do when morale is low? What to do when nothing is going right and everything is going wrong? Try to think smaller. Small victories create a virtuous circle and increasing confidence.

Technique #6 for mental strenght : Find Your Tribe Spend some time thinking about what brings meaning to your life. Find your values and friends who share them.

When doing a mistake, be... SMART enough to realize SECURE enough to admit STRONG enough to fix

Face down one limiting belief right now. What do you regularly tell yourself you can’t do? Find the evidence that shows you that this belief isn’t true.

How to get others to like you 1. Non-judgmental validation. Seek their opinions without judging, be sincere 2. Suspend your ego. Focus on them. 3.Really listen, ask, suspend will to speak 4. Ask about their challenges 5. Establishing a time constraint early can put strangers at ease ("I am heading out")

Look at your problems as puzzles. “I don’t have problems. I have puzzles.” This is a great perspective because puzzles are fun AND have solutions

Emotion + Information = Long term memory Emotions can be triggered : smell, music memory...

SUAVE to remember names Say : say the person's name Use : it in conversation (no abuse) Ask : spelling, origin, meaning Visualize : turn it into a picture associating face and item (ex: Mary in wedding dress) End : use the name to say goodbye Use on 100 top surnames

Learn FASTER - Forget : "beginner's mind" - Active : get involved - State : get in a mood to learn, positive - Teach : learn as if you were going to - Enter : slots for learning in your agenda - Review : take time to reassess Learning creates neuronal connections. Recalling strenghtens them

Your brain believes what you tell it. Monitor your self talk.

Quick morning journaling routine : 6 ideas - 3 for yourself - 3 for work

1. Top of head 2. Nose 3. Mouth 4. Ears 5. Throat / Larynx 6. Shoulders 7. Collar / Pectorals 8. Fingers 9. Belly 10. Seat / Ass

Average reading speed : 200 words / min

10 to 21 days, uninterrupted, to create a new habit / replace an habit

"What you think and tell about me does not affect the image I have of myself. It affects the one I have of you." People must hold specific beliefs to reject you. You must believe the same to allow that rejection.

By essence, the future is completely neutral. How it looks depends purely on what you're carrying from today.

You don’t need your parents love or approval : you might want it but you absolutely don't need it. The most important words to hear come from yourself.

"Gut feeling" = association with cognitive ability ? Connections between ENS (enteric) and CNS (central nervous system). Same tissues in the womb. Communication via viagus nerve. Enteroendocrine cells and synapse have a ressembling structure. Nutrients influence brain work.

Four horsemen of modern age Digital deluge : overload of data Digital distraction : impaired focus Digital dementia : device-based memory Digital deduction : consuming data without criticism