Give Your Brain a Destination


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Give Your Brain a Destination
If you’re like many people on Medium, you’ve already read enough articles on willpower to know that it’s a limited resource. (If you haven’t, here are a few to catch you up: The Best Strategies to…


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More than one way to reach your destination

More than one way to reach your destination

Willpower is known to be a limited resource.

Most people focus on how to increase willpower with exercises and strategies to make themselves more productive. That is useful, but wil...


Changing your default thinking

You have conscious control of about 10% of your brain. Most of your judgments, prioritizations, decisions, and actions are happening in your subconscious. Many of these processes a...


Set your autopilot

A well worked out goal sets the compass in your subconscious. It's not going to change your bad habits instantly but will serve as a guide when you make a choice.

When ...


Setting your navigation

You can't just tell your brain to get to work on a goal. There are some steps to take.

  • Believe it can happen. Aim for something small enough to take you in the r...



Describing mental fatigue

Describing mental fatigue

It is the feeling that your brain just won't function properly. People will describe it as brain fog. You can't concentrate, and simple tasks take too long. You find th...

Causes of mental fatigue

Contributing factors to mental fatigue are poor nutrition, lack of sleep, hormonal imbalances, or cognitive overload. Cognitive overload can take the following forms:

  • When you focus on a single task for an extended period of time.
  • When you spread your attention across too many things.
  • Worrying about tasks. It is as mentally taxing as doing the task.

Give your brain high-quality fuel

Your brain is fuelled with the same food as your muscles. What you eat has an enormous impact on your cognitive functioning.

  • Cut down on refined sugars as it decreases alertness. Aim for sustained energy levels throughout the day.
  • Plan your meals in advance. If you wait until you're hungry, you're already low on energy and willpower and will reach for a quick energy boost in the form of sugar.
  • Don't skip breakfast. Without it, you may likely crash in the middle of the morning. Eat more eggs, yogurt, and oatmeal to sustain your energy levels until lunch.
  • Snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon to give your body consistent fuel.
  • Stay hydrated with water. Mild hydration can negatively impact cognitive performance.
  • Listen to your body to figure out what makes you feel best. The same nutrition advice won't work for everyone.

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Creative Momentum

Creative Momentum

It happens when your habit has overcome the initial inertia and is now in constant motion, with positive results visible. Creative momentum is possible when:

  • You are consist...

An Unstoppable Force

Creative momentum happens when using the combination of consistency, progress and motivation, you go from being an immovable object to an unstoppable force.

Your transformation leads to a ripple effect and impacts other aspects of your life. Your consistent work starts to resonate and after the momentum is built, you can start to leverage the benefits and reap the rewards.

Leveraging The Power Of Creative Momentum

  • Take the minimum first steps towards your positive habit, no matter how small.
  • Honour your commitments by doing what is possible to be done, and to reinforce your habit by affirmative action.
  • Measure your progress using a whiteboard or a tracking app.




Finding the time for books


Sometimes, your reading needs only a little encouragement to displace something that should be lower down on your list. For example, to forgo watching television and reading a book instead.

The reading habit: Succeeding long-term

  • First consider why you want to read more books. Reading should be enjoyable for you because you find them entertaining, calming, stimulating, and fascinating. Once the habit is set, you can also read other things you "should" read.
  • Change your surroundings to make it easier for you to grab a book. Reading apps can be prominent on your phone. Physical books should be in places that you most often frequent.
  • Create modest reading goals. Permit yourself to start with reading one page a day. Once the habit is established, you can increase it.
  • Once you have laid the foundation for your new reading habit, create an action association, such as reading on the train to work or with your mid-morning coffee or dinner.

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