At this year’s OFI event we had the pleasure of listening to Terry Small who, as I expected, was a huge hit. Terry is an expert on the brain and managed to help transform how the audience thought about their brain in about 90 minutes. For more information on Terry’s brilliant advice sign up for his magical Brain Bulletin which is packed to the brim with tips and strategies on optimising your brain. You can do so at http://www.terrysmall.com
In listening to Terry, I began to consider how we treat our brains on a regular basis. He used the metaphor of the ‘weather of your brain’ which I loved. We have the opportunity to affect the weather ourselves. We can make everything function much better as long as we start paying attention to it more.
As he explains, the research is out there on what is good for our brain. From the right kind of foods such as prunes and blueberries to exercise and fresh air, it seems that many of the things that are good for our body are also good for our brain. Standing up and movement also helps the brain remember information and get activated.
Running your brain is not simply about how you treat your brain though. Doing the right things for your brain is the best start. It ensures that you are in the best possible state to think effectively. Once you are, you still need to practice the art form of effective thinking.
So, what are the keys of effective thinking? Well, there are many. If I was to summarise the key ones however I would say first Own your Mind. By this I mean take charge of how you think and recognise the phenomenal power you have to choose how you think about any event and interpret any experience.
Second, become Solution Focused. Always search for the solution and the answer and what you can do to succeed. Keep your eye focused on the goal. This makes you far more likely to succeed in life in general.
Lastly, Develop Flexibility in How you Think. Learn to look at situations from multiple perspectives. This offers you the chance to change your mind and adopt much more useful ways of thinking and therefore acting.
Running your brain starts with making sure your brain can run as brilliantly as possible. To do that, check out Terry’s brain bulletin. Next, recognise the control you have over your thoughts. Focus on the goal or solution in any situation. Practice looking at things from multiple perspectives. By doing so, you’ll make sure that your most complex organ is working as well as it can for you so you can get on with being legendary.
