How to Rewire Your Brain for Success
rainRAD JACOBS, CEO of United Rentals and XPO Logistics and serial entrepreneur, has made and maintained billions of dollars, and he's about to show us how to do the same. How to Make Billions of Dollars.
For me, the most valuable part of the book was the first chapter, which is about changing how you use your mind. Here it is 10 Ideas to Rewire Your Brain To achieve “big goals in turbulent environments where conventional thinking often fails.”
love
He begins with love. why? Love “has a lot to do with putting your brain in the right place to make good decisions. The fast-paced business environment is full of ups and downs with stressful interactions. Love is a widespread emotional state that can neutralize conflict and take everyone to a better place.”
How do I get there? Through one-on-one gratitude conversations. Think about why others should thank you, sit down with them, and let them know in a direct and personal way.
Expect positive results
Negative thoughts come to us quite naturally. The secret is not to let them control your thoughts. Negative thoughts are often our knee-jerk reactions to a given situation. We need to acknowledge it and reframe it in a positive light. Jacobs provides an instructive example from his family life.
When we put our children to bed at night, we ask them the same questions many parents ask: How was your day today? Sometimes we hear good things, sometimes we hear bad things, and sometimes we hear ugly things. Then I met Martin Seligman, and he suggested we ask kids slightly different questions. What was the happiest moment of your day? We tried it. The change was dramatic. It wasn't bad or ugly, it was just good. And perhaps because our kids knew the question was coming, they had their antennas turned on all day in anticipation that the happiest moment would happen at any moment. How easy it is to establish an optimistic frame of mind!
What was the best part of your day?
take a break
Don't expect unrealistic perfection from yourself and others. We sabotage ourselves all the time.
Our thought processes are filled with all kinds of cognitive distortions, from catastrophizing (thinking of small problems as huge obstacles) to perfectionism. Anything less than perfect execution causes extreme frustration. Another cognitive distortion is dichotomous thinking (taking a rigid or “all or nothing” perspective). Learning how to recognize these thought patterns and course-correct accordingly has saved me a lot of trouble. For example, I learned how to turn my internal dialogue to my advantage by reframing negative thoughts into useful data rather than objective reality.
I never take for granted that I will succeed. The unexpected can happen at any time. A healthy fear of failure sharpened me.
“Maintaining mental balance in the pursuit of big goals” will become much easier if you understand that mistakes are inevitable.
expand the possibilities
Meditation, fantasy, thought experiment (German term thought experiment) can change the way we relate to the world. During this time of mental calm, we can often find the best solutions, feel rejuvenated, and be creative.
Daydreaming exercises remind us that positive emotions are important, especially in turbulent business environments. My favorite technique to rejuvenate and spark creativity when I'm low on energy is to close my eyes and let my attention float gently in my brain.
embrace the problem
When Jacobs' mentor confided in him about his problems in his early 20s, he said: “Look, Brad, if you want to make money in the business world, you have to get comfortable with the problem. Because that's business. actually about discovery Because each problem is an opportunity to remove obstacles and get closer to success.”
The problem is the asset. The bigger the ambition, the bigger the problems. “If your initial reaction to a major setback is overwhelming frustration, it’s understandable, but it’s also counterproductive. After that moment, pivot towards success. 'great! This is an opportunity for me to create a lot of value. If I could just figure out how to solve this problem, I would be so much closer to my goal.’”
Admit that you are not perfect
There are three obstacles to effective leadership.
- The belief that you are right no matter what.
- The belief that other people should have the same opinions as you.
- The belief that all parts of a potential course of action should be analyzed before acting.
Accept your imperfections and learn from them. Cut losses, adapt and improve. “If you refuse to accept an imperfect situation today, you may lose the opportunity to take advantage of it tomorrow.”
practical radical acceptance
If you accept your own imperfections, you must also accept the world as it is, not as you would like it to be. Win or lose, focus on the best thing you can do right now. “Radical acceptance silences the noise caused by yesterday’s decisions and today’s wishful thinking. This allows us to make logical, forward-looking decisions based on what is likely to happen next, with risk management being the most important consideration.”
Leave your judgment at the door
“The path to radical acceptance begins with nonjudgmental focus.” This allows you to focus on the problem at hand. “Nonjudgmental focus trains your brain to realize that the people and things in your life do not exist in relation to you. They simply exist. If you can take yourself out of the equation, you will have a much clearer perspective. Judgmentalism helps us work more efficiently when we are organized. Because you can think more objectively without being distracted.
think big
To win big, you have to think big. “Your goals should be bigger than what you currently think you have achieved, because that can actually help you achieve them.” Visualize and be specific about when and what.
Stay humble
Arrogance prevents you from growing and developing. “It’s a trap to think you know everything. Because you don't know. At least I don't know. Staying humble will help you continue to improve.”
This is how you rewire your brain for success. In the following chapters, Jacobs explains how to identify key trends, mergers and acquisitions (of which he has led nearly 500), team composition, competition, and more.
I wrote this book for people who want to work hard, outperform their competition, treat their customers better, and make a lot of money for their families. These goals require creativity and a passion for change—qualities that are at the heart of entrepreneurship. Whether you're the owner of a family business or the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company, you can foster it in organizations of all sizes to create the next billion dollars.
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Posted by Michael McKinney at 7:16 AM
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