Tesla CEO Elon Musk famously said "who wrote the software running in you head? Are you sure you actually want it there?" When you don't, take steps to time to reprogram your brain.
Optimizing the way you think is a key to outperformance. "Control your thoughts, and you control your emotions. Control your emotions, and you control your actions," wrote Tim Grover, trainer to top tier athletes, in "Winning: The Unforgiving Race To Greatness." "Control your actions, and you control your outcome."
Reprogram Your Brain By Stress-Testing Your Life
Athletes have long recognized the power of thought. Retired Navy SEAL David Goggins, now an endurance athlete, utilizes what he's dubbed an "accountability mirror," said Polina Marinova Pompliano, author of "Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways Of Thinking That Power The World's Most Successful People."
When Goggins decided to become a Navy SEAL, he looked in the mirror and said: "You're fat, you're lazy, and you're a liar. What are you going to do about it?" Pompliano said. Goggins says that he needed to face his harsh truths to overcome them.
Goggins pasted sticky notes around the outside of a mirror, outlining the steps he needed to take to achieve his goals. The notes would have messages like "Go one day without lying for external validation" or "Go on a two-mile run."
The mental focus on remedies "made it something more than self-criticism," Pompliano said.
Examine How You Handle Adversity To Reprogram Your Brain
Before you can credibly lead others, you need to learn to lead yourself. This is especially true in challenging times and in pivotal moments, said Alex Brueckmann, author of "Secrets Of Next Level Entrepreneurs: 11 Powerful Lessons To Thrive In Business And Lead A Balanced Life."
For example, in stressful times do you panic and become controlling? Or do you pause for a moment and ask questions like "Who can help me? What's the bigger picture? How could I lead in a more mindful way?"
When we ask ourselves meaningful questions, "we can turn difficult situations into moments of learning and to reframe our mindset," he said.
The idea is to put yourself in a better mental state when similar issues arise in the future, Brueckmann adds.
Strategize To Reprogram Your Brain
Business leaders constantly face new challenges. Often, these lie outside their subject matter expertise and they need new approaches.
The solution often lies in being open minded in acquiring new hard skills and or new leadership capabilities, Brueckmann said.
Create a strategy for doing so consisting of priorities to reach your desired outcome. While strategic planning is important in your personal and business life, "it comes only after the strategic priorities are set," he said.
Go On An Internal Trek To Find Your Gift
Everyone possesses a "hidden genius," Pompliano said. Find it and develop it.
It's the differentiator that makes us truly exceptional. "It could be a mental framework, a practical tidbit or a timeless piece of wisdom," she continues. "It's hidden because many of us haven't gone on an inner quest to discover it."
Optimize Your Content Diet
While most of us are willing to invest in our health, we often neglect our "content diet" — the information we feed our brains with on a daily basis, Pompliano said.
She recommends conducting a content audit. Decide if what you read and watch and who you listen to and hang out with is serving your goals.
In Pompliano's case, she made a few rules: She'd read fewer surface-level news articles and more long-form profiles. She'd watch less reality TV and more documentaries.
Pompliano also deleted a few social media apps from her phone. And she stopped mindlessly scrolling on apps. All this led her to found The Profile, a company that studies successful people and organizations.
"If you go about your day without a content strategy, you run the risk of falling into an echo chamber full of one-sided opinions," she said. "When it comes to your brain, you need to get off autopilot."
