Neuroplasticity and learning new things
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I’ve leaned more towards the ‘work’ side of work-life design over the past couple of weeks so today will be more about ‘life’. And I know what you’re looking for this Friday morning, following another long, busy week of Zoom calls; an article about neuroplasticity!
Don’t worry; it’s less an article and more a few observations and reflections.
I listened back a couple of days ago to a recent episode of the FOMO podcast, which had Blake Mycoskie, founder of Toms footwear, as its’ guest. If you’re not familiar with his name, then you’re very likely to have seen, if not owned a pair of TOMS shoes at some point in the last ten years.
His is a remarkable story, if for no other reason than the fact that he created a new business model, which had charitable intentions at its heart. While in Argentina on holiday 14 years ago, he met someone who was volunteering to deliver shoes to children living in extreme poverty. When he returned to the U.S., he set up TOMS with the promise that for every pair sold the company would donate a pair to a child in need - the so-called one-for-one model.
Global success followed, culminating in Mycoskie selling half the company in 2017 for $300 million. Not bad at all you’d think, particularly since he’d successfully combined business innovation and altruism with marrying the woman of his dreams and having a child. In short, he was set up perfectly for the next stage of his life, knowing that he’d already made a genuine mark on the world.
And yet, within six months of stepping down as CEO of Toms, he was in the depths of depression.
Why am I telling you this story? Well, one thing money can buy is the help of some of the best scientists in the world. With their advice, he emerged out of the other side reinvigorated and primed to set up his new wellness business, Madefor (which is where neuroplasticity comes in, but I’ll return to that in a moment).
The story serves as a useful reminder that we all have our challenges irrespective of the success (or as Mykoscise calls it, external validation) we achieve and the money we make doing it.
Life is tricky at the best times but, let’s be honest, right now it’s f*cking testing. It doesn’t matter whether you’re stuck at home on your own, you’re shielding because of health concerns or if you’re isolated from the outside world with only you’re screaming children for company. If you can’t have a moan now about this highly stressful situation or feel demotivated about the thought of bedroom-based working stretching into the foreseeable future, then when will you?
Of course, I always try to look for the positives, and I admire what Mycoskie did next, creating yet another business with purpose.
"A simple ten-month program that harnesses the proven power of neuroscience to elevate your mental and physical baselines while cultivating a mindset that allows you to achieve everything you are truly made for."
Transitions in life, whether by our of nature’s choosing, are challenging to navigate. Making decisions can seem overwhelming, and while having a ‘true north, or Ikigai, can help motivate you to start the process, it’s sometimes scary to envisage the journey from ‘here’ to ‘there’.
I experienced some of these feelings myself this year after leaving the business I’d owned for over a decade. I’m not going to pretend it’s been entirely straightforward and entirely free of self-doubt. However, I made the decision early on that I’d approach my goals incrementally.
In practice, this has involved incorporating a variety of new behaviours into my day and week that can help me achieve my aims – stay healthy (physically and mentally), continually learn, and spend quality time with my family. These include a morning routine of meditation, exercise and journaling, plus a consistent pattern of reading and writing.
I’d never have put myself down as someone who’d establish these types of habits, but I’m willing to try anything and nearly four months in I can notice the difference.
And that is a very long way of saying that a basic understanding of neuroplasticity can help us adapt to new circumstances and change help build the habits of happiness.
There is a growing understanding that our brains are capable of significant change and development, self-repair and healing; even in our later years. Despite how it may seem right now, we’re all likely to live longer, which shows the value of continuing to challenge the brain – it’s sciences way of backing up that old adage, ‘use it or lose it’.
Take our emotional intelligence, for example. Evidence suggests that the best managers are those that balance analytical and emotional intelligence, recognising the times at which to employ each to create the best outcome for their team and the business.
So what if you’re naturally strong in one area and not another?
Simply put, you need to work on building the skills gradually - this may seem like common sense, but the truth is unless you set yourself the goal and track the habit it’s common sense that most people don’t follow.
I’ve been working with a great coach recently who gave me a sheet of card with spaces to fill in the different habits that I committed to following - I put a tick in if I do it and a cross if I don’t.
Importantly, I keep the list of new habits relatively short and include a few ‘bankers’ in there (like half an hour of reading, for example).
I also include both personal goals - like eating at least one meal as a whole family each day and reading the kids a story - and work ones – like 30 minutes of writing.
I’ve found it holds me to account in a way that’s incredibly effective for something so simple and it’s helping me get from ‘here’ to ‘there’.
Neuroplasticity is a fancy way of saying your brain can change, grow and learn new things. Creating considered and consistent habits can be the most effective way to achieve this but sometimes the only way of making them stick is to take them one small step at a time.
Have a good week.
Ollie
Any Other Business:
Companies that help society will emerge from the crisis stronger by Jessica Alsford in The Times.
Female leaders have proved themselves during the COVID-19 crisis - Now it’s time to empower a new generation by Dr Elena Doldor for Cred Blog Series - Queen Mary University of London.
How to Increase Collaborative Productivity in a Pandemic by Lynda Grattan in MIT Sloan Management Review.
Leaders must avoid cliches if black careers matter by Binna Kandola in Personnel Today.
Lessons from 100 columns - Bartleby in The Economist. Management in theory and practice is found wanting.
Remote work map by Elaine Zelby on Medium.
