Our brain is plastic

A plastic brain…, and it’s not made in China! Just a little something to make you smile. But what does that mean? Brain plasticity is a process that involves adaptive structural and functional changes in the brain. Another good definition of brain plasticity is “the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganising its structure, functions, or connections. I like this definition: Neuroplasticity is the capacity of neurons and neural networks in the brain to change their connections and behaviour in response to:

• new information
• sensory stimulation
• development
• damage
• or dysfunction.

Think about it, ”As the brain processes sensory information, some of the synapses in the brain are strengthened and some weakened… eventually some unused synapses are eliminated… a process known as synaptic pruning. Now, ask yourself, does my thinking, my thought process or my priorities require pruning? This is the type of questions we ask ourselves when we embrace a “Growth Mindset”

Developing a new habit

What does it take to develop a new neural pathway in your brain? If you recall, “As the brain processes sensory information, some of these synapses are strengthened and some weakened… Eventually, some unused synapses are eliminated.” So, how do you think we can rewire our minds?

Step one would be to identify the area that requires improvement.
Step two would be to have a tailored and strategic plan to develop and solidify this new pathway.
Step three would be consistency in your purposeful improvement. In other words, commit to the process you have chosen to reach the goal.

This is a very elementary way of describing the steps in neural modulation, but in effect, that is what is required to take place before you will see the results. Remember, there is a lot of research that indicates it takes between 21 and 84 days to form a new habit. Several factors will contribute to the time you have to spend to reach your goal. But the bottom line is we need to have something we are aiming for, a plan, and commitment. Motivation and discipline will help you cover a lot of ground in a shorter time!

Let’s expand the idea of building a new neural pathway in your brain to athlete training. If you are jogging in the morning and you don’t know where the end of your run is, but your friend does… it will be tough for you, especially if you are very unfit… I’m talking from experience here! So, it would be wise to start by creating attainable goals. Try to focus on enjoying the process. Don’t fixate on the result. Focus on now. Be consistent and allow yourself to be challenged. Just as athletes engage in strength and conditioning by repeatedly exercising a certain muscle group, respiratory system, and cardiovascular system, likewise, targeted repetition of memory exercises is key to strengthening and conditioning our memory process.

From these explanations, productivity can be likened to a level of fitness… So, the question is, how fit are you? How fit is your team? This will have an influence on your journey. On getting to your destination. Who will carry the teammate’s bags –  if you are a hiker, you will know exactly what I’m talking about.

Enhancing the communication between the eye and the brain

Let’s take all our previous thoughts and ideas and place them in the background. Our brain and eyes are directly connected with the optic nerve. What is the optic nerve? The optic nerve is comprised of millions of nerve fibres that send visual messages to your brain to help you see. You have an optic nerve at the back of each eye that connects directly to your brain. (Ref)

Everything we see gets stored somewhere in the brain. The question is, is it the “irrelevant” file or is it connected to relevant or background knowledge? If the information we see and the process have no connecting points or are “just isolated’ information, the brain will eventually discard it. That is why, dear students, cramming is not learning. It also is one thing to build a meticulous storage capacity in your brain… but retrieving information or enlarging the capacity can also be hard if your storage area gets dusty or is not maintained properly… retrieving information or enlarging the capacity. So, make time to build capacity and also manage it.

Future investment

Considering the thoughts that have been shared… when investing to improve and enhance your company’s capital value. Take a moment to think about your human capital. Poorly skilled or low-capacity team members are very much the same as outdated equipment. They are difficult to work with, get little to nothing done… don’t help you with your wellness… and are not something you need, to be frank. So here is an idea… invest in the development of your people. Use phrases like, “I am adding this to your load because I believe you can be successful. You can do it!”

Projections

When you make projections for your company’s and your staff’s future, consider the impact productivity will have on them. How can you lighten the load by increasing capacity and enhancing your team’s performance? 

Leadership Link

Take this challenge and be a leader who finds the one way how to make it work. Navigate the waves and inspire your team to rise to the next level. I know, some days, you don’t want to inspire anyone… that my friend is human nature, and one of the reasons it is good to have a mentor, a coach, and to be disciplined. The truth is that our lives are a result of the choices we make and the work we put in. So, make the choice. Join our team at eyebraingym and build a better future for yourself, your staff, and your company. Reach out to us at office@eyebraingym.com to find out how we can help you.

Reference Articles:
https://cenegenics.com;
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books;
https://www.britannica.com;
https://www.scientificamerican.com;
https://my.clevelandclinic.org