Guaranteed success is simple, not easy

We have two very specific systems in our brains.

• System 1 is instantaneous, driven by instinct and prior learning. The decisions this system makes are emotional, automatic, and mostly involuntary. It’s the one in charge of how we react and often what keeps us alive. Think slamming the brakes when a car cuts in front of you.
• System 1 is where you give in to sugar or give up half-way through your workout. It’s where you use your emotions to make decisions.
• System 2 is controlled by our prefrontal cortex, our brain’s CEO. It is activated when we do something that does not come naturally and requires some sort of conscious mental exertion. The decisions made here usually take some time to consider. It’s in charge of making your plans and goal setting.
• System 2 is where you set those fantastic goals. It’s where you convince yourself to consistently complete your diet or exercise plan. While we’re not all born with strong skills in this system. We can train our brains to use it more often.

Now that you understand this, you can tune into which system is in control at any given moment. You can hack your decision making. If you want to shift your decision, all you have to do is shift which system is in control.

What do you need to remember when writing short and long term goals?

When we’re dieting we often focus intensely on the scale. We weigh ourselves obsessively and stress over the changes being too small or too slow. When we focus on short term gains or losses so intently, we often lose sight of the big picture. We can be tempted to take extreme measures to see short term results that will not end in long term results, and can even cause long term failure.

An example is sitting in a sauna or steam room with airtight clothing. It causes you to sweat and lose water weight, so the scale goes down. That loss only lasts until you rehydrate your body again and dehydration as a form of weight loss doesn’t create any long term change in your weight.



When you first begin a new plan or journey, you usually are looking into the future and setting goals with system 2 in your brain. As you get further along in your journey system 1 can kick in as you feel stress or fatigue. Temptations appear everywhere!

There are 4 main reasons we give in. 

1. We underrate future rewards – Have you ever tried to convince yourself that you really didn’t want that goal anyway? That it wouldn’t be that great? Looking toward the future requires system 2 remember? That’s not where your emotions are. so of course it doesn’t feel as exciting or good to look toward the future.
2. Our culture encourages short-term thinking – We hear it all the time, but do you realize how addicting it is? This need to know instantly has a built-in momentum. Once we expect to have something quickly, we can never go back to the slower pace of just a year ago. Once things in one area of your life start happening more rapidly, it makes you want everything to happen that rapidly.
3. We see our future selves as more honorable than our present selves – New Year’s Resolutions…need I say more? We’re fantastic at convincing ourselves that next year, week, Monday, we’ll have more self-control and be able to reach that goal.
4. We know the right thing to do, but have a hard time doing it – It’s not a matter of ignorance, it’s a matter of execution. The information can be overwhelming. Assimilating too much information leads to mental fatigue, confusion, and feelings of helplessness. See last week's blog You Need A Coach to solve this issue. 

3 things will help you solve it:

• Self-awareness – develop and understanding of your own emotions and recognize which system is in charge.
• Create space in the day for reflection and the setting of priorities – I created two digital planners because I feel that this is the key to success in every area of your life! You must be still to hear your thoughts and focus them in the direction you want to go.
• Create a simple vision and set of foundational values – Allow this to become the center of your focus and planning. Fall back on it whenever you become aware that your emotions are taking over.

Now that you understand more about what’s happening between your ears, you can take action to make it easier to make short term sacrifices for long term gains.

How to hack your brain

1. Set goals with a long term gain in mind
2. Develop awareness of your thoughts and emotions
3. Create space and time in your life to be still and reflect
4. Stay true to your values and vision
5. Repeat!



Time to get hacking and moving down the path of mastering your mind!