#92 - Brain Freeze?

Tom Morris pointed me to a great article in the New York Times entitled Can You Become a Creature of New Habits? I encourage you to read the entire article but I've posted an excerpt below.

"Humans are born with the capacity to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, relationally (or collaboratively) and innovatively. At puberty, however, the brain shuts down half of that capacity, preserving only those modes of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life.

The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought. “This breaks the major rule in the American belief system — that anyone can do anything,” explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book “This Year I Will...” and Ms. Markova’s business partner. “That’s a lie that we have perpetuated, and it fosters mediocrity. Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence.”

This is where developing new habits comes in. If you’re an analytical or procedural thinker, you learn in different ways than someone who is inherently innovative or collaborative. Figure out what has worked for you when you’ve learned in the past, and you can draw your own map for developing additional skills and behaviors for the future."

This article makes four important points.

1. We can't be good at everything.
2. Believing that we can be good at everything fosters mediocrity.
3. We can change. We can improve. We can grow.
4. Our growth and development efforts should build on existing strengths, not attempt to overcome weaknesses. Apparently, the brain is designed to build on past patterns of success, not to create completely new ones.