How to Retrain Your Brain and Achieve the Highest Levels of Success Training your brain for success doesn't need to be hard. Here's the key to unlocking your ultimate potential.
By Jean-Paul Gravel Edited by Kara McIntyre
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
A common misconception tells us that we fail to reach our maximum potential because we only use 10% of our brain. This statistic is often repeated, but that doesn't make it true. In fact, functional magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, reveals that the majority of our brain is in use even during very simple tasks. The truth is that achieving our highest potential and entering the ranks of the ultra-successful has much more to do with how we are using our brain rather than how much of our brain we are using.
So many people never learn how to use their brain in a way that unleashes its full potential. Instead of engaging with what matters most in the moment, they unknowingly focus their attention on activities that hinder, rather than help their business performance.
Fortunately, you can change this natural tendency. Training your brain for success doesn't need to be hard. The key involves discovering how to hone your mental energy on the task at hand.
Related: 3 Brain Hacks Leaders Use to Unlock Their True Potential
Eliminating unhealthy internal monologues
When it comes to unlocking your brain's total capacity, unhealthy internal monologues are your biggest enemy. Technically, you can call them dialogues. You are, in fact, talking to someone: yourself.
During these unhealthy dialogues, we tell ourselves that we cannot do something, even if or when we have no evidence to support that position. We belittle ourselves, our abilities, our relationships or the people around us. You probably are not even aware of the vast majority of these conversations. To many, they sound like a constant buzz in the background of your brain.
During important interviews or crucial negotiations, your mind brings memories of insecurities, past injustices, personal losses and mistakes to the surface. All the while, it directs you to smile, look relaxed, portray confidence and avoid stepping into future blunders. All of that effort eats up valuable mental energy.
If you could put an end to the conflict caused by that internal noise, the extra energy and thinking capacity could be devoted to decision-making and strategic thinking, giving you a higher chance of success. Everything would be easier. Freeing up and tapping into that abundant energy is how elite entrepreneurs achieve unprecedented levels of success.
Picture a successful entrepreneur stepping into an elevator that will take him to a critical business meeting. Years of strategic work and planning culminated in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him to stand in that specific room surrounded by those specific people. Yet, instead of feeling excited, he is distressed. His mind is racing, but not with thoughts that will help him. The stress of the moment renders him overwhelmed, worried and anxious. How much stronger would his chances of success be if his mind was focused on reassuring, calming and empowering thoughts rather than "what-ifs" and worst-case scenarios?
Related: How to Unlock Your Full Potential and Achieve the Impossible
Learning to unleash your brain's full capacity
I want you to start thinking differently about what it takes to be successful. Rather than allowing your mind to work against you with unwarranted thoughts and self-criticism, learn to utilize its full capacity on every task. By limiting or doing away with detrimental thought processes, you free up the mental resources you need, empowering greater success without expending additional effort.
Think of your brain as a computer. When your laptop slows down and the little colorful wheel starts spinning, you don't type harder on the keyboard; instead, you focus on fixing the computer's problem. The computer may be bogged down because it is storing too much information, running too many programs, fighting a virus or dealing with a corrupt file. Whatever the case may be, years of experience have taught you that if you don't respond to the malfunction, the computer's sluggish performance makes you waste your time. To get things running optimally, most people need expert help learning how to offload superfluous files, delete corrupted ones, shut down unnecessary programs, fix bugs and get rid of any problematic viruses or malware.
How does this translate to your brain's potential? You must minimize the thoughts and emotions working against your mind to optimize its performance. Harnessing the entire capacity of your brain makes you faster, sharper, and smarter.
Related: Take the Path Less Traveled to Unlock Your Full Potential
Every day as a business leader, you complete a wide range of tasks requiring high levels of processing power. You strategize to drive performance, innovate products and processes, motivate teams to overcome challenges and attract business and talent. When your brain is unable to function optimally during these tasks, it stands to reason that your success is limited. To ascend to the highest levels in the business sector, you must first understand that the most powerful ROI is achieved by investing in improving your mind. This investment provides benefits in the business arena, and it also results in a fuller life and improved relationships.
As a business leader, you face technology, market rules and even workplace cultures that are constantly evolving. Still, the most daunting challenges will always be in your own mind. If you seek to excel in life by unlocking your potential, commit to caring for your brain's health and doing everything possible to enhance its functionality.
When unleashing your brain becomes your priority, you achieve heightened mental clarity, enhanced creativity and advanced problem-solving skills. You multiply your potential, seize opportunities and avoid leaving money on the table. If your goal is greater business success, prioritize your most important asset: your brain.
