“It’s not what we know, but how well we think that counts.”
It seems ironic that at a time of so much opportunity, rapid technological advance and accessible information, that we find ourselves battling to stay at the top of our game. Fatigue, overwhelm and burnout have too often become our common bedfellows.
Much depends on us playing evolutionary catch up, to master those thinking skillsets already earmarked as critical to our success in the 21st Century and to integrate well with our new technologies.
Which is why choosing to initiate your Future Thought game plan is important.
Future Thought depends on three critical components.
- Your Renewable Energy Sources
- Working Smarter By Design
- Getting on Well With Others
Your Renewable Energy Sources.
In a world drowning in information, effective filtering and organising of all data is crucial. To achieve this your brain needs sufficient cognitive energy to allow for that extra discretionary spend of effort and power you though your day.
Better thinking starts with a higher level of brain fitness; those lifestyle elements we intuitively know are important, but have allowed to slide down our list of priorities. Multiple studies have shown time and again it’s all about getting enough good quality uninterrupted sleep, sufficient physical exercise, access to healthier food options and regular practice of those measures you’ve found useful to maintain your stress resilience and emotional wellbeing.
Understanding how you can manage your mood, regulate your thoughts and elevate your cognition by using your renewable energy sources can be a game changer.
Working Smarter By Design
Your cognition is how well you think, learn and remember.
While the concepts of design thinking, critical thinking, appreciative inquiry and mindfulness are not new, their magic lies in their application facilitating your ability to retain clarity of thought, solve problems fast and make consistently good decisions, providing you, your cognitive and competitive advantage.
The paradox in a society crying out for the need for speed, is that we get more done, and build greater efficiency and effectiveness when we slow things down. Pressing pause and engaging in deeper reflective thought engages the imagination, fires up creativity and boosts our level of insight.
Which is why scheduling your time to think is your most important appointment on any given day.
Safety at work is a great example of how better thinking keeps us all safe. While critical risk management, policies and procedures to avoid trips, slips and falls are important, they fail at the human level. Sorry to shock you, but we are all deeply flawed, irrational and imperfect.
You may know the drill, but how you respond at any given moment will be greatly impacted by your level of stress, anxiety or uncertainty. Safety starts with paying attention, noticing what’s happening and making a reasoned decision for action.
Learning how your breathing affects your stress levels and cognition can make all the difference when dealing with a difficult client, toxic work colleague or when worried about a sick family member.
Staying open minded, increasing awareness of our cognitive biases and limiting self beliefs can help us to overcome some of the challenges we face on a daily basis.
Getting On Well with Others.
Scientists are only just starting to tap into the true potential of the human brain. Our magnificent multi-faceted complex organ is capable of so much, but it is when minds come together that results become amplified. Beyond being able to share knowledge and ideas, working well with others creates effective teams that are fully adaptive, collegiate, contributive and collaborative.
We are hard wired to connect, which is why coming together as groups works so well. Whether it is an LBDGroup event, grabbing coffee with a friend or attending a stand-up meeting at work, the collective buzz of minds is what drives engagement, motivation and inspiration.
That’s why creating a brain safe workplace environment where everyone feels valued, respected and supported builds competence and capacity. It’s no surprise that these are the happiest places to work, enjoying higher levels of productivity and performance through visible progress and strong positive interpersonal relationships.
The future of work is here and your personalised blueprint for success is now available. If you’re interested to discover how you can enhance your work performance, resilience, creativity or memory skills, the time to start is now.
Our ability to think will determine our future success.
Are you ready for Future Thought?