24 hours in a day
16-18 hours invested in work, sleep, meals, hobbies
6-8 hours of discretionary time
That’s a snapshot of the average working American. You may look a little different but you have some discretionary time everyday. How are you investing that time? What if you took one hour of that time each day to explore new topics, ones outside your normal point of interest? Stretching our thinking often refreshes the mind and brings new ways of approaching challenges. Our brain doesn’t necessarily like to be stretched, so there might be some resistance to new thinking.
The brain’s job is to maintain homeostasis in our physiological processes. It is always looking for ways to conserve energy in case there is an illness or problem that requires energy stores. Our normal thought process creates grooves, pathways, automatic lines of communication. These automatic pathways require less energy(habits). When we try to change that groove (habit) by thinking differently more energy is required and our brain resists. Even if we are trying to do something that will ultimately make us healthier or better in some way, the extra energy required to change the existing pathway in our brain is seen as a threat to energy stores by the brain. Our mind has to fight to overcome the brain’s resistance. That’s why it can be so hard to change an old habit.
So, anytime you decide to study a new topic, change an old habit, try something new, the mind gets excited, but be prepared for the brain to resist. Find ways to breakthrough the barriers of thought and do it anyway. One technique is establishing a time each day to do a certain thing. The brain likes routine (less energy) much more than spontaneity (more energy). Determine what time of day works best for you to have your “new topic adventure” and then, everyday at that time do something related to the topic. Read, watch a video about it on youtube, attend a class, sit quietly and think about it, write out your ideas, anything you choose.
E.A. Fussell
08.15.2023
E. A. Fussell 