Growing up, dinner with the family was a rule. No matter where we were or what we were doing we made sure that dinner was a family affair. Of course, I had the luxury of a stay-at-home mom who loved to cook. Bonus! And yes, of course, there were the prerequisite questions one of which included "what did you learn in school today?" It was not always posed this way, but there was some version of it. I grappled with that question because I didn't pay too much attention during the day at school. However, on my way home for dinner from the basketball court I always tried hard to think of something.
Years pass and no one asks me that question anymore. Of course I don't live with my parents, but more commonly it's not the question we tend to ask adults. Why not? There is a common perception that our brain stops developing somewhere in our youth and we get to a certain point where we are on a downward slide. Yet the new reality shown to us by neuroscience is that the brain can continue to develop long into our lives and it can be as receptive as a three year old brain.
What is even sadder is that because of this mental model many of us eschew learning as we age. We stop going to classes or lectures and tend to only read books that support what we already know. Even the news we read (because of the customization of computer generated sites) just reaffirms what we already know. We are missing the possibility of expanding our brains and broadening our experiences.
This past weekend I was honored to present at the Canadian Positive Psychology Association Conference in Toronto. It was amazing. My brain has not worked that hard in a very long time. The speakers were consistently above par and gave me a lot to think about. Yet, even as I reveled in the experience I realized that the lecture of life gives me something to learn every day, I just don't often choose to see it or dwell on it.
Whether we choose to go to a lecture series, or listen to a TED talk, or read a totally new idea in a book or magazine, we can stimulate our brain and our life. However, focusing on the nuances of every day and questioning why things happen, how they came about and what can change also allows us to expand our brain. The first step is to intentionally learn. Find new things that we'd love to know and pursue them. We will find that life takes on a totally different feeling because every day is an exploration about what life will teach us.
I believe we move in the direction of our focus, so I'm gonna start asking myself the question "what did you learn in life today?" I know that by asking myself that question I'll start looking for the answer. And I might ask those who sit down to dinner with me. It will be an interesting conversation.
Showing posts with label brain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brain. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Do You Learn More From Success or Failure? Think Again
Yesterday preparing for a leadership retreat we were on a conference call with the committee discussing how to set up the best learning environment and what tasks and activities to use. As a defense for a particularly difficult task someone said "we learn more from our failures than our successes." With that, everyone on the call acknowledged the truth of this statement, accepted that the challenge embedded in this one activity would be beneficial and moved on. But I've never been a big fan of old wives' tales (maybe because I'm not) and so I wondered what is the truth behind the saying.
I admit I remember my failures much more than successes. Perhaps that's because I play them over and over in my mind. I think I'm hoping for a different ending. But one thing I know is that I examine every detail of what happened to ensure I won't fail in that way again. Because of my reply it does seem that I learn more from my failures because I pay attention to them more than my success. But what does research say about learning more from failure.
It seems that the belief is false. We learn more from success than we do from failure. Yep, so I apologize to the old wives who believed this. In 2009 MIT studied how the brain processes success and failure. Essentially when we finish a task signal neurons send information to brain cells informing them of the success or failure. The difference is that when we succeed at the task researchers discovered that the signals last significantly longer, are stronger and actually change brain cells so we are more likely to succeed the next time. When we fail at the task the signals are weak and don't change the brain cells at all. Of course more research is necessary to determine if there is a different signal if the success or failure is life threatening, but the initial research points to success as the greater learning tool.
So why does the old theory persist? Because similar to me, many of us focus much more on our failures. We replay them over and over to make sure we learn from them. Yet interestingly, do you ever find yourself making the same mistakes over and over again? I know I do. Now I know why. My brain isn't changing after a failure.
What we need to do is start dealing with our success differently. If it is the better learning tool, we need to replay the successes in our heads to see what we've learned. That will implant the new behavior faster than failure and we will remember it more.
So the next time you succeed, enjoy the moment. Replay it in your head and think of how you did it differently and what you learned. You are programming your brain to do it right the next time and you are more likely to remember it. And perhaps along the way we can change an old wives' tale.
I admit I remember my failures much more than successes. Perhaps that's because I play them over and over in my mind. I think I'm hoping for a different ending. But one thing I know is that I examine every detail of what happened to ensure I won't fail in that way again. Because of my reply it does seem that I learn more from my failures because I pay attention to them more than my success. But what does research say about learning more from failure.
It seems that the belief is false. We learn more from success than we do from failure. Yep, so I apologize to the old wives who believed this. In 2009 MIT studied how the brain processes success and failure. Essentially when we finish a task signal neurons send information to brain cells informing them of the success or failure. The difference is that when we succeed at the task researchers discovered that the signals last significantly longer, are stronger and actually change brain cells so we are more likely to succeed the next time. When we fail at the task the signals are weak and don't change the brain cells at all. Of course more research is necessary to determine if there is a different signal if the success or failure is life threatening, but the initial research points to success as the greater learning tool.
So why does the old theory persist? Because similar to me, many of us focus much more on our failures. We replay them over and over to make sure we learn from them. Yet interestingly, do you ever find yourself making the same mistakes over and over again? I know I do. Now I know why. My brain isn't changing after a failure.
What we need to do is start dealing with our success differently. If it is the better learning tool, we need to replay the successes in our heads to see what we've learned. That will implant the new behavior faster than failure and we will remember it more.
So the next time you succeed, enjoy the moment. Replay it in your head and think of how you did it differently and what you learned. You are programming your brain to do it right the next time and you are more likely to remember it. And perhaps along the way we can change an old wives' tale.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Try a Clean Sweep
I'm spending this week preparing my house for sale. I spent yesterday in the basement re-wrapping pipes, trashing some things, rearranging others and sweeping up. It gave me a lot of time to think and yet, all I thought about was cleaning. Oh, not cleaning the basement, cleaning up my mind. Wait! It's not what you think, let me explain.
What I pondered was the immense amount of knowledge we store up in our brains. We know language (some of us more than one), people (though I can't remember their names), songs (now there I remember all the words), information, history, processes, procedures, rules, etc. I could go on and on about all the things stored up in our brain. But when was the last time we did an inventory of what's up there? Like my basement, my mind is full of a lot of useless stuff that's getting in the way of clarity.
Okay, though I'm not a brain scientist (not even close) I do know that as we grow and develop, we create pathways in the brain that allow us to function at a very rapid pace. We move from unconscious incompetence to conscious competence through a process of learning, practice and mastery. All of this is very good. The challenge is that once the pathways are in place it's tough to change them.
For example, during my dusty exploits yesterday I thought about my defensiveness in certain situations. If I feel attacked, even in a joking humorous way, I immediately take offence. When I dusted off the reasons behind my feelings I realized that I still carry the scars of being the skinny little "new kid" on the block who had to prove himself over and over. Yet when I thought about it, none of that is true anymore. So the first step is finding thoughts or pathways that are no longer valid.
The second part is not easy. Getting rid of old thoughts and habits. One thing I do know is that old thoughts and habits have to be replaced by something new, something better. We can't just "not do" or "not think" something. We have to replace it with something else. So, as I moved boxes into the newly swept areas of the basement, I thought about my life now and who I am. I'm no longer the skinny kid (no kidding) but a successful adult. So now I've got a picture in my mind to bring up when those feelings start happening again.
It's not easy cleaning house. There are so many things we've grown attached to and hesitate to let go. The same in our brain. We've got old ideas running around that are hindering us from being the best person we can be. Take some time to think about the old ideas that might be getting in the way. Identify them and then replace them with new ideas. It's not easy and it's not quick because you have to continually remind yourself, but it can change your life.
Okay, 'nuf said. Today I have to clean out the garage.
What I pondered was the immense amount of knowledge we store up in our brains. We know language (some of us more than one), people (though I can't remember their names), songs (now there I remember all the words), information, history, processes, procedures, rules, etc. I could go on and on about all the things stored up in our brain. But when was the last time we did an inventory of what's up there? Like my basement, my mind is full of a lot of useless stuff that's getting in the way of clarity.
Okay, though I'm not a brain scientist (not even close) I do know that as we grow and develop, we create pathways in the brain that allow us to function at a very rapid pace. We move from unconscious incompetence to conscious competence through a process of learning, practice and mastery. All of this is very good. The challenge is that once the pathways are in place it's tough to change them.
For example, during my dusty exploits yesterday I thought about my defensiveness in certain situations. If I feel attacked, even in a joking humorous way, I immediately take offence. When I dusted off the reasons behind my feelings I realized that I still carry the scars of being the skinny little "new kid" on the block who had to prove himself over and over. Yet when I thought about it, none of that is true anymore. So the first step is finding thoughts or pathways that are no longer valid.
The second part is not easy. Getting rid of old thoughts and habits. One thing I do know is that old thoughts and habits have to be replaced by something new, something better. We can't just "not do" or "not think" something. We have to replace it with something else. So, as I moved boxes into the newly swept areas of the basement, I thought about my life now and who I am. I'm no longer the skinny kid (no kidding) but a successful adult. So now I've got a picture in my mind to bring up when those feelings start happening again.
It's not easy cleaning house. There are so many things we've grown attached to and hesitate to let go. The same in our brain. We've got old ideas running around that are hindering us from being the best person we can be. Take some time to think about the old ideas that might be getting in the way. Identify them and then replace them with new ideas. It's not easy and it's not quick because you have to continually remind yourself, but it can change your life.
Okay, 'nuf said. Today I have to clean out the garage.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Cereal and Coffee: Be Happy and Learn
Last night I saw an interesting movie, "Limitless." Not great, but interesting. It was about a guy who used a pill that could unlock the brain. As they quoted in the movie, we only use about 10% of the brain's power, so they fictionalized what would happen if we could find a pill to unlock the whole brain. The concept was fascinating, even though the movie was just okay.
So this morning I was researching the optimal functioning of the brain (yep, I'm weird) and I discovered once again that my parents were right, breakfast is good for you. Specifically what I found is that two very simple items can enhance your mood and brain functioning significantly first thing in the morning. Maybe it's not the magic pill, but hey, any brain enhancement I can get is good.
Breakfast cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios is my favorite) puts you in a more positive mood and it enhances spacial capabilities. Many people I speak with yearn to be more positive, especially in the morning. Think about it. It's not a pill and it's good for you. I'd love to have cereal in the car while driving in rush hour. I would jump out of the car and give it to the other drivers. These other drivers need to be happier and have better spacial capabilities; they drive too aggressively and too close to me.
Ah and my favorite morning beverage, coffee, along with waking me up I've now found that it enhances learning. Yep. The experiment that Adams and Smith did in 1999 showed that individuals who had coffee learned significantly faster than those who did not. So coffee gets my brain going early so that I can be open to new ideas and new concepts. Very cool.
Though it's not the magic pill fantisized in "Limitless," cereal and coffee provide enough stimulation for the brain to kick into gear. For most of us, that's what we need. If we long to think more clearly and be in a better mood, it's simple. Get out the bowl and the cup.
As for me, I'm having another cup of coffee. And honestly, I'd still like a pill that would unlock more of my brain's potential. Who know, maybe I'd get up to the 10%.
Reference:
Smith, A.P. & Clark. R, (1999) Breakfast cereal and caffeinated coffee: effects on working memory, attention, mood and cardiovascular function. Physiology & Behavior.
So this morning I was researching the optimal functioning of the brain (yep, I'm weird) and I discovered once again that my parents were right, breakfast is good for you. Specifically what I found is that two very simple items can enhance your mood and brain functioning significantly first thing in the morning. Maybe it's not the magic pill, but hey, any brain enhancement I can get is good.
Breakfast cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios is my favorite) puts you in a more positive mood and it enhances spacial capabilities. Many people I speak with yearn to be more positive, especially in the morning. Think about it. It's not a pill and it's good for you. I'd love to have cereal in the car while driving in rush hour. I would jump out of the car and give it to the other drivers. These other drivers need to be happier and have better spacial capabilities; they drive too aggressively and too close to me.
Ah and my favorite morning beverage, coffee, along with waking me up I've now found that it enhances learning. Yep. The experiment that Adams and Smith did in 1999 showed that individuals who had coffee learned significantly faster than those who did not. So coffee gets my brain going early so that I can be open to new ideas and new concepts. Very cool.
Though it's not the magic pill fantisized in "Limitless," cereal and coffee provide enough stimulation for the brain to kick into gear. For most of us, that's what we need. If we long to think more clearly and be in a better mood, it's simple. Get out the bowl and the cup.
As for me, I'm having another cup of coffee. And honestly, I'd still like a pill that would unlock more of my brain's potential. Who know, maybe I'd get up to the 10%.
Reference:
Smith, A.P. & Clark. R, (1999) Breakfast cereal and caffeinated coffee: effects on working memory, attention, mood and cardiovascular function. Physiology & Behavior.
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