The Habit Mechanic - Unlock your Human-AI Edge

Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution (4/6) - Optimization with the Day Designer.

• Dr. Jon Finn

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Podcast Description:

Dr. Jon Finn delves into step three of the Success Cycle from his bestselling book "Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution", focusing on daily optimization with the Day Designer and creating a powerful Willpower Story.

• Understanding how to match tasks to your brain's natural energy patterns throughout the day
• Categorizing work into "Ice Sculptures" (requiring premium thinking) and "Ice Cubes" (routine tasks)
• Creating a Willpower Story to map your high-charge and medium-charge states
• Using strengths and willpower boosters to maintain optimal brain states when needed
• Implementing the SWAP technique (Self-Watch, Aim, Plan) to transform challenging parts of your day
• Strategic integration of AI tools during different energy states
• Starting small with simple changes before building a comprehensive system
• Working with your brain's natural rhythms instead of fighting against them
• Understanding that most people can only do 4-5 hours of premium thinking work daily
• Learning how successful planning transforms energy into optimized states

For additional resources and templates for your Willpower Story, visit tougherminds.co.uk/train-your-brain


Speaker 1:

Hello Habit Mechanics. It's Dr John Finn here. I hope you're doing well.

Speaker 1:

So this is the fourth part of our mini podcast series where we're just giving you full access to the new best-selling and it is a bestseller across four leadership and business categories the quite hard categories to become a bestseller on Amazon or it has been. Those charts are changing all the time, so it's a bestselling book. We're getting some amazing feedback, so thanks for that. People are telling us that these things are really helping them. Telling us that these things are really helping them. You know the ai um understanding about how it's impacting life. So it's going to impact life. It's, you know, it's almost changing on a daily basis. One of the things I found quite interesting recently was listening to a podcast that, um, our head of business, katherine grant, had made me aware of, and it's from one of the guys who's on the Dragon's Den, which is the UK equivalent of Shark Tank. So it's a series where people can pitch their business ideas and potentially get investment, and I just found it really surprising that this person, who's a very famous entrepreneur, was saying that they'd only just realised how powerful AI was, was saying that they'd only just realised how powerful AI was, and on his podcast he had a number of leading thinkers in this space and they were saying that AI, kind of silently, has already replaced about well millions of jobs. Obviously, businesses are not taking out press releases to disclose that, but it is changing the world and I know that I think every day now about 800 million people are using chat GTP and that's happening because it's powerful and people get benefits right. So, yeah, this is not going away. So understanding how your brain works, getting that measurement of your current brain states, your human ai readiness score, and then understanding how to create a long-term strategy, a daily strategy, in a way of automating your daily approach, is so, so key and that's why we wrote Train your Brain for the AI Revolution. It is the world's first AI-era brain and leadership training program, essentially, and we are running live training with people, with with businesses. We're training people to become now human AI performance psychology coaches. We've created that new field of psychology. So we're really leading the way on this and we're working with people one-to-one as well such a broad range of people but all who want to capitalize on these new opportunities of the AI era.

Speaker 1:

So suppose what we're offering here with train your brain for the AI revolution book. It's sort of like all books or knowledge based products. It's kind of a do-it-yourself approach. Some people just want the knowledge and they put it into practice themselves. Some people want one-to-one support and coaching. Others want to learn how to do it for their teams or or even create their own business using this approach, and we can help you with all of those things.

Speaker 1:

So today we are going to again breaking that belief that just talking to someone about what you want to work on, what you want to improve on, is enough. It isn't. The data is very clear. If we want to change our behavior, we need a systematic approach, and that's what the success cycle is in the heart of train your brain for the ai revolution, um. So what we've done in the past few episodes is we've shown you how to measure your brain states, then how to um, which is step one of the success cycle, and step two is planning with the task director. So we showed you that in the last episode, or last episode of this mini series, and then in the um.

Speaker 1:

In this episode, we're going to talk about optimization with the day designer. So we're going to cover chapters 20, 21 and 23 and we're going to go deep and help you to create something called a willpower story, such a powerful tool and this is like your daily strategy. It's like a container that you can put all your um, all the things that you want to achieve every day into, whether it's very tangible things like finishing that proposal, or things that feel less tangible, like managing stress better or being a better leader, or being more focused and productive, so you can do more high-impact thinking every day. So, yeah, that's what's coming up, as ever. If you have any questions, just let us know. Contact us via the website, if you're not in the app or any of our other channels. Again, make notes, don't just nod along. Put things into practice and you'll start to get immense benefits. So here is. Here is, first of all, chapter 20, which is the first part of step three from the success cycle from our best-selling book Train your Brain for the AI revolution.

Speaker 2:

Success cycle, step three Optimization with the day designer. Planning transforms energy. The day designer Planning transforms energy. The day designer, chapter 20. Creating your first willpower story.

Speaker 2:

Sarah looked down at her lists of tasks, now neatly organised into ice sculptures and ice cubes. I knew which tasks needed my best thinking, she told me later, but I still wasn't sure when to do them. That's when the day designer introduced me to something that revolutionised my approach to planning the willpower story. Think of your willpower story as a simple map that matches your tasks to your brain's natural and enhanced energy patterns. Just as your FAM story guides your long-term journey, your Willpower story helps you navigate each day's steps along that path. The day designer has a saying planning transforms energy. Just as a lighthouse operator needs to understand weather patterns and deliberately manage their beam's power to maximise its reach across changing conditions, we need to actively plan how we use our brain states rather than letting them operate randomly. Through deliberate planning, we can transform our basic energy patterns into optimised states, whether through our own management practices or strategic AI use, reaching levels of performance that wouldn't be possible through natural patterns alone. This is why planning isn't just about organising tasks. It's about understanding and deliberately shaping the energy we bring to those tasks. What made this tool so powerful, sarah explained, was how it showed me when to use my brain's high-charge state for important work and when to handle routine tasks in medium-charge states. Instead of fighting my energy patterns, I could work with them, leveraging your AI support system. When I first categorised my tasks, sarah shared, I realised something important about my AI tools. Some could handle my IceCube tasks almost entirely, like summarising routine meetings or drafting basic emails. Others could enhance my ice sculpture work, not by replacing my thinking, but by handling, supporting tasks.

Speaker 2:

While I've focused on innovation, consider your own tasks in two categories. Consider your own tasks in two categories. Number one ice cubes that AI could handle. Think about routine emails, basic research and standard reports. Number two ice sculptures, where AI could support and augment your premium thinking for tasks like strategic planning, creative work or complex problem solving. Don't worry if you're not sure exactly how AI can support different types of tasks. The key thing is to start thinking about this and to begin considering how you might use these tools more strategically throughout your day.

Speaker 2:

Remember you don't need to figure it all out at once. This understanding will develop naturally as you work with your willpower story. For now, let's focus on creating that story, creating your first willpower story. You'll need three things to get started. First, a blank piece of paper. Second, your lists of ice sculpture and ice cube tasks from the previous chapter. Third, 15 minutes of quiet time. Now let's follow these steps.

Speaker 2:

Step 1. Draw your basic timeline. Turn your paper sideways, landscape and draw a horizontal line across the middle, from one end of the page to the other. Now divide this line into the key parts of your day. For example, wake up time, early morning, mid-morning, lunch time, early afternoon, late afternoon, evening bedtime, lunchtime, early afternoon, late afternoon, evening Bedtime. Just seeing my day laid out like this, sarah shared, helped me be more realistic about what I could accomplish.

Speaker 2:

Step 2. Mark your high-charge times. Most people have their best thinking energy in the morning, but this varies On your timeline. Mark when you typically experience these states. When you feel most alert and focused, this is your high-charge state. When you have less mental energy, this is your medium-charge state. Sarah discovered something important. Sarah discovered something important. I realised I'm sharpest from 8am to 11am. Then have another good period from 3pm to 5pm. This became the foundation for planning my day.

Speaker 2:

Step 3. Place your ice sculpture tasks. Match your ice sculpture tasks to your high charge times. Here are some examples Complete complex planning during morning high charge peak. Have important meetings when you are most alert. Do your creative work during afternoon high-charge time.

Speaker 2:

Step 4. Fill in routine tasks. Place your ice cube tasks during these times, during natural energy dips, between more demanding tasks when you know you'll have less focus. Here's an example to help you pull everything together 6am Wake-up time. 6am wake up time. 7am start your day. 8am ice sculpture work during high charge state. 10am continue ice sculpture work in high charge state. 12noon take a break. 1pm handle ice cube tasks in medium charge state. 3 pm return to ice sculpture work in high charge state. 5 pm complete ice cube tasks in medium charge state. 5 30 pm.

Speaker 2:

Start winding down with activities like your daily 3-to-1 reflection. 9.30pm bedtime remember to start small. Just like Sarah, I started by just planning my morning hours. Sarah recalled. Once that worked, I gradually expanded to the full day. The key was keeping it simple. At first she smiled as she remembered how this approach paid off. Once I expanded to evening planning, I discovered something powerful. Including my three-to-one reflection in my willpower story helped both habits grow stronger. Good planning supported better reflection, and better reflection led to clearer planning.

Speaker 2:

Common challenges to watch for. Challenge one Trying to do too much. I learned the hard way. Sarah shared that you can only do about four to five hours of premium thinking work each day, and sometimes over six hours. When you get the AI working with you. Trying to do more just doesn't work. Challenge two Fighting your patterns. Don't schedule demanding work when your brain naturally needs rest. Move ice sculptures to your high charge times.

Speaker 2:

Your next steps Step 1. Create tomorrow's basic willpower story. Draw your timeline, mark your typical high-charge times. Place just one to three ice sculptures to work on during these times. Fill in some ice cubes around them. Step 2. Notice what works. When did you feel most focused? Which times worked best for important tasks? When was routine work easier? Remember this is just your first attempt. Keep it simple. Be patient and let the day designer guide you toward your optimal rhythm. The key is getting started with something you can actually use tomorrow.

Speaker 2:

Chapter 21. Strengthening your willpower story Success cycle location. Step 3. Progress 50% complete.

Speaker 2:

Sarah had been using her basic willpower story for a week, matching her ice sculptures to her high-charge times. I was getting better results, she told me later, but sometimes I still struggled to maintain those high-charge states. That's when the day designer showed me how to protect and strengthen my best thinking hours. This is where two powerful resources come into play your strengths and willpower boosters. Think of these as the support systems that help you maintain your optimal brain states, especially during important high-charge work. These resources supercharged how I approached each day. Sarah explained. Instead of just hoping I'd stay focused during important work, I had specific strategies to protect my thinking time. Your lighthouse brain's support system. Remember how your lighthouse brain needs different power states throughout the day. Just as a lighthouse needs systems to maintain its beam at full power, your brain needs support to maintain its high charge state. This is especially crucial when working on your ice sculptures those tasks that require your premium thinking power.

Speaker 2:

Understanding your strengths Strengths are your natural abilities for maintaining focused states. Key ones include self-controlled you stay focused on priorities and avoid distractions. Persistent you motivate yourself to keep going when things get tough. Perspective you step back from the immediate to reflect and plan. Efficient you organise well and minimise wasted effort. Optimistic you stay positive when things don't go to plan. Optimistic you stay positive when things don't go to plan. Learning about these strengths was enlightening, sarah shared. I realised I was naturally good at being persistent, but needed to work on being self-controlled. This helped me know exactly what to focus on Adding willpower boosters. While strengths are your internal capabilities, willpower boosters are specific actions that protect your brain states. Key boosters include phone management turn off your phone to minimise distractions. Internet management disconnect to reduce quick check temptations. Workspace plan create an environment with minimal distractions. Concentration booster Write down a focus plan before starting Strategic AI management.

Speaker 2:

Sarah discovered that AI tools could either boost or drain her brain states. Ai tools could either boost or drain her brain states, just like my phone. I learned to manage AI tools strategically, she explained. During high-charge periods, I'd use them to enhance my thinking, having them analyze data while I focused on strategy. During medium-charge periods, they could handle routine tasks. Examples of how you could use AI during high-charge periods they could handle routine tasks. Examples of how you could use AI during high-charge periods to outsource brainpower. Use AI to support and augment complex thinking. Have AI handle background research while you experiment and innovate. Let AI explore alternatives while you focus on strategic decisions. Examples of how you could use AI during medium charge periods Let AI handle routine communications. Use AI for standard information processing. Use AI to automate repetitive tasks, completely enhancing your willpower story.

Speaker 2:

Let me walk you through a sample day's schedule and how it aligns with your brain states, strengths and boosters. This will show you how to take your basic willpower story and add these elements. Remember, this is just an example. At 8am, focus on strategic work. This is a nice sculpture task. Your brain will be in high charge state and your key strength here is being self-controlled. To boost your performance, keep your phone turned off and find a quiet space to work. At 10am, have your team meeting. You'll still be in high charge state, which is perfect because your strength in this situation is leading others. Make sure you have your meeting plan ready to boost your effectiveness.

Speaker 2:

At 1pm, handle routine tasks. This works well with your medium charge state, where your strength is being efficient. No special boosters needed during this period. Finally, at 3pm, focus on creative work. Your brain will be back in high charge state and your strength here is being persistent. To boost your performance, try turning off your internet connection if you don't require it to reduce distractions and help you maintain focus. Remember, this is just an example to help you understand how to start pulling all these elements together To make it easier to create a complete willpower story. I have created a PDF template story. I have created a PDF template. Go to toughermindscouk forward slash, train your brain to download your copy.

Speaker 2:

Start simple. Begin by adding just one or two strengths and boosters to your most important high charge period. I started with just my morning planning time, sarah explained. Once that worked well, I gradually added support to other parts of my day. Common challenges using too many boosters. Start with just the essential ones. Sarah found this out. At first. I tried using every booster. It was overwhelming. Starting with just phone management made it much easier. Forgetting to use your strengths. Make a note of which strengths help most during high charge work. Build on these natural capabilities. Your next steps Identify your key strengths. Which ones do you naturally use well, which could help with your high charge work? Choose your essential boosters. What most often interrupts your focus? Which boosters would help most? Update tomorrow's willpower story. Add one to two strengths to your main high charge period. Include one key willpower booster. Remember start small with just one or two supports. The goal isn't to use every strength and willpower booster at once, but to gradually build a system that helps you maintain your best thinking states when they matter most.

Speaker 2:

Chapter 22. Managing your biggest daily challenge. Success cycle location. Step three. Progress 75% complete.

Speaker 2:

Sarah had been using her willpower story for two weeks, matching tasks to brain states and using strengths and willpower boosters. While I was making progress, she reflected there was still one persistent challenge in my daily routine that post-lunch energy crash. That's when the day designer showed me how to use the swap to overcome my biggest daily challenge. Most people have one part of their day that consistently causes problems. For many, like Sarah, it's post-lunch. For others it might be early mornings, late afternoons or switching off in the evening. The swap helps you tackle this challenge systematically. What made swap so powerful? Sarah explained. The swap helps you tackle this challenge systematically. What made swap so powerful, sarah explained, was how it helped me turn the most challenging part of my day into a genuine recharge opportunity. Instead of fighting my energy dip, I learned to work with it.

Speaker 2:

Understanding swap. Let me explain what swap spelt S-W-A-P means. It's an approach with three parts. The S-W stands for self-watch Notice what's happening. The A stands for aim Choose a specific goal. The P stands for plan Create clear steps to achieve your aim. Let's see how Sarah used this to transform her challenging post-lunch dip in energy levels.

Speaker 2:

Step 1. Self-watch First, sarah observed exactly what happened after lunch. She noticed four key things. She felt mentally foggy. She struggled to focus on work. She often made mistakes. She ended up scrolling on her phone. Just paying attention helped me see the pattern Sarah shared. I was trying to do high charge work when my brain was only capable of working on medium-charge tasks.

Speaker 2:

Step 2. Aim Next, sarah set a clear, specific goal Complete my list of afternoon ice cube tasks effectively, despite the energy dip. Notice how this aim has three important qualities it's specific, focused on a clear list of afternoon work. It states a positive action. Complete a list of tasks. It's measurable the tasks will either be completed or not.

Speaker 2:

Step 3. Plan Finally, sarah created a simple plan to support her aim, which included strategic AI use. She chose to eat a light lunch to avoid feeling heavy and experiencing indigestion. She took a 15-minute walk to refresh her energy. She prepared a clear list of afternoon Ice Cube tasks. She used AI to help her draft replies to urgent emails. She used self-control to turn off her phone to minimise distractions. Having a specific plan was very powerful, sarah explained, instead of just hoping I'd somehow push through. I had clear steps to follow Strategic AI management. I realised AI could help manage the most challenging part of my day, sarah explained. Instead of forcing myself to do complex work when my energy dipped, I could use AI to help me write some draft emails I needed to reply to whilst I recovered.

Speaker 2:

Adding a swap to your willpower story. Look at your willpower story and circle the most challenging part of your day, when it's most difficult to get into the brain state you need to be at your best. This might be a time of day when you struggle most with focus or often waste or feel least productive or worry and beat yourself up a lot, or you might have trouble transitioning from work to rest in the evening. You might have trouble transitioning from work to rest in the evening. Now let's create your own swap. You can use Sarah's example for inspiration. First, self-watch what exactly happens during this challenging time. Second, set your aim. What specific outcome do you want instead? Third, create your plan. What two to three-part plan will you create to help you achieve the specific outcome you want?

Speaker 2:

Start simple. Begin with just one small change. I started with just the lunchtime walk, sarah explained. Once that became natural, I added the other elements. Small steps made it sustainable. Common challenges to watch for.

Speaker 2:

Challenge one Trying to fight your pattern. Don't try to schedule ice sculptures during the most challenging part of your day. Work with your brain's natural rhythms instead. Challenge two making the plan too complex. Keep your swap steps simple and specific. Sarah found this crucial. The simpler my plan, the more likely I was to follow it.

Speaker 2:

Your next steps? Let's break this down into three simple actions to take. Action one Identify your daily challenge. Circle it on your willpower story. Notice exactly what happens. Be specific about the time frame. Action two Create your simple swap Self-watch the pattern. Create your simple swap, self-watch the pattern. Set one clear aim. Make a two to three step plan. Action three Try it tomorrow. Focus on just one small change. Notice what works. Adjust as needed.

Speaker 2:

The complete willpower story has three elements working together. First, your basic timeline matching tasks to brain states. Second, your strengths and willpower boosters for support. Third, your swap for your biggest challenge. As Sarah discovered, this combination takes how you think about managing your day to new levels.

Speaker 2:

Once I had all three parts working together matching tasks to energy, using the right support tools and managing the most challenging parts of my day, everything became easier. I wasn't fighting my brain anymore, I was working with it. But even with these tools mastered, sarah faced one final challenge Making this new approach automatic rather than effortful. That's where step four of the success cycle pulls everything together. Congratulations. You've now completed step three of the success cycle. Before we move on, and if you think it's helpful, take a moment to think about people you admire for their ability to structure their day and manage their energy, whether it's a colleague, a mentor or even a high-performing athlete. What makes their approach so effective? This might help you to improve your relationship with your own day designer, and you might even name it after one of those people you admire. Next, we'll move on to step four, where you'll discover how to use behavioral science to make completing your daily willpower story automatic.