Brain on Break

rangitoto_from_milford_beach.jpg
Just 5 minutes drive from where we live. The splendour of Rangitoto – a now dormant volcano.


Most people don’t take breaks.

They see it as counter-productive.

They’re wrong.
Breaks, when planned, are what makes your work productive.
And we plan our breaks every year, so our brains can boot down, and come back refreshed and renewed.

As I wrote in 5000bc:
I learned this from a friend, Julia. She books all her vacations in advance. Long before she knows what’s going to turn up in the year. Then the vacation becomes non-negotiable. I thought that was a cool idea. We’ve been doing it almost every year since 2004.

I found that vacations are not a nice-to-have. They’re a crucial part of relaxing the brain. The years when I’ve not taken a break, I’ve achieved less. And earned less.

Have a good break.

We certainly will.  🙂

A prediction for the year 2012

You may not have heard of Paul Wolfe.
You may never hear of Paul Wolfe.

But someday soon Paul Wolfe will grow his business.
And by the time we finish with the year 2012, Paul will be extremely successful.

So what is this prediction based on?
You see Paul doesn’t have many subscribers to his website (At last count he had less than 20).
In fact, he just started doing YouTube Videos a while ago (Maybe a month or less).
And those videos have bad lighting. And aren’t something magical.

But the magic isn’t in the videos.
Or the subscriber list.
It’s in the daily routine.
You see, every night before he goes to bed, Paul writes down what he’s done every single day.
And the achievement for the day.
And every single day he’s doing a little bit more. And more. And even more, as you may expect.

Which tells me one thing.
I don’t care how talented Paul really is.
I don’t care if his videos never improve.
I know that he’ll succeed.

Because the DNA of successful people is exactly the same. They keep at it. They do stuff every day, and keep at it relentlessly.
Which is why this is my prediction for 2012.

Paul Wolfe will be running a reasonably successful business.
Despite the recession.
Despite the blah, blah.
Despite everything you hear.
He’ll do it.

Watch this space.
Or watch his videos.
http://uk.youtube.com/user/howtoplaybassdotcom

And here’s the reasoning why: http://www.psychotactics.com/artmastery

How do you get exceptionally good?

You may not follow baseball. I don't. But there's a really good baseball player called Alex Rodriguez (often called A-Rod). He was always headed to be a good player. But he did something different than most of us. He decided to be great. So how do you get to...

Is Learning, Fun?

Yes it should be. Because we learn best when we're relaxed. But most learning isn't fun at all. If I told you that you have to learn how to learn the new version of a program, would it be fun? If I told you that you have to learn the chords to a new song would it be...

900 Times: Same Shot: Then You Become Talented

First you be disciplined. Then you be talented. When I started playing badminton about three months ago, all the old ladies (who play crappy badminton) were giving me advice. Yes, I was playing so badly. And I paid attention, but only barely so. You see, you have to...

How Ideas Are Implemented

Here's how I learn. I read. Or listen. Or watch. I make a note. I discuss it with my wife. I bring it up with my clients. I post it in my forums. I post an expanded, detailed version in my blogs. I write an article for Psychotactics.com I write four-five angles of the...