Limitless - Jim Kwik Page 0,48
am broken,” I had to say, “I am a learner.”
As for values, as I mentioned earlier I value growth and adventure. For me, learning falls under both of these, because it contributes directly to my growth and it gives me a sense of adventure, especially when I learn something novel and challenging. There’s no ambiguity here; learning directly contributes to the fulfillment of my values.
Every single one of my reasons keeps me motivated so that I can help more people learn. As any author knows, writing a book is a challenge. But my reason for writing this book—to teach my methods to a wider audience around the world that may not have access to my online courses—has kept me going.
If you’re trying to force motivation, but you haven’t addressed these invisible, limiting identities, you won’t get very far. When you feel stuck, come back to the way your goal fits into your values, and then ask yourself what needs to be brought back into alignment.
Going back to the previous chapter’s list of the seven lies that hold you back, perhaps the eighth lie is that you have motivation —that you wake up and feel motivated every day. The reality is that you do motivation. Ultimately, motivation is a set of habits and routines, guided by your values and your identity, that you carry out every day.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON
Finding your passion is about giving yourself novelty and putting yourself in a new environment to see what lights you up. It’s difficult to do that if you feel limited or if you’re self-conscious about looking bad, so let that go and enjoy the experience. Those initial moments of discomfort just might lead you to an entirely new passion and purpose in life. Here are a few things to try before moving on to the next chapter:
Write down a list of your most common “I am” statements. How do you feel about the ways in which these statements define you?
Create a list of the things you value the most. Now prioritize that list and think about how this aligns with your definition of yourself.
Get into the habit of asking the question “why” before you do anything.
8
ENERGY
How do you make sure your brain is as healthy and energized as it can be?
What should I make sure to have in my diet if I want my brain to be at its strongest?
How do I consistently get a good night’s sleep?
You have a clear purpose for doing something, and you’ve broken down the project or goal into small, simple steps. Does that guarantee sustainable, limitless motivation?
For example, even if you have a reason to read daily and have a plan to read for just five minutes a day, what can keep you from doing so is fatigue. Mental and physical vitality is the fuel needed to drive your actions. We know the importance of time management. Well, motivation is all about energy management and optimization.
Here are my 10 recommendations for generating limitless brain energy. For each tip, please rate, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much attention you are putting into that specific area. You may be surprised by your answers.
1. A GOOD BRAIN DIET
Resiliency expert Dr. Eva Selhub often likens the brain to a high-performance vehicle. “Like an expensive car,” she writes, “your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress—the ‘waste’ (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells.”1 She goes on to note that when your brain is forced to run on inferior fuel, it can’t possibly do everything it was built to do. Refined sugar, for example, contributes to impaired brain function, leads to inflammation, and can even cause depression (something you might want to consider the next time you reach for a tub of ice cream to contend with a tough day).
In my podcast interviews with Dr. Lisa Mosconi, neuroscientist, integrative nutritionist, and author of Brain Food and The XX Brain, she explains why the dietary needs of the brain are different from those of other organs. “The human brain requires 45 distinct nutrients to function best. While most of these nutrients are created by the brain itself, the rest are imported from our diet.”2
Since we know for sure that there’s a direct connection between a good diet and a healthy brain, it’s essential that you feed your brain with the best food