lifehacktraining-blog

[lifehacktraining-blog]

5 practical ways to help you can unlock creativity, imagination and problem solving for your business or in your career..

So over a period of more than a year now, through curiosity and experimentation, I researched a range of different techniques to see if they actually worked and applied them on myself.

After applying these things consistently, I started to become aware of changes in myself and experience results too. 

This helped develop the motivation to experiment with more things and to integrate these habits into my routine daily too.

I did this systematically. As one thing became integrated as a habit, I introduced another.

Here they are: 

1 - Disconnect from digital devices: spend more time alone and in nature

We live in the information/digital age. We are constantly bombarded with messaging and information on a daily basis about who we should be, what we should buy and what we should do.

Because the brain has an in built survival mechanism, when we are out and about in public, it is constantly scanning our environment and looking out for danger and pleasure. This is an automatic reflex. 

The brain uses up in the region of 20% of our daily energy intake. By spending more time alone, we have more control over our environment, more control over where we invest this 20% and can protect ourselves from distraction or things happening in the outside world.

Through exercising more control over our environment (though spending time alone or taking walks in nature away from noise in the city) give us the opportunity to give our minds some rest. This also provides an incubation period to help the brain work on problems in the background. 

I expect we have all had that experience of ideas or solutions to challenges come to mind when we focus our attention on something totally different (I think this is how the term ‘lightbulb moment’ came about).

Research from the Journal of Environment Psychology also indicates that spending time in nature also promotes creativity.

2 - Intermittent Fasting

Research from a range of medical professionals advocate the benefits of intermittent fasting on health (Rhona Patrick, Satchin Panda, Valter Longo, Dan Pompa).

Research by Mark Mattson, a Professor of Neuroscience at the John Hopkins University indicates that reducing the frequency of meals and energy intake can have a positive impact on the brain.

Intermittent fasting can deplete glycogen stores in the body and stimulates the production of ketone bodies. Ketone bodies boost energy levels in your brain. 

Fasting is a challenge to the brain. The brain responds by activating adaptive response and nerve cells become more active and alert. 

Intermittent fasting also promotes the production of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF strengthens existing brain cells and stimulates the production of new brain cells which in turn helps the brain operate more efficiently.

3 - Binaural Beats

I started listening to binaural beats as I developed my meditation practice (when I first started meditation I was using the Headspace app).

Over time, I noticed that my meditation practice had dramatically improved when listening to them. From personal experience, I really found that they helped me ‘get in the zone’.

I decided to start listening to them for work. From personal experience, I noticed that my concentration had improved dramatically. My approach to work was calmer and more measured. It helped me manage stress and anxiety. It seemed I could concentrate for longer periods of time.

The research is inconclusive about the clinical benefits of binaural beats. I can only speak from my personal experience but there is evidence out there that suggests that positive mental states help improve cognitive function and learning (Shawn Achor who is a researcher and lecturer at Harvard University and author of The Happiness Advantage talks about this)

You can try binaural beats out for yourself and observe if they work for you.

4 - Meditation

Meditation is known to change the brain’s waves and vibrational frequency. The brain waves most associated with meditation are Theta, Alpha, Gamma.

Theta is associated with creativity and imagination. We are also in a state of Theta when we sleep which is why we dream. 

Alpha is associated with a relaxed flow like state and creativity. The Gamma state is involved in processing more complex tasks and are important in learning and processing.

So through meditation, you can actually unlock these states of creativity, imagination and learning. It can be quite challenging to incorporate Meditation into your routine. At first I didn’t really understand what it was, quite how it could benefit me or how to approach it. 

Naturally, because I didn’t have anyone to guide me, I just researched, experimented and made mistakes. Through practice and consistency results came. I now make time everyday for meditation.

5 - Minimalism

Now this comes back to my first point about conserving the 20% of energy that our brain consumes each day.

By practicing minimalism both at home and in life (what I do, who I see, etc), helped me to better manage how and where my energy levels were invested.

Sometimes our attention can be unconsciously taken away (that is just the way the brain is) but by practicing minimalism does give a level of control over the situation.

I simplified my life (I am always looking for more ways I can simplify, it is an ongoing process). 

As a result, my brain has less to focus on and doesn’t get as distracted. This has helped me to focus more of my attention on the few things that really matter to me… 

I put together a short Youtube (it’s under 8 minutes) which shares more info, the resources I used to incorporate these things into my life and the mistakes I made so you can avoid those too. 

If you want to find out more and get the resources to help you get started, take a look..

[lifehacktraining-blog]

A quest for seeking fulfilment. The six steps I discovered to develop and nurture my passion.. (you can try this out too)

For the best part of my life, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and had no real intent.

I was scared to pursue something I truly wanted or truly believed in because of an overwhelming fear of failure.

It was easier to go and do jobs that I didn’t really care for, after all, if I failed, it wouldn’t really matter.

I followed society’s unwritten rule book and walked the linear path of going to school, getting an education, getting any kind of job so I could pay bills and maybe get married, have a family, etc.

I did everything that I thought was expected of me by family, peers and society.

Having never taken the time to develop and discover my passion, I struggled with a lack of motivation and discipline.

I was frustrated and depressed with life. I unconsciously masked this dissatisfaction with my life by seeking short-term pleasure through other things.

Aged 34, having bounced around different jobs, it came to a point where I was so disillusioned and pissed off that I decided to live for myself for a change.

It was then that I went through a journey which resulted in me developing and discovering my passion. I say ‘develop’ because it took time for my passion to emerge over a six month period.

Looking back and observing what happened, there were very specific steps I took which resulted in this happening.

Here they are, you can try them out for yourself too.

Step #1 - Digital shutdown

We are constantly bombarded by information in the digital / information age everywhere we go.

All of these things tell us what we should be like, how we should behave and what we should do. It confuses the brain.

I shut down from digital for about 7 days (no social media, no tv, no laptop, no mobile phone, no Netflix). This gave an opportunity to get some headspace and reflect about who I was and what I wanted from my life. I spent this time in nature. It gave me a sense of calmness, relaxation, peace of mind. I developed my meditation practice and spent this time reading books.

Step #2 - Social shutdown

Our brain is a receiving and broadcasting station. It’s like a computer. Our brain receives information, processes it and then broadcasts this as our thoughts, emotions, perception, perspective, reality and identity.

As a result, we become a reflection of our habits and daily decisions. What we do, we become

We mirror the people we spend time with and most of us act out the expectations placed on us by friends, family, society and peers.

Our brains are very sensitive to the information we subject ourselves to which I why I became really conscious about everything I do (I stopped listening to particular genres of music, avoid newspapers, tv and even put restrictions on how often I would see particular people).

All of this is why the digital and social shutdowns are so important.

It gives your mind some time to rest from this onslaught of information we’re subjected to within society.

Step #3 - Brainstorm

With this time alone, I was able to invest this time and energy and focus in on myself without any distraction.

I asked myself a series of questions (you will find them at the end of this post, you can work through them too)

It was through distancing myself from society (through the digital and social shutdown) that I was became an outsider looking in on the world.

This is exactly what you want. It helps you to think freely and clearly without thinking about what everyone else is doing or what you feel society might expect from you.

Step #4 - Make a commitment

I studied the answers I gave to the questions and began to go out and explore.

Nothing else mattered to me. It was my sole focus. I needed to discover my passion.

I booked in time consistently each week to classes (based on the responses I gave) and over time my passion developed.

Step #5 - Reflect

After you going out and exploring new activities take time afterwards to reflect.

Think about the people you met, the conversations you had and the things you got up to.

How did you feel afterwards?

I had a little book which I called the 'Little Book of Appreciative Thoughts'.

I would record three things each time in there to remind myself of what I did and how I felt.

This meant whenever my mind would play tricks with me in the future and in times when I didn't feel motivated I would look in this book and it would remind me of all the positive things I experienced when I did go.

Step #6 - Take the jump

Over a period of 6 months or so, I was kickboxing, running and doing yoga every week.

It was a this point that I realised that I needed to take it to the next level.

I had come to the realisation that this was the lifestyle I wanted to live and gravitated towards studying to make this my career.

I left the industry I worked in and retrained.

I am not going to lie, it was scary and difficult. I recognised that all the doubt in my mind was my mind playing tricks on me.

Fundamentally, I looked within myself and realised that I had found something money could not buy.

I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t take the jump.

I left the ‘security’ of industry I worked in.

As much as I would start again on a salary that was a fraction of what I was on previously and would have to dramatically change my lifestyle, my instinct told me that this was exactly the direction I needed to go in.

These are the questions I worked through, take a look if you’re interested

If you do decide to work through these questions, do let me know if you have any feedback and whether they were helpful for you.

You can also take a look at this short video which compliments the questions above where I share some other tips / ideas / resources I used to help me develop and discover my passion (you can use these too).

[lifehacktraining-blog]

How meditation can help you in your business and career

HOW BRAIN FREQUENCIES AFFECT OUR EMOTIONS..

During your normal waking state, when you are alert and doing the things you do in daily life, your brain typically operates at a frequency known as Beta. 

Beta is integral for everyday functioning in life however greater levels of the Beta frequency equate to stress and anxiety. 

Beta frequencies can also be attributed to the ‘monkey mind’; the inner critic or chatterbox who says ‘what will they think?’ or ‘what if I fail?’

Meditation actually changes this frequency.

MEDITATION UNLOCKS STATES OF LEARNING, CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION..

The two frequencies most associated with meditation are Alpha and Theta. Alpha is the state when we experience detached awareness. 

We are in an Alpha state just before we fall asleep and when we first wake up in the morning. The Alpha state is also associated with learning and creativity.

Theta is associated with creativity, imagination and super learning. We are actually in a state of Theta when we sleep (it is the state of Theta which causes us to dream).

By meditating, after some practice, you will be able to access these Alpha and Theta states.

A whole host of people in the public eye from including the late Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, LeBron James and Kendrick Lemar all meditate. And they do this to access these Theta and Alpha states which in turn unlock this creativity imagination, and super learning that meditation offers.

This helps them come up with solutions to challenges and obstacles they come across in daily life.

AFTER MEDITATING CONSISTENTLY YOU WILL GET TO A PLACE WHERE YOU WILL BECOME THE OBSERVER OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS...

Starting a business can be extremely challenging and painful. Developing the skill to be able to manage emotions is essential for success.

Meditation helps to develop the skill of observing emotions rather than identifying with them.

It helps to ask questions about what the emotions we experience mean, what they might be telling us.

Meditation can help you to acknowledge this fear or pain you may be experiencing and recognise it as an essential component for personal growth and development.

If you have a business or work in a highly competitive career and are either serious about dominating your field or looking for with creative solutions to give you an advantage, then there is no question you should incorporate meditation into your daily routine.

In order to get the best results from Meditation, it is important to have other elements of your lifestyle in order.  Excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking and poor diet will have a detrimental impact on your results.

HOW TO INCORPORATE MEDITATION INTO YOUR LIFE AS A DAILY RITUAL..

To get hold of some basic tips and some resources to help you introduce this into your routine, you can take a look at this short Youtube video tutorial where I share things that helped me incorporate this in my life as a twice daily ritual.

[lifehacktraining-blog]

The Life Hacks I used to get disciplined, change my life and change my identity…

So it’s 2020 and many people will have set new year resolutions and have aspirations to change.

With that in mind, it seemed appropriate to write a story of my own personal change and how I did it. 

From the self sabotaging drug abuser with no direction or goals in life to having the sh*t absolutely kicked out of me (but winning) a kickboxing competition and starting a business.

I wanted to share the story and the techniques, tools and resources I used to help me make this transition. You can use them too.

SO, HOW DID THIS ALL HAPPEN?

Well, before I share this with you, I wanted to give you an idea of the sheer scale of the changes that took place.

I used these techniques to STOP ME

looking at porn

smoking

drinking alcohol

taking drugs (cocaine, MDMA, etc)

I also used these techniques to HELP ME

enter a kickboxing competition

start practicing sexual transmutation (NoFap)

start meditating as a twice daily ritual 

develop and discover my passion

eat more healthy

change career and start a business

start running consistently and compete in Tough Mudders

take ice cold showers and ice baths (they improve your immune system, improve self esteem and help develop emotional resilience)

And teach myself this..

ONCE I EXPERIENCED CHANGE, I REALISED I HAD PRECONCEIVED ASSUMPTIONS OF WHO I WAS AND WHAT I WAS CAPABLE OF...

Through this journey, I came to the realisation that our identity is NOT formed by our experiences themselves but how we choose to interpret those experiences and how we choose to respond to them.

We have all formed our own identities based on our own opinion of who we THINK we are.

We will often say things like ‘that’s not me’ or ‘I could never do that’ before we even try something. 

In some cases this is no bad thing. But as a result, we also put limitations on ourselves and what we can actually do with our lives.

The first few techniques that started this all off for me were a series of questions:

If I could model myself on anyone, who would it be?

What kind of things would I need to do in order to be like that person?

What kind of things would I need to think in order to be like that person?

If I could do one totally outrageous but really cool thing (that might scare me) what would it be? How might I feel afterwards?

If I had more courage, what would I do?

If I had more courage, how would I earn a living?

When I came up with the answers my immediate feeling was apprehension and fear.

“I could never do these things” I thought to myself.

Then I realised I needed to stop thinking and start taking action.

“Just make the f*cking commitment and you’ll work out solutions along the way” I said.

I realised that a lot of the time fear and barriers are just an illusion. 

Our mind plays tricks on us. When you go ahead and do these things, you realise that they are not as bad as initially anticipated.

The more I practiced doing this, the more I have started to develop a fear of being too comfortable. 

I realised that too much comfort was an indication I was not making progress, that I was not growing, learning and developing.

I therefore sought out uncomfortable or challenging situations.

IT WAS THROUGH ASKING THE QUESTIONS ABOVE THAT I ENTERED A KICKBOXING FIGHT. I GOT THE SH*T KICKED OUT OF ME..

But I still won it.

After the fight, I went home physically and emotionally drained.

It was strange. 

The whole thing didn’t seem real. It seemed like a dream. Did I really just do that?

I cried.

I cried not because I had a back eye, bust lip and bleeding nose or because I had a headache (it lasted three days), but because I came to this profound realisation.

I WAS NOT WHO I THOUGHT I WAS

I was so much more than this self sabotaging drug abuser who had no direction.

It was at that point that this window of opportunity opened...

(The photo above was taken about two weeks after the fight.)

NOW THAT I HAD DONE THAT, WHAT ELSE COULD I DO?

I realised I needed to snap out of all these preconceived assumptions of my identity.

I became more open minded.

Like an artist with a blank canvas, I was free to paint. The blank canvas was my life.

I got some flip chart paper out, did a SWOT analysis on my life and developed a value system of how I wanted to show up in life. 

I then started to redesign who I was..

What did I want to stand for?

How did I want to be perceived by others?

What kind of values and traits would I need to have?

What activities or behaviours could I take up to help me develop into this person?

Over time, I started to feel different and think differently. It was kinda strange but f*cking awesome.

It fascinated me. I began studying psychology and neuroscience to understand what had happened..

Through reading I realised that the setup of my nervous system had changed. My body and personality had adapted as I exposed myself to different experiences.

After the fight, I also wanted to find out and understand more about all the conflicting emotions and thoughts I experienced. 

 I had a habit of internalising my emotions, of identifying with them and saying “this is me, this is a fact”. 

I came to the realisation that our emotions are a survival mechanism. They serve a purpose.

They are there to tell us something. Is is up to us to ask questions about what they are trying to tell us about our decision making, lifestyle or situation. 

I discovered some techniques and resources which helped equip me with what I needed to make even more changes in my life. 

One book I really recommend for anyone who wants help to change is a book called Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz (see below). 

Don’t get put off the title, it’s actually really easy to read, It is practical and there are very simple exercises you can work through.

Since this journey, I came to the realisation that, given the changes I experienced, it was my duty to share this story, the tools and resources with anyone who was looking to make changes in their life. 

I look back at who I was and thought to myself there must be others feeling the same way so I put together a short video tutorial with the different tips / techniques that I used. 

There are also some free resources and practical exercises which I designed myself that anyone can use.

You don’t necessarily have to be in the self destructive / self sabotaging situation I was in, they can be used by absolutely anyone looking to get to the next level in their personal or professional life.

I wish you a great festive season and success with the changes you wish to see in your life.

Wishing you health, success and happiness in your journey.

Olivier x