Practice makes perfect. We’ve heard that mantra since we were kids.
But more to the point, this phrase embodies persistence. That’s the key to mastering most anything.
You can practice something once every two months and not get very good at it. But persistence will usually deliver results.
There are so many distractions. From video games to the internet, to television.
It can be a difficult proposition to keep focused on persistence. Putting aside the distractions frees you to become better at something you want.
It’s important to balance being persistent with not being too pushy. It’s one thing to want something and do whatever it takes to get it.
But that could encroach on others’ personal space or even their rights. You may have to take a different approach or back off and find another way.
This doesn’t mean backing away from something you desire. Persistence is the key to getting it.
If it’s within your rights to have it then you should go for it. Maybe you’ve been trying to get a promotion at work.
Your persistence may be the aspect that makes you stand out above the others.
You might remember the 1970’s television series, Columbo. On that show, Peter Falk played a detective who tended to be persistent with his inquiries.
This paid off for him since he was always able to catch the perpetrator. Of course, this is a fictional story, but the concept carries over into real life.
Many people believe that if you want something enough, you’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen. Usually, this is a result of persistence.
There’s some truth to this. But sometimes your limitations keep you from doing what’s necessary.
Try to determine what’s blocking you.
Say you failed at something, only to try it again later, It doesn’t mean that your efforts were lacking.
You just weren’t ready for it during the first attempts.
People can also persist in bad habits or unwanted behaviors. In this case, it’s best not to embody persistence and try to deemphasize the negative behavior or traits.
One great way to do this is to replace these negative aspects with positive ones. The effort is the same.
Clutter is a real nuisance for millions of us. What you may not realize is that it can affect your mind and body.
How does your living space make you feel when you walk in the door at the end of the day? Do you feel peaceful and glad to be at home because it’s your sanctuary?
Or, do you feel dread because there’s a mountain of unfolded laundry on the chair? Or there’s a stack of magazines spread all over the floor and a sink full of this morning’s dishes?
Mind Control
Research finds that the state of your house reflects the state of your mind. Disorganization tells you that there’s something out of balance.
The trick is learning what’s off-kilter and how to set it straight.
Living in a cluttered home is stressful – for everyone. Mom’s pulled away from what she needs to do to help someone find their homework.
Dad’s late for work because he can’t find his car keys. As the pressure to find those misplaced things mounts, so does the tension.
Before long, something or someone snaps.
Lost And Found
Think about how you feel when you’ve misplaced something. You may berate yourself for being careless.
You may feel frustrated and ready to give up. When your child comes in to ask a question, you may not respond in a loving manner and feelings get hurt.
Clutter drains you of energy and makes you feel tired. And that can leave you feeling overwhelmed.
You know you need to do something but you don’t have the energy.
Take time to clear the mess from one small area. It can help you and your family feel more energetic.
And they’ll be more inspired to work on decluttering in other areas.
Body Of Clutter
Did you know clutter could be making you physically sick? No one wants to think about it, but clutter can be the breeding ground for germs, dust, mold, and mildew.
It could even hide a problem with mice. If you don’t believe clutter can make you sick, think of the stress mentioned above.
If you have too much stress, you may develop high blood pressure. Dust and mold can cause allergies or worse.
Clutter can also affect your body weight. People with clutter are usually sedentary.
In an uncluttered home they’re more active. Part of this may be because the clutter in the home makes it hard for you to move.
You may also be using clutter, like being overweight, as a means to protect yourself. Clutter keeps people at bay and so there’s less chance of getting hurt.
Get Started
Now you understand some of the ways clutter can affect your mind and body Consider what you’re going to do about it.
Will you take a step forward and begin decluttering? Or will you let it continue to ruin the lives of you and your family members?
Your brain isn’t something you usually consider when you think about holiday meals. So GenuLines gives you some things to think about before you dig in with family and friends.
Unnecessary distractions can slow down your day. Regardless of what you do for a living or the hobbies and pastimes you enjoy.
Improving your ability to concentrate on the task at hand could give you a big advantage.
A healthy diet is a solid way to improve most aspects of life in general. There are lots of healthy dietary choices that can improve cognitive functions.
Here we’ll look at a few of the many dietary options that help you focus on whatever it is that is important to you.
Salmon
To improve focus you need good brain function.
This is why foods that contain high amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, are a great option.
Omega-3 actually improves the amount of oxygen available to the brain. And it increases new information retention.
Foods Rich In Vitamin D
Research tends to find that a LACK of vitamin D leads to greater levels of cognitive impairment. This is especially true in older folks.
Exactly how this happens is uncertain. But a recent study in the journal, Trends in Neuroscience, gives us clues.
A sort of netting surrounds healthy neurons in the brain. These nets work like supportive structures.
They help maintain the connections between various neurons. This allows them to continue to relay information via synaptic pathways.
The researchers felt that low vitamin D could make these nets more vulnerable. The result could be degradation by certain enzymes.
And this could result in various cognitive deficiencies such as focus and concentration.
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba is an ancient herb used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Users say this dietary supplement helps focus and information retention.
And there’s been a resurgence in its popularity.
The thinking is that Ginko boosts blood and oxygen flow. This logic is often applied to other areas of the body, such as skeletal muscles.
Green Tea
Caffeine is a very popular go-to when it comes to focusing and being able to concentrate. But a roller coaster ride comes with ingesting large amounts of caffeine.
The result is a mental crash at the end of the ride. Green tea does in fact contain caffeine.
But it possesses another chemical that’s great at mitigating this crash.
Most forms of green tea contain L-theanine. This allows a slower release of caffeine into the bloodstream.
The result is a sustained sense of focus and concentration. And without the unwanted comedown.
Works Cited
9 brain foods that will improve your focus and concentration. (2018, April 27). Retrieved from https://alifeofproductivity.com/9-brain-foods-that-will-boost-your-ability-to-focus/
Rodriguez, B. D. (n.d.). ADHD Diet: Foods to Help You Focus – ADHD Center – Everyday Health. Retrieved from https://www.everydayhealth.com/add-adhd-pictures/what-to-eat-in-an-adhd-diet.aspx
Vitamin D and brain health: New mechanism may explain link. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324541
When it comes to decluttering your home, you might decide to put everything you throw
out on eBay. But decluttering your mind is a little trickier.
Here are a few ways to declutter your mind.
#1: Declutter your space
This one is pretty obvious. With fewer things in your field of vision, you have less garbage to stew over and worry about.
This frees up space in your mind.
#2: Declutter your schedule
Another thing that can drive you crazy is the constant rush from one activity to another. Take a look at your schedule and start eliminating things that aren’t necessary.
With fewer ingredients in your stressful stew, you’ll make your day a little calmer.
#3: Unplug from the party
Would you be able to get any rest if you were attending a party of several thousand people? I’m talking, like Times Square on New Year’s Eve.
That’s pretty much what’s going on with your smartphone, tapped in as you no doubt are to social media networks. The pings, dings, and rings from your contacts are all adding small but unhealthy doses of stress to your day.
#4: Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is all about engaging with the present in a fully, alive way. There are lots of ways to practice mindfulness.
One is meditation. Another could be fixing your stare at an object (like a candle) and noticing your thoughts.
Mindfulness can contribute to increased concentration and a decluttered mind.
#5: Let go
Sometimes it’s best to let old memories die. These can range from broken relationships to diabolical bosses.
We tend to have a whole lot of backstory spinning in the recesses of our minds. Let it all go, and like a faster-operating computer, you’ll find your mind in a much more free and easy state.
Meditation might not be your first thought when your motivation is on the wane. But GenuLines knows that it can be a go-to tool for those times when you lose your spark,
The downward spiral of low motivation can seem like an impossible cycle to break. During those times productivity and accomplishment can seem like unattainable goals.
There is one simple tool you may not have considered before that can get you back on track, and that’s meditation. It’s an exercise that goes well beyond providing relaxation.
Focus and Concentration
Focus and concentration are by-products of meditation. But don’t force the issue.
This could have a negative effect on your motivation.
Increased Happiness
More and more of us are being diagnosed with depression. It’s no surprise that happy people tend to have more energy and higher self-confidence.
And motivation raises happiness by helping release the brain’s “happiness hormones.” When you’re feeling more positive, you’re likely to have more desire to get things done.
Less Stress
Meditation leads to a more relaxed state. This is due to the way it allows the brain to slow down as it receives sensory input.
This relaxation and improved processing leads to reduced feelings of stress and overwhelm. With less stress comes a feeling of more control, which then fuels your motivation.
Positive Thinking
One of the biggest killers of motivation is negative thinking. A pessimistic view can come from many sources.
Think depression, poor habits, or general life difficulties.
The beauty of meditation is that it “rewires” brain patterns. This process encourages more positive thought patterns.
The result is a reset that helps you become more motivated.
Clarified Goals and Purpose
Taking time each day for meditation can give you a great deal of insight. This helps with reassessing what’s most important in your life.
When you have a better picture of your priorities, your goals and life’s purpose become clearer. Knowing where you want to go kicks your motivation into high gear.
And you’ll feel a greater urgency to take the necessary steps on the path to your dreams.
The benefits of meditation for increased motivation are many. There are various types of meditation.
You can begin to research on your own or find a teacher who can help you develop a practice that works for you. What’s most important is that you get started.
And maintain consistency in your meditation practice to get the most effective results. Soon you’ll be tackling your to-do list and pursuing the life goals that matter with renewed vigor.
And he scraps the old carrot and stick types of reward systems.
Instead, Pink argues that a scientific approach gives us a better view of the subject. This, he says, helps us come up with strategies to power up motivation.
Three Elements of Motivation
Pink says research shows that autonomy, value, and competence drive motivation. Autonomy refers to the amount of control or independence we feel over a task or action.
He says studies point to a connection between input on a task and better follow through.
The second component of motivation is value. This is the amount of personal significance or importance you place on a matter.
In other words, if something matters to you on a personal level, you’ll feel more motivated to take it on.
Competence comes from a feeling of mastery as it relates to practice and hard work. This doesn’t mean you have to have natural abilities.
Spending time developing competence seems to increase chances of reaching the goal.
Strategies to Increase Motivation
Now you have an understanding of what matters most with regard to what motivates us. So let’s look at some strategies to increase motivation.
With autonomy as a guide, let’s consider ways to add a sense of control or involvement in activities. One way to do this is to take ownership of a chore or add some aspect of self-direction to it.
Let’s say you’re having difficulty starting a project such as submitting a paper. It may help to think of all the ways doing this will set you apart as an expert in your field.
You’ll see that turning in the paper is a necessary part of sharing your unique views with your colleagues.
To add value to your task, you want to make it meaningful or personal. Find a way to add purpose to that item on your to-do list.
This involves changing your perspective or the way you look at that item.
Doing your taxes is a chore you might dread. Add purpose to it by focusing on the work you’ve done that’s represented by the numbers on the page.
Or the contribution you’ve made to your job and community through your efforts. Paying taxes is a symbol of good citizenry.
Finally, there’s competence. Feeling mastery over an act requires practice.
Try to look at the job at hand as one in which you are working toward an end goal of skillfulness.
For instance, you’ll soon see the treadmill as less of an adversary the more workout sessions you endure. As you get fitter you’ll see exercise as a little easier.
And, you’ll get a feeling of accomplishment.
Motivation is not always easy to come by. But with a little knowledge of science you can be more effective in moving toward your dreams.
In time you’ll be mastering your goals. And that will fuel your motivation in the future.
Your mindset is what compels you to take a certain action or leads you back off from acting on something. It influences how you see yourself and those around you.
Different types of mindsets can mean different things to each of us. And they can say a lot about how and why you think like you do.
Each has benefits and drawbacks.
A numbers game
The number of mindsets that exist is dependent on how much you generalize them. Finding your type is key to understanding how you operate in every area of your life.
There are two main types of mindsets, Fixed and Growth. Each has benefits and downsides.
If you have a fixed mindset, you tend to believe your skills or qualities are set and you resist changing them. These include your intelligence level, and your personality or character.
This can cause you to limit yourself and focus on proving yourself to others.
Some of the sub-mindsets of a fixed mindset include these tendencies:
· Fear
· Laziness
· Envy
· Greed
· Short-term thinking
· Anger
· Tendency to follow
Characteristics include:
1. Blaming others for things that are wrong
2. Lazy habits
3. Relying on addictions
4. Insatiable and always want more
5. Self-absorbed, with little thought of others
6. Limited initiative to achieve
7. Obsessed with what others are, do or say
8. Waste time
9. Come across in a negative way
With a growth mindset, you tend to believe in a basic set of qualities. You feel you can cultivate and develop them through effort, strategy, and help from others.
Some of the sub-mindsets of a growth mindset include:
· Social
· Business
· Dreamer
· Gratitude
· Confident
· Creative
Characteristics include:
· Willing to help others
· Solve problems
· Think big and know what you want
· Feel gratitude for what you have
· Eager to learn
· Dedication to achieve and grow
· Able to change and develop skills
· Embrace challenges
· Learn from failures
What type of mindset is the basis of your thoughts and actions? Do you believe that this is how you are and can’t change?
Do you believe you can change, and things can be different for you? The good news is you can change your mindset to one of growth and abundance.
We’ve all experienced mental fog. Its symptoms include:
• Difficulty concentrating
• Diminished memory
• Focusing problems
• A drop in communication skills
• Low motivation
• Easily distracted
Origins
Mental fog is due to any type of imbalance in the control center of the brain. This area is the hypothalamus. The imbalance can be a result of inflammation or free radicals. Or any type of stress brought on by several factors, such as:
• Multi-tasking
• Exhaustion
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Imbalanced hormones
• Infections
• Not getting enough sun exposure
• Substance abuse
Mental fog is natural given our busy, nonstop lifestyles. But it can become frequent. If this is the case with you there are some simple changes you can make that will help.
• Eat right
It’s amazing how much power our food has over us. Processed foods, foods high in saturated fats, and gluten all have a negative effect on the brain.
In fact, research links gluten sensitivity to low concentration and focus abilities. Also, not getting enough water into your system can lead to brain freeze.
• Take your vitamins
Your diet is lacking in antioxidants. You want vitamins, such as D and B complex, and minerals, such as calcium, zinc, and magnesium. Supplements could help you here.
• Get better sleep
We all sleep, but it’s the quality of our sleep that can either make us or break us. High quality sleep improves brain function as a whole.
While it’s ideal to get the full 8 hours each night, some people only need 6 for optimal effectiveness. Find what works best for you.
Regulate your sleep using a relaxing bedtime routine and a comfortable sleeping area.
• Work out
When you exercise, you send fresh, oxygenated blood to your entire body, mainly your brain. This boosts its cognitive functions and diminishes brain fog.
Studies have shown how exercise can improve learning and study skills. It helps with concentration and memory ability, too.
• Find a hobby
It may seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do to get things done. And it could be tough to squeeze in a hobby.
But there are ways to incorporate fun, relaxing activities into your weekly schedule. The first step is to carve out some “me” time and stop thinking it’s selfish, like many of us do.
The second step is to find something you enjoy doing. It could be meditating by yourself in a quiet room, or a class or club where you’ll meet new people.
The final step is to decompress and enjoy.
Conclusion
Brain fog is reversible. You need to do the work and find out what works for you.
Each one of us is unique, so it may be a bit challenging at first to find that perfect fit. But you’ll be glad you put in the effort once you regain clarity and you’re able to perform at your best.
Now we don’t mean that your mind can keep you from aging. But it can make you feel that way!
You often hear people over the age of 50 talk about aging. They talk about deterioration, decline, and feeling unwanted and not useful.
One way to deal with this is to focus on the positive things age brings. Things like wisdom, understanding, and the ability to help others.
Doing your best to be healthy is another way to keep the bad thoughts at a distance.
Your outlook and quality of life are likely to increase, too.
Ignore the Culture Surrounding You
We live in a world obsessed with youth. Every day, older people get pushed to the side in favor of the young.
The late teens and early twenties are the years called prime.
To get past this and actually start living with an ageless mindset, you have to do your best to tune it out. You’ve aged to the best you’ve ever been.
You’re wizened and seasoned. Stop denying your aging and own it; that’s what will truly make you ageless.
Love Your Body and Own Your Age
The only way to ensure you keep having the ageless mindset is to continue to love your body. Remind yourself that you’re getting better with age.
Appreciate your body for what it does for you and how far it’s taken you. Every day that you’re alive, you can learn something new and adapt to changes around you.
Never Say ‘Never’
One thing that will knock you off your path towards an ageless mindset is negativity. We psych ourselves with an attitude that we’re too old to do certain things.
You feel too set in your ways to learn. That can lead to feeling too old to be of value.
These thoughts are toxic and they threaten the positivity you’re working to maintain. Block negative mind chatter about your abilities, your worth, or your age.
It may take you a little extra effort to get where you want to go, but if you make the effort, you can.
How you deal with aging is up to you. You can dye you hair and lie about your age.
Or you can move forward with a new positive mindset that will have you feeling ageless.