Latest / Success Story with Scott Clary / Lessons - Discomfort, Huberman & The Anterior Midcingulate Cortex (AMC)

Transcript

Lessons - Discomfort, Huberman & The Anterior Midcingulate Cortex (AMC) · Success Story with Scott Clary

• 0:00
  Today I want to tell you why every single day you should do something you hate.
• 0:14
  I have a question for you.
• 0:16
  Did you know that you're holding back a hidden superpower in your brain?
• 0:20
  This isn't some mystical feel good, mumbo jumbo, it's science.
• 0:24
  He was on a podcast with David Goggins and he was speaking about a brain region called
• 0:28
  the interior mid-singulate cortex or we're going to call it the AMC.
• 0:33
  Now why is the AMC so important?
• 0:36
  The AMC is the gym for your willpower.
• 0:40
  This is the part of your brain that gets fired up when you make decisions, especially tough
• 0:44
  ones that involve uncertainty or conflict.
• 0:47
  It's like the mental muscle that you use to resist the extra slice of cake or wake up early
• 0:53
  for a run or say no to attempting but ultimately unproductive distraction.
• 1:00
  But here's the kicker.
• 1:01
  So research has actually shown that the more that you engage in an activity that challenges
• 1:05
  you.
• 1:06
  So think about a task that you might not want to do but you know you should, the more
• 1:11
  your AMC develops.
• 1:12
  It's increasing in both size and activity and it's been observed in individuals who consistently
• 1:18
  engage in these uncomfortable activities.
• 1:21
  We tend to have larger AMCs compared to those that really shy away from challenges.
• 1:25
  So this includes athletes who push their physical limits.
• 1:28
  Also think of individuals who are battling obesity who are making difficult dietary or
• 1:33
  lifestyle change.
• 1:35
  And even more fascinating, studies are revealing a correlation between the size of the AMC
• 1:40
  and longevity.
• 1:42
  So it seems that those with larger AMCs tend to live longer and healthier lives and it's
• 1:46
  not just about lifespan, the AMC is increasingly being associated with a stronger will to live.
• 1:52
  So this suggests that the willingness to embrace discomfort to do the hard things.
• 1:57
  This might be a key factor in not just surviving but thriving.
• 2:01
  Now most of us live in this cozy little bubble called a comfort zone.
• 2:05
  It's familiar, it's easy, it is the enemy of AMC growth.
• 2:10
  By avoiding this comfort, we're essentially depriving our brain of the very stimulus
• 2:14
  that it needs to develop willpower and resilience.
• 2:18
  It's like expecting to build a muscle without ever lifting a weight.
• 2:21
  I'm not talking about quitting your job and becoming a nomad and traveling all over the
• 2:26
  world and putting yourself into these exceptionally high stress environments, although if you want
• 2:31
  to do it, it's cool.
• 2:32
  I'm just talking about taking baby steps consistently outside of this little cozy bubble that all
• 2:38
  of us live in.
• 2:39
  It's about facing your fears, it's about taking on challenges that push you to grow.
• 2:43
  This is how you activate and strengthen your AMC.
• 2:47
  This unlocks your full potential for personal and professional success.
• 2:51
  I want you to think of a few scenarios, if you're an entrepreneur, if you've ever thought
• 2:55
  of putting off a launch of a product because you were afraid of failure or you were afraid
• 3:00
  of how people would perceive you or judge you.
• 3:03
  This is an opportunity to grow your AMC, your AMC was begging for a workout.
• 3:08
  If you are an investor and you hesitated to pull a trigger on a big investment, again,
• 3:13
  AMC growth opportunity.
• 3:15
  If you're a creator, if you're stuck in a rut, if you're afraid to try a new style or
• 3:20
  a new medium because the type of content that you posted on TikTok for the past five
• 3:25
  years has worked and you don't want to go outside your comfort zone, this was an opportunity
• 3:30
  to grow your AMC.
• 3:31
  We talk about AMC and we talk about growth.
• 3:34
  One of the best analogies that I love is the Goldilocks principle for growth.
• 3:39
  Just like Goldilocks in her porridge, there's a sweet spot for when it comes to discomfort.
• 3:44
  There's an optimal spot for discomfort and getting outside your comfort zone that will
• 3:48
  actually benefit you, help you grow your AMC and help you grow as a person.
• 3:53
  Two little discomfort and you're not challenging yourself enough, too much discomfort and you
• 3:58
  risk burnout or just straight up overwhelm.
• 4:01
  So Huberman's framework helps you find that perfect balance, the zone where growth happens.
• 4:07
  Now there are three zones of discomfort, there is the comfort zone, so this is where
• 4:12
  most of us spend our lives, it's familiar, it's predictable and it's boring.
• 4:17
  Nothing new happens here, your AMC is basically asleep.
• 4:20
  Next is a panic zone, this is the opposite extreme, it's a realm of extreme stress, anxiety
• 4:24
  and panic.
• 4:25
  Well, short bursts of intense stress can be beneficial.
• 4:29
  If you spend too much time in the panic zone, this can actually be detrimental to your
• 4:33
  health and your well-being.
• 4:35
  And then there's a third zone, which is the optimal discomfort zone.
• 4:38
  So this is a sweet spot, this is where you feel challenged but not overwhelmed.
• 4:42
  This is where you're pushing your limits, but you're still in control.
• 4:45
  This is where your AMC gets the best workout.
• 4:48
  So how do you find your optimal discomfort zone?
• 4:51
  How do you operate in this happy medium where you can grow but not burn out, but you don't
• 4:56
  want to say the same?
• 4:57
  So this is what you do.
• 4:59
  Step one, you identify your edge, what scares you a little bit?
• 5:03
  What are you curious about but you haven't tried yet?
• 5:05
  That's your edge.
• 5:07
  Step two, take small steps, so don't try and jump from the comfort zone straight into
• 5:11
  the panic zone.
• 5:12
  Start with small, manageable challenges that push you just beyond your current capabilities.
• 5:18
  Step three, embrace the suck.
• 5:20
  It's going to be uncomfortable.
• 5:21
  That's the whole point.
• 5:22
  Remember, discomfort is a sign of growth and then step four, adjust as needed.
• 5:27
  If you find yourself getting overwhelmed, dial it back a little bit.
• 5:30
  If it feels too easy, push a little harder.
• 5:31
  The key is to find the right level of challenge for you and your particular set of circumstances
• 5:36
  and your lifestyle and what you feel okay with.
• 5:40
  Now there's a second thought that came up in that podcast.
• 5:43
  So Huberman was speaking about something called the dopamine connection and it all ties
• 5:47
  together.
• 5:48
  So what is the dopamine connection?
• 5:50
  What is dopamine?
• 5:51
  Huberman speaks about dopamine through the context of its role in motivation and decision-making.
• 5:56
  So dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a very important role in reward-motivated
• 6:01
  behavior.
• 6:02
  When we take on a challenge and we achieve our goals, our brain releases dopamine, which
• 6:06
  makes us feel good and it motivates us to keep going.
• 6:09
  However, dopamine isn't just about pleasure.
• 6:12
  It's also about learning and adaptation.
• 6:14
  So when we push ourselves outside our comfort zone, our brain's released dopamine, which
• 6:19
  helps us learn from our experience and adapt to new challenges.
• 6:22
  So this dopamine release doesn't just happen after we succeed, it also kicks in when
• 6:27
  we anticipate a reward or challenge.
• 6:30
  So this anticipatory dopamine gives us the energy and the motivation to push through
• 6:34
  this comfort and tackle the challenge head on.
• 6:37
  Said simply, if you start, you're going to get a dopamine release that's going to allow
• 6:42
  you to do the hard things and then there's this reward mechanism built in.
• 6:46
  So it ends up being a flywheel that you can only take advantage of if you really start
• 6:51
  to take action.
• 6:52
  So when you think about the optimal zone for growing your AMC, for getting out of your
• 6:57
  comfort zone, I mean, this whole YouTube video, this whole podcast could be summed up
• 7:01
  in just saying, if you take action, this is the first step.
• 7:05
  And I want to just take this home with one last analogy.
• 7:09
  This comfort is not a tax you pay on success.
• 7:13
  It's the investment that you make in it.
• 7:15
  So every time you step outside your comfort zone, you deposit into a high yield account
• 7:20
  called personal growth and the dividends, they compound over time.
• 7:25
  The dividends are resilience, the ability to bounce back from setbacks and thrive in
• 7:30
  the face of adversity.
• 7:31
  Dividends are adaptability, the capacity to pivot, evolve and innovate in this very rapidly
• 7:37
  changing world.
• 7:39
  These are confidence, this unwavering belief in your ability to conquer any challenge
• 7:43
  that comes your way.
• 7:44
  And the dividends eventually will be success.
• 7:47
  It'll be the achievement of goals that once seemed possible.
• 7:52
  See, staying comfortable is a choice and there's a cost with that choice.
• 7:56
  It's a choice to settle for mediocrity, to play it safe, to live a life of unfulfilled
• 8:01
  potential.
• 8:02
  But remember, the comfort zone is a mirage.
• 8:05
  It promises safety, but it delivers stagnation.
• 8:08
  The comfort zone is a prison, it confines you to your current capabilities and prevents
• 8:12
  you from reaching new heights.
• 8:14
  And the comfort zone ultimately is a thief, it steals your dreams, it steals your ambitions,
• 8:18
  it steals your chance to create a life that you truly love.
• 8:22
  So the path of discomfort is a path to extraordinary achievement.
• 8:28
  This is a challenge I want you to take on right now.
• 8:31
  Identify one area of your life where you've been playing it safe, set one ambitious goal
• 8:35
  that scares you a little bit and take one small step towards that goal today.
• 8:41
  Don't overthink it, just start.
• 8:42
  The discomfort you feel is proof that you're on the right track.
• 8:46
  And remember, comfort is the enemy of greatness.
• 8:49
  Discomfort is the price of admission to the life that you dream of.
• 8:52
  You have to ask yourself, are you ready to pay that price?
• 8:56
  Your future self is watching and they're either going to thank you or curse you for the
• 9:00
  decision that you make right now.