Latest / Dr. Derek H. Suite MD - The SuiteSpot / From Barriers to Breakthroughs 5/7: Note To Self-Let's Get It!. #FinishStrongFriday

Transcript

From Barriers to Breakthroughs 5/7: Note To Self-Let's Get It!. #FinishStrongFriday · Dr. Derek H. Suite MD - The SuiteSpot

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Hey there, sweet Spotters, it's Dr Sweet and it's Finish Strong Friday.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Yes, yes, we're almost there.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: It's the end of the week and it's in sight, but don't let that energy fizzle out just yet.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: As a board-certified psychiatrist and someone who works with elite athletes in high performance, but don't let that energy fizzle out just yet.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: As a board-certified psychiatrist and someone who works with elite athletes and high performers, I've seen and I know all too well how energy can be depleted after a hard, weak, grueling workout practice that seems never to end countless meetings.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: So, yeah, hold on.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Remember yesterday, on Trust Yourself Thursday, we talked about tuning in, tuning into your inner voice and making choices that align with your values, and how important that was.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: That inner trust.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Right, that is going to be crucial.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: It's going to be so crucial to getting success and it's going to be crucial today as we tackle the challenge of finishing strong here.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: On Finishing Strong Friday.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Think about it You've made it through Making Moves Monday.
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: This week you got through.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: Take Action Tuesday and Win it All Wednesday and Trust Yourself Thursday.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: You started strong.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: You've made decisions this week, you've embraced challenges, you've done the homework and you've learned to trust your gut.
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: Now it's time to bring it all home.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: But why is that so hard?
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: Why is it so difficult to maintain that momentum all the way to the finish line?
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: Well, science has an answer.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: It says that it's partly due to something called ego depletion.
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: Yes, ego depletion.
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Think of your willpower like a muscle it gets tired after being used all day, all week, as I said, all the practices, all the meetings, all the demands.
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: By the time Friday rolls around, it could be that you just look, spent the entire week taking care of your family.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: By the time Friday rolls around, for most of us, we might be running low on mental energy, which makes it so much harder to stay focused and so much harder to resist the tempting distractions that take us away from finishing strong.
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: And then there's the present tense, the present moment.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: Bias, right.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: So we tend to prioritize immediate gratification over long-term goals.
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: Goodness knows, I'm right there with you.
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: That means the comfortable couch and the Netflix might take over and take precedence over finishing a report or tackling some difficult task on your to-do list.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: Right?
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: It's the natural human tendency, my friend.
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: But this can sabotage the ability to finish strong if we get into a habit of just allowing avoidance behavior to be the way we cope with the stress that we feel.
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: So how do we combat this?
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: Well, the first thing to do is to leverage the power of what the science calls microbursts of focus Not bursts of focus, but microbursts of focus, tiny, small, little pockets of focus bursts.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: So instead of trying to power through for hours on end something I tend to try to do, oh boy, oh yes, you know instead of trying to like power through those hours, what the science says is that we should break it down into smaller tasks, into short, intense bursts of focused activity.
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: So the way they would say to do it is that you would set a timer for like 20 minutes, 25, 30 minutes or something like that, and just work with intensity on whatever the big project is for those 20 minutes or 25 minutes and then take a mandatory break for 5-10 minutes.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: And what this does?
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: It helps you maximize your mental energy and avoid burnout.
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: And you know what If you do a task this way?
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: Remember the Zygarnik effect that we talked about.
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: The Zygotic effect kind of works here, in the sense that they found that people who broke tasks down and took a break and came back, they tended to remember things better once they took those breaks Remember, with the zygotic effect if you complete the task and walk away, you kind of forget everything.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: So sometimes you have to break it down, take a break and come back.
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: This is a famous thing that they do with students to help them remember when they're taking exams.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: For you students listening out there it's a great task to do is to break things down and come back.
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: It's just wonderfully smart.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: And here's another powerful tool that you can use that we use with athletes all the time it's the power of visualization.
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah, visualizing yourself.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: Take a few moments, close your eyes and vividly imagine yourself successfully completing that task.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: You would be surprised how your brain will help you when it's time to actually do the task, if it has seen yourself already crossing the finish line and already having a sense of accomplishment because you did a visualization.
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: Many of the world's best athletes and performers use this technique of visualizing it before they even step on the court or on the field, or on the pitch or on the stage, and you can do it too.
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: So this mental rehearsal that I'm talking about can actually literally boost your motivation and and and seriously increase your chances for success and really help your brain feel amazing.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: And speaking of the brain, did you know that?
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: The prefrontal cortex something you know about because you've been listening to the sweet spot, the prefrontal cortex something you know about because you've been listening to the Sweet Spot the prefrontal cortex is the CEO of the brain.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: It plays a huge role in planning and completing tasks.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: It works with other brain regions to help you finish, other brain regions like the basal ganglia.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: The basal ganglia a bunch of neurons in the brain that work with the prefrontal cortex to help with motivation and motor control and reward feelings so that you can actually get something done.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: So, while you have a conscious effort to finish, your brain is working to help you.
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: Remember, it's not just about how you start, it's about how you finish, and this is Finish Strong Friday.
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: A strong finish sets the tone for a restful and rejuvenating weekend, my friend.
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: It allows you to recharge and repair and prepare yourself for the week ahead.
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: So let's finish strong, right, let's go for it.
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: Remember and for those of you, my biblical scholars and scripture students out there, the race is not for the swift.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: Remember that Sometimes it's about pacing yourself.
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: We'll see more about that on Slow Down Sunday, though, all right.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: So let's stay focused on finishing strong, all right, building your mental endurance, and keep going.
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: So until then, I want you to go finish some tasks today, break it down if you have to, and I'll see you back tomorrow for Self-Care Saturday.
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: Until then, I want you to keep it real, keep it moving and keep it sweet.
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: Of course you can see me on Twitter and of course you can see me on Instagram, and certainly on YouTube and LinkedIn.
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: Take care, see you for self-care Saturday tomorrow, my friends.