Latest / PTT Music Podcast / Why Backup Plans Can Quietly Kill Your Focus

Transcript

Why Backup Plans Can Quietly Kill Your Focus · PTT Music Podcast

• 0:21
  So, I was looking at this study from Wharton, and it basically had me racking my
• 0:26
  brain because we are always, like, constantly told to have a safety net.
• 0:31
  You know, the whole responsible adult thing.
• 0:34
  Always have a backup plan.
• 0:36
  Oh, totally.
• 0:37
  I mean, my family, they literally drilled that into my head from day one.
• 0:41
  If you do not have a backup, you are, you are just being reckless,
• 0:46
  right?
• 0:47
  Exactly!
• 0:49
  But this, um, this research by Jihae Shin and Katy Milkman,
• 0:53
  it completely flips that on its head.
• 0:56
  They found that, and this is the exact finding, merely thinking through a backup
• 1:01
  plan may actually cause people to exert less effort toward their primary goal.
• 1:07
  Wait.
• 1:08
  Merely thinking through it?
• 1:10
  Like, you do not even have to, to actually build the safety net,
• 1:16
  just the, the act of visualizing it makes you slack off?
• 1:21
  Yes!
• 1:22
  Just the mental exercise of mapping out what you will do if you fail.
• 1:27
  It creates this, this, like, comfort slack in your head.
• 1:31
  Your brain gets this sneaky little signal that says, hey, if this primary thing goes
• 1:36
  completely sideways, we are still going to be totally fine.
• 1:41
  So, naturally, the executive center of your brain just stops pushing as hard when
• 1:45
  things get difficult.
• 1:46
  Oh my goodness, that makes so much sense.
• 1:49
  It is like, um, like a safety blanket that actually smothers your drive.
• 1:54
  I, I actually had this happen to me, gosh, a few years ago.
• 1:57
  I was working on this really bold, high concept creative project,
• 2:02
  right?
• 2:02
  And I was really concerned it might fail, so I spent weeks,
• 2:07
  like, literally weeks, drawing up this very detailed backup strategy of how I could
• 2:13
  pivot to a much safer, more traditional project if it did not work out.
• 2:18
  And what happened to the original project?
• 2:20
  It was, um, it was a total half hearted disaster.
• 2:24
  Because every single time I hit a creative wall, instead of fighting through the
• 2:29
  blocks or finding a new perspective, my brain just went, oh,
• 2:33
  well, we can just switch to the safe option.
• 2:37
  I did not realize it at the time, but having that back door open made me lazy.
• 2:42
  It was only when I, I finally got so frustrated that I threw away the backup
• 2:48
  entirely, and just committed to one single, bold path with no safety net...
• 2:54
  that is when the actual breakthrough happened.
• 2:57
  Wow.
• 2:58
  That is the actual cost right there.
• 3:01
  The comfort slack steals the urgency you need to actually succeed on Plan A.
• 3:08
  So, then the obvious question is, how do we protect ourselves from this?
• 3:13
  Because, let us be real, sometimes you do need a backup, right?
• 3:17
  We cannot all just walk a tightrope without a net forever.
• 3:21
  Right, exactly.
• 3:22
  We do not want to be completely foolish.
• 3:25
  So, Jihae Shin actually recommends this strategy of deferred preparation.
• 3:30
  Or what I like to call strategic delay.
• 3:33
  The idea is that you explicitly ban yourself from even formulating a backup plan
• 3:39
  until after you have fully executed the major, high stakes milestones of your
• 3:43
  primary goal.
• 3:44
  You keep the safety net entirely out of your mind until you are past the point of no
• 3:50
  return on the execution phase.
• 3:52
  Oh, I love that.
• 3:53
  It is like, um, putting up a temporary firewall in your brain.
• 3:57
  And, you know, it reminds me so much of the energy in the PTT Music track "Choose
• 4:02
  It."
• 4:03
  That song is all about making a definitive, single minded choice and just running
• 4:09
  with it.
• 4:09
  When you listen to it, it is like it acts as a cognitive filter.
• 4:14
  It just completely shuts out all that mental chatter of what if this fails,
• 4:19
  or what if I need to pivot.
• 4:21
  It aligns your physical and mental momentum with the task right in front of you.
• 4:28
  Yes!
• 4:29
  It is that driving, relentless tempo that just says, we are doing this,
• 4:34
  and we are doing it right now.
• 4:37
  No turning back.
• 4:39
  So, let us actually break down three practical action steps we can all start using
• 4:44
  today to build this single minded focus.
• 4:47
  Okay, let us do it.
• 4:49
  Give us step number one...
• 4:51
  Step one is to execute a Plan B Blackout.
• 4:55
  When you start a new, major project, set a specific, uninterrupted sprint period,
• 5:00
  say, the first thirty to sixty days, where any talk or thought of a backup plan is
• 5:05
  strictly banned.
• 5:07
  Force yourself to put one hundred percent of your cognitive energy into making Plan
• 5:11
  A work before you even allow yourself to look at alternative options.
• 5:15
  That is so strong.
• 5:17
  And step two, I would say, is to outsource the guardrails.
• 5:22
  If you absolutely must have a safety net, do not design it yourself.
• 5:27
  Let an outside partner, a trusted friend, or even an automated system hold that
• 5:33
  backup strategy for you.
• 5:35
  That way, the safety net exists in the background, but your own mind remains
• 5:40
  completely clear of the comfort slack so you can stay fully focused on execution.
• 5:46
  Yes!
• 5:46
  Keep it out of your own head.
• 5:49
  And finally, step three is to anchor your mind with the "Choose It" tempo.
• 5:54
  Before you sit down for a high focus work session on your primary goal,
• 5:58
  put on PTT Music's "Choose It."
• 6:01
  Use that driving beat to physically and mentally sync your brain into a state of
• 6:06
  high energy, committed execution.
• 6:08
  Let the music push out the doubts.
• 6:11
  Beautifully said.
• 6:12
  It is all about giving your main goal the honest, undivided effort it deserves.
• 6:17
  Again, thanks for spending this time with us on the PTT Music Podcast.
• 6:22
  We hope today's conversation left you inspired, encouraged,
• 6:26
  and ready to carry that energy with you wherever life takes you.
• 6:30
  I'm Jordan Sterling...
• 6:31
  And I'm Ava Brooks.
• 6:32
  We'll see you next time for another conversation that celebrates creativity,
• 6:37
  purpose, and the power of music.
• 6:40
  If you enjoyed today's episode, we'd love for you to continue the journey with us.
• 6:45
  Visit PTTMusic.com to explore our latest music, official videos,
• 6:50
  exclusive merchandise, artist updates, and much more.
• 6:54
  You can also stream PTT Music on your favorite music platforms.
• 6:59
  And be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with
• 7:04
  someone who could use a little inspiration today...
• 7:07
  Until next time, keep moving forward.
• 7:10
  And let the PTT Music continue to move you closer to who you truly are.