Flip the Script: How Cognitive Flexibility Drives Success and Leadership with Dr. Matt Zakreski

🎉 Bend, Don’t Break: Unlocking the Power of Cognitive Flexibility with Dr. Matt Zakreski! 🎉

Life’s curveballs got you stuck? Rigid responses dragging you down? Fear not! In this electrifying episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, your fearless host Anne Bonney teams up with the brilliant and oh-so-relatable Dr. Matt Zakreski, a clinical psychologist who’s rewriting the playbook on neurodivergence, empathy, and how to seriously level up your cognitive game.

🤯 What’s Cognitive Flexibility, Anyway?
It’s your secret weapon for navigating life like a ninja—flipping perspectives, breaking free of assumptions, and seeing possibilities where others see problems. Anne and Dr. Matt break it all down with humor, heart, and a big ol’ dose of real talk.

🧠 Brains of All Shapes and Sizes
Dr. Matt, the ultimate cheerleader for “different brains” (think autism, ADHD, giftedness, and dyslexia), serves up insights that’ll make you rethink what it means to truly understand others. Spoiler alert: It starts with ditching the neurotypical mold and leaning into empathy.

🔍 Stay Curious, My Friends
Curiosity isn’t just for cats—it’s your cognitive superpower! Anne and Dr. Matt share jaw-dropping examples of how asking “What else could be true?” can defuse tension and open doors you didn’t even know existed.

😬 When Setbacks Strike
Dr. Matt spills the tea on a hilarious bartending blunder and how his manager’s rigid response made things worse. He flips the script with a better, more flexible way to handle failure, turning facepalm moments into gold-star growth opportunities.  Perfect for all you people leaders out there.

💡 Game On: Practical Hacks for Everyday Life
Here's our favorite part of the episode. Try Dr. Matt’s “Guess the Story” game, where you dream up alternative explanations for people’s behavior. It’s like CrossFit for your empathetic brain—minus the burpees.  (thank goodness because burpees are terrible.)

💎 Key Takeaways to Transform Your Life:

• Cognitive flexibility = empathy, adaptability, and next-level success.
• Curiosity isn’t optional; it’s essential.
• Failures? They’re just the universe’s way of handing you a learning moment.
• Perspective-taking is the cheat code for better relationships and smoother sailing through life’s challenges.

So, what are you waiting for? Smash that play button, grab your favorite beverage, and get ready to dance through discomfort with Anne and Dr. Matt. Because life’s better when you bend instead of break. 💃🕺

Want more from Dr Matt?
https://www.drmattzakreski.com/
https://vimeo.com/drmattzakreski
https://www.facebook.com/drmattzakreski/
https://www.instagram.com/drmattzakreski
Go get Dr Matt's book; The Neurdiversity Playbook.  https://www.drmattzakreski.com/the-neurodiversity-playbook

Matthew "Dr. Matt" Zakreski, PsyD is a professional speaker and clinical psychologist who specializes in working with neurodivergent (gifted, 2e, ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, etc.) people. He has spoken nearly a thousand times all over the world about supporting neurodivergent people in all walks of life, from