May 18, 2025 • 50 mins
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Dr. Jon Finn introduces Step 2 of the Success Cycle—Planning with the Task Director—which helps connect daily Brain State optimization with meaningful long-term goals through a structured approach.
• Creating a FAM story (Future, Ambitious, Meaningful story) acts as a personal lighthouse guiding brain energy
• The power of connecting daily brain states to your 10-year vision through a structured approach
• Building motivation through tracking progress, managing stress, and creating self-fulfilling prophecies
• Identifying and strengthening six foundational areas: sleep, diet, exercise, stress management, confidence, and focus
• Mastering "Super Habits" like the 3-to-1 reflection that enhance multiple areas simultaneously
• Categorizing tasks as "ice cubes" (routine tasks for medium-charge states) or "ice sculptures" (complex tasks for high-charge states)
• Prioritizing tasks for the next 30 days to strategically allocate optimal brain states
• Maintaining the system through weekly reviews, a task inbox, and regular time estimate adjustments
If you're interested in becoming one of the world's first Human AI Performance Psychology Coaches, we currently have a few places available. Get in touch via our website for more details.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello Habit Mechanics .
It's Dr John Finn here.
I hope you're having a greatweek so far.
So in this podcast we arepicking back up with the Train
your Brain for the AI Revolutionbook, one that shared the first
(00:25):
section of the book, which wasthe sort of introduction to AI
and brain states, our brainbeing like a battery that has
three core brain states.
Some of those brain states cannow be um replicated by
(00:52):
technology, ai.
Some of those brain states canbe augmented with technology.
So in in that that part of thebook which is and I've got a
beautiful hardback cover of ahardback version of the book in
my hands right now so in thatpart of the book we covered the
(01:14):
first seven chapters.
So if you haven't listened tothat already, you can go back
and listen to it.
Then in the second episode, wecovered brain state measurement.
So you go back and measure yourbrain states or listen along if
you've got the book.
And then what we're going totalk about in this episode is
I'm going to share with you thechapters that are connected to
(01:38):
step 2 of the book, which isplanning with the task director.
So remember the success cyclehas four steps.
Step one is measure your brainstates.
Step two is planning with thetask director.
Step three is optimisation withthe day designer.
Step four is optimisation withthe routine engineer and then in
(02:00):
step five the bonus step weshow you how to use that system
to help others to thrive and beat their best.
So, as I've been saying, mostcoaching is failing in the AI
era because it's just gettingmore and more difficult to
(02:22):
actually put into practice thethings that we agree are a good
idea.
So we might recognize thatwe're overly stressed and have
some stress managementtechniques that we've been
taught or learned or beencoached on, but we don't use
them, we forget to use them, andthat's why we need a systematic
(02:42):
approach.
And that's why we need asystematic approach.
So we need a way of actuallymeasuring our brain's
neurobiological rhythms andpatterns and understanding that
with more clarity, so we can getmore control.
And that's step one of thesuccess cycle.
We need a long-term strategicplan so that we can connect what
(03:03):
we want to be working on today,which might be stress
management or something else, orbetter leadership, or better
parenting or whatever with thedistant future, and that's why
we have step two of the successcycle, which is planning with
the task director.
But having a long-termstrategic plan isn't enough.
(03:27):
We need a daily strategicframework, and that's step three
, which is optimization with theday designer.
And then we also need a way ofautomating that daily strategic
plan, and that's why we havestep four automation with the
routine engineer.
And then if we want to become acoach and help others, or a
(03:52):
leader and help others, we canuse that same simple, practical,
proven four-step system as ourcoaching framework or or part of
our leadership um system.
So, yeah, so, anyway, that'sthe context.
(04:12):
So what's coming up is um.
What we got here.
We got chapter 14, 15, 16, 17,18 and 19, and essentially we're
going to work from helping youto craft that bigger vision of
your future all the way back tothe next 30 days.
(04:33):
And I think this is what'sreally key in the success cycle
is that we have that clear30-day focus, but we can connect
that 30-day focus to our bigger, bigger, meaningful goals.
(04:56):
So I'm going to show youstep-by-step exactly how to do
that.
But, yeah, we're seeing just in30 days, with our one to one
coaching clients that our headof coaching, andrew Foster, is
working with, and that some ofour human AI performance
(05:20):
psychology coaches, those thatare in the pilot group just
working with people, and the30-day process has been so
powerful.
So don't just uh, don't justlisten to this.
Take some notes and put thingsinto practice.
And if you're interested inbecoming, um, one of the world's
(05:43):
first human AI performancepsychology coaches, then we do
currently have a couple ofplaces available, so get in
touch and we can share moredetails.
But enough from me here.
Next up is chapter 14.
And then we'll go all the waythrough to chapter 19, um.
(06:07):
So, yeah, make some notes andif you don't ever have any
questions, feel free to reachout um.
You can do that via the website, um, if you're not in the app,
or or or in one of our otherchannels.
So, yeah, enjoy.
Cycle step two Planning with thetask director.
(06:29):
The foundation determines theheight.
The task director.
Chapter 14, creating yourfuture vision.
Sarah sat in her favorite coffeeshop, a notebook open before
her.
I had my brain state profilescore.
She explained, but I keptasking myself what am I really
(06:51):
trying to optimise my brainstates?
For what future am I trying tocreate?
This is where you'll use one ofthe task director's most
powerful tools the future,ambitious, meaningful story,
which we call the FAM story.
Just as a lighthouse's beamguides ships through darkness,
(07:13):
your FAM story helps direct yourbrain's energy toward
meaningful long-term goals whilemanaging your states day by day
.
Working with the task directorhelped me discover something
crucial Sarah shared.
My brain state profile wasn'tjust showing me my current
(07:34):
performance.
It was revealing the gapbetween my present brain states
and the ones I needed to achievemy biggest goals.
Creating my FAM story helped mesee exactly how to use the
success cycle to close that gap.
Think of your FAM story like aniceberg.
(07:55):
The visible tip represents yourlong-term vision where you want
to be in 10 years or so.
Just above the surface are yourmedium term goals for the next
one to four years.
Underwater are your 12 monthobjectives.
Then, deeper underwater areyour monthly targets, weekly
(08:17):
priorities and daily actions.
Each layer connects yourpresent brain states to your
future ambitions.
The power of your FAM storycomes from how it creates what
we call a wave of motivation.
This helps direct your brain'senergy and willpower's efforts
in three powerful ways.
(08:37):
First, it helps you trackprogress.
Research shows the singlebiggest cause of burnout isn't
overload.
It's working too long withoutexperiencing personal progress.
Your FAM story lets you see theweekly, monthly and yearly
progress you are making in yourlife, all driven by brain state
(09:01):
optimisation.
Second, it helps manage stress.
Setting and monitoring goalsmakes it easier to reset and
recalibrate when we falter.
When set correctly, goalsbecome powerful stress
management tools.
They're meant to be adjustedand refined as you progress or
(09:23):
fail to progress, serving asadaptable signposts that help
willpower and its specialistsoptimise your journey.
Third, your fam story createsself-fulfilling prophecies.
Walt Disney famously said ifyou can dream it, you can do it.
Columbia University professorRobert Merton's research showed
(09:45):
that believing you can achievesomething significantly
increases your chances ofsuccess.
Your FAM story helps willpowerguide you your horribly
unhelpful emotions towardpositive behavioral patterns
aligned with your ambitions,making it easier to optimise
your brain states today, becauseyou can clearly see how it will
(10:09):
help you create a bettertomorrow.
The task director helped meunderstand something powerful,
sarah explained.
Every time I updated my FAMstory, usually every four to
eight weeks, I could see moreclearly how managing my brain
states connected to my biggergoals.
Better sleep wasn't just aboutfeeling less tired.
(10:32):
It was about having thehigh-charge brainpower to write
my novel.
Using AI tools effectivelywasn't just about productivity.
It was about creating space andenergy for what mattered most.
Sarah discovered something elsetoo.
As I mastered this process, Ifound myself naturally helping
(10:55):
colleagues create their own FAMstories.
There's something powerfulabout helping others connect
their daily brain states totheir biggest dreams.
In the next chapter, you'lllearn exactly how to create your
own FAM story with the taskdirector.
You'll discover how to connectyour brain state profile to your
(11:18):
future vision through specificquestions and exercises.
Just as Sarah used this tool totransform her performance,
you'll see how optimising yourbrain states today shapes the
future you want to createChapter 15.
Creating your FAM story withthe Task Director Success cycle,
(11:40):
location Step two, progress 25%complete.
Let's discover how to use thetask director to create your FAM
story, the tool that willconnect your brain state profile
to your future vision.
Just as Sarah used this processto transform her well-being and
(12:01):
performance, you'll learn howto map out your journey from
current brain states to you,consistently being at your very
best.
To make it easier to createyour fam story, I have created a
PDF template to guide youthrough the exercises in this
chapter and the next chapter.
Go to toughermindscouk, forwardslash, train your brain.
(12:27):
To download your copy First,the task director will help you
think about who inspires you.
This was eye-opening, sarahshared.
I started listing people Iadmired, from famous leaders to
authors who have walked the pathI want to follow.
Looking at their patternshelped me see what brain states
(12:51):
I needed to cultivate.
Write down your answers to thefollowing questions.
First, think about who inspiresyou.
Be specific and name names Someideas, in no particular order,
to spark your thoughts Parents,siblings, grandparents, family
(13:15):
colleagues, people who havechanged society scientists,
nobel Prize winners,entrepreneurs, mentors, writers,
sporting champions, politicalleaders, high achievers,
musicians, artists and othercreative people.
(13:35):
If you're not sure, start bythinking about the kind of
people who don't inspire you.
Next, think about why thepeople who inspire you actually
inspire you.
Be specific, identify theirshared and individual qualities.
Some ideas, in no particularorder, to spark your thoughts
(13:58):
Dedication, persistence,self-sacrifice, determination,
desire, work, ethic, success,tolerance, progress, excellence,
innovation, humility,dependability, resilience,
(14:19):
attitude, guts.
Think about what you do to feelat your best.
Here are some examples have fun,help others, develop myself,
relax, do meaningful work, showhumility, give my best, have a
good work-life balance, achieveresults, be dedicated, be
(14:45):
determined, persist withdifficult challenges, be
resilient, show the rightattitude, make personal progress
, be diligent, be dependable, betolerant, eat well, sleep well,
(15:08):
show self-control.
Then think about why is itimportant for you to do these
things and what outcomes do theyhelp you achieve?
Next, think about your topstrengths.
Here are some ideas, in noparticular order, to spark your
thoughts Dedication, desire,persistence, self-sacrifice,
positive attitude, calm, workethic, reflective Success,
(15:43):
humility, tolerance, diligence,dependability, excellence,
attitude Innovative.
Then think about the mostimportant and difficult things
you have achieved in your lifeso far or in the past 12 months.
Finally, think about how youmanaged to be persistent to
secure this achievement.
Although I knew I didn't haveperfect answers for all of these
areas, just thinking aboutthese things was crucial.
(16:06):
Sarah explained I startedseeing the connection between my
role models, strengths, bestmoments and the type of person I
wanted to be in the future.
Congratulations.
With these insights, you'reready to build your FAM story
iceberg, chapter 16.
Breaking down your FAM journeythe step-by-step action plan.
(16:31):
Success cycle location Step 2.
Progress 20% complete.
Now that you've explored yourinspirations and reflected on
your strengths, it's time totransform these insights into a
practical plan.
The task director will guideyou through creating a detailed
(16:56):
roadmap that connects your brainstates to your biggest goals.
The FAM form provides asystematic approach to this
planning process, you'll learnhow to break down your long-term
vision into specific actionsthat optimize your brain states
day by day.
This creates a clear line ofsight, from your future
ambitions to your daily choices.
As Sarah discovered, thisplanning process brings clarity
(17:21):
to every level of your journey.
Once I had my complete FAMstory, I could see exactly how
managing my brain states todaywould help me achieve my 10-year
vision.
Each daily action became ameaningful step toward my bigger
goals.
Broadly, the FAM form makes youthink about the future and
(17:45):
present in the following termswhat do I want to achieve in the
distant future?
What do I need to do in thenext 1-4 years to achieve my
distant future goals?
What do I need to do in thenext 12 months to achieve my 1
to 4 year goals?
(18:06):
What do I need to do in thenext 6 months to achieve my 12
month goals?
What do I need to do in thenext 3 months to achieve my 6
month goals?
What do I need to do in thenext 30 days to achieve my 3
month goals?
What do I need to do in thenext 30 days to achieve my
three-month goals?
What do I need to do this weekto achieve my goals for the next
(18:29):
30 days.
What do I need to prioritisetoday to achieve my goals for
this week?
Sometimes we might feelreluctant to commit to achieving
a major long-term objective,but the beauty of the FAM form
is that it allows us to beflexible.
We can decide to pivot andchange our goals.
(18:56):
They are not set in stone.
I encourage everyone who wantsto be their best to periodically
think about their own long-termgoals.
I step back to reflect and usethe FAM form to update my FAM
story every four to eight weeks.
My FAM story goals changebecause my life circumstances
change.
Sometimes the changes to mygoals are tiny and sometimes
(19:19):
they are big, but what is mostimportant is that I am engaging
in a purposeful reflection andplanning process.
This helps me learn aboutmyself and to be at my best.
The fanform helped me see howit all connected.
Sarah shared my 10-year visionincluded writing a novel while
(19:40):
maintaining a thriving careerand family life.
That meant optimising myhigh-charge states for creative
work, using AI tools effectivelyin medium-charge periods and
mastering my recharge patterns.
Each layer of the icebergshowed me exactly what to work
on next.
Here are the FAM form questionsto help you create your own FAM
(20:05):
story.
Remember the answers you giveand the goals you set are not
set in stone.
They are flexible and can bechanged at any time to make them
more helpful for you.
1.
Think about what you'd like tobe doing and what you'd like to
have in the medium to distantfuture, for example, 10 years
(20:27):
into the future or more.
Some words to get you thinkingabout your future goals Location
, family, possessions, friendsand relationships, health, home,
money, roles andresponsibilities, job Tip if you
(20:49):
are not sure, start by thinkingabout what you do not want your
future to look like.
Developing your long-term goalswill take time.
The aim of this exercise is notto create perfect goals, but to
get you thinking and started onyour journey to having a
clearer understanding about whatyou want your future self and
(21:11):
life to look like.
Remember whatever you writedown can be changed.
Should you set goals that mightfeel unrealistic?
I do because I have found that,even if I do not achieve these
goals, having a high level ofexpectation is helpful.
It means I achieve a higherlevel of happiness and
(21:35):
performance than I would have ifI'd set myself less ambitious
goals.
This is something I havelearned through practice.
Should you make an exact copyof my approach.
No, you need to develop anapproach that works best for you
.
You will only work out the bestway to set the type of goals
(21:57):
that work best for you by tryingthings out.
Goals are powerful tools, butit can take a lot of trial and
error to learn how to use themeffectively.
Y times five To make yourlong-term goals more meaningful
and powerful.
To make your long-term goalsmore meaningful and powerful,
try to understand why you wantto achieve them.
(22:19):
An effective way to do this isto ask yourself why five times.
For example, if you want to geta promotion at work, you might
ask yourself why.
The answer might be because youwant to earn more money.
So you would then ask yourselfwhy do you want to earn more
(22:40):
money?
That answer might be becauseyou want to move to a bigger
house.
Then you would ask yourself whydo you want to live in a bigger
house?
This answer could be so myyoung children have a garden to
(23:02):
play in.
The next question you might askyourself is why is it important
for you to have a garden yourchildren can play in?
The answer could be Iunderstand the importance of
outdoor play for healthydevelopment, and I want to
provide a space at home wherethey can do this.
By the time you have askedyourself why at least five times
(23:23):
, you will develop a clearunderstanding of the deeper
reasons for your goals andambitions.
The more meaningful yourreasons for wanting to achieve a
goal, the more powerful theywill be in helping you persist
and succeed.
Now let's get back to our FAMform questions.
2.
(23:43):
Think about what you need toachieve in the next one to four
years to make your distant tomedium future goals attainable.
3.
Think about what you need toachieve in the next 12 months to
make your 1-4 year goalsattainable.
4.
(24:03):
Think about what you need toachieve in the next 6 months to
make your 12 month goalsattainable.
5.
Think about what you need toachieve in the next three months
to make your six-month goalsattainable.
With your long-term FAM storytaking shape, you're ready to
(24:24):
discover how these aspirationstranslate into daily actions.
In the next chapter, we'llexplore the foundational habits
that will turn your vision intoreality.
Explore the foundational habitsthat will turn your vision into
reality, the daily practicesthat optimize your brain states
and steadily move you towardsyour goals.
Chapter 17.
Building your foundation forsuccess.
(24:47):
Success cycle location, step 2.
Progress 40% complete.
Now that you've created yourlong-term vision with the task
director through your FAM story,it's time to focus on something
crucial the daily habits thatwill build your path to that
(25:07):
future.
As Sarah discovered,transforming your brain states
isn't just about big goals.
It's also about the small,consistent actions that create
lasting change.
Creating my FAM story wasexciting, sarah shared, but the
task director helped me seesomething important I needed to
(25:29):
strengthen my foundation beforeI could reach those bigger goals
.
That meant focusing on basichabits that would optimize my
brain states day by day.
Think of these foundationalhabits like the base of your
lighthouse.
Just as a lighthouse needs asolid foundation to maintain its
structure during rough seas andstorms, your brain needs core
(25:53):
habits that maintain optimalstates through daily challenges.
Here are six key areas that needyour attention.
Number one sleep your brain'sprimary recharge mechanism.
Quality sleep isn't just aboutfeeling better.
It's essential for maintainingthe high charge states you need
(26:15):
for premium thinking work.
Number two diet the fuel foryour brain's energy system.
What and when you eat directlyaffects your ability to maintain
optimal brain states throughoutthe day.
Number three exercise yourbrain's natural energy optimizer
(26:37):
.
Regular movement, especiallywalking, helps regulate your
brain states and enhance yourcapacity for both high-charge
thinking and proper recharge.
Number four stress management.
Your brain's balance system.
Managing stress effectivelyhelps prevent hue from becoming
(26:58):
overactive and draining yourenergy unnecessarily.
Number five confidence.
Your performance foundation.
Building and maintainingconfidence helps you tackle
challenges while maintainingoptimal brain states.
Number six focus, impact andproductivity.
(27:18):
Your daily effectiveness system.
Having clear routines andsystems helps you match tasks to
your appropriate brain states.
You might expect we'd start bydirectly tackling these
foundational areas fixing yoursleep areas, fixing your sleep,
(27:39):
changing your diet, establishingan exercise routine but Sarah
discovered somethingcounterintuitive.
The fastest way to improvethese foundational habits is to
first master what we call superhabits.
The daily three-to-onereflection you learned in
chapter one is a good example ofa super habit, because it helps
you to both plan and reflect.
(28:00):
Super habits.
Work by helping willpower.
Guide Hugh toward betterpatterns across all foundational
areas simultaneously.
Think of them as master keysthat unlock multiple doors at
once.
The fam story is also a superhabit, and you'll learn others
in the coming chapters.
This was a breakthrough momentfor me.
(28:23):
Sarah explained I kept tryingto fix everything at once my
sleep, my diet, my exerciseroutine but the task director
showed me how consistently usingthe three-to-one reflection
actually made improving theseother areas easier.
Instead of fighting multiplebattles, I was creating positive
(28:45):
changes across my entire system.
Let's examine how the 3-to-1reflection naturally enhances
each foundational area.
Sleep enhancement the eveningreflection helps calm your
thinking by redirecting Hugh'sspotlight away from threats and
(29:06):
worries.
This activation of yourrecharged brain state makes
quality sleep more accessible.
Sarah discovered that on nights, when she skipped her
reflection, her mind would racewith unprocessed thoughts from
the day.
Diet and exercise awareness.
Regular reflection makes youmore conscious of how your
(29:27):
choices affect your energy andperformance.
When Sarah wrote about feelingenergised after a morning walk
or sluggish after a heavy lunch,these connections became
clearer.
This increased awarenessnaturally guided her toward
better decisions withoutrequiring constant willpower.
(29:50):
Stress management the practiceof deliberately finding
positives helps willpower guideHugh toward calmer patterns.
Each time you complete areflection, you're training your
brain to look beyond threatsand problems.
This builds your capacity tomaintain balance even during
(30:11):
challenging times.
Confidence building challengingtimes Confidence building
Writing down your dailysuccesses, no matter how small,
creates a more balanced view ofyour capabilities and progress.
Many of us focus primarily onwhat went wrong or what's still
incomplete.
The three to one ratio ensuresyou're acknowledging more
(30:34):
positives than areas forimprovement, enhancing focus,
impact and productivity.
Consistent reflection increasesyour awareness of which
approaches work best, helpingyou match tasks to your optimal
brain states.
Sarah began noticing patternsin her most focused days, which
(30:57):
helped her design betterschedules and routines.
Understanding super habits wasexceptionally insightful, sarah
shared.
Instead of feeling overwhelmedby all the areas I needed to
improve, I could focus on onepowerful practice that naturally
enhanced everything else.
(31:17):
The task director helped me seethat mastering these key habits
was like finding shortcuts tobetter brain states across the
board.
In the next chapter, you'lldiscover exactly where you stand
on each foundational area andlearn how to use super habits to
(31:38):
strengthen your base foroptimal performance.
Chapter 18.
Measuring and Strengtheningyour Success cycle location Step
2.
Progress 60% complete.
Now that you understand howsuper habits like the 3 to 1
reflection can enhance yourfoundational areas, let's
(32:00):
measure your current patterns Toidentify which areas need your
attention.
Take the Human AI ReadinessBrain state assessment again.
This time, rather than focusingon your overall score, pay
attention to the areas where youscore highest.
These indicate which habitsneed the most work.
(32:23):
Think of this assessment likerunning a diagnostic check on
your foundational habits.
Each statement reveals somethingimportant about how your brain
is functioning across thefoundational areas we discussed.
Take a moment to rate yourselfhonestly on each statement below
(32:44):
.
You'll score yourself from 1 to10, where 1 means never and 10
means always.
Write down your score for eachstatement.
Here are the statementsStatement 1.
I find myself responding tourgent issues instead of having
a plan or sticking to my plan.
(33:04):
Remember, one means never andten means always.
You're probably somewhere inbetween.
Write down your score.
Statement two I get interruptedby others emails, phone and my
own self-doubt or negativeself-talk and it takes me longer
to complete my work.
Again, remember 1 means neverand 10 means always.
(33:30):
You're probably somewhere inbetween.
Write down your score.
Statement 3.
I sleep poorly and it takeslonger to complete my work to a
high standard.
Statement 4.
I waste time doubting mydecisions, second-guessing
myself and beating myself up.
Statement five my mind feelsfoggy and it slows down my work.
(33:55):
Statement six I put offimportant tasks even though I
know they need doing.
Statement 7.
I feel overwhelmed and I makemistakes that take time to fix,
meaning it takes longer tocomplete my work to a high
standard.
Statement 8.
(34:15):
I find myself scrolling socialmedia when I know it is not a
good use of my time or helpfulfor me being at my best.
Statement 9.
I sleep poorly and it makes itharder to spot and prevent
mistakes in my work.
Statement 10.
My mind jumps between tasksinstead of focusing on one thing
(34:39):
, meaning it takes me longer tocomplete my work.
Statement 11.
I get distracted, including bymy own self-doubt and negative
self-talk, meaning it takeslonger to complete my work to a
high standard.
Statement 12.
I feel like I could achievemore if I felt more confident
(35:04):
and focused.
Like I could achieve more if Ifelt more confident and focused.
Statement 13.
I waste time because I'm notthinking clearly.
Statement 14.
My diet choices leave mefeeling sluggish and it takes me
longer to complete my work to ahigh standard.
Statement 15.
Lack of regular exercise, forexample.
Statement 15.
Lack of regular exercise, forexample, 10,000 plus steps and
(35:27):
elevated heart rate, reduces mymental energy and focus.
Please note, you can access adigital version of this
self-assessment, which shows youan overview of your scores at
tuffermindscouk forward slash.
Train your brain Understandingyour results.
(35:50):
After completing the assessment, you might feel overwhelmed by
all the areas that needattention.
This is exactly how Sarah feltat first.
Looking at my scores wasdaunting, she shared.
But the task director helped mesee something important.
I didn't need to fix everythingat once.
By focusing on consistentlyusing the three to one
(36:13):
reflection, I started seeingimprovements across multiple
areas.
This is why we start with superhabits.
Consider what happened whenSarah established a consistent
evening 3-1 reflection practice.
First week she began noticingpatterns in her sleep quality.
(36:36):
Writing down positives helpedcalm her racing mind.
The practice itself became asignal to her brain that the
workday was ending.
Second week, she startedrecognising how different foods
affected her energy.
The impact of her exercisepatterns became more apparent in
(36:59):
her daily reflections.
She could see clear connectionsbetween stress and productivity
.
Third week, her confidence grewas she documented small wins.
Sleep improved as eveningreflection became routine.
Other positive habits startedfeeling more natural creating
(37:23):
your foundation.
Natural Creating yourfoundation Based on your
assessment results.
Choose just one or two specifichabits to focus on this week.
Remember Sarah's experience.
Start with mastering thethree-to-one reflection, then
let other improvements follownaturally.
Take a moment to identify 1.
(37:43):
Which foundational area needsthe most attention this month?
2.
How could consistent use of the3-1 reflection help address
this area?
3.
What small step will you taketoday to establish your
end-of-day reflection practice.
(38:04):
To establish your end-of-dayreflection practice, the task
director has a saying thefoundation determines the height
.
Just as a lighthouse must buildupward from a solid base to
project its beam toward distanthorizons, you can't achieve your
fam-story vision without firstestablishing strong foundational
(38:26):
habits.
But rather than trying to buildeverything at once, focus first
on mastering the super habitsthat make all other improvements
easier.
Moving forward, you might bewondering about specific
strategies for better sleep,diet, exercise, stress
management, confidence, focus,leadership or other foundational
(38:49):
practices.
While these are crucial foryour long-term success, diving
into those details now wouldtake us away from your most
important immediate goalmastering the success cycle
itself.
Think of the success cycle asthe ultimate super habit, the
system that makes building allother habits easier.
(39:12):
When you're ready to exploredeeper insights into habit
formation and super habits,you'll find comprehensive
guidance in Appendix C Foradditional insights about
building specific habits atindividual, team and leadership
levels.
Please see my best-selling book, the Habit Mechanic, where I
(39:34):
share over 30 habit-buildingtools.
But for now, let's focus oncompleting step two of the
success cycle.
In the next chapter you'lllearn how to organise your tasks
into clear priorities, creatingthe foundation the day designer
will use to craft schedulesthat optimise your brain states.
(39:56):
As Sarah discovered, thissimple but crucial step
transforms how you use yourenergy each day.
Chapter 19.
Organising your priority tasksfor the next 30 days Success
cycle location Step 2.
Progress 80% complete.
Let's build on what you'vealready accomplished with the
(40:19):
task director.
Through your FAM story, you'veconnected your long-term vision
to shorter-term goals.
You've also identified keyfoundational habits that will
help optimise your brain states.
Now it's time to get clearabout all the tasks you need to
complete.
Think about your daily tasks andresponsibilities.
(40:41):
They fall into two distinctcategories based on the type of
brain state they require, and weuse the metaphor of ICE to help
us understand them and use themeffectively.
Ice cubes are your routinetasks, the kind that need
consistent but not maximum brainpower.
(41:02):
These tasks work well with yourmedium charge brain state.
Think of routine emails, basicadmin work or standard meetings.
Many of these tasks can beautomated or semi-automated with
AI tools.
Ice sculptures are your complextasks, the ones that demand
(41:25):
sustained premium thinking.
These require your high-chargebrain state.
This includes not onlychallenging work projects like
strategic planning or creativedevelopment, but also the
focused effort needed to buildthose foundational habits you
identified earlier.
Increasingly, these tasks canbe made easier with AI tools.
(41:51):
The task director helped me seethis distinction clearly.
Sarah shared Writing my novelwas definitely an ice sculpture.
It needed my best thinkingenergy, but I could also use
next generation AI to help mewrite faster.
However, processing teamupdates was more like freezing
(42:13):
ice cubes, something I couldhandle in medium charge state or
even delegate to AI tools.
Understanding this differencehelped me stop wasting my high
charge hours on tasks thatdidn't really need them.
Creating your organised tasklists.
Follow these steps to createyour organised task lists.
(42:35):
Step 1.
First, write down everythingyou need to accomplish in the
next 30 days that isn't part ofyour normal day-to-day routine.
Include work and familyresponsibilities, personal
development tasks and anythingelse you think is relevant.
Don't worry about categorisingyet, just get a complete brain
(42:57):
dump onto paper.
Step two label each task aseither an ice cube or ice
sculpture.
Step 3.
For each ice sculpture task,assign a priority number, 1
being your highest priority, andestimate how many minutes or
(43:18):
hours it will likely take tocomplete.
Step 4.
For each ice cube task, assigna priority number, 1 being your
highest priority, and estimatehow many minutes or hours it
will likely take to complete.
Here's how Sarah's lists lookedIce sculptures high charge
(43:39):
tasks Task 1.
Continue to build my daily3-to-1 reflection habit Priority
score 1.
3 minutes per day.
Task 2.
Develop new customer servicestrategy Priority score 3.
12 hours.
Task 3.
(44:00):
Establish morning exerciseroutine Priority score 2.
20 minutes per day.
Task 4.
Learn new AI data analysissystem Priority score 4, 8 hours
.
Task 5.
Write first novel chapterPriority score 5, 15 hours.
(44:21):
Task 6.
Decorate the kitchen Priorityscore 6, 20 hours.
Task 6.
Decorate the kitchen Priorityscore 6, 20 hours.
Ice cubes medium charge tasks.
Task 1.
Review daily team reportsPriority score 5, 1 hour.
Task 2.
Update project trackersPriority score 2, 30 minutes.
(44:43):
Task 3.
Schedule recurring meetingsPriority score 3, 30 minutes.
Task 3.
Schedule recurring meetingsPriority score 3, 30 minutes.
Task 4.
Call SAM to provide projectupdate Priority score 1, 30
minutes.
Task 5.
Renew my passport Priorityscore 5, 1 hour.
(45:04):
Creating these structured listsgave me a completely new
perspective.
Sarah explained, instead ofjust reacting to whatever seemed
urgent, I could be strategicabout using my brain state.
The task director helped me seeexactly when I needed my high
charge hours and planaccordingly.
(45:25):
Three essential maintenancestrategies.
The task director showed Sarahthree important strategies for
maintaining this system.
Strategy 1.
Schedule weekly reviews.
Every Sunday evening, sarahwould update her lists with new
tasks and review existing ones.
(45:45):
Sometimes, tasks I thoughtwould be ice sculptures actually
became more like ice cubes as Igot better at them, she
explained.
For example, once I learned thenew AI data analysis system,
using it became a medium-chargetask.
Other times, what I thoughtwould be a simple ice cube
(46:08):
turned out to need more focusedthinking.
Strategy 2.
Create a task inbox system.
Sarah kept a task inbox, asingle place to capture new
responsibilities as they came up.
Every evening I'd review thisinbox she shared.
I categorise each new task aseither an ice cube or sculpture,
(46:30):
assign it a priority, estimatethe time needed and added it to
the appropriate list.
This prevented new tasks fromdisrupting my brain state
optimisation.
Strategy 3.
Review review time estimatesregularly.
I learned to track how long itactually took me to complete
(46:52):
iSculpture tasks versus myinitial estimates.
Sarah explained this helped mebecome more accurate in my
planning.
I also discovered somethinginteresting about timing.
I also discovered somethinginteresting about timing.
Sarah said Tasks often tookdifferent amounts of time based
on my brain state.
A report that might take threehours when I was foggy, could be
(47:16):
finished in 45 minutes duringhigh charge times.
Understanding these patternshelped me create much more
realistic schedules with the daydesigner.
Take time now to create your ownprioritised lists.
If it's helpful, include thesuccess cycle as one of your ice
(47:38):
sculpture tasks.
Remember, nothing in thisapproach is prescriptive, so
create your lists in the waythat is most helpful for you.
Also, remember this isn't justabout work tasks, it's about
everything that's important inyour life.
Congratulations, you've nowcompleted step two of the
(48:02):
success cycle.
Step two of the success cycle.
Before we move on, and if youthink it's helpful, take a
moment to think about people youadmire for their ability to
prioritise and plan effectively,whether it's a colleague, a
leader you respect or even arenowned business figure.
What makes their approach soeffective?
(48:23):
This might help you to improveyour relationship with your own
task director, and you mighteven name it after one of those
people you admire.
Next, we'll move on to stepthree, where you'll discover how
the day designer uses thesepriority lists to craft
schedules that optimise yourbrain states across each 24-hour
(48:47):
period.
But first organise your tasksclearly for the next 30 days.
As Sarah discovered, thissimple step creates the
foundation for transforming howyou use your energy each day.
Hello Habit Mechanics .
It's Dr John Finn here.
I hope you're having a greatweek so far.
So in this podcast we arepicking back up with the Train
your Brain for the AI Revolutionbook, one that shared the first
(00:25):
section of the book, which wasthe sort of introduction to AI
and brain states, our brainbeing like a battery that has
three core brain states.
Some of those brain states cannow be um replicated by
(00:52):
technology, ai.
Some of those brain states canbe augmented with technology.
So in in that that part of thebook which is and I've got a
beautiful hardback cover of ahardback version of the book in
my hands right now so in thatpart of the book we covered the
(01:14):
first seven chapters.
So if you haven't listened tothat already, you can go back
and listen to it.
Then in the second episode, wecovered brain state measurement.
So you go back and measure yourbrain states or listen along if
you've got the book.
And then what we're going totalk about in this episode is
I'm going to share with you thechapters that are connected to
(01:38):
step 2 of the book, which isplanning with the task director.
So remember the success cyclehas four steps.
Step one is measure your brainstates.
Step two is planning with thetask director.
Step three is optimisation withthe day designer.
Step four is optimisation withthe routine engineer and then in
(02:00):
step five the bonus step weshow you how to use that system
to help others to thrive and beat their best.
So, as I've been saying, mostcoaching is failing in the AI
era because it's just gettingmore and more difficult to
(02:22):
actually put into practice thethings that we agree are a good
idea.
So we might recognize thatwe're overly stressed and have
some stress managementtechniques that we've been
taught or learned or beencoached on, but we don't use
them, we forget to use them, andthat's why we need a systematic
(02:42):
approach.
And that's why we need asystematic approach.
So we need a way of actuallymeasuring our brain's
neurobiological rhythms andpatterns and understanding that
with more clarity, so we can getmore control.
And that's step one of thesuccess cycle.
We need a long-term strategicplan so that we can connect what
(03:03):
we want to be working on today,which might be stress
management or something else, orbetter leadership, or better
parenting or whatever with thedistant future, and that's why
we have step two of the successcycle, which is planning with
the task director.
But having a long-termstrategic plan isn't enough.
(03:27):
We need a daily strategicframework, and that's step three
, which is optimization with theday designer.
And then we also need a way ofautomating that daily strategic
plan, and that's why we havestep four automation with the
routine engineer.
And then if we want to become acoach and help others, or a
(03:52):
leader and help others, we canuse that same simple, practical,
proven four-step system as ourcoaching framework or or part of
our leadership um system.
So, yeah, so, anyway, that'sthe context.
(04:12):
So what's coming up is um.
What we got here.
We got chapter 14, 15, 16, 17,18 and 19, and essentially we're
going to work from helping youto craft that bigger vision of
your future all the way back tothe next 30 days.
(04:33):
And I think this is what'sreally key in the success cycle
is that we have that clear30-day focus, but we can connect
that 30-day focus to our bigger, bigger, meaningful goals.
(04:56):
So I'm going to show youstep-by-step exactly how to do
that.
But, yeah, we're seeing just in30 days, with our one to one
coaching clients that our headof coaching, andrew Foster, is
working with, and that some ofour human AI performance
(05:20):
psychology coaches, those thatare in the pilot group just
working with people, and the30-day process has been so
powerful.
So don't just uh, don't justlisten to this.
Take some notes and put thingsinto practice.
And if you're interested inbecoming, um, one of the world's
(05:43):
first human AI performancepsychology coaches, then we do
currently have a couple ofplaces available, so get in
touch and we can share moredetails.
But enough from me here.
Next up is chapter 14.
And then we'll go all the waythrough to chapter 19, um.
(06:07):
So, yeah, make some notes andif you don't ever have any
questions, feel free to reachout um.
You can do that via the website, um, if you're not in the app,
or or or in one of our otherchannels.
So, yeah, enjoy.
Cycle step two Planning with thetask director.
(06:29):
The foundation determines theheight.
The task director.
Chapter 14, creating yourfuture vision.
Sarah sat in her favorite coffeeshop, a notebook open before
her.
I had my brain state profilescore.
She explained, but I keptasking myself what am I really
(06:51):
trying to optimise my brainstates?
For what future am I trying tocreate?
This is where you'll use one ofthe task director's most
powerful tools the future,ambitious, meaningful story,
which we call the FAM story.
Just as a lighthouse's beamguides ships through darkness,
(07:13):
your FAM story helps direct yourbrain's energy toward
meaningful long-term goals whilemanaging your states day by day
.
Working with the task directorhelped me discover something
crucial Sarah shared.
My brain state profile wasn'tjust showing me my current
(07:34):
performance.
It was revealing the gapbetween my present brain states
and the ones I needed to achievemy biggest goals.
Creating my FAM story helped mesee exactly how to use the
success cycle to close that gap.
Think of your FAM story like aniceberg.
(07:55):
The visible tip represents yourlong-term vision where you want
to be in 10 years or so.
Just above the surface are yourmedium term goals for the next
one to four years.
Underwater are your 12 monthobjectives.
Then, deeper underwater areyour monthly targets, weekly
(08:17):
priorities and daily actions.
Each layer connects yourpresent brain states to your
future ambitions.
The power of your FAM storycomes from how it creates what
we call a wave of motivation.
This helps direct your brain'senergy and willpower's efforts
in three powerful ways.
(08:37):
First, it helps you trackprogress.
Research shows the singlebiggest cause of burnout isn't
overload.
It's working too long withoutexperiencing personal progress.
Your FAM story lets you see theweekly, monthly and yearly
progress you are making in yourlife, all driven by brain state
(09:01):
optimisation.
Second, it helps manage stress.
Setting and monitoring goalsmakes it easier to reset and
recalibrate when we falter.
When set correctly, goalsbecome powerful stress
management tools.
They're meant to be adjustedand refined as you progress or
(09:23):
fail to progress, serving asadaptable signposts that help
willpower and its specialistsoptimise your journey.
Third, your fam story createsself-fulfilling prophecies.
Walt Disney famously said ifyou can dream it, you can do it.
Columbia University professorRobert Merton's research showed
(09:45):
that believing you can achievesomething significantly
increases your chances ofsuccess.
Your FAM story helps willpowerguide you your horribly
unhelpful emotions towardpositive behavioral patterns
aligned with your ambitions,making it easier to optimise
your brain states today, becauseyou can clearly see how it will
(10:09):
help you create a bettertomorrow.
The task director helped meunderstand something powerful,
sarah explained.
Every time I updated my FAMstory, usually every four to
eight weeks, I could see moreclearly how managing my brain
states connected to my biggergoals.
Better sleep wasn't just aboutfeeling less tired.
(10:32):
It was about having thehigh-charge brainpower to write
my novel.
Using AI tools effectivelywasn't just about productivity.
It was about creating space andenergy for what mattered most.
Sarah discovered something elsetoo.
As I mastered this process, Ifound myself naturally helping
(10:55):
colleagues create their own FAMstories.
There's something powerfulabout helping others connect
their daily brain states totheir biggest dreams.
In the next chapter, you'lllearn exactly how to create your
own FAM story with the taskdirector.
You'll discover how to connectyour brain state profile to your
(11:18):
future vision through specificquestions and exercises.
Just as Sarah used this tool totransform her performance,
you'll see how optimising yourbrain states today shapes the
future you want to createChapter 15.
Creating your FAM story withthe Task Director Success cycle,
(11:40):
location Step two, progress 25%complete.
Let's discover how to use thetask director to create your FAM
story, the tool that willconnect your brain state profile
to your future vision.
Just as Sarah used this processto transform her well-being and
(12:01):
performance, you'll learn howto map out your journey from
current brain states to you,consistently being at your very
best.
To make it easier to createyour fam story, I have created a
PDF template to guide youthrough the exercises in this
chapter and the next chapter.
Go to toughermindscouk, forwardslash, train your brain.
(12:27):
To download your copy First,the task director will help you
think about who inspires you.
This was eye-opening, sarahshared.
I started listing people Iadmired, from famous leaders to
authors who have walked the pathI want to follow.
Looking at their patternshelped me see what brain states
(12:51):
I needed to cultivate.
Write down your answers to thefollowing questions.
First, think about who inspiresyou.
Be specific and name names Someideas, in no particular order,
to spark your thoughts Parents,siblings, grandparents, family
(13:15):
colleagues, people who havechanged society scientists,
nobel Prize winners,entrepreneurs, mentors, writers,
sporting champions, politicalleaders, high achievers,
musicians, artists and othercreative people.
(13:35):
If you're not sure, start bythinking about the kind of
people who don't inspire you.
Next, think about why thepeople who inspire you actually
inspire you.
Be specific, identify theirshared and individual qualities.
Some ideas, in no particularorder, to spark your thoughts
(13:58):
Dedication, persistence,self-sacrifice, determination,
desire, work, ethic, success,tolerance, progress, excellence,
innovation, humility,dependability, resilience,
(14:19):
attitude, guts.
Think about what you do to feelat your best.
Here are some examples have fun,help others, develop myself,
relax, do meaningful work, showhumility, give my best, have a
good work-life balance, achieveresults, be dedicated, be
(14:45):
determined, persist withdifficult challenges, be
resilient, show the rightattitude, make personal progress
, be diligent, be dependable, betolerant, eat well, sleep well,
(15:08):
show self-control.
Then think about why is itimportant for you to do these
things and what outcomes do theyhelp you achieve?
Next, think about your topstrengths.
Here are some ideas, in noparticular order, to spark your
thoughts Dedication, desire,persistence, self-sacrifice,
positive attitude, calm, workethic, reflective Success,
(15:43):
humility, tolerance, diligence,dependability, excellence,
attitude Innovative.
Then think about the mostimportant and difficult things
you have achieved in your lifeso far or in the past 12 months.
Finally, think about how youmanaged to be persistent to
secure this achievement.
Although I knew I didn't haveperfect answers for all of these
areas, just thinking aboutthese things was crucial.
(16:06):
Sarah explained I startedseeing the connection between my
role models, strengths, bestmoments and the type of person I
wanted to be in the future.
Congratulations.
With these insights, you'reready to build your FAM story
iceberg, chapter 16.
Breaking down your FAM journeythe step-by-step action plan.
(16:31):
Success cycle location Step 2.
Progress 20% complete.
Now that you've explored yourinspirations and reflected on
your strengths, it's time totransform these insights into a
practical plan.
The task director will guideyou through creating a detailed
(16:56):
roadmap that connects your brainstates to your biggest goals.
The FAM form provides asystematic approach to this
planning process, you'll learnhow to break down your long-term
vision into specific actionsthat optimize your brain states
day by day.
This creates a clear line ofsight, from your future
ambitions to your daily choices.
As Sarah discovered, thisplanning process brings clarity
(17:21):
to every level of your journey.
Once I had my complete FAMstory, I could see exactly how
managing my brain states todaywould help me achieve my 10-year
vision.
Each daily action became ameaningful step toward my bigger
goals.
Broadly, the FAM form makes youthink about the future and
(17:45):
present in the following termswhat do I want to achieve in the
distant future?
What do I need to do in thenext 1-4 years to achieve my
distant future goals?
What do I need to do in thenext 12 months to achieve my 1
to 4 year goals?
(18:06):
What do I need to do in thenext 6 months to achieve my 12
month goals?
What do I need to do in thenext 3 months to achieve my 6
month goals?
What do I need to do in thenext 30 days to achieve my 3
month goals?
What do I need to do in thenext 30 days to achieve my
three-month goals?
What do I need to do this weekto achieve my goals for the next
(18:29):
30 days.
What do I need to prioritisetoday to achieve my goals for
this week?
Sometimes we might feelreluctant to commit to achieving
a major long-term objective,but the beauty of the FAM form
is that it allows us to beflexible.
We can decide to pivot andchange our goals.
(18:56):
They are not set in stone.
I encourage everyone who wantsto be their best to periodically
think about their own long-termgoals.
I step back to reflect and usethe FAM form to update my FAM
story every four to eight weeks.
My FAM story goals changebecause my life circumstances
change.
Sometimes the changes to mygoals are tiny and sometimes
(19:19):
they are big, but what is mostimportant is that I am engaging
in a purposeful reflection andplanning process.
This helps me learn aboutmyself and to be at my best.
The fanform helped me see howit all connected.
Sarah shared my 10-year visionincluded writing a novel while
(19:40):
maintaining a thriving careerand family life.
That meant optimising myhigh-charge states for creative
work, using AI tools effectivelyin medium-charge periods and
mastering my recharge patterns.
Each layer of the icebergshowed me exactly what to work
on next.
Here are the FAM form questionsto help you create your own FAM
(20:05):
story.
Remember the answers you giveand the goals you set are not
set in stone.
They are flexible and can bechanged at any time to make them
more helpful for you.
1.
Think about what you'd like tobe doing and what you'd like to
have in the medium to distantfuture, for example, 10 years
(20:27):
into the future or more.
Some words to get you thinkingabout your future goals Location
, family, possessions, friendsand relationships, health, home,
money, roles andresponsibilities, job Tip if you
(20:49):
are not sure, start by thinkingabout what you do not want your
future to look like.
Developing your long-term goalswill take time.
The aim of this exercise is notto create perfect goals, but to
get you thinking and started onyour journey to having a
clearer understanding about whatyou want your future self and
(21:11):
life to look like.
Remember whatever you writedown can be changed.
Should you set goals that mightfeel unrealistic?
I do because I have found that,even if I do not achieve these
goals, having a high level ofexpectation is helpful.
It means I achieve a higherlevel of happiness and
(21:35):
performance than I would have ifI'd set myself less ambitious
goals.
This is something I havelearned through practice.
Should you make an exact copyof my approach.
No, you need to develop anapproach that works best for you
.
You will only work out the bestway to set the type of goals
(21:57):
that work best for you by tryingthings out.
Goals are powerful tools, butit can take a lot of trial and
error to learn how to use themeffectively.
Y times five To make yourlong-term goals more meaningful
and powerful.
To make your long-term goalsmore meaningful and powerful,
try to understand why you wantto achieve them.
(22:19):
An effective way to do this isto ask yourself why five times.
For example, if you want to geta promotion at work, you might
ask yourself why.
The answer might be because youwant to earn more money.
So you would then ask yourselfwhy do you want to earn more
(22:40):
money?
That answer might be becauseyou want to move to a bigger
house.
Then you would ask yourself whydo you want to live in a bigger
house?
This answer could be so myyoung children have a garden to
(23:02):
play in.
The next question you might askyourself is why is it important
for you to have a garden yourchildren can play in?
The answer could be Iunderstand the importance of
outdoor play for healthydevelopment, and I want to
provide a space at home wherethey can do this.
By the time you have askedyourself why at least five times
(23:23):
, you will develop a clearunderstanding of the deeper
reasons for your goals andambitions.
The more meaningful yourreasons for wanting to achieve a
goal, the more powerful theywill be in helping you persist
and succeed.
Now let's get back to our FAMform questions.
2.
(23:43):
Think about what you need toachieve in the next one to four
years to make your distant tomedium future goals attainable.
3.
Think about what you need toachieve in the next 12 months to
make your 1-4 year goalsattainable.
4.
(24:03):
Think about what you need toachieve in the next 6 months to
make your 12 month goalsattainable.
5.
Think about what you need toachieve in the next three months
to make your six-month goalsattainable.
With your long-term FAM storytaking shape, you're ready to
(24:24):
discover how these aspirationstranslate into daily actions.
In the next chapter, we'llexplore the foundational habits
that will turn your vision intoreality.
Explore the foundational habitsthat will turn your vision into
reality, the daily practicesthat optimize your brain states
and steadily move you towardsyour goals.
Chapter 17.
Building your foundation forsuccess.
(24:47):
Success cycle location, step 2.
Progress 40% complete.
Now that you've created yourlong-term vision with the task
director through your FAM story,it's time to focus on something
crucial the daily habits thatwill build your path to that
(25:07):
future.
As Sarah discovered,transforming your brain states
isn't just about big goals.
It's also about the small,consistent actions that create
lasting change.
Creating my FAM story wasexciting, sarah shared, but the
task director helped me seesomething important I needed to
(25:29):
strengthen my foundation beforeI could reach those bigger goals
.
That meant focusing on basichabits that would optimize my
brain states day by day.
Think of these foundationalhabits like the base of your
lighthouse.
Just as a lighthouse needs asolid foundation to maintain its
structure during rough seas andstorms, your brain needs core
(25:53):
habits that maintain optimalstates through daily challenges.
Here are six key areas that needyour attention.
Number one sleep your brain'sprimary recharge mechanism.
Quality sleep isn't just aboutfeeling better.
It's essential for maintainingthe high charge states you need
(26:15):
for premium thinking work.
Number two diet the fuel foryour brain's energy system.
What and when you eat directlyaffects your ability to maintain
optimal brain states throughoutthe day.
Number three exercise yourbrain's natural energy optimizer
(26:37):
.
Regular movement, especiallywalking, helps regulate your
brain states and enhance yourcapacity for both high-charge
thinking and proper recharge.
Number four stress management.
Your brain's balance system.
Managing stress effectivelyhelps prevent hue from becoming
(26:58):
overactive and draining yourenergy unnecessarily.
Number five confidence.
Your performance foundation.
Building and maintainingconfidence helps you tackle
challenges while maintainingoptimal brain states.
Number six focus, impact andproductivity.
(27:18):
Your daily effectiveness system.
Having clear routines andsystems helps you match tasks to
your appropriate brain states.
You might expect we'd start bydirectly tackling these
foundational areas fixing yoursleep areas, fixing your sleep,
(27:39):
changing your diet, establishingan exercise routine but Sarah
discovered somethingcounterintuitive.
The fastest way to improvethese foundational habits is to
first master what we call superhabits.
The daily three-to-onereflection you learned in
chapter one is a good example ofa super habit, because it helps
you to both plan and reflect.
(28:00):
Super habits.
Work by helping willpower.
Guide Hugh toward betterpatterns across all foundational
areas simultaneously.
Think of them as master keysthat unlock multiple doors at
once.
The fam story is also a superhabit, and you'll learn others
in the coming chapters.
This was a breakthrough momentfor me.
(28:23):
Sarah explained I kept tryingto fix everything at once my
sleep, my diet, my exerciseroutine but the task director
showed me how consistently usingthe three-to-one reflection
actually made improving theseother areas easier.
Instead of fighting multiplebattles, I was creating positive
(28:45):
changes across my entire system.
Let's examine how the 3-to-1reflection naturally enhances
each foundational area.
Sleep enhancement the eveningreflection helps calm your
thinking by redirecting Hugh'sspotlight away from threats and
(29:06):
worries.
This activation of yourrecharged brain state makes
quality sleep more accessible.
Sarah discovered that on nights, when she skipped her
reflection, her mind would racewith unprocessed thoughts from
the day.
Diet and exercise awareness.
Regular reflection makes youmore conscious of how your
(29:27):
choices affect your energy andperformance.
When Sarah wrote about feelingenergised after a morning walk
or sluggish after a heavy lunch,these connections became
clearer.
This increased awarenessnaturally guided her toward
better decisions withoutrequiring constant willpower.
(29:50):
Stress management the practiceof deliberately finding
positives helps willpower guideHugh toward calmer patterns.
Each time you complete areflection, you're training your
brain to look beyond threatsand problems.
This builds your capacity tomaintain balance even during
(30:11):
challenging times.
Confidence building challengingtimes Confidence building
Writing down your dailysuccesses, no matter how small,
creates a more balanced view ofyour capabilities and progress.
Many of us focus primarily onwhat went wrong or what's still
incomplete.
The three to one ratio ensuresyou're acknowledging more
(30:34):
positives than areas forimprovement, enhancing focus,
impact and productivity.
Consistent reflection increasesyour awareness of which
approaches work best, helpingyou match tasks to your optimal
brain states.
Sarah began noticing patternsin her most focused days, which
(30:57):
helped her design betterschedules and routines.
Understanding super habits wasexceptionally insightful, sarah
shared.
Instead of feeling overwhelmedby all the areas I needed to
improve, I could focus on onepowerful practice that naturally
enhanced everything else.
(31:17):
The task director helped me seethat mastering these key habits
was like finding shortcuts tobetter brain states across the
board.
In the next chapter, you'lldiscover exactly where you stand
on each foundational area andlearn how to use super habits to
(31:38):
strengthen your base foroptimal performance.
Chapter 18.
Measuring and Strengtheningyour Success cycle location Step
2.
Progress 60% complete.
Now that you understand howsuper habits like the 3 to 1
reflection can enhance yourfoundational areas, let's
(32:00):
measure your current patterns Toidentify which areas need your
attention.
Take the Human AI ReadinessBrain state assessment again.
This time, rather than focusingon your overall score, pay
attention to the areas where youscore highest.
These indicate which habitsneed the most work.
(32:23):
Think of this assessment likerunning a diagnostic check on
your foundational habits.
Each statement reveals somethingimportant about how your brain
is functioning across thefoundational areas we discussed.
Take a moment to rate yourselfhonestly on each statement below
(32:44):
.
You'll score yourself from 1 to10, where 1 means never and 10
means always.
Write down your score for eachstatement.
Here are the statementsStatement 1.
I find myself responding tourgent issues instead of having
a plan or sticking to my plan.
(33:04):
Remember, one means never andten means always.
You're probably somewhere inbetween.
Write down your score.
Statement two I get interruptedby others emails, phone and my
own self-doubt or negativeself-talk and it takes me longer
to complete my work.
Again, remember 1 means neverand 10 means always.
(33:30):
You're probably somewhere inbetween.
Write down your score.
Statement 3.
I sleep poorly and it takeslonger to complete my work to a
high standard.
Statement 4.
I waste time doubting mydecisions, second-guessing
myself and beating myself up.
Statement five my mind feelsfoggy and it slows down my work.
(33:55):
Statement six I put offimportant tasks even though I
know they need doing.
Statement 7.
I feel overwhelmed and I makemistakes that take time to fix,
meaning it takes longer tocomplete my work to a high
standard.
Statement 8.
(34:15):
I find myself scrolling socialmedia when I know it is not a
good use of my time or helpfulfor me being at my best.
Statement 9.
I sleep poorly and it makes itharder to spot and prevent
mistakes in my work.
Statement 10.
My mind jumps between tasksinstead of focusing on one thing
(34:39):
, meaning it takes me longer tocomplete my work.
Statement 11.
I get distracted, including bymy own self-doubt and negative
self-talk, meaning it takeslonger to complete my work to a
high standard.
Statement 12.
I feel like I could achievemore if I felt more confident
(35:04):
and focused.
Like I could achieve more if Ifelt more confident and focused.
Statement 13.
I waste time because I'm notthinking clearly.
Statement 14.
My diet choices leave mefeeling sluggish and it takes me
longer to complete my work to ahigh standard.
Statement 15.
Lack of regular exercise, forexample.
Statement 15.
Lack of regular exercise, forexample, 10,000 plus steps and
(35:27):
elevated heart rate, reduces mymental energy and focus.
Please note, you can access adigital version of this
self-assessment, which shows youan overview of your scores at
tuffermindscouk forward slash.
Train your brain Understandingyour results.
(35:50):
After completing the assessment, you might feel overwhelmed by
all the areas that needattention.
This is exactly how Sarah feltat first.
Looking at my scores wasdaunting, she shared.
But the task director helped mesee something important.
I didn't need to fix everythingat once.
By focusing on consistentlyusing the three to one
(36:13):
reflection, I started seeingimprovements across multiple
areas.
This is why we start with superhabits.
Consider what happened whenSarah established a consistent
evening 3-1 reflection practice.
First week she began noticingpatterns in her sleep quality.
(36:36):
Writing down positives helpedcalm her racing mind.
The practice itself became asignal to her brain that the
workday was ending.
Second week, she startedrecognising how different foods
affected her energy.
The impact of her exercisepatterns became more apparent in
(36:59):
her daily reflections.
She could see clear connectionsbetween stress and productivity
.
Third week, her confidence grewas she documented small wins.
Sleep improved as eveningreflection became routine.
Other positive habits startedfeeling more natural creating
(37:23):
your foundation.
Natural Creating yourfoundation Based on your
assessment results.
Choose just one or two specifichabits to focus on this week.
Remember Sarah's experience.
Start with mastering thethree-to-one reflection, then
let other improvements follownaturally.
Take a moment to identify 1.
(37:43):
Which foundational area needsthe most attention this month?
2.
How could consistent use of the3-1 reflection help address
this area?
3.
What small step will you taketoday to establish your
end-of-day reflection practice.
(38:04):
To establish your end-of-dayreflection practice, the task
director has a saying thefoundation determines the height
.
Just as a lighthouse must buildupward from a solid base to
project its beam toward distanthorizons, you can't achieve your
fam-story vision without firstestablishing strong foundational
(38:26):
habits.
But rather than trying to buildeverything at once, focus first
on mastering the super habitsthat make all other improvements
easier.
Moving forward, you might bewondering about specific
strategies for better sleep,diet, exercise, stress
management, confidence, focus,leadership or other foundational
(38:49):
practices.
While these are crucial foryour long-term success, diving
into those details now wouldtake us away from your most
important immediate goalmastering the success cycle
itself.
Think of the success cycle asthe ultimate super habit, the
system that makes building allother habits easier.
(39:12):
When you're ready to exploredeeper insights into habit
formation and super habits,you'll find comprehensive
guidance in Appendix C Foradditional insights about
building specific habits atindividual, team and leadership
levels.
Please see my best-selling book, the Habit Mechanic, where I
(39:34):
share over 30 habit-buildingtools.
But for now, let's focus oncompleting step two of the
success cycle.
In the next chapter you'lllearn how to organise your tasks
into clear priorities, creatingthe foundation the day designer
will use to craft schedulesthat optimise your brain states.
(39:56):
As Sarah discovered, thissimple but crucial step
transforms how you use yourenergy each day.
Chapter 19.
Organising your priority tasksfor the next 30 days Success
cycle location Step 2.
Progress 80% complete.
Let's build on what you'vealready accomplished with the
(40:19):
task director.
Through your FAM story, you'veconnected your long-term vision
to shorter-term goals.
You've also identified keyfoundational habits that will
help optimise your brain states.
Now it's time to get clearabout all the tasks you need to
complete.
Think about your daily tasks andresponsibilities.
(40:41):
They fall into two distinctcategories based on the type of
brain state they require, and weuse the metaphor of ICE to help
us understand them and use themeffectively.
Ice cubes are your routinetasks, the kind that need
consistent but not maximum brainpower.
(41:02):
These tasks work well with yourmedium charge brain state.
Think of routine emails, basicadmin work or standard meetings.
Many of these tasks can beautomated or semi-automated with
AI tools.
Ice sculptures are your complextasks, the ones that demand
(41:25):
sustained premium thinking.
These require your high-chargebrain state.
This includes not onlychallenging work projects like
strategic planning or creativedevelopment, but also the
focused effort needed to buildthose foundational habits you
identified earlier.
Increasingly, these tasks canbe made easier with AI tools.
(41:51):
The task director helped me seethis distinction clearly.
Sarah shared Writing my novelwas definitely an ice sculpture.
It needed my best thinkingenergy, but I could also use
next generation AI to help mewrite faster.
However, processing teamupdates was more like freezing
(42:13):
ice cubes, something I couldhandle in medium charge state or
even delegate to AI tools.
Understanding this differencehelped me stop wasting my high
charge hours on tasks thatdidn't really need them.
Creating your organised tasklists.
Follow these steps to createyour organised task lists.
(42:35):
Step 1.
First, write down everythingyou need to accomplish in the
next 30 days that isn't part ofyour normal day-to-day routine.
Include work and familyresponsibilities, personal
development tasks and anythingelse you think is relevant.
Don't worry about categorisingyet, just get a complete brain
(42:57):
dump onto paper.
Step two label each task aseither an ice cube or ice
sculpture.
Step 3.
For each ice sculpture task,assign a priority number, 1
being your highest priority, andestimate how many minutes or
(43:18):
hours it will likely take tocomplete.
Step 4.
For each ice cube task, assigna priority number, 1 being your
highest priority, and estimatehow many minutes or hours it
will likely take to complete.
Here's how Sarah's lists lookedIce sculptures high charge
(43:39):
tasks Task 1.
Continue to build my daily3-to-1 reflection habit Priority
score 1.
3 minutes per day.
Task 2.
Develop new customer servicestrategy Priority score 3.
12 hours.
Task 3.
(44:00):
Establish morning exerciseroutine Priority score 2.
20 minutes per day.
Task 4.
Learn new AI data analysissystem Priority score 4, 8 hours
.
Task 5.
Write first novel chapterPriority score 5, 15 hours.
(44:21):
Task 6.
Decorate the kitchen Priorityscore 6, 20 hours.
Task 6.
Decorate the kitchen Priorityscore 6, 20 hours.
Ice cubes medium charge tasks.
Task 1.
Review daily team reportsPriority score 5, 1 hour.
Task 2.
Update project trackersPriority score 2, 30 minutes.
(44:43):
Task 3.
Schedule recurring meetingsPriority score 3, 30 minutes.
Task 3.
Schedule recurring meetingsPriority score 3, 30 minutes.
Task 4.
Call SAM to provide projectupdate Priority score 1, 30
minutes.
Task 5.
Renew my passport Priorityscore 5, 1 hour.
(45:04):
Creating these structured listsgave me a completely new
perspective.
Sarah explained, instead ofjust reacting to whatever seemed
urgent, I could be strategicabout using my brain state.
The task director helped me seeexactly when I needed my high
charge hours and planaccordingly.
(45:25):
Three essential maintenancestrategies.
The task director showed Sarahthree important strategies for
maintaining this system.
Strategy 1.
Schedule weekly reviews.
Every Sunday evening, sarahwould update her lists with new
tasks and review existing ones.
(45:45):
Sometimes, tasks I thoughtwould be ice sculptures actually
became more like ice cubes as Igot better at them, she
explained.
For example, once I learned thenew AI data analysis system,
using it became a medium-chargetask.
Other times, what I thoughtwould be a simple ice cube
(46:08):
turned out to need more focusedthinking.
Strategy 2.
Create a task inbox system.
Sarah kept a task inbox, asingle place to capture new
responsibilities as they came up.
Every evening I'd review thisinbox she shared.
I categorise each new task aseither an ice cube or sculpture,
(46:30):
assign it a priority, estimatethe time needed and added it to
the appropriate list.
This prevented new tasks fromdisrupting my brain state
optimisation.
Strategy 3.
Review review time estimatesregularly.
I learned to track how long itactually took me to complete
(46:52):
iSculpture tasks versus myinitial estimates.
Sarah explained this helped mebecome more accurate in my
planning.
I also discovered somethinginteresting about timing.
I also discovered somethinginteresting about timing.
Sarah said Tasks often tookdifferent amounts of time based
on my brain state.
A report that might take threehours when I was foggy, could be
(47:16):
finished in 45 minutes duringhigh charge times.
Understanding these patternshelped me create much more
realistic schedules with the daydesigner.
Take time now to create your ownprioritised lists.
If it's helpful, include thesuccess cycle as one of your ice
(47:38):
sculpture tasks.
Remember, nothing in thisapproach is prescriptive, so
create your lists in the waythat is most helpful for you.
Also, remember this isn't justabout work tasks, it's about
everything that's important inyour life.
Congratulations, you've nowcompleted step two of the
(48:02):
success cycle.
Step two of the success cycle.
Before we move on, and if youthink it's helpful, take a
moment to think about people youadmire for their ability to
prioritise and plan effectively,whether it's a colleague, a
leader you respect or even arenowned business figure.
What makes their approach soeffective?
(48:23):
This might help you to improveyour relationship with your own
task director, and you mighteven name it after one of those
people you admire.
Next, we'll move on to stepthree, where you'll discover how
the day designer uses thesepriority lists to craft
schedules that optimise yourbrain states across each 24-hour
(48:47):
period.
But first organise your tasksclearly for the next 30 days.
As Sarah discovered, thissimple step creates the
foundation for transforming howyou use your energy each day.
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