Why Current Coaching Approaches Fail in the AI Era (And What to Do About It)

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Podcast Description:

In this episode, Dr. Jon Finn draws on insights from his groundbreaking new book: 

'Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution: The Proven 4-Step System to Become Irreplaceable (No Tech Skills Required).

He explores why traditional approaches to cognitive performance optimization are failing in the AI era—and what needs to change. Drawing from chapters 11 and 12, Dr. Finn dives into the science behind why traditional methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and wellness programs are inadequate in a rapidly evolving, AI-augmented world.

Key Highlights:

• Chapter 11: "Why Traditional Solutions Fail in the AI Era"
  Dr. Finn dissects why current methods simply can’t keep up with the demands of AI, offering real-world case studies and research that showcase their limitations.
• Chapter 12: "Like Sport Science for Your Brain"
  Discover why adopting a Human-AI approach to cognitive performance—much like how sports science revolutionized physical performance—is the key to thriving in the AI-driven workplace.
• The introduction of the Success Cycle, a transformative model that rewires habits and optimizes brain states, allowing professionals to thrive while managing AI tools effectively.

Unlock Peak Cognitive Performance in the AI Era: Dr. Finn explains how mastering your brain’s neurobiological energy patterns—your brain states—is the key to managing the complexities of the AI revolution. Through a sport science-inspired approach, Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution provides a four-step system that’s already showing results for people who apply it in just 30 days.

A Transformative Coaching Opportunity: In this episode, Dr. Finn also previews the exciting new role of the Human-AI Coach, and introduces the Habit Mechanic AI-Edge Coach methodology. This is your chance to lead the charge in helping organizations build Brain State intelligent cultures and help individuals optimize their cognitive performance for peak results.

Whether you’re looking to maximize your own cognitive performance or lead others through this transformative era, this episode lays the groundwork for creating a sustainable, AI-augmented future.

Listen now to discover why traditional methods no longer work and how mastering brain states with AI tools can unlock real breakthroughs in your professional and personal life.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello Habit Mechanics .
It's Dr John Finn here.
I hope you're having a greatweek.
So far.
This is our first podcast sincewe've released the audiobook
version of Train your Brain forthe AI Revolution the proven
four-step system to becomeirreplaceable no tech skills

(00:23):
required.
Four-step system to becomeirreplaceable no tech skills
required.
So we've had our heads down umreally focusing on creating a
book, a mini training program.
In many ways that makes iteasier for individuals, teams,
leaders, organizations to reallyunderstand the human challenges

(00:48):
of the AI revolution and whatwe need to do to actually thrive
in this new era.
I know we've been hearing aboutAI for maybe about two years
now AI for maybe about two yearsnow but we're really starting

(01:12):
to see the real term impact ofhow it can affect our lives,
both positively and negatively.
So the train your brain for theAI revolution book, the go-to
document that will guide youthrough how to thrive in this
new world.
And the way that I'm thinkingabout ai is it's almost like a

(01:35):
new species that has landed onour planet that and also entered
our workplaces and our homes,and it's a species that is
evolving almost on a weeklybasis and it will continue to
evolve and become cleverer andsmarter, and it's something that

(01:59):
can make our life veryproblematic if we don't know how
to use it and we don't know howto Get the most out of it.
Or is something that can makeour lives much easier if we
understand how to optimize ourbrain states, and I believe that

(02:22):
humanity's most vital skillfrom now is going to be being
able to master our three coreneurobiological energy patterns,
which we call brain states.
Neurobiological energy patterns, which we call brain states,

(02:48):
and the Train your Brain for theAI Revolution book essentially
shows you how to do that.
Now you can listen.
The audio book is starting topop up on different audio book
outlets, so I see it's availableon Barnes, noble and Chirp, but
it'll be distributed to allthose platforms.

(03:08):
Just takes a bit of time for itto work its way to becoming
live, but you can actuallylisten to the full audiobook for
free inside the Habit MechanicUniversity app and on the Habit
Mechanic podcast.
We'll continue to talk about thetheme from the book and release
particular chapters from it,and I think one of the things

(03:35):
that I want to talk about today,and I'm going to share some
specific chapters, is that thespecific chapters, is that the
traditional ways that we've beenthinking about being at our
best, the traditional ways thatwe've been thinking about being

(03:56):
healthy, happy, high-performing,which all center around
optimising our cognitiveperformance, they're all
becoming irrelevant very, veryquickly because AI and the AI
revolution means that we need, Iwould argue, a completely

(04:18):
different approach tounderstanding what it's going to
take to be at our best and whatit's going to take to be at our
best, and that's why thisperiod of history is both
challenging but also excitingand, as I will share in the next

(04:38):
podcast, I believe that the keyactually to thriving in this
era is to become a human AIcoach, first for ourselves and
then, if we want to go there, wecan also help individuals,
teams, leaders, organisations bybecoming human AI coaches to

(05:03):
them and something that we callbecoming a habit mechanic AI
edge coach.
More about that in the nextepisode of the Habit Mechanic
podcast.
But today I want to establishit's easy to say that the
approaches we've been using havebecome irrelevant, rather than

(05:30):
just say that.
I want to unpack the sciencebehind why I say that and I want
to share with you in this, inthis episode, two core chapters
from the Train your Brain forthe AI Revolution book.
So I'm going to share chapters11 and chapters 12.

(05:57):
And they're going to follow.
They're going to follow and thetitles of those chapters are
well, chapter 11 is whyTraditional Solutions Fail in
the AI Era.

(06:18):
So I'm going to really unpack,step by step, why the way that
we are traditionally trying tohelp ourselves also coaches,
therapists, psychs trying tohelp others they just don't work
anymore.
The world is too fast and it'stoo aggressive and we can see
the data is very clear that theway that we're traditionally

(06:41):
approaching helping people tomanage and improve their
cognitive performance is failing.
And in chapter 11 I go deep inthis, sharing some, some quite
frightening numbers about theineffectiveness of um the
traditional solutions.
And then in chapter 12 it'scalled like sport science for

(07:06):
your brain.
I share why taking a human aiapproach, like we show you how
to do in train your brain forthe ai revolution, why that is
the key and why it's quiteexciting, and how we've seen

(07:34):
similar approaches take physicalperformance to a new level.
And how we can use the habitmechanic AI edge system and the
four-step process that we unpackin train your brain for the air
evolution, how we can use thatto take our cognitive
performance to a new level.

(07:56):
So those chapters will followand then, in the next episode of
the Habit Mechanic podcast, I'mgoing to share with you more
details about the emergingopportunity to become a human AI
coach Again what we callbecoming a Habit Mechanic AI

(08:20):
coach.
This is unique coach.
This is unique as ever.
We have pioneered this,building on the best science

(08:44):
that we understand, but also our25 years of experience working
and chapters 12, so you can geta better sense of the details
behind what I've just beentalking about and remember, you
can get access to the full bookfor free inside the habit
mechanic university app, whichyou can you can sign up for from

(09:09):
the home page of the tougherminds website, um
toughermindscouk, and I'll put alink to that in the show notes
so if you want to access thefull four-step system, you can

(09:33):
learn about the four-step systemin about three hours.
So we've designed the book soyou can learn about this stuff
very, very quickly, and I knowthat if you put that system into
practice over the next 30 days,you will start to see some
significant results in yourcognitive performance and how
you're able to manage your brainstates and how you're able to

(09:56):
achieve the things in your lifethat you want to achieve much
faster than we've ever seenbefore.
But right now, here's chapter11.
Chapter 12 will follow Again.
If you want to listen to all ofthis, go into the Habit
Mechanic University app Chapter11.
Why traditional solutions failin the AI era.
Brain state optimization isn'ta new challenge.

(10:20):
Even before AI entered ourworkplaces, professionals
struggled to perform at theirbest.
Traditional approaches toimproving human performance,
from cognitive behaviouraltherapy to wellness programmes,
have consistently fallen shortof delivering lasting results.
These traditional approachesare even less suitable for our

(10:45):
AI augmented world, whereoptimising brain states becomes
more crucial, yet more complex.
Sarah's experience illustratesthis perfectly.
Not only was she dealing withthe usual challenges of
maintaining peak performance,but three new AI systems were
placing extra demands on herlighthouse brain.

(11:08):
Her brain states wereconstantly disrupted by
switching between tools.
Despite working longer hours,she felt less productive.
Despite having AI assistance,she felt more overwhelmed.
This reveals an impendingcrisis that most organisations

(11:28):
haven't recognised yet.
While billions are now beinginvested in AI tools and
training, three crucialchallenges are being overlooked.
One how to optimise our basicbrain states, something we
struggled with even before AI.
Two how to prevent AI toolsfrom making this optimization

(11:53):
even more difficult.
Three, how to help people usethese tools to make optimization
easier.
The traditional approach problem.
Those who do recognise thischallenge often assume we must
have proven solutions.
After all, modern medicine canfix most ailments with reliable

(12:15):
treatments and predictableoutcomes.
Break your arm, medical expertscan repair it with proven
protocols, but when it comes togetting your lighthouse brain
operating at full power,improving focus, managing stress
, enhancing overall mentalperformance, the standard
approaches are fallingsignificantly short.

(12:38):
Let's examine why by looking atwhat's considered the gold
standard evidence-based approachCognitive Behavioural Therapy,
cbt.
Most modern coaching, trainingand therapy approaches mirror
CBT's principles and CBT hasbeen extensively researched.

(12:59):
What these studies reveal isconcerning.
The largest and mostcomprehensive peer-reviewed
analysis ever conducted on CBTwas published by Professor Pim
Quijpers and colleagues in 2023.
It looked at over 50,000 peopleacross 409 studies, who were

(13:21):
struggling with their mentalwellbeing.
The results are stark 58% ofpeople who received CBT showed
no meaningful improvement.
Of the 42% who did improve, theresearch revealed that 19%
would likely have gotten betterwithout any treatment.

(13:42):
In simple terms, only about onein five people benefit from CBT
specifically.
Remember, this is consideredthe gold standard treatment.
Even more concerning whenresearchers followed up a year
or two later, they found no realdifference between people who

(14:03):
had received CBT and those whohadn't.
This reveals somethingfundamental about how our brains
work.
Even when people understandexactly what they need to change
and are given specifictechniques to make those changes
, lasting transformation remainselusive.
If traditional approachesstruggle to create lasting

(14:26):
change in relativelystraightforward behaviours, how
can they possibly help us masterthe complex demands of our AI
augmented workplaces?
We're not just trying to changea few specific thoughts or
behaviours.
We're aiming to fundamentallytransform how our brain operates

(14:49):
throughout the day.
Let's look at four commonapproaches organisations are
currently using to helpemployees adapt to AI tools.
Each of these approachesillustrates why we need
something fundamentallydifferent.
Why we need somethingfundamentally different An
approach that aligns with howour brain actually works, not

(15:14):
just what we think should work.
Technical training Companiesinvest heavily in teaching
employees how to use AI tools,but knowing how to operate a
tool doesn't mean yourlighthouse brain is optimised to
work with it.
It's like having asophisticated new lens for your
lighthouse, but never learninghow to keep your beam steady.

(15:38):
Traditional performance coachingand training programmes.
These programmes focus on timemanagement, goal setting,
productivity techniques,leadership development and team
performance.
They provide valuable knowledgeabout what to do differently,
but here's the crucial gapKnowing what to do isn't the

(15:59):
same as doing it consistently.
Just like most people know theyshould plan their day,
prioritise important work,delegate effectively or build
trust with their team, theystill fall into old patterns.
It's like knowing exactly how alighthouse should work, but
never mastering the day-to-daypractices to maintain peak

(16:23):
performance.
Wellness programs Whilewell-intentioned, these
typically focus on stressmanagement, better sleep or
positive thinking.
Again, they provide knowledge,but not the system for turning
that knowledge into lastinghabits.
Most people already know theyshould manage stress better or

(16:44):
get more sleep, but they don'tconsistently do what they know.
They should manage stressbetter or get more sleep, but
they don't consistently do whatthey know they should.
It's like knowing yourlighthouse needs a steady power
supply, but never establishingthe routines to keep the
batteries charged.
Flow-based performanceapproaches Again, these are
well-intentioned but ultimatelyflawed in helping us succeed in

(17:08):
the AI era.
Flow training focuses onunderstanding how to achieve
those rare moments when weoperate on autopilot, executing
well-practiced skillseffortlessly for example,
hitting the perfect golf shot towin the match or delivering the
perfect presentation to win thebusiness.

(17:28):
But in our AI-augmented workday, optimising for autopilot
moments misses the pointentirely.
Our work now demands continuousadaptation rather than
perfection of existing abilities, from engineering AI prompts to
collaborating with AI systems.
Flow represents just a tiny,elusive slice of our cognitive

(17:53):
performance, one that becomesless relevant as these dynamic
demands require constantlearning and evolution.
And even if we understand thetheory of achieving flow states,
we face the same fundamentalproblem the theory of achieving
flow states.
We face the same fundamentalproblem Knowing how to get into
flow doesn't give us the habitsrequired to actually do it the

(18:13):
root of the problem.
All these approaches share thesame fundamental limitation they
focus on providing knowledgerather than building habits.
This misses a crucial insightfrom neuroscience 98 to 100% of
human behaviour, what we thinkand do comes from our habits,

(18:36):
not from knowing what we shoulddo.
Your brain contains over 1trillion microscopic biological
moving parts, including neurons,synapses and neural pathways,
all working together to driveyour automatic behaviours.
This vast network isn'tcontrolled by conscious

(18:58):
knowledge or willpower.
Instead, it operates throughdeeply embedded patterns, which
is why simply knowing what youshould do differently rarely
leads to lasting change.
To transform how you work andthink, you need an approach that
can rewire these neuralpathways, not just fill your

(19:19):
head with more information.
Think about something simplelike maintaining a healthy
lifestyle, that is, sleep well,eat well, exercise regularly.
Most people know what theyshould do and have the skills to
do it, yet knowledge alonerarely creates lasting change.
We don't do what we know weshould do.

(19:41):
Instead, we do what we're inthe habit of doing.
Current approaches are liketrying to learn to drive by
reading the driver's manual,without ever getting behind the
wheel.
Sure, you get detailedexplanations of proper steering
technique, understand whichpedal is the brake versus the

(20:04):
gas, and know exactly when youshould check your mirrors, but
without actually developing themuscle memory and creating
lasting habits through practice,that knowledge is fairly
useless.
The same applies to changinghow your brain works.
Understanding what you shoulddo differently isn't enough.

(20:24):
You need to rewire your brain'sautomated patterns.
What we need is an approachthat goes beyond just providing
information, one that helps usactually build new habits and
optimise our brain states forthe AI era.
Only then will realbreakthroughs happen.
Only then will realbreakthroughs happen.

(20:46):
These breakthroughs aren'ttheoretical.
We're already seeing thememerge among professionals
who've discovered how to workwith their brain's natural
patterns rather than againstthem.
But the path to thesebreakthroughs often begins with
struggle.
Sarah's experience illustratesthis journey perfectly.

(21:08):
Despite having access to thelatest AI tools, despite
understanding good productivityprinciples and despite trying
various wellness techniques, shekept struggling.
But her story doesn't end there.
Like many breakthrough momentsin human performance, her

(21:28):
transformation began withunderstanding how things
actually work, not just what todo.
Think of how sports sciencechanged athletics forever by
revealing the science behindpeak physical performance.
Now we stand at a similarturning point with artificial
intelligence.

(21:49):
The emergence of AI gives usunprecedented opportunities to
enhance our cognitivecapabilities, but to seize these
opportunities, we need asystematic approach that works
with how our brain actuallyfunctions, not against it.
This is where the success cyclecomes in.

(22:09):
The habit-building principlesthat underpin it are based on
our proprietarynine-action-factor habit
mechanic system, which is, asfar as we know, the world's only
integrated brain-basedbehaviour change solution and
the world's most advanced habitchange system.
It stands apart in several keyways.

(22:33):
For example, our trait-habitloop reveals what truly drives
human behaviour by recognisingthe deep evolutionary patterns
that shape our actions, whileother habit models stay on the
surface.
Trait helps you work with yourbrain's natural patterns rather

(22:53):
than against them.
Then our 9 Action Factor Modelprovides a complete framework
for creating lasting change.
Rather than focusing on just afew aspects of habit formation
like other approaches, it bringstogether all nine of the
essential elements that researchshows matter most but are

(23:15):
actually never considered in onesystematic behaviour change
blueprint.
Explanations of thesescientific foundations in the
appendices, but right now let'sfocus on the positive impact the
success cycle can have on yourlife Chapter 12.
Like sports science, for yourbrain To understand what's

(23:40):
possible when we learn tooptimise our lighthouse brain's
performance and get it workingwith AI, let's recall the
dramatic examples we exploredearlier.
First, there was the brain stateoptimised and AI enhanced
audiobook production that gotthe work finished 17 working

(24:02):
days faster and 90% cheaper.
Second, there was winning bydesign's prediction that AI will
enable companies to operatecore sales and marketing
functions at just 2% of currentcosts while achieving better
results.
These aren't isolated cases.
Among our clients who arelearning to combine AI tools

(24:27):
with optimized brain states,we're seeing similarly
remarkable transformationsacross many fields.
This combination mirrors therevolution that happened in
sports performance throughsports science.
For example, sarah, who we metearlier struggling with
traditional approaches,experienced this shift

(24:49):
first-hand.
Just as athletes move beyondsimple, try-harder advice, when
sports science revealed how thebody actually works.
Sarah discovered thatunderstanding her brain states
made all the difference.
Before sports science, athletesrelied solely on willpower and

(25:10):
general training principles todevelop their physical
performance.
They worked harder, trainedlonger and pushed through the
pain.
Similarly, before understandingbrain states, professionals
like Sarah relied on workinglonger hours, forcing focus
through willpower and pushingthrough mental fatigue.

(25:32):
But once scientists beganunderstanding how the body works
and the science behind peakphysical performance measuring,
oxygen consumption, tracking,muscle recovery, monitoring
heart rates the transformationwas unprecedented.
Athletes could now trainsmarter, not just harder,

(25:53):
achieving levels of performancepreviously thought impossible.
We're at a similar turningpoint with cognitive performance
.
Just as sports scientiststransformed physical achievement
by understanding the body'sinner workings, we can now
transform cognitive performanceby understanding how our brain

(26:15):
works.
With AR, this creates a powerfulthree-part transformation that
can help you achieve your biggoals faster than you ever
dreamt possible.
First, by optimising your brainstates, you enhance your
lighthouse brain's naturalcapacity.
Just as athletes learn tomonitor their heart rates and

(26:38):
hydration levels, you'll learnto understand and optimise your
brain's energy patterns.
Like maintaining a lighthouse'spower system, this optimization
makes it easier to achieve andsustain periods of premium
cognitive performance.
Your lighthouse beam becomesnaturally stronger and more

(27:00):
consistent naturally strongerand more consistent.
Second, with this foundation inplace, ai tools then transform
how you handle routine work.
Think about all the tasks thattypically slow your progress
Writing emails, organisinginformation, handling basic

(27:21):
communications.
Modern AI tools can automatemany of these tasks,
significantly reducing the drainon your system.
It's like upgrading yourlighthouse's basic operations to
run more efficiently,preserving power for when you
need that bright beam the most.
Finally, building on optimisedbrain states and automated
routine work, ai toolsaccelerate your progress toward

(27:46):
big, challenging goals.
When you're operating in ahigh-charge state, doing your
most valuable thinking work, aitools can work alongside you,
extending what's possible.
Just as modern sports equipmentenhances an athlete's natural
abilities, ai enhances yourcognitive capabilities.

(28:06):
Your lighthouse beam not onlybecomes stronger, but can now
reach further than ever before,illuminating new possibilities
while you focus on spotting keyinsights, developing strategies
and making crucial decisions.
Let me show you what this meansin practical terms.
Just as athletes, using sportsscience, exponentially improved

(28:30):
their training performance andrecovery, optimising your brain
states with AI creates similarbreakthroughs in cognitive
performance.
Most professionals today canonly sustain one-2 hours of
high-charge, high-impact workdaily, with the rest of their
time consumed by routine tasks.

(28:51):
Through understanding how yourlighthouse brain works.
With AI, you can consistentlyachieve 5-6 plus hours of
high-impact work while actuallyworking less overall.
Imagine what this could meanfor you.
Perhaps you're working on abook you've wanted to write for

(29:11):
years.
You could complete it in sixmonths instead of 12, while
still excelling in your career.
Or maybe you're leadingimportant projects at work.
You could bring them tocompletion in half the time
while maintaining betterwork-life balance.
The audiobook example showsthis isn't just theory.

(29:32):
When you combine optimisedbrain states with AI tools, you
can achieve significantly morewhile working less.
Picture completing your mostvaluable work by early afternoon
, having real energy left forfamily and personal goals.
Imagine building your businessor advancing your career without

(29:57):
sacrificing the other parts ofyour life that matter.
These aren't just dreams.
They're the kind oftransformations we're seeing
when people understand how toget their lighthouse brain
working optimally with AI.
Sarah experienced thistransformation first hand.

(30:17):
Before understanding my brainstates, she shared I would spend
entire days feeling busy butachieving little.
Now I complete my mostimportant work by early
afternoon, letting AI handleroutine tasks.
During lower energy periods, Ihave more impact at work and

(30:37):
more energy for my family.
This transformation extendsbeyond individual performance.
This transformation extendsbeyond individual performance.
Just as sports sciencerevolutionised entire teams,
understanding how our brainswork helps everyone perform
better together.
Teams solve problems fasterbecause people are at their best

(31:01):
during important meetings.
Work becomes more enjoyablebecause people tackle
challenging tasks when they havethe most energy, while letting
AI handle the routine jobs.
Most importantly, people feelbetter at work because they're
working with their naturalenergy patterns instead of
fighting against them.

(31:21):
This brings us to a crucialmoment.
You've seen why traditionalapproaches fall short in the AI
era.
You've discovered howoptimising your brain states can
transform your performance.
But just as reading aboutsports science doesn't make you
a better athlete, understandingthese principles isn't enough.

(31:44):
You need a practical system toput them into action.
So, that said, let's get back tothe success cycle.
You've already completed stepone, but let's recap the
four-step system again so youcan consolidate what you have
learned and confidently move onto step two and continue your

(32:04):
journey to making positive andlasting changes in your own work
and life.
So I hope you find or foundthose insights interesting and
instructive and exciting,because, again, I think that ai

(32:25):
is actually giving us anopportunity to live the kind of
lives that we want to live.
Um, but that can only happen ifwe learn how to properly manage
our three core brain states.
You may want to go back andjust listen to those chapters
again, because there's a lot inthere, um, and also if you want

(32:48):
to hear those chapters in thecontext of the bigger book, you
can do that absolutely free.
You can go listen to the bookinside of having the kind of
university app.
You can learn about thefour-step system, the success
cycle, in about three hours.
So you can learn how to putthis into practice for yourself.

(33:09):
And again, I think we'realready seeing people getting
really big results in just 30days of putting this the success
cycle, the four-step successcycle into practice.
So it's not just a theoreticalmodel, it's real.

(33:29):
You can use it in your own lifeand you might even start to
think about helping others toimplement it in their life and
starting to.
So you're starting to wear thathuman AI coach hat, which I
think is really exciting, andmore about that in the next
episode, where I'm going toshare with you the three roles,

(33:52):
the three dominant roles that Ithink will emerge in the
workplace in the AI revolution,and I'm going to show you how
you can start to actually helpothers use these approaches at a
one-to-one coaching level, butI'm also going to show you how

(34:12):
you can start to create what wecall brain state intelligent
cultures.
So that is scaling theseapproaches across teams and
organisations.
So that's all for me for now.
I hope you found those insightsinteresting.
Remember, you can listen to thefull book in the Hammond

(34:35):
Mechanic University app, whichyou can access via the homepage
of the Toughen Minds website,and I'll also put a link in the
show notes.
So thanks for listening and Iwill see you in the next episode
.