Diver brains and surfer brains are different.  The diver brain thinks deeply and can hold a line of thought for an extended period of time, generally without distraction. Imagine going deep beneath the surface, studying and thinking about the surroundings, carefully maintaining attention.   There are no cell phones, Google, or RSS feeds to interrupt the experience.  In contrast, the surfer brain skims the surface, taking in data and making rapid decisions and judgments about the data.  Stimuli are coming from all directions and the brain has to constantly  decide if it is relevant or not.  Much like surfing, it is exciting but the brain quickly fatigues.  Moreover, surfing absolutely precludes the possibility of deep thinking.

In recent weeks, I read  The Shallows by Nicholas Carr and Brain Rules by John J. Medina, in preparation for the 4-day Learning and the Brain Conference in February titled, iGENERATION:  HOW THE DIGITAL AGE IS ALTERING STUDENT BRAINS, LEARNING & TEACHING.   Clearly this is a hot topic.  In The Shallows, Carr sets up the argument that our brains, due to their neuroplastic nature, adapt to the demands of the environment.  He outlines the changes that likely occurred in the brain as a result of moving from the oral traditions of managing information, to the first methods of recording information on stones and papyrus, to the invention of the printing press and now the internet.  As information management evolved, some cognitive processes were strengthened and some were weakened.  Today’s brain is bombarded with information but how do we manage it so that we can also think?

Meanwhile, in the Brain Rules book, Medina addresses attention.  What engages the brain and what distracts it?  He states bluntly that the brain cannot multi-task  and he tells the story of his son trying to write a paper for school with 11 other windows open including 2 instant messaging screens!  Each time he has to shift attention, his brain has to engage, disengage, and re-engage somewhere else. This sequence has to occur every time attention is shifted. Studies show that a person who is interrupted takes 50% longer to complete a task and he makes up to 50% more errors in the process!  What’s more, this is an exhausting process.  I wonder how long a surfer could actually surf  if he had an endless wave?

I think we need both a diver brain and a surfer brain. However, it’s important to know what situation calls for which brain.  One does not put on an oxygen tank when he plans to surf and one does not go without one if he plans to dive.   The key to all of this will be teaching strategies to know how to manage the different demands that each situations calls for.  Do you have a paper to write?  Then it’s probably a good idea to close the other windows on your computer and turn off your cell phone.  Do you need to research something quickly?  Then Google is your answer, not the stacks at an old university library.  Do you want to get to know someone really well?  That’s a diver’s job.  Put away the cell phone.  Are you looking for a restaurant in the area?  Time to surf!  You get the idea.

I will have more to share on this topic after I attend the I-Brain conference in a couple of weeks.  As a life coach, I hope to learn strategies that will help everyone, student and non-student alike, maximize their performance in school and work, and reduce the potentially overwhelming feeling of brain fatigue as we manage our lives in the Age of Information.

Cognitive blind spots. Everyone has them.  Cognitive blind spots are often manifested as repeated patterns of ineffective behavior or resolutions to change that seem to fall short of the goal.   The nature of blind spots is that one is perceiving limited data or is using inadequate methods of judgment to address a problem.   This phenomenon is similar to the blind spots you have when driving a car.  There are certain visual fields that are not readily apparent and you must mindfully check those areas for other cars or use a device to identify those vehicles. Similarly,it is difficult to correct for cognitive blind spots because you often lack the insight and resources to do so.  If you had these perspectives and remedies operating effectively already, then goals would always be met and change would be easy.  Such is not the case and that is where outside support in the form of coaches, teachers and mentors can be helpful.

Have you ever noticed the plethora of self-help books  in the bookstore?   What used to be a few shelves of books mostly by Wayne Dwyer or Dale Carnegie is now an ever-expanding selection of  remedies and advice that seem to provide a temporary burst of ideas and energy, but ultimately leads to limited meaningful change.  In other words, if self-help books were so effective, why would there be a need for more and more of them?   I am not opposed to using a self-help book as a vehicle for personal insight, and in fact, I have a collection of these books myself.  However, there is a tendency to default to the well-worn path in our minds despite our best intentions, often leading to frustration and despair.

Personal coaches can help by providing additional insight and accountability.  In my practice, I use the principles of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, my background in brain science, principles learned in my coach’s training and some meditation to assist a client in the process of change.  Following is an example of how this process might work:

A client may come to me with the complaint that even though he has no shortage of great ideas, he doesn’t seem to follow through on any of them.  He gets very excited about his new schemes and in fact, he can enthusiastically gather support for his ideas among his coworkers.  Inevitably, once the crescendo of excitement starts to recede, he loses interest and the project is never completed.  What’s more, this is a pattern that has been repeated so often, his coworkers do not take his ideas seriously anymore.

After getting as much information as possible using open-ended questions, I am likely to use one of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instruments (Step I, II, or III) to provide additional insight into the client’s preferred ways to perceive and judge information.  Why?  The MBTI provides reliable insight into a client’s cognitive strengths and probable blind spots.

In this case, the client is an ENFP which is essentially characterized by someone who is cognitively energized by new ideas and possibilities, the ultimate brain stormer!  However, a typical blind spot for an ENFP personality type is inattention to details and a dislike of routine.  Once the initial burst of excitement has worn off, it is much more difficult to finish the task.  What’s more, wherever an individual has a blind spot, there tends to be a defensiveness.  Solutions are often blocked by an unwillingness to admit there is a problem in the first place or that the problem is your challenge not someone elses! It’s the my coworker who is so obsessed with details that makes this so difficult to implement!

Certainly, awareness of the problem is the first step.  However, because these cognitive patterns are preferred and well-worn in the brain, it will take more than just awareness to create meaningful change.  The brain is plastic and fully capable of lasting changes.   However, these changes require tremendous effort, motivation and in fact, a dampening down of  default methods of thinking to bring about these changes.   It is similar to a sled hill.  It’s easy to go down the paths that are already well-established but it takes deliberate effort to move your sled and make a new run.  That is how the brain tends to operate.

One way to make deliberate changes is to become mindful of both your present behavior and to create a reasonable alternative.   It is more effective to say, “I will do this instead of that” rather than, “I won’t do that.”   There are several forms of meditation that train the brain to resist existing patterns of thinking and refocus on new ways of thinking.  Meditation is an emollient to smooth transitions in the mind.  Particularly pertinent to the ENFP  personality type whose mind can run a million miles per minute in a million different directions, meditation can be very helpful.   Be mindful of details and following through.  Or at least ask someone who does this well, to help you.   Use your brain storming capabilities often but know what to shift to other modes.

Most of all, realize that change takes time.  The brain requires several opportunities to try out new behaviors before they become readily accessible.  In between the resolution to make a significant change and the actual attainment of the goal can be many challenges.   There is always the temptation to go back to the familiar.  However, with a coach, teacher or mentor that you trust and rely on, your chances of success are greatly improved.

Happy New Year from Annholm.net!   Make 2011 a very good year!

Many people who take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator will ask whether or not their psychological type can change.   According to type theory, basic type preferences for perception or judgment are inborn and do not change. However, it is also known that people, as a result of interacting with their environment and through life experiences, also develop behaviors, habits, and strategies that are not consistent with their type description.  It is not uncommon to hear a client say, “I used to be an INFJ but now I am an ENFJ.”  Or,” I am an introvert but I enjoy parties and nights on the town.”  How can this be?

The first Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, also known as Step I, was an instrument to identify individuals who have similar preferences leading to an assigned personality type.  The terms INFJ, or ESFP are well-known to many individuals.  However, even as these general tendencies could be validated, it was still clear that certain people within a type could have out of preference characteristics. An example would be a “QUESTIONING ENFP,  with “questioning”  normally being a facet associated with a thinking preference .”    It is true that the  ENFP personality type tends to be accommodating valuing harmony above all versus finding flaws in both their own and others’ viewpoints.    However, some ENFPs may develop this as a result of living with questioning thinking types or as a skill that is required at a job.   There are 20 such variations known as facet poles (5 for each dichotomy) that are possible  and they are identified in the MBTI Step II (or Form Q instrument).   A client’s development of Step II facets in response to environmental demands may give the client the impression that their type has changed.

As an MBTI practitioner, I noticed these variations and apparent changes in reported personality type.    However, what  would explain this if our innate preferences for introversion-extraversion,  sensing-intuition, thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving were supposedly hard-wired?   I stumbled upon what I consider  to be the best brain-based explanation of this phenomenon when at a recent conference on neuroplasticity, or the notion that mental experiences and mindfulness can change the structure and function of the brain. This is what made the explanation so compelling:

1.  In order for neuroplastic change to take place,  some sort of dampening down of the usual mind map has to take place.  So for example, if you were going to learn a new language, you would have to eliminate as much use of the  native language so the new language can build resilient neuro-connections in the brain.   The brain doesn’t like competing stimuli. That is why language immersion programs seem to work. Similarly, if you were relying on your sense of touch to get around in a dark room, you would immediately switch to your preferred mode of sight to get around if the light switch was turned on.  In other words,  the preferences that were present  first take precedence but if they are greatly attenuated, then new pathways can develop.   Likewise, an ENFP whose natural preference is to be casual about schedules, may in fact develop a more scheduled approach as a result of working in an environment that demands a more structured day.  However, if the ENFP ultimately left that structured environment, it is likely she would be comfortable with her natural preference for a  relaxed schedule once again.  When I discuss these type variations with clients, they often say, “I HAD to do it that way at work” or “my family was that way.”

2. Also, a deliberate development of a non-preferred facet can also bring about a resilient change in the brain.  For example, one of the facets of extraversion is “expressive” versus it’s opposite which is “contained”.  Basically, this is the “chatty” facet and it describes an individual who talks often but who may not be aware that certain situations call for a more contained approach or  more listening and less talking.  A deliberate or mindful monitoring of behavior can create a self-awareness that one has to talk less and over time, a resilient change in the brain can take place.   Another example would be a natural introvert learning to extravert in many situations so much that at times, it may even feel like a natural preference.  In the neuroplasticity seminar,  examples were given where a mindful, deliberate approach was shown to alleviate symptoms of a host of mental disturbances.  Either through self-driven intent or the therapeutic guidance, the brain can adapt to the demands placed upon it.

So why is this significant?  For one, you may natural preferences (of innate tendencies) that are not fully utilized or have been suppressed that can be tapped into now which can bring about a more fully functioning self.   Or, you may have facets of your personality that you would like to modify so that you don’t fall into the same bad patterns time and time again.  The elegance of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instruments is that it is a dynamic system that acknowledges and encourages an individual to change as a part of healthy type development (even as one’s  basic type theoretically does not change). There is emerging evidence from the neuroplasticity studies that either the environment or deliberate intention can indeed bring about these changes.   As a life coach, this is very good news indeed!