Show notes:
In this episode, Sid Chawla – a Personal Development Coach, 3-Time CEO, 2-Time Author & more – shares the neuroscience behind creativity and how to Spark Your Inner Genius. After years of research, study, and application, Sid created a playbook to help people unlock their true creative potential. In addition to his passions for excitement, innovation, and learning, Sid has dedicated himself to inspiring and coaching others to take command of their lives.
Regarding high performance, not only does Sid talk-the-talk, but he also walks-the-walk. Currently, Sid is a business intelligence engineer specializing in data strategy at J.P. Morgan Chase, a Certified Neuroscience & NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Professional, a Motivational Speaker, popular blogger, and still finds time to actively volunteer for Minds Matter, The American Red Cross, and the American Indian Foundation.
Full of frameworks, metaphors, and historical tales of genius, this episode just might trigger multiple eureka moments. I certainly had my share of Archimedes’ moments!
TOPICS:
[7:30] The choice paradox
[15:04] Five ways to develop fluid intelligence
[22:56] Exercising your brain: Physically change your brain’s structure
[28:35] The two biggest barriers to creativity: Fear and uncertainty
[41:05] Three types of innovative breakthroughs
[53:28] Five steps to be a genius
[1:08:23] The secrets to optimizing health, happiness, and performance
Full Episode with Video
Cognitive Capacity is Finite
A critical theme that relates to both high performance and creativity is cognitive capacity. As alluded to by Steve Szilagyi in Episode 013, Sid Chawla has shifted to a choice-minimal lifestyle. He has a small wardrobe, a strict routine, and invests his energy into meaningful work.
Fundamentally, it is critical to minimize decision-making and reserve cognitive capacity – a finite resource – for highly important, deep work.
What are the types of minor (and arguably irrelevant) decisions that hinder performance? Everything from deciding what time to wake up, whether or not to exercise in the morning, what clothes to wear, what shoes look best, what toothpaste to use, Starbucks or McDonald’s for breakfast, which morning cup of coffee do you want… the list goes on and on.
Decision fatigue is a very real and powerful influence in our lives. Take for example, research that shows that parole sentences are largely influenced by the time of day of the hearing. In this terrific article by The Decision Lab, they explain why decision fatigue results in a lot more people being granted parole in the morning than the afternoon.
Taking it one step further, Sid is adamant that motivation is not enough to be successful. Naturally, motivation comes and goes. Therefore, to transform your life and elevate your performance, it is imperative to make complete behavioral changes.
The Importance of Brain Exercise and How to Do It
Memory problems, difficulties solving problems, a lack of creativity… must just be age, right?
Not necessarily. Similar to training muscles to do push-ups or run a mile, your brain needs to be exercised regularly. Similar to muscles, if you do not exercise your brain, it will atrophy.
Many cognitive problems are not by chance – they are a sign that your brain is out of shape. Jim Kwik, world-renowned brain coach, has strongly argued that you must constantly train your brain every single day to improve health, happiness, and performance.
And for the record, Sudoku and most other brain games do not count as brain exercise. The reason is that you are only practicing one specific skill, therefore reinforcing learned patterns and synaptic connections.
To train your brain, you must do things differently to disrupt patterns and create new connections. Excellent forms of brain exercise include learning a language, learning an instrument, and reading.
To help further, Sid offers five strategies for training your brain:
- Seek novelty
- Do things the hard way
- Get uncomfortable
- B over A (changing the sequence of regular tasks)
- Network with more people
Default Mode Network vs Executive Mode Network
If you are inspired to be the next creative genius – Steve Jobs, Pablo Picasso, or anyone else that comes to mind – you should carefully reflect on how you utilize your Default Mode Network (DMN) and Executive Mode Network (EMN).
The DMN is constantly operating in the background, working in autopilot. Throughout the day, the DMN thinks of ideas and processes information. In many ways, the DMN is the powerhouse of your creative mind.
On the other hand, the EMN is utilized for active decision-making. Direct communication, working on a task, reading, writing, scrolling through Instagram… the majority of tasks that we undertake in any given day. This is especially the case in a tech-driven world in which we are always connected and overwhelmed with digital dementia.
Here is an example. Let’s say Sid wants to go to Hawaii. His DMN comes up with the great idea to take a few weeks off and go to Maui. The EMN books the flights, hotel, and time off work.
But here’s the catch: only one mode can be active at a time. Most people are constantly activating the EMN, and therefore, never have the chance to tap into the DMN. The creativity is there, it just doesn’t have the chance to surface.
Have you ever noticed that you have your best ideas in the shower or when going for a drive? This is because these “mindless” tasks are just enough to distract your EMN and allow for ideas and thoughts from the DMN to start flowing.
With this knowledge, Sid offers his best advice for discovering your creativity: Intentionally Mindless Tasks. Think of a problem (priming your creative process) and then intentionally perform a mindless task, just enough to distract your EMN. You may find that this works
wonders for stimulating the creativity you did not know you had!
How to Spark Your Inner Genius
This all comes back to the core idea of Sid’s latest book, how to Spark Your Inner Genius. Here are a few tips from Sid that will help you optimize your health, happiness, performance, AND creativity!
- Prioritize sleep – it is the foundation of everything
- Reduce decision-making as much as possible
- Meditate (even just a few minutes a day is enough)
- Intentionally do mindless tasks
The episode is jam-packed with a lot more, so make sure to give it a listen. In addition, Sid has a ton of excellent resources on his website and social channels. Check them out for more!
Learn more and follow Sid Chawla:
Sid Chawla – Uncomplicated Personal Development
Spark Your Inner Genius
Charisma Crush
Instagram
LinkedIn
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Thank you all for joining me on this journey to lifelong health, happiness, and higher performance. And remember, always be grateful, love yourself, and serve others.
