Repetition re-wires the brain

Repetition rewires the brain.

Today I talk more about using neuroplasticity to create better habits and move forward with your goals.

Transcript:

Hey friends! You’re listening to This Quote Changed My Life – a podcast about inspired action. My name is Tracey and I’m the host of the show.

Thank you so much for joining me back for this episode – where we’re going to continue on with the theme of neuroplasticity and pushing past the point where we just want to give up on something we’ve always wanted to do, or have to do.

If you’re interested in supporting me, you can join my Patreon community where you can get a couple of extra bonus podcast episodes and join the monthly mindset & mindfulness challenge. I wanted to help you guys go a little deeper, so I’m so excited to be able to connect with you a bit more through Patreon. There’s a link in the show notes if you wanted to check that out.

But on with this episode’s quote which is – Repetition re-wires the brain.

And when I heard this quote last year, it really made sense to me. There’s a nerdy side of me that really likes the science behind things, lol. I really like finding out the reasons why something works, for example anxiety disorders and the symptoms you experience when you have an anxiety attack. It’s the same with how we learn how to develop good habits. Repetition re-wires the brain.

Now if you listened to the last episode where I briefly talked about what neuroplasticity is – it’s really about teaching our brains to stay active through learning. Learning new things, and making the choice to move forward when in the past, we might of stopped because it felt too hard to continue.

When it comes to learning new things, or even finding the motivation to keep continuing any project or activity – I think we get it wrong – it’s not about the motivation – it’s to do with our good habits and discipline. In a past episode, we did talk about this and I’ll explain here again quickly – we will never always be motivated to do whatever it is we need to do – we’ll never always have the same energy and have the same sort of day, each time we want to tackle our goal. It’s too unpredictable, and that’s okay – we don’t live predictable lives.

But what we can control is the habits we set up around our goals. So that’s what we’re going to talk about today – what can we do and how do we become more discipline?

There are so many tips to give you about developing good habits – from starting small, staying positive, committing to a decision and celebrating your small wins BUT what I’m all about is the intentional actions you make. The work. The hard stuff. Because that’s where you will learn the most.

So my first advice for developing discipline and creating those good habits is to first, to be really mindful of whats held you back before and acknowledge it so you can make an informed and intentional actions. And what I mean by that is, really take the time to know what stops you from moving forward – and even if you don’t know the real reasons why, that’s okay – but acknowledge that something is hard for you, you don’t really know why right now but maybe it’s time to change it up a bit?  Keep that in mind when you find yourself at a cross road, where you go to do something out of a bad habit (like jump on your phone for an hour, when you could really go for a walk, or sit down and finally write a few blog posts or take some product photos). Think about catching yourself in your bad habits – and then make it a point to think about whether this is going to benefit you right now. Repeat this often, and every day if possible, and you will start to see yourself turn your negative mindset into a more positive mindset with growth potential.

My second advice is set a time for the tasks you need to do – keep it scheduled like you would if you were going to the dentist lol. I make it a point to get straight into my projects between 10am and noon on the days my kids are at school. Yep, I might only have 2 hours to do some work – but giving myself a short timeframe has given me focus and intentional time to do the things that I want to do – and at the same time, I’m still able to get my kids ready for school, take them to their different schools, pick up some groceries, run errands and stick on a load of washing before 10am. Mentally, I know that I have a short amount of time, and no excuses and that’s worked for me. It’s helped me become more disciplined with my time and in turn also gives me the freedom to still work, while doing all my other life stuff. Repeating this for most days of the week has given me a great rhythm and I don’t feel overwhelmed or rushed.

My third piece of advice for getting into better habits, is to remember your why – why did you set that goal in the first place? Why did you need to make this change? Why does this matter to you? You set a goal for a reason, is this the day you forget about it? Maybe it is, priorities do change – especially when you have other responsibilities. And that’s okay – but again you set a goal for a reason, how can you stay true to that goal this week? Be flexible with when you get tasks done – but get them done. Don’t forget about it. Reschedule, get it done at the next available opportunity – the more that you show up for yourself,  the more you trust yourself that you can get things done when things get busy because you know why you want it. Remembering your why and bringing that to the forefront regularly will help you on those hard days.

My fourth and last piece of advice for getting into good habits is ultimately just do it. Do it scared, do it embarrassed, do it clumsy. Repeating the act of starting something while you’re still learning about it, will teach you that you are safe at no matter what stage you are in your journey to your goal. The work is the work, you will get more out of trying something and failing, than never trying at all. Makes sense right? The more that you do something, the more you train your brain to be okay with being vulnerable when it’s okay to be vulnerable. The more your brain understands that this is part of learning and growing. The repetition of just getting started with your anxieties and worries, will teach you more each time, so just do it. Get it done, make those mistakes and keep your head up high.

So again, quickly, my 4  piece of advice for you to set good habits and rewire your brain – one, be mindful of your obstacles, two – set a time for your tasks, three – remember why you’ve set your goal and lastly, just do it. Get out there and just start doing things and learn how to tackle it.

Repetition rewires the brain. Using what we know about neuroplasticity and really making an intentional choice to grow is a great way to create new neural pathways that will improve your mental health as you grow. Your brain is influenced and shaped by the things you do, and even moreso by the things you repeat over time. So why not be intentional with the things that we do every day – and be in charge of shaping not only what we think, but what we do. We are responsible for our actions – what action will you take today?

Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of This Quote Changed My Life – did you learn something you could put into action today? Even if it’s a small change, it’s still worth it. Small changes, repeated often can lead to big results. So don’t be afraid to start.

Remember to come find me on Instagram @makesunshineco or join my Patreon if you would like a couple of bonus episodes of the podcast and a worksheet relating to our monthly mindset & mindfulness challenge.

Thanks again everyone, please stay safe and well and I’ll speak to you guys next time,