Winning Ways To Power Up Your Brain

You have the power to define your life. Just how much you accomplish depends largely on how well you control your attitude and behavior.

To avoid the emotional pitfalls that derail success, develop the mental fortitude to effectively manage what you say, do, and feel. Stay the course by powering up your brain to act with deliberate intent and forethought.

Use these techniques to fortify your mental resilience.

Welcome change.

Open yourself up to new challenges and adventures. Get out of your comfort zone and create a passion for learning and growing.

Be positive.

Assume an attitude of appreciation. Don’t complain, engage in idle gossip, or compare yourself to others.

Move on.

Don’t waste time obsessing on your failures or feeling sorry for yourself.

Take control.

Don’t assume the “victim” role or give away your power to others. Acknowledge your emotions but keep them in check before they can overpower you.

Invest in the present and future.

Focus on making the best of the here and now and strategically set yourself up for success in the future.

Maintain your integrity and ethics.

Establish and align these core values to your actions. Whenever this alignment becomes too skewed, pull back and make changes to your behavior.

Celebrate the accomplishments of others.

Be happy and praise others when they do well. Don’t get jealous or become resentful with their successes.

Be willing to fail.

Failure is an inevitable part of your development. Don’t give up after failing. Pick yourself up and use your failings as a lesson to improve future actions.

Tolerate discomfort.

Accept that you will go through good and bad times. Learn how to manage your stress and negative emotions. Don’t let them get the best of you.

Think productively.

Seek solutions to problems rather than focus on blame or finding fault with others. Don’t zap your energy with negative thoughts.

Stay the course.

Have the staying power to accomplish your goals through rough times or situations. Don’t quit when the going gets tough.

Evaluate your progress.

During quiet times throughout the day, take inventory of your actions, responses, and outcomes. Use these reflections to determine your future behavior.

Be proactive! Incorporate these strategies into your daily routine and experience the difference.

Written by: Patricia K. Flanigan, Smart Strategies for Successful Living

Patricia K. Flanigan has worked in higher education for over 28 years. She holds a doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne as well as a M.A. in Latin American Studies and B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Before retiring and moving to Idaho in 2015, she served as the dean of online education and learning resources at Saddleback College, a large community college in Southern California. She currently consults in higher education, writes for local magazines, and serves as an Affiliate Faculty member at Boise State University. She works in collaboration with LEARN (Lifelong Education and Aging Resource Network). Since February 2017, she has been the founding director and an author for Smart Strategies for Successful Living, a community-based website designed to promote quality aging. As an educator, her focus is to inspire others to live and age well.

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