Cross-Train Your Brain - MFNCO

242 Pages·2006·1.7 MB·English

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Cross-Train
Your Brain

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To my family, friends, and
colleagues, who always believed
I'd write this book.

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Cross-Train
Your Brain

A Mental Fitness Program for

Maximizing Creativity and

Achieving Success

Stephen D. Eiffert

AMACOM

American Management Association

New York • Atlanta • Boston • Chicago • Kansas City • San Francisco • Washington, D.C.

Brussels • Mexico City • Tokyo • Toronto

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This book is available at a special discount when ordered in bulk quantities. For information, contact
Special Sales Department, AMACOM, an imprint of AMA Publications, a division of American
Management Association.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject
matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal,
accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the
services of a competent professional person should be sought.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Eiffert, Stephen D.
Cross-train your brain : a mental fitness program for maximizing
creativity and achieving success / Stephen D. Eiffert.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8144-7994-4 (pbk.)
1. Creative ability. 2. Creative thinking. I. Title.
BF408.E395 1999
153.4—dc21

98-17348
CIP

© 1999 Stephen D. Eiffert.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.

This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of AMACOM, an imprint of AMA Publications, a division of American
Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

Printing number
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Contents

Preface
ix

Introduction Get Ready, Get Set …
xi

Chapter 1 We are all born creative but lose our creative drive over our
lifetimes.

1

Principle
1

Definition of Creativity
2

Value of Creativity
3

Process
4

What Makes Someone Creative
5

Chapter 2 We all suffer from environmental limitations placed on our creativity.
15

Principle
15

The Modern Western World View
16

How We Learned Not to Be Creative
18

The Child's Mind
20

Educational System
23

Conformity
27

Process
28

Step One: Identify the Ways Your Thinking and Responses Are
Holding You Back

29

Step Two: Try a New Way, Even if It Is Scary
30

Chapter 3 The life you lead is the life you create. We experience our
expectations.

33

Principle
33

Expectations Color Reactions to Events
34

Your Thoughts Show Up in Your Experience
35

Negativity Begets Negativity
36

V

We Like to "Think About It"
38

Self-Limitations
40

VI

Process
41

Change Your Perspective
42

Create Positive Expectation
43

Visualize Your Experience
45

Affirmations
48

Chapter 4 We function best when approaching life with our whole brains.
53

Principle
53

The Right Hemisphere
54

The Left Hemisphere
57

Whole-Brain Thinking
59

Process
60

Seek Out New Experiences
70

Relax Your Mind
71

Chapter 5 Conditions are not emotions. How you feel about an event is not the
event.

79

Principle
79

The Limbic Brain and the Cerebral Cortex
80

Unconscious Thought and Emotions
81

Emotions Color Our Behavior
81

Emotional Anticipation of Events Colors Perception
83

Process
84

Isolate Events From Feelings
85

Prepare for Events Without Anticipating Them
86

Mindfulness Training
86

Morita
86

Chaper 6 We don't all learn the same way.
89

Principle
89

VII

Visual-Dominant Learners
90

Auditory-Dominant Learners
90

What Is Your Communication Style?
91

Kinesthetic-Dominant Learners
92

The Evolution of Learning Styles
92

Process
92

Use Your Preferred Style to Learn New Information
93

Try Using Other Learning Styles
93

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Chapter 7 Our minds gather and retain information in a variety of ways.
99

Principle
99

The Emotional Mind
100

The Physical Mind
100

The Intuitive Mind
101

The Intelligence Myth
103

Gardner's Eight Intelligences
104

Process
106

Self-Actualization: Developing the Four Minds
107

Emotional Mind
108

Physical Mind
108

Intuitive Mind
108

Cross-Training Intelligence Preferences
109

The Multiple Intelligence Quiz
111

Linguistic
112

Logical-Mathematical
112

Visual-Spatial
113

Body-Kinesthetic
114

Musical
115

Interpersonal
115

Interpersonal
116

Naturalist
117

Chapter 8 Complex movement stimulates complex thinking.
123

Principle
123

Process
124

Chapter 9 Relaxation fosters control.
127
IX

Principle
127

Stress
129

The Only Time Is Now
130

Brain-Wave Patterns
130

Centering
133

Process
134

Centering
135

Breathing as a Centering Tool
136

Bring Your Mind, Body, and Feelings to the Same Moment in Time
137

Meditation
138

X

Moving Meditation
138

Become Aware of Your Brain-Wave Patterns
139

Chapter 10 Multiple answers always exist.
147

Principle
147

Flexible Thinking
149

The Western World View
150

The Eastern World View
151

Separating Thinking
154

Convergent Thinking
155

Process
156

Change Your Perspective
156

Create a Playful Atmosphere
158

Context Shifting
160

Possibility Thinking
162

Create a World View of Commonality
162

Allow for Contradictions
164

Chapter 11 Success is moderation in all things.
169

Principle
169

Cultural Pressures
170

Process
171

Know Your Priorities
172

Do Not Exchange One Obsession for Another
172

Balance in the Organization
174

Chapter 12 Cross-training is important to the new workplace.
179

Openness to Experience
180

Internal Locus of Evaluation
182
XI

The Ability to Toy With Elements or Concepts
182

Psychological Safety
183

Psychological Freedom
184

The Price of Change
184

Epilogue
185

Keep your creativity stimulated with additional reading.
189

Index
191

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Preface

There is an optimist hidden in each and every one of us. We work hard expecting to provide a better
future, but few of us realize the potential that is inherent in us—the potential that does not depend on
our work, our families, or our hobbies. That potential can be found in our brains.

Our brains are what distinguishes us from the animals, and they are also what distinguishes our
"selves." Yet, our brains need training just like any other part of the body if they are to function at
maximum capacity. "Sure," you may say. "I went to school. I have a master's degree, and I continue to
keep abreast of current events—especially those that affect my job."

Although this is commendable, research has shown that there is more to brain development than just
receiving information. In order to grow, one must train the brain to work in new ways. This idea is the
heart of cross-training. We all have different interests and distinct patterns that we fall into in life. The
theory of cross-training encourages us to look closely at where those interests and patterns lie and
challenge them. If you love books, for example, set aside time to learn to work with your hands. If you
are a musician, play a word game such as Scrabble. In short, train your brain by participating in
activities that expand its power.

In the chapters that follow, I will walk you through a number of principles—truths about how our
brains and our lives function. You cannot train your brain using a distinct method until you understand
how it functions now. For each principle, I have included practical suggestions and exercises. These
are not all-encompassing, however. You can expand your brain power in millions of little ways, but
these exercises are designed to give you a practical head-start on cross-training.

I make the assumption that you are fairly well-entrenched in modern western culture. For example,

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most Americans today do not actually see themselves as creative. Developing creativity, then, has
become a major thrust of this book. I address creativity, however, not in the most common sense
applied to artists and musicians, but with the understanding that creativity plays a role in every part of
our lives. Problem solving, business negotiations, inventions, and human relationships all require a bit of
creativity to be handled most successfully. Ultimately, this book is designed to aid you in developing
success in those aspects of your life that you most value.

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Introduction
Get Ready, Get Set …

''One can never be content to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."
—Helen Keller

When our bodies are not properly attended to, we grow weak. We all recognize the value of training
our bodies through a variety of exercises—muscle building, endurance building, and coordination
enhancing. What many of us do not realize, however, is the need to train our minds in the same
manner.

Our brains are an important part of our bodies. In fact, many of us would say it is the most important.
The brain is what distinguishes human beings from other animals, and it is what makes us different from
other human beings. The human brain is an adaptive mechanism of enormous sophistication; it's the
most complex system currently known in the universe.

Traditionally, you might think of cross-training as becoming proficient in a related task or skill. This
type of

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