Apparently if you take a London black cab driver……..
And measure the hippocampi region of his / her brain……..
## Note – I assume they scan them, not recreate the scene from Hanibal ##
Then they have bigger hippocampi than people of the same age, gender, IQ, etc, etc.
The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for remembering (amongst other things) locations.
Having passed ‘The Knowledge’ (learned approximately 320 routes, 25,000 streets and 20,000 landmarks and places of interest) they’ve worked that area of the brain pretty hard.
But the average taxi driver is no more likely than anyone else to remember where he / she put his / her keys.
Unless it’s in the same place every time.
As that particular part of the brain only deals with static locations.
Stuff that doesn’t move.
The lessons here are twofold.
Firstly that we can improve our ability to do things over time with practice.
Pretty obvious really.
But when we realise we can literally change the shape of the brain through use, it helps remind us that this isn’t a life long battle.
The difficulty in doing something new is often in the changing of old habits and the learning of new things.
Once that’s done, it’s kinda second nature.
Heathy living doesn’t have to be a lifelong struggle.
Just long enough to get the hang of it.
Remember that next time you’re struggling – you only need to push through till the habits, etc are established.
Not forever.
The second lesson is to learn, where relevant, to work with the brain.
Rather than against it.
Sure, sometimes it does take that time mentioned above.
But if we make it harder than it has to be?
If we know we struggle with temptation when ‘things’ are in the house……..
Then don’t have them in the house.
Not that easy sure.
But it is that simple.
Struggle with things ‘jumping into your basket’ when shopping?
Online shopping for delivery or click and collect (which is free) helps.
Don’t make it harder on your brain then it has to be (check myrise.co.uk/briefing-meeting if you like the idea of it not being harder than it has to be).
A bit of willpower here and there is a factor.
But don’t drain it unnecessarily.
Much love,
Jon ‘Raging Bull’ Hall and Matt ‘Mean Streets’ Nicholson
P.S. Pretty easy middle names there – one ninja point for the connection 🙂
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