Well Beyond 40 The Power of Being Unfocused with Dr. Srini Pillay
Dr. Srini Pillay, author of Tinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind, is a Harvard trained expert on brain function. In this interview, JJ & Dr. Pillay explore how we can practice being “unfocused” in order to focus more efficiently and achieve our goals! Contrary to many of our beliefs, seemingly lazy activities such as napping, doodling, and walking in no specific direction can actually help our brain be more creatively motivated when it’s time to turn the focus back on. You’ll get “unfocus” lessons from Picasso and Einstein, and also learn how to use “Psychological Halloweenism” to ramp up your motivation.
Key takeaways
[1:44] Srini Pillay career briefing and how he met JJ.
[4:07] The truth that too much focus can be problematic – it can actually drain the brain of energy!
[5:16] The solution is to build cognitive rhythm between focused and unfocused states.
[6:01] How can you be productively unfocused? Using PCD: Positive Constructive Daydreaming (Jerome Singer).
[7:20] How to Daydream: Plan for it; have a playful image; and do it during a low-key activity like gardening.
[8:55] Being “unfocused” in the right way helps you be more creative and re-energizes your brain. When you re-focus it helps you in many ways, including predicting the future...
[9:55] “Unfocusing” your brain can help integrate information better, and even give you a better sense of self.
[11:02] Try these to get started: An app that schedules unfocused time; napping & daydreaming; walking in unstructured paths; and even doodling can improve your memory by 29%!
[14:30] Dabbling: What you can learn from Picasso and Einstein.
[16:10] People who have complimentary hobbies do better at their primary tasks.
[17:23] How to improve your health right away. 1 – Possibility Thinking: simply asserting that it is possible to achieve your goals has some very positive effects. It increases your dopamine, activates reward pathways in your brain, and increases your natural opioids so you are less stressed.
[18:10] 2 – The Biology of Imagination: imagine how you will look in the future, using images that demonstrate the “before and after” progression.
[19:31] 3 – Creative Motivation: building in periods of unfocus – napping, etc., helps you to come back and focus more successfully. Also try “Psychological Halloweenism” – embodying the full personality of an eccentric role model – to activate their ideas and habits.
[21:45] When you get Srini’s book you get the app for free!
[23:40] Practice: Ask yourself what do you want that you think is possible; imagine that. Than refine that image of what you want, and your brain will take you there.
[25:30] Improve the quality of your sleep with JJ’s Sleep Candy.
[26:08] Listeners’ questions: How can I get motivated to get healthier?
[27:01] Find the Power of Purpose: What is your big ‘Why?’
Mentioned in this episode:
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