E344 | Achieving Peak Performance Through Mindset and AI with Dr. Jon Finn

Dr. Jon Finn wrote his best-selling book ‘The Habit Mechanic’ (which took him over 20 years) because his life’s mission is to help people to be their best in the challenging modern world.

He founded the award-winning Tougher Minds consultancy and has three psychology-related degrees, including a PhD. He has worked in performance psychology, resilience, and leadership science for over 20 years. He also writes regularly for Forbes.

Tougher Minds uses cutting-edge insights from psychology, behavioural science, neuroscience, and world champions to help organisations develop “Habit Mechanics” and “Chief Habit Mechanics”—resilient people, outstanding leaders, and world-class teams.

Having trained and coached over 10,000 people, Dr. Finn, and his colleagues, work with global businesses, high-growth startups, individuals, elite athletes, coaches and teams, leading educational institutes, families, the UK government, and think tanks.

In this episode, Dominic explores AI's impact on the workforce and the journey of integrating AI into behavioural science and habit formation. Inspired by Geoffrey Hinton's work on neural networks, learn how blending traditional methods with cutting-edge AI enhances understanding of brain function and behaviour.

Dr. Jon shares the concept of brain states - recharge, medium-charge, and high-charge - and how AI can revolutionise workflows by automating routine tasks and co-working with humans on complex tasks. Looking forward, we explore the concept of creating high-performing human-AI teams, guiding individuals and businesses toward harmonious collaborations with AI, enabling unprecedented speed and efficiency in achieving goals.

Discover

Automatic Thinking: Human thoughts and behaviours are largely driven by automatic or semi-automatic processes. This is influenced by biases and past experiences, which affect the ability to generate truly conscious and unbiased ideas.

Emotional Regulation in Athletes: In elite sports, the ability to regulate emotions plays a pivotal role in determining whether young athletes maintain or lose their professional status as they age.

Effort and Performance: Sustained success in any field relies on consistent effort, ongoing learning, and the ability to perform effectively under pressure, particularly in challenging or high-stakes situations.

Training Gaps in Mental Performance:  While athletes typically receive extensive training in physical, technical, and tactical aspects, they often lack structured training on understanding and improving their cognitive and emotional processes.

Risks from AI in the Workplace: AI is disrupting workplace roles that involve medium-energy tasks, and people unable to adapt or up-skill are at risk of being replaced. Emotional regulation and the ability to shift to higher-performance states are critical for adapting to these changes.