NEUROPLASTICITY is one important characteristic of the brain.
This is a situation where by the brain can be stretched using learning.
Your brain does grow when you learn new information, signals, or knowledge.
When a child is born, he begins to pick signals through their immediate environment.
They can any learn a language thrust at them.
This means you can learn the language of success.
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As we grow old, we limit ourselves by not disciplining our self to learning things that are exclusively in tandem with our purpose.
I am very intentional in saying “exclusively in tandem”. Why?
Even though you might not be intentional at learning, you continue to learn through what is exposed to your mind, either negative or positive.
So, everyone should be intentional on learning.
The mind grows or can improve.
Since the mind is able to grow through learning, it is therefore important to accelerate the improvement of the following six cognitive faculties:
Reason
Reasoning involves logical thinking and problem-solving.
Have you realised that a child learns through exploration, questioning and facing challenges?
So how do we quickly grow our minds?
We need to explore, question, and be willing to face new changes.
That stretches our neural power.
I have learnt that, as an example, engaging in puzzles, games, and academic subjects like mathematics enhances our ability to reason.
The brain’s prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive functions, plays a key role in reasoning development.
Imagination
Creativity is the characteristic of our brain.
But as we grow, we fear talking risk, exploring and facing changes.
We tend to walk in the known.
School makes it worse because it trains us what, is historically known, negating the creative ability of the brain to create.
Albert Einstein once said: “Imagination is everything, it is the preview to life’s forthcoming attractions.”
Imagination is the ability to create mental images and scenarios beyond our immediate reality.
Imagination is nurtured by a rich sensory environment and exposure to diverse experiences, which stimulate the brain’s associative and creative networks.
My friend Rabison Shumba then said: “The level of your mental exposure will determine the level of your success.”
Hence the need to expose our mind to progressive and positive mental food.
Intuition
Our paradigm (mental model/ pattern) is shaped by what we are mentally exposed to. Intuition is the ability to understand or know something without conscious reasoning.
It develops through experience and pattern recognition.
So, success is whereby we pick habits that bring progress and growth.
As we encounter various situations and learn from them, our brains build a repository of implicit knowledge.
The brain’s limbic system and right hemisphere contribute to intuitive processing.
Memory
What you store in your mind, will determine what you mental hard drive caries and ultimately executes.
Memory is the brain’s capacity to store and retrieve information.
It develops through repetition, attention, and meaningful connections.
Different types of memory, such as working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory, involve various brain regions like the hippocampus and frontal cortex.
Techniques like mnemonic devices and spaced repetition enhance memory retention.
In writing this particular script, I am reading my 161th book (outside my academic endeavourers — four degrees).
Reading is what I repetitively do to improve myself.
At school I might not have been considered a smart kid, but I mastered the art of repetition.
That improved my memory.
Perception
Perception is the brain’s interpretation of sensory information.
It develops through exposure to different stimuli and experiences.
As children interact with their environment, they learn to make sense of sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touch.
The brain’s sensory cortices process and integrate this information, shaping our perception of the world.
Will
Willpower, or self-control, is the ability to regulate one's actions, emotions, and thoughts.
It develops through practice and conscious effort.
Setting goals, facing challenges, and learning from successes and failures strengthen willpower.
The prefrontal cortex plays a crucial role in self-regulation and decision-making.
Will power will make you pick that book instead of watching junk content on TV.
Will power will make you master hard life, in order to have good life.
Most people, feast on entertainment, which usually lead to poverty.
But discipline leads to success.
So learning takes you to have will power.
In the pursuit of personal fulfilment, personal growth plays a vital role.
It is a continuous journey of self-improvement, self-discovery and self-actualisation.
At the core of personal growth lies a mindset that can make all the difference; the growth mindset.
Power of belief
The base of personal growth mindset lies in the belief that your abilities, talents, innate abilities or potential are not fixed traits but rather malleable qualities that can be enhanced through learning, continuous improvements and effort.
I am one person who does not believe that there are people who are not intelligent.
Your dominant intelligence might not be like the next person.
We have different mental intelligences.
Your dominant intelligence is the one you must seek to improve, equip, hone, feed, and care mainly about.
We are all intelligent, but that resides particular sphere in your life.
So, if you can discover the centre of your intelligence, you are ready to live a fruitful and fulfilling life.
By adopting this belief, you open up a world of possibilities and overcome self-imposed limitations.
Embrace the notion that your intelligence, skills and talents can be cultivated and expanded over time.
Power of challenges
To most people, challenges are seen in a negative light because they bring pain.
Overtime I have matured to know that it is in pain where positive and progressive growth takes place.
Challenges are not roadblocks but opportunities for growth and development. Instead of shying away from difficult tasks, confront them with enthusiasm.
Embrace the discomfort that comes with venturing beyond your comfort zone.
Each challenge you overcome expands your wisdom, expertise, skill set and strengthens your resilience.
View setbacks as valuable learning experiences, allowing you to refine your approach and grow stronger in the process.
Power of learning
Back to the subject of intelligence.
When I was young, I never thought I was intelligent because I did not have the academic grades that some had.
But, as I grew older, I realised, I can become anything, as long as I have the hunger to learn.
A growth mindset thrives on a hunger for knowledge and continuous learning.
Cultivate a love for learning by seeking new experiences, acquiring new skills and expanding your horizons.
Take up new hobbies, read widely, attend seminars or workshops and surround yourself with individuals who inspire and challenge you.
Recognise that learning is a lifelong journey and each new piece of knowledge acquired enhances your personal growth.
The faster you learn, the better you become.
Power of feedback
Failure is not a reflection of your worth or potential.
Instead, it is feedback that provides valuable insights into areas where improvement is needed.
Embrace failures as stepping stones towards success.
Analyse your setbacks objectively, extract the lessons they offer and use them as a catalyst for growth.
Remember, every successful individual has encountered failures along the way; it is how they choose to respond to them that sets them apart.
IBM’s Thomas Watson Sr once said: “The fastest way to succeed is to double your failure rate.”
Power of perseverance
Remember, success is not a walk in the park, it takes hard work, resilience and failing at times.
Personal growth requires resilience and perseverance.
Challenges and obstacles are inevitable, but it is your ability to bounce back and keep going that determines your progress.
When faced with adversity, tap into your inner power, remain focused on your goals, and keep pushing forward.
Develop a mindset that sees setbacks as temporary roadblocks rather than permanent barriers.
Parting point: Earl Nightingale once said, “All of us are self-made but it’s only the successful that will admit it.”
Success is a personal.
Embracing a personal growth mindset is the key to unlocking your full potential.
By believing in the power of growth, embracing challenges, cultivating a love for learning, viewing failure as feedback, and developing resilience, you can chart a path of continuous growth and self-improvement.
Remember, personal growth is not a destination but a lifelong journey.
Embrace it, celebrate your progress, and watch yourself evolve into the best version of yourself.
- Jonah Nyoni is an author, speaker and leadership trainer. He can be contacted on X @jonahnyoni. WhatsApp: +263 772 581 918