Purposeful Behavior
There is a common assumption that human beings operate from decision, that we can choose an objective and act to reach it. Worse, not realizing the axiom has no basis in fact, we blame the human being when they can’t achieve outcomes that way. Over the last century or so, research into human psychology, sociology, biology, neurology, and anthropology have compiled stacks of evidence that the line from setting a goal to achieving it is at the very least a winding path… dotted with mountains, valleys, and other surprises that make the Labors of Hercules look like a bad vacation. Achieving peak performance is complicated. No one succeeds without support, resources, and training.
That said, with resources and correct information any of us can achieve great things. We just have to accept that
- Aspects of our human brains work against us
- We NEED support from others
- Our environment needs to be well resourced to overcome detours and delays
- Clarity on what to measure is imperative to know we’re going the right direction
Constantly adapting to changes and circumstances IS the process, not part of the process.
Prefrontal Cortex & Planning
The prefrontal cortex evolved later than the rest of our brain. It mostly carries out planning, goal setting, decision making; functions that we’ve only begun to understand. It is directly linked to the outcomes of executive functions like decision making and planning.
But, it cannot operate independently. And! there are areas (like the amygdala) that, not only work differently, but can override it. To simplify, the prefrontal cortex is the regular neighborhood where we spend a lot of our conscious time, while the less evolved regions of the brain are the fire and police departments that respond to emergencies… or anything that THEY interpret as an emergency.
Until our nervous system perceives something as a threat, plans are regarded by these older systems as interesting ideas, or fun toys. It usually takes a looming due date, or social pressure to initiate action. Our brains are literally working against our being organized, on task, or on time.
Why? Because running a brain that has a prefrontal cortex is very calorically “expensive.” ONE THIRD! of the calories we consume go to fuel our huge brains. We evolved to conserve energy, not waste it. Our older brains are a lot less concerned about earning an “A” in Calculus than getting the attention of our latest crush. If getting that “A” will get our crush’s attention, our brain does work as a unit. Most of the time the prefrontal cortex is nagging the rest of us to stop watching screens or chatting with our friends and get to work.
Planning & Performance—The Eternal Gap
No matter how beautiful the goal, our behavior and daily actions aren’t as motivated by that “vision” as by the environment and short-term rewards we can earn today. We need tools, materials, social reinforcement, a bit of social and emotional pressure—like deadlines or partners—balanced by rewards and support, like snacks and someone to check in on us, or help.
Once we create an environment that supports desired actions, we can add habits. Everyone has existing habits. By linking new behaviors to the patterns we are already used to, we can add actions that we want to repeat for our success. A good example is meals. By linking an action to the time before or after a meal we can establish a new habit. Most of us find that a new behavior can become habit if it’s repeated consistently for somewhere between 80-150 days in a row. At that point our brain expects it and we feel odd if we don’t do it.
Check the next newsletter for the physical aspects of programming the environment for successful behavior shifting. In the meantime, mind that gap between the pre-frontal cortex and the amygdala. The next time you’re struggling to get the dishes done, or prepare for that presentation, add a little reward at the beginning and end of the task and see if you can train your brain a little more easily.
