David Amerland
on Google
Navigating uncertainty is a skill. There are two truths behind this sentence. First, it is a skill we all possess to some degree because uncertainty is a constant in our lives, even when we don't realize it. Second, when the uncertainty increases past a certain value it crosses the threshold from the subconscious to the conscious and at that point we need to be knowledgeable of the cognitive techniques we can apply to mitigate its effects on us. Across the different types of activities we engage in as human beings we, inevitably, encounter uncertainty in settings where our ability to disengage and leave is severely limited. Consider a competitive game of football, a boxing match, a game of chess, a pitched battle. These are all circumstances that have a similar dynamic: antagonists face off against each other, factoring in a variety of factors about the terrain and each other's known capabilities and history to create probabilistic scenarios that determine choices, decisions, plans and actions. Then consider a different set of circumstances: a coming storm, rising sea levels, a raging battle of asymmetrically capable adversaries, a bushfire that's out of control. The sheer magnitude of the threat we experience in such circumstances is so overpowering that the perceived uncertainty appears to go off the scale. When everything seems fluid no plan can stand a chance. Perhaps. In fact this isn't so. The uncertainty we experience, despite its seemingly external points of origin, is in fact mostly internal. When we understand that we can put in operation specific techniques designed to mitigate the threat it poses and lead to workable solutions where none existed before. More than that, we can also attain desirable outcomes where we thought that none were possible.… more
10 hours ago
Working from home provides the opportunity to take the kind of breaks you couldn't take in a workplace environment. Not all breaks however are the same in terms of their effect. This is why it's important to understand the effect breaks have on cognition and be able to use that knowledge to your advantage.… more
Apr 2, 2020
Working From Home. Tip #1. Enclothed cognition is a well recognized psychological effect with a remarkable body of neuroscientific experimental data behind it. Now that you're working from home it is important to understand how it affects you and make use of it to help you be more productive.… more
Mar 25, 2020
Leadership in a time of crisis. The very best thing I can do for you right now is point you towards content that really helps, like Errol Doebler's post on leadership in a time of crisis. Errol Doebler is highly qualified, very relatable and he totally rocks! However tough things are we are in this all here for each other. The ability of our tech to keep us connected, talking and sharing is showcased here, directly. Stay calm and stay safe.… more
Mar 18, 2020
The things that drive you. We're all driven by something to some extent. Need, hope, ambition. These are the things that we take into account as we create our perspective and formulate our personal belief system. And, at some point, some of us will get tired. Stop. While others will go on to succeed in their goals. There are many differences between those who stop and those who keep on going. The primary one, however, is persistence. The need to simply keep on going, no natter what. And persistence, alongside perseverance, always deliver some result.… more
Mar 13, 2020
Be Intentional. Intentionality (i.e. the quality of mental states being directed towards a specific purpose) is a complex subject and this barely minute long video is just scratching the surface. Learning how to take control of our own decision making helps us take charge of our own life.… more
Mar 2, 2020
Optimize the way you work and live. The difference between function and form in work and in life is that the moment we apply logic to what we do and determine a consistency in our approach we also begin to see where we get distracted, where we are inefficient and where we need to make changes. None of this is as easy as it sounds, especially the distancing effect required in order to achieve a more balanced, dispassionate approach. Its effectiveness though is undeniable.… more
Feb 26, 2020
Deal with the unexpected. Learning to deal with the unexpected sounds like an oxymoron. If we can predict something and prepare for it, it's not unexpected. Yet every unexpected event, however unique it might be, produces specific neurobiological pressures in us which we then must work hard to overcome in order to make better decisions and take actions that benefit us. As it turns out there are small things we can implement in our daily lives that can better prepare us for adversity by hardening our mental and emotional responses.… more
Feb 17, 2020
Error loading posts
Try Again?