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Today, I am going to show you how to escape living and working in autopilot mode by developing and leveraging three cognitive superpowers.

By harnessing the power of your cognitive potential, you can lay the foundation for upgrading and evolving your learning, problem-solving and decision-making to navigate life, work, and business with higher agency.

Unfortunately, most people today underestimate the role that their cognitive skills play in shaping their future in a more meaningful and enjoyable way.

They believe learning is just for schoolchildren and creativity and problem-solving are for the select few (artists and "geniuses").

They outsource their decision-making to others (their bosses and the "system," which they resent).

This flawed mindset ensures they stay on autopilot for good, feeling helpless and unable to steer their own ship.

Rigidity is your mind's resistance to growth - the tighter the grip on old ways, the harder it is to grasp new opportunities and shape your future.

Imagine trying to hold onto sand by squeezing it tightly - the more pressure you apply, the more it slips through your fingers.

We live in an age of constant, rapid change. The world is not slowing down—it's speeding up.

• Challenges become more and more complex

• Opportunities are fleeting

• Distractions are everywhere

This is why you need to work on your cognitive skills starting today. There's no time to lose.

Being stuck on autopilot may feel safe (also boring and unfulfilling), but you:

• struggle when things don't go as planned

• miss chances that could change your life

• feel someone else has ownership and control of your life

Breaking free requires courage, and these three cognitive superpowers are your tools:

• Be agile enough to learn and adapt quickly

• Be flexible enough to think creatively and find solutions to your problems

• Be autonomous enough to think independently, make choices and decisions that align with your values and priorities, and live authentically

This is how you can navigate life boldly.

How Cognitive Agility, Flexibility, and Autonomy Unlock True Agency

Those three cognitive superpowers can significantly improve your thinking and learning skills, how you solve problems that arise, and your decision-making (both as a process and as outcomes).

The three functions just mentioned (learning, problem-solving, decision-making) are the foundation of adaptive intelligence, your ability to navigate dynamic and changing environments effectively and confidently.

And adaptive intelligence enables agency.

Put simply, developing your cognitive skills upgrades your adaptive intelligence and builds higher agency, transforming you into a capable, independent thinker and doer who can shape your own path.

Beyond Intelligence: Why Cognitive Agility Defines Success

For decades, intelligence, as defined and measured by cognitive tests, was considered the primary indicator of one's success potential. If your score was high, you were set to achieve more in life and work. If your score was low, you were considered doomed in a way, or at least less destined for great things. Capability and prosperity were linked to IQ.

That approach was incomplete and misleading in the first place, as it didn't take into account many other success-defining factors (like emotional intelligence, flexibility, and creativity, to name a few). It may also have worked in a day and age when life, business and technology moved more slowly. That is certainly not the case today.

Raw intelligence, if we agree to call it that way, is insufficient for navigating an ever-changing and unpredictable world because:

• Rigid thinking makes people fixated on specific ways of thinking or problem-solving.

• Intelligence can lead to deep expertise, but that does not guarantee the ability to decide and act swiftly based on changing circumstances.

• Failing to adapt and adjust to shifting realities leads to professional setbacks or missed opportunities. History is filled with examples of brilliant minds who failed because of their inability to be flexible and adapt.

Today, the world is information-driven, and success is less about intelligence (let alone raw intelligence) and more about adaptability.

Life, work, and business evolve at an unprecedented pace, often fueled by new disruptive technologies.

Linear thinking is insufficient for solving pressing, complex problems that demand unconventional solutions.

Agility is crucial for adapting in conversations in diverse social contexts and effortlessly navigating the new complex social dynamics.

Resilience in times of high uncertainty (like the ones we currently experience) is one of the strongest predictors of success.

So, what is Cognitive Agility?

It's your brain's ability to shift quickly from focused attention to openness to alternatives. It's about the speed and ease of switching strategies and tactics when circumstances change and call for it.

Think of it as mental gymnastics. It keeps your mind flexible and ready to tackle whatever comes your way. It helps you spot problems before they arise, stay ahead of changes, weigh your options effectively, and adjust quickly to new situations.

Instead of getting stuck in one way of thinking, you can shift perspectives, think on your feet, and make smart decisions fast.

It’s the skill that keeps you sharp, adaptable, and prepared for the unexpected.

Imagine playing a game with your friends where the rules change every few minutes. You must notice and understand the changes quickly and adjust your strategy to win. That's cognitive agility.

Without it, you will struggle to keep up with the curveballs life throws, like unexpected challenges at work, family or other emergencies, even opportunities disguised as problems.

Being agile helps you survive and thrive instead of panicking.

For example, you are cooking dinner and realise a key ingredient is out of stock. How do you respond? Most people freeze or abandon the whole meal and quickly order junk food online. With cognitive agility, you swiftly substitute that ingredient with another in stock or tweak the recipe entirely.

It works the same way with anything in life, work or business (other than simply cooking dinner).

For example, you learn a new language and notice that you struggle and progress is slow. Instead of letting that struggle disappoint you and perhaps make you quit, you can quickly adapt your learning style or resources. You may change the books you use, the course or the school you attend, the teacher (because their teaching style is not in sync with your learning style), or even tweak your whole learning style (for example, shift to learning the language by practicing it and not by learning grammar or memorising vocabulary).

If you are a solopreneur, the struggle with lead generation is real. Most solopreneurs find it hard to attract new leads and convert them to clients. You may try paid ads. If that doesn't work (most probably), you can shift to organic reach with content on LinkedIn, create lead magnets and promote them on your social media profiles, or work with a lead generation expert to make a funnel for you and help you execute it. No need for panicking or intrusive thoughts like "I am not cut out for it!" or "I will quit. This doesn't work!".

How to build your cognitive agility

If we had to boil it down, the core principle is embracing discomfort by intentionally exposing yourself to new, challenging mental experiences.

If you only do the same tasks repeatedly, your thinking becomes rigid and less adaptable.

Immersing yourself in situations and experiences that challenge your current thinking, and force you to think creatively and switch modes swiftly creates new mental pathways.

Here are 4 tried-and-tested ways to become more agile:

1. Microlearning Bursts. Picking up new skills, even if simple ones, can work wonders. You can make that more time-efficient by opting for learning new things via short podcasts, videos or articles relevant to your industry but slightly outside your niche. That will keep you fresh,

2. Problem-solving Challenges. Brain games like Sudoku can train your mental muscles, but an even more effective and practical way is this: trying to solve other people's problems fast. You can do that as they happen (for example, when talking to a colleague, fellow solopreneur, or friend) or on purpose (by actively seeking problems waiting to be solved in social media comments or relevant online forums and groups). You don't have to share the solution (but be kind and generous and share if you come up with something). The goal is to force yourself to find a solution swiftly (so, don't spend time on it).

3. Creative "Lunch Breaks". Instead of scrolling through the news or social media after eating lunch (or any other time of the day you find yourself killing time), spend that time brainstorming wild, even impossible ideas for your business or any other challenge you face. Most of them will be trash, but you never know, one might be gold. The goal is to allow your brain to dump ideas fast, without self-censorship. If one of them is an applicable solution, that's even better.

4. Mindful Task Switching. Switching modes, strategies, and tactics requires mental and emotional training. Mindfulness can help you practice and strengthen those switching moments. It can help you learn how to make mindful pauses between tasks, breathe deeply, and ground yourself to reset mentally.

What’s next?

It’s all about mindset and strategy. As ancient Greek and Roman philosophers taught, we can only control our minds, thoughts, and actions. Focusing on this can help you avoid unnecessary struggle, get unstuck, and move forward faster.

If you need guidance getting unstuck and making crucial mindset shifts, I can help, especially if

• you want to quit your 9-5 job and create your one-person business, but you struggle to pivot (and then regret not making the leap)

• you are a currently struggling introverted solopreneur (stuck in failure, regret and a flawed mindset that doesn’t serve you)

DM me on LinkedIn, and let’s explore how Mindset Coaching can help you move forward and claim what you desire and deserve for a life and work with purpose, meaning and enjoyment.

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