R·A·S for R·O·I

So the Bandwidth thing has been an absolute game-changer in terms of how I now review my performance in life and work out what needs changing to lift my game. Sometimes, it’s simply a way to acknowledge that my capacity has been reached and it’s time for a time-out.

After a whole month of practising the Bandwidth + Balance formula, and achieving only a success rate of 20% in my Feb goal of 9pm bedtime on school nights, I decided that Brambles deserve mention in this month’s blog post.

So here is the updated formula:

Breakthroughs = Bandwidth + Balance – Brambles

This month, I focus on DEDUCTING BRAMBLES.

What are Brambles?
For the purposes of this conversation, Brambles are those spiky weeds that creep up UN-intentionally around the borders of my neat little garden of life. They are the thief of my time, the enemy of my Bandwidth, the proverbial thorns in my side. They snag me with their very many sharp thorns and hinder me from achieving my goals. They become a distraction as I take time out to untangle and un-snag myself from their tentacles, apply first aid to my sores, dig them out of the ground from their roots, and finally resume my journey to success.

What on earth do we do about those pesky Brambles?!

This is where RAS comes in. RAS = Reticular Activation System. The RAS is a network of neurons in your brainstem that is responsible for many things, and most interestingly, the RAS is how your brain wakes up to what you want. Reticular means a fine network or net-like structure, so…

Think of your RAS as the net you cast for catching the fish you want to fry.

A common way to explain the RAS in action is that it is like when you decide that you want to buy a new red car, and all of a sudden you keep seeing new red cars everywhere! It’s your brain’s “highlighter”, and the best part is, it’s automatic.

So, tackling the Brambles in my life with RAS will be much like when I ‘crowded out’ coffee from my life with Green Juice in January this year. Knowing what my RAS is capable of, I just need to fill in the “search bar” and simply allow it to do its thing. This means continuing to feed my RAS with intentional search queries. For example:

• When do I feel most alert?
• When do I feel most rested?
• What helps me fall asleep faster?
• What’s the minimum hours of sleep I need?

Having this information in my face then helps me to modify my sleep routine a lot quicker, because it’s become louder on my radar/higher in my priorities.

The flip-side of how the RAS “net” catches the fish you want to fry, is that whilst it pushes your priorities to the fore, it also drowns out the other fish (distractions) that you are NOT INTERESTED in catching. Which is a double win and exactly why this article is titled: RAS for ROI.
Ramp up your Return On Investment (ROI) by priming your RAS! Get your brain working for you by having intentional conversations with yourself AKA “entering search queries” about what you want to focus on.

We all have limited time and energy. To get that breakthrough you are after, create more Bandwidth by focusing on the things that will give you the best ROI. Get smart about your investments of time, energy and expenses. Ask yourself, how much bandwidth will this investment get me, or is it just a distraction? Remember to apply Balance as always, and start removing the Brambles in your life by their roots so that they are eliminated and not given a chance to hinder your progress.

Cultivating vs Culling

As you think about how you frame your search queries, consider that it’s not always about identifying the Brambles, although that can be helpful. Instead, make your focus about what you can Cultivate, instead of what you can Cull. It’s a question of, “What am I cultivating by culling this thing?” Focusing on the TOWARD goals automatically crowds out the AWAY FROM goals. Just as when your RAS starts looking for red cars and suddenly you only see red cars and every other car that is not red fades into the background, when you direct your focus on things you want, then the things you no longer want will get ‘crowded out’ and eventually disappear from your environment. When you say “YES” to something, you are saying an inaudible “NO” to something else at the same time. So, choose your YES wisely.

#reset your focus

#release yourself to live “toward” goals

My March goal: Read 2 books using an intentional search query with my RAS highlighter.