"Five minutes each week that might change your life."

The other day someone told me about The Centipede’s Dilemma, and I think it explains why we self-sabotage perfectly.

It goes like this: A toad asks a centipede: “How do you know which leg comes after which?”

The centipede replies that he’s never thought about that before. So as he starts walking, he tries to pay attention to which leg to move…

…and he immediately trips and falls over.

We tend to believe thinking harder makes us perform better—but the opposite is often true.

Think about athletes or artists or you when you’re dancing at your cousin’s wedding. People perform best when they’re acting unconsciously. But we learn when we judge consciously.

As a writer, my first draft is pure flow. I spill it out without judgment. Critic Mark only shows up in the second draft.

Analysis and critique has its time and place. The trick is knowing when to switch your brain between the conscious and unconscious. In creative and social moments, the more you try to “do it right,” the more likely you are to screw it up.

So before you trip over yourself, check and make sure you’re not overthinking things.

See you Monday,
Mark

P.S. My first drafts are pure flow, and I get there thanks to Brain.fm. For years, I figured I wasn't wired to sit down and concentrate. Turns out I just needed the right tool. Brain.fm's science-backed focus music drops me (and over a million people) into a flow state, no forcing required. It's even engineered to work with, not against, ADHD brains. Next time you catch yourself tripping over your own feet, let Brain.fm's music get you out of your head.
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